We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal – Review

Hello everyone!! I hope you all had a great weekend. Today I’m going to review We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal. The plot was predictable and the story was slow, however, the characters were hilarious and amazing. I was a bit disappointed because the plot wasn’t as great as I hoped it would be.

Book: We Hunt the Flame

Author: Hafsah Faizal

Rating: ★★★★☆

Summary:

People lived because she killed.
People died because he lived.

Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the king. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. 

Both are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya—but neither wants to be.

War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the king on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds—and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.

Set in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia, We Hunt the Flame is a gripping debut of discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands.

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Quote: “Be as victorious as the name I have given you, and bring the desert to its knees.” 

*Nasir and Altair. Words can not begin to describe how amazing both of these guys are. Altair Al-Badawi is annoying, talkative, obnoxious, and a serious pain. Yet I still enjoyed his jokes and endless talking. Nasir Ghameq, the notorious Amir Al-Maut (Prince of Death), was gloomy, very dark, and such a poor boy who’d been wronged too many times in his young life. I just wanted to hug him and tell him that he didn’t have to carry so much pain in his heart. I absolutely loved him. He and Altair were such great platonic friends and made me feel amazing.

*Zafira. She was okay. I didn’t love her, just found her likable. Her strong bond with her best friend and sister of her heart Yasmine was amazing. I also loved how she fed her people in return for nothing, and her decision to fight the sexist views of the Demenhur caliph. She was definitely a strong heroine. Her romance with Nasir was perfect.

*Kifah, Benyamin, and Deen. They were all great side characters. Kifah was strong, ferocious, and not someone to mess with. Benyamin was quietly wise, and the way he treated the rest of the characters like a tired mother was sweet and hilarious. Deen’s love for Zafira and his loyalty was very heartwarming.

*Arabian Rep. The representation was great. There were a lot of Arabic words sprinkled across the story which I really liked. The setting of the story also had the feel of Arabia to it, and I loved reading about the food, and experiencing part of the culture through a wedding.

*Writing. I loved the writing so much. It was super eloquent, and it made me smile reading the Arabic words that were used to emphasize or curse (there was a Glossary and Pronunciation Guide linked). The descriptions were beautiful and it added so much depth and beauty to the story.

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Quote: “Promise me,” Yasmine said softly, “that if you die, you will die fighting to return to me.” 

*Plot. I wasn’t really invested in the plot, and it was also pretty slow. The story was also rather predictable and the twists didn’t ‘wow’ me. Not much happened until the last third or fourth of the book. However, I loved the characters and the slow-burn relationships.

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Quote: “Maybe the tiny lions were merely ornaments, a display of pride for the victory over a man who defied men, only to be slain by women.”

In the end, I really liked this, I would recommend it, and I hope you enjoy it if you read it. The characters were amazing and in my opinion the strongest point of the story, though the plot was predictable. I loved the Arabia aspect and the Arabic words and culture helped enhance the story.

One sentence summary: An amazing Arabia inspired fantasy with phenomenal characters.

Overall, 4 stars!

★★★★☆

Have you read We Hunt the Flame? What did you think? Do you prefer a great plot or awesome characters? Let’s chat in the comments below!

The Wicked King by Holly Black – Review

Welcome to another book review my dear friends!! Today, we’ll be reviewing The Wicked King by Holly Black. This was so much better than The Cruel Prince. Jude and Cardan were a lot more interesting, and the plot twists were amazing.

Book: The Wicked King

Author: Holly Black

Other book in the series: The Cruel Prince (Review)

Rating: ★★★★☆

Summary: You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.

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Quote: “Someone tries to betray the High King, murder. Someone gives you a harsh look, murder. Someone disrespects you, murder. Someone ruins your laundry, murder.”

*Cardan. Sassy, lazy, and an absolute jerk, but I love him! His smug arrogance and constant bickering with Jude was awesome. I also like that he is actually a broken guy with a good heart but it is the anger and blame placed on him that makes him hurt others. It makes his character a lot more complex. The things he did to save Jude, and the last few chapters made me love him – while simultaneously hating him for that ending – even more.

*Jude. She improved in this book and I felt she was more relate-able. Her struggle with power and making the right decisions were also very realistic. I think that as the story progressed, she grew more power hungry and too harsh on herself especially since she tried to solve every crisis by herself. She was also kind of an anti-hero, since her reasons for controlling Cardan are a lot deeper than just to keep the throne for Oak (that’s what I’m guessing).

*Jurdan?? Cardan and Jude were great. Their fascination with each other was amusing, and I was very happy that they were making some progress to not-hating-each-other-so-much until that catastrophic ending.

*Plot and Character. This was great. I didn’t anticipate many of the plot twists, and I didn’t guess correctly who was behind any of the betrayals. The many alliances and oaths that Jude had made were now catching up to her. The many different problems caused by Locke and Cardan was also very fun to read and I loved the other side characters. I’m not sure if it’s a spoiler to mention who was in this book, so I’ll stay on the safe side and just say they were all great.

*The Ending. The ending also took a different turn than I anticipated. I was so shocked and definitely not expecting anything like that to happen. However, it was realistic and plausible. I can’t wait for book 3!

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Quote: “Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold on to.” 

*Taryn, Locke, and Vivi. Taryn’s such an evil and cruel sister. I can’t imagine that she could do that to her own twin. I also passionately hate Locke, especially after the first book, and my feelings about him only intensified in this one. Vivi isn’t necessarily bad, but she made some very very questionable decisions, that I thought were cruel. I think she deserved what happened to her at the end. I originally kind of liked her, but now, not so much.

*Memorable. After two weeks, I was unable to remember the smaller bits of the story. The major plot twists and the ending, I definitely remembered, but not some of the smaller twists. I just think that is a little disappointing that it was so easy for me to forget.

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Quote: “If he thought I was bad, I would be worse. If he thought I was cruel, I would be horrifying.” 

Overall, I enjoyed this a lot more than book one, and I’m so excited for the third book. The characters were more likable for me, and the plot wasn’t I’d definitely recommend it, and I hope you love it if you read it!

One sentence summary: A surprising political fantasy with great characters.

Overall, 4 stars

★★★★☆

Have you read The Wicked King? What did you think? Did you enjoy The Cruel Prince better than TWK? Are you excited for The Queen of Nothing? Let’s chat in the comments below!

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – Review

I’M BACK!!!! I’m so happy to announce that I am back after my month long hiatus! I’ve missed blogging, and blog hopping and commenting and just seeing everyone’s amazing content and I can’t wait to jump right back in. I apologize in advance if I begin to bombard your posts with a lot of comments and likes but there is so much for me to catch up on!

Now it is time for my book review! The last book I was reading before my hiatus was Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. This was slow, a little hard to read at times, but still magical and beautiful in its own way. I love ‘coming-of-age’ stories, and this one was just as awesome as some of my favorites.

Book: Where The Crawdads Sing

Author: Delia Owens

Rating: ★★★★☆

Summary: For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.

Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

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Quote: “I wasn’t aware that words could hold so much. I didn’t know a sentence could be so full.”

*Kya. Over the years, she was slowly abandoned by those she loved and those she thought were always there for her. First it was her mother, then her siblings, and then her dad. She grew up mainly alone, learning the ways of the Marsh to feed herself and hide from the authorities, befriending the animals, collecting mussels to sell to her only friend and companion, Jumpin’, and avoiding the town. She was a quiet and broken child who was so used to being alone that she didn’t know how to interact much with other people. It was sad reading her story as she grew older, how she fell in love twice, had her heart broken by both men, and her humiliation and pain. She was a strong and amazing main character.

*Jumpin’ and Mabel. Those two brought a smile to my face because of their kindness and sympathy for Kya. They were there for her when no one else was and were the only form of parents that she had after her family left.

*Two storylines. The story is told in two parts, the first steadily going through Kya’s life from the age of 6 onward, and the other in the present after the body of Chase Andrews was found. It was interesting to see how Kya fit into the story and what role she had to play and how her past also influenced the present.

*Setting. The beauty of the Marsh was told amazingly. At times, I could vividly imagine what it was like for Kya to live there, and I wanted to be there and join her in discovering the Marsh’s secrets. However, at times, it was tedious and boring since the first around 2/3’s was quite descriptive and there was a lot of scenery. I admit, I did skip parts when I was tired of reading it.

*Chase Andrews’ Murder. This was not what I envisioned it to be. I expected the story to revolve more around the murder, but it was more about Kya, the Marsh, and her first two loves. The trial and the accusations against her were interesting and I loved the legal part of the book. The revelation at the end was also a little surprising.

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Quote: “A lot of times love doesn’t work out. Yet even when it fails, it connects you to others and, in the end, that is all you have, the connections.” 

*Slow. This was tedious. It was slow, and I was not into it at the beginning. I had to push myself to just finish it and it was still slow until the last half/third. Too much description and not enough action or dialogue. This is in part because of Kya’s isolation. I feel like the book would be a lot better if some of the descriptions of the Marsh were removed, however, it would still be a vital part of the story.

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Quote: “There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.” 

Overall, a great coming of age tale with a murder mystery thrown in. It was sweet, and sad, and though it was really slow at times, I still loved it. I would recommend this, but do not expect a thriller or fast paced murder mystery. I hope you enjoy this if you read it!!

One sentence summary: A slow coming of age story with an interesting murder mystery.

Overall, 4 shining stars

★★★★☆

Have you read Where The Crawdads Sing? Did you enjoy it? Did the revelation at the end shock you? Let’s chat in the comments!

P.S. I’m so glad to be back, and I’ve missed a lot. Any blog posts or books you think I should check out? Suggestions or things you’d like to see on the blog? Be sure to share in the comments!

No Exit by Taylor Adams – Review

Welcome back friends! Today, I’m going to review No Exit by Taylor Adams. This was a short action-packed thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked the main character Darby and was cheering for her the whole way. It was also gruesome and definitely not for the faint of heart.

Book: No Exit

Author: Taylor Adams

Rating: ★★★★☆

Summary: A brilliant, edgy thriller about four strangers, a blizzard, a kidnapped child, and a determined young woman desperate to unmask and outwit a vicious psychopath.

A kidnapped little girl locked in a stranger’s van. No help for miles. What would you do?

On her way to Utah to see her dying mother, college student Darby Thorne gets caught in a fierce blizzard in the mountains of Colorado. With the roads impassable, she’s forced to wait out the storm at a remote highway rest stop. Inside, are some vending machines, a coffee maker, and four complete strangers.

Desperate to find a signal to call home, Darby goes back out into the storm . . . and makes a horrifying discovery. In the back of the van parked next to her car, a little girl is locked in an animal crate.

Who is the child? Why has she been taken? And how can Darby save her?

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Some spoilers are marked!

Quote: “There’s refuge in normalcy — if you can hold onto it.”

*Thriller. This. Was. A. Thriller. My heart was pounding through-out the story and it was so “edge of your seat” amazing that I went from my bed to the floor. I’d suggest you not read this before bed.

*Darby. I really liked reading about Darby’s struggle to save the kidnapped girl. Her pain and suffering was immense and yet she still came back and fought to save her. I kind of related to her, since she felt it her responsibility to save the girl herself. I probably would have done the same thing and it made the story more “real”.

*Setting. If you are caught in a winter-storm, dubbed Snowmageddon, and you see a tiny hand moving in a crate in the back of a truck, what would you do? The setting of this story was amazing. Dark, cold, snowy, it all added to the level of despair and made Darby’s attempt to save the girl even harder. I loved the atmosphere and it really enhanced the story!

*Gruesome. This was VERY painful. The amount of pain and torture shocked me and in a twisted way, added to my enjoyment of the story (no I’m not weird….or am I?). I felt the pain of the characters, and the agony that they were in, since it was described and it hurt. Trust me, after this, you will be terrified of door hinges, rest stops, and nail guns for life.

*Short. This book is short, and that helped because I wouldn’t have been able to put it down had it been a long novel. I got through it in about two and a half hours and I still enjoyed it.

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Quote: “Sometimes God puts people exactly where they need to be. Even when they don’t know it.”

*Implausible? At the end, there is a shocker, and if you’d like you can read a spoiler below, but I thought that the end was quite implausible.

SPOILER

Darby was shot at, with both a gun and nail gun, had two of her fingers smashed in a door hinge, was out in Snowmageddon for several hours, had been doused in gasoline, twisted or maybe broken her leg, and in general, been battered and hurt about a thousand times, yet she still survived? During the ending, it seems as though she died, however, if you read it twice, you can see that they are talking about her mother who also died on that day from cancer (that’s why she was driving in Snowmageddon anyway). I just think that it is a little of a stretch because she’d been shot, and her fingers had been smashed and she’d lost A LOT of blood, she was NOT wearing a coat, and she’d been running up and down in the cold and well, I really think that she couldn’t have possibly survived (though it would have been nice, but it’s not plausible).

*Gruesome. I also added gruesome in The Bad section because I think that it was a little too much and could have been turned down a notch. But I think it was bearable.

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Quote: “Darby preferred to live her life wide-eyed, tormented, running, because nothing can catch you if you never stop.”

Overall, I really enjoyed this, though I’m shifting my original five stars, down to 4. It was an amazing and thrilling ride and I’d definitely recommend it. However, be warned that it is gritty and gruesome and might be too much for some people. This book will probably end up on my” Favorite books of 2019″ list.

One sentence summary: An action-packed thriller with a determined, and courageous main character.

Overall, 4 shining stars!!

★★★★☆

Have you read No Exit? What did you think? Have you read any other books by Taylor Adams? Let’s chat in the comments below!

Stalking Jack The Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco – Review

Welcome bookworms! Today’s review is of Stalking Jack The Ripper. I really enjoyed this, and I think for a debut novel, it was great. However, there were some aspects that annoyed me, or that I would have loved for it to be explored some more.

Book: Stalking Jack The Ripper

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Rating: ★★★★☆

Summary: Presented by James Patterson’s new children’s imprint, this deliciously creepy horror novel has a storyline inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion…

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

The story’s shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling, #1 New York Times bestselling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.

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Quote: “Fear is a hungry beast. The more you feed it, the more it grows.”

*Audrey Rose. Audrey was a great character. She was a very bold girl who was determined to excel at a job that was deemed a ‘man’s job’. She believed in equality and didn’t let social norms confine her. However, some issue are mentioned below.

*Mystery. First of all, I loved the idea of solving Jack The Ripper’s murderous reign in England. Many of the clues that the police did use back in 1888 or received were used through-out the story. The final plot-twist was shocking and the motive very twisted. However, the person who did it was partly predictable.

*Historical Aspect. I love historical fiction, and historical mystery fiction is my second most favorite genre ever. I’m especially very very fond of the Victorian Era and I loved that the story was set during it. I think it was pretty accurate in portraying 1888 London but I am no expert. However, I still thoroughly enjoyed this part of the story.

*Thomas Cresswell and Audrey Rose. Thomas was amazing. His flippant impropriety was amazing, and though he is sometimes very rude and arrogant, he was an amazing character. He and Audrey Rose were great together, both seeming to hate each other, or at least Audrey, and trying to out-smart and out-do the other. I wouldn’t say they were the best Sherlock and Watson duo, but they were great together outside the mystery.

*Clues. There were a lot of clues sprinkled around the story, and the cast of potential murderers was small enough to raise your suspicion of every person.

*Forensic investigation. It was fascinating to learn about how autopsies were carried out during Audrey Rose’s time. It was a bit disgusting, and I honestly don’t think I’ll ever want to perform one or even see a cadaver, but it was fascinating and very informative.

*The Ending. The ending was disgusting, twisted, creepy, and horrifying. I had an inkling about who it was, but actually reading the full reason why the person did the crime was revolting. And for that reason, I really liked it.

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Quote: “There’s nothing better than a little danger dashed with some romance.”

*Audrey Rose. She is a great character, however, her mystery solving skills were not that great in my opinion. She was very stubborn and determined to prove that her father was the murderer. It annoyed me that she wasn’t very open to the possibility that it could be someone else.

*Indian Heritage? Through-out the story, we get several hints that Audrey Rose’s is part Indian, and she talks about saris and Indian food etc… but it’s almost like an after-thought. Something to say, “I’m not entirely white, I’m part Indian too”. I would have loved for this to be explored a lot more.

*Too many men. This has been pointed out by a lot of reviewers already: Audrey Rose is literally the only female character besides her aunt and cousin. I would have loved more time to meet Audrey Rose’s cousin because she sounds like a great character who was unfortunately cut-out to make more room to showcase Audrey Rose’s ‘feminism’. (I also personally think that her cousin might have been a great partner for Audrey Rose in solving the mystery.) It would have been nice to see some other female characters who are also bold and who fight in their own special ways against the social norms of the society.

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Quote: “Wield your assets like a blade, Cousin. No man has invented a corset for our brains. Let them think they rule the world. It’s a queen who sits on that throne. Never forget that.”

In the end, I really liked this, even though there were some issues. I would recommend it, and I really hope you enjoy it if you read it.

One sentence summary: An engaging historical mystery with great characters, and an intriguing, yet predictable plot.

Overall, 4 shining stars.

★★★★☆

Have you read Stalking Jack The Ripper? What did you think? Did you find any of the things that I mentioned problematic as well? Let’s chat in the comments!