The battle is finally over and Altair is in captivity. Those who fought him know that he already had a plan in place and that it still needs to be stopped. Nasir is trying to learn to use his magic as a weapon and Zafira hears voices in her head that threaten to take away her sanity. They both know that the darkness is growing ever closer and they must prepare for battle, even if it costs them a newfound love. What sacrifices will need to be made to save their world?

We Free the Stars in the second book in the Sands of Arawiya series. We once again find ourselves in a world full of magic where good must overcome evil and readers won’t discover the answer until the end. Faizal has taken the world she created in We Hunt the Flame and completed the story we didn’t know we wanted to read. We have magic, adventure, and romance all rolled into a good read. We Free the Stars is the conclusion to this duology, so readers will know the fate of everyone after this book.

"I wasn't born to fight."
"No," Zafira agreed. "Neither of us were. We were not born to fight, but our cradles were built from struggles and hardships. Pens, swords, sticks --weapons shoved into our fists as soon as we're old enough to grasp them. So we fight, because the world will cut our throats otherwise. We fight, because we won't go down without one. Do you understand?"

4.5 stars. Brilliant. Swoon-worthy. There is so much to love, and this was a fantastic ending to this duology.

What I loved:

"My blade is yours. Until every last star is freed, we are bound." Zafira warmed at the ferocity in Kifah's dark eyes, her promise a harsh line across her brow. "Does that make us friends?" Kifah laughed. "A thousand times over."

The friendship building, whether between brothers, sisters, friends, the zumra. It was so welcoming to watch these relationships build, especially between those who thought they were so alone. (Even Zafria and the Jawarat).

When Altair held Nasir, and I wept.

"You could have used your light. Destroyed them the way you blasted the doors. You could have --"
He dropped his hand with a sob, and Altair pulled him to his chest. Nasir stiffened at the first semblance of an embrace he hadn't had in years. His brow fell t Altair's shoulder.

Zafira and Nasir.

"But it had always been one of the many things he loved about her: that he could never understand the enigma that was her."
"Laa, she missed him. His silent contemplation. his scarce words that were always precisely what she needed."

Altair being Altair.

"But if there was one thing he did better than look impeccable, it was bluff."

It was a vividly beautiful book and swept me into a new world. I listened to the audiobook for the We Hunt the Flame, but read We Free the Stars as an ARC from @netgalley. But as soon as the book is released for sale, I will be buying the audiobook. I cannot wait to hear these words come alive with the narrators.

"We Free the Stars" is a satisfying sequel - the character story arcs are wrapped up neatly, if a bit predictably, and we gain some understanding of the Lion's motivations, however I didn't quite "love" the book. Too much time was spent focusing on Nasir and Zafira's "relationship", as in "there are so many things I want to say, but can't" - lots of misunderstandings, lack of communication, secrets, etc. that get in the way of the main plot line of "Will they be able to stop the Lion?" The high points of the novel, for me, were the battles between the Lion and the zumra, as well as the plot twists along the way.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy for We Free The Stars from the author, Hafsah Faizal, and I am really grateful to her for being able to read one of my most anticipated releases of 2021 early! Here is my spoiler-free review for the e-ARC that is as unbiased as I could manage! It’s the sequel to We Hunt The Flame, one of my favorite books I read this year, and of all time! This means I had very high expectations, but I also had very specific ones that may have influenced my thoughts quite a bit. Here’s what I thought!

We Free The Stars starts where We Hunt The Flame left off, with our main characters not exactly sure what to do, which means this book starts off with a surplus of talking and discussions. In fact, a large chunk of the book is taken up by this, which one would expect to make for a boring hundred pages. That was thankfully not the case. Every character interaction kept me reading and made me infinitely more invested in these characters. The first book made me fall in love with the world, while this one made me fall in love with the characters(who I already really liked). Through these conversations and characters’ interactions with their own thoughts, I learned so much more about our heroes’ emotions, beliefs, and desires. This made the action to come later in the book all the more compelling.

Nasir and Zafira, the two main characters, had the most beautiful character arcs. Zafira’s journey brought up a question she had asked herself in We Hunt The Flame, and it was continually thought-provoking and actually really relatable. Some of her actions were genuinely shocking and were really intriguing to follow. Then there’s Nasir, who probably had the fullest and most satisfying journey, and I really appreciated the time Hafsah took on him. His development was immensely believable, which isn’t always the case with characters with high death counts that are “redeemed”. There was a small detail at the end of Nasir’s story that didn’t sit right with me, but it definitely didn’t ruin his character for me.


The middle of the book included some major turning points, and a whole lot of action. I can say confidently that it was the part of the book that I was glued to the most. The battles were so wonderfully fun and suspenseful, the stakes having never been higher. I certainly did not see events coming that happened during this section of the book.

I can’t talk about this book or the one that came before it without praising the author’s prose. Hafsah Faizal’s writing is enthralling and magical and addicting. She immerses the reader in this Ancient Arabia-inspired fantasy world so well, making you wish you never had to leave. Just as the first book had a great deal of very quotable lines, We Free The Stars’s words will leave you pondering them a while after you put the book down.

The romance bloomed beautifully in this book. While the first book mostly showed the “enemies” part of the “enemies-to-lovers” trope, this book let our two leads get to know each other well. Their relationship became so incredibly wholesome and fun to read. I found myself so very excited whenever Nasir and Zafira were just in a room together. This is honestly one of the best instances of the “enemies-to-lovers” trope I’ve ever encountered. Faizal has truly shown that she is a skilled romance writer. My only gripe with the romance was the ending, which included some unnecessary drama in my opinion and a rushed conclusion. Some might appreciate the quick ending that leaves it up top the reader’s imagination, but I personally would’ve preferred a more detailed, longer one to such an important aspect of this series.

I have very mixed feelings on the ending. There’s a big part of me saying that my critiques are just me and my specific expectations being unfair, but there’s also a part of me saying that my critiques are valid, so I’ll just mention them for my sanity. First and most important to me is the climax because… where was it? Throughout the ending, and the whole book frankly, I was waiting for a single moment that I had pictured since I was reading the first book. Both books emphasized the importance of the possibility of this event happening, and the reader was constantly reminded of it. So when it kind of passed without having much impact and without much description, I felt empty. I literally felt like a chapter was missing, like the culmination of everything was missing.

I really enjoyed reading We Free The Stars. It and We Hunt The Flame will always hold a special place in my heart right next to its predecessor. I highly recommend you check it out if you like fantasy, romance(particularly enemies-to-lovers), action, a non-Eurocentric setting, and found families!

A gorgeous follow-up to We Hunt the Flame, I absolutely adored We Free the Stars. I didn't want it to end. It was beautiful, surprising, and intense, and I could not have asked for anything more. 5 brilliant stars.

I am SO glad I had the opportunity to read an ARC. I loved We Hunt the Flames and this book did not disappoint. My favorite part of this story, aside from the intriguing and beautifully written plot, are the character relationships and developments.

In this book, we also get the perspective of Altair. While I adore Zafira and Nasir and their relationship, Altair is probably my favorite character. I love his humorous infatuation with himself, and his ability to make light of it and light of any situation. He adds a breath of fresh air to the direness of his situation as well as his companions. In this book, we see more development of his relationships with Zafira, Nasir, as well as Kifah. His perspective provides a better understanding of his thoughts and feelings, especially when it comes to Nasir.

I love how the author develops the relationship between Zafira and Nasir. It is entirely frustrating and addicting to watch the two of them dance around their feelings for each other. And every time they take one step forward in their relationship, they take two steps back. I like how they have commentary in their head about what they would like to say and then what they actually say. It is one of the many things that really kept me invested in their relationship (not that I wasn't rooting for them since book one).

I felt like the plot was much more fast paced in this book. While the first book had a storyline to follow, I feel like it was setting up this book to have more moving parts, complexity, and overall appeal. The story picks up where Kifah, Zafira, and Nasir left off. They arrive in Sultan's Keep and with the help of Aya and Seif, they come up with a plan to rescue Altair from The Lion, retrieve the fifth heart, and kill The Lion. Zafira, Kifah, and Seif go off in search of si'lah blood in Bait ul-Alhaam. Nasir is left to deal with his father, the Sultan, at the palace. When their attempt to rescue Altair goes awry, they are left to come up with a new plan. Later on, at a feast for all the caliphs, their daughters, and our main characters, we discover that The Lion has always been the puppeteer orchestrating everything that has happened in the palace. We see the return of Altair, free of The Lion. The four of them then divide and conquer their tasks in hopes of meeting back at the palace to defeat The Lion and restore magic.

Overall, I was/am a huge fan of this duology. I would highly recommend reading it. I know that it will be a series on my shelf that gets revisited every couple of years.

WE FREE THE STARS WOULD BE ONE OF THE BEST FANTASY SEQUEL IN 2021. TRUST ME. I often dissappoint with every last book the series. But this one was really good and fantastic. Hafsah really born to be a writer.

This really didn't grab me like We Hunt the Flame. It was still enjoyable, but I was a bit disappointed. With that being said, I am so happy to see so many new fantasy books based on non-European cultures.

In this sequel to We Hunt The Flame we see our group of friends turned family fighting to bring manic back to their world. The best thing about this book though isn’t the magic (although that is cool) but the nuanced relationships between the characters. As these character each grow and develop into who they are meant to be they also learn to reevaluate the relationships they have with each other rand their role in this world. In this way this book feels like a coming of age story, where each character learns their worth and how they are strong independently and even stronger together. A great read.

I'm officially buying everything with Hafsah Faizal's name on it. I loved this book so much that as soon as I finished this ARC, I pre-ordered a copy so that I could own a physical copy to match my copy of We Hunt the Flame. Faizal's writing is lyrical and beautiful. Everything set up in the first book really comes together in this one. A few of the twists and turns toward the end surprised me. Readers are treated to even more of the world and leaders, like additional caliphs/caliphas. Zafira and Nasir both grew and evolved in important, believable ways and all of the characters really came into their own. I really just loved everything about this one. I highly recommend it for any fantasy fan.

I received a digital Advance Readers Copy of We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal from the publisher (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux). We Free the Stars is scheduled for release on January 19, 2021.

We Free the Stars is the follow-up to We Hunt the Flame, continuing the story of Zafira, Nasir and their companions on their mission to return magic to Arawiya. While the first novel took place mostly in the Sharr, We Free the Stars takes place in the caliphs of Arawiya.

In this novel, we see much more of the world than we did in the first book. The group of characters that made it through the first story are moving through the world, sometimes all together, sometimes in pairs or alone, working toward their goal. This ended up being a bit of a sticky spot for me. While it was clear that Faizal had a detailed vision of the world of her story, I struggled a bit to see it as she did. Part of my struggle was the multiple settings in the novel. As characters move from caliph to caliph, we visit several new locations, including at least three palaces.

These multiple settings are paired with multiple point of view characters. This often meant that I started a chapter unsure of who we were with and where we were. It sometimes took me a page or more to sort this out. As the chapters were short throughout the novel, this meant that I missed plot details while I worked to figure out the who and where. I think this novel would have benefited from headers for each chapter with the character’s name and location.

The strength of the novel was the same as the first installment: the characters and the relationships they develop. Faizal manages to give us a crew of flawed, amazing humans who each have secrets and goals. In particular, the relationship between Zafira and Nasir continued to grow and change throughout this second novel, pushing the two characters to ends that they would not have reached on their own.

Overall, We Free the Stars was a solid, satisfying end to this duology. I look forward to future books from Hafsah Faizal!

I loved it. What a wonderful continuation of Faizal's masterpiece!

Thank you so much Brittany, Macmillan and NetGalley for the ARC!

We Hunt the Flame was a fantastic start to a series, though I must admit I wanted more while reading it early this year. This sequel has the "more" I was looking for. Gosh, the growth of these characters, the higher stakes, the overall better storytelling--I loved them all. This is one of the rare few that didn't suffer from second book syndrome. I can't wait until I can finally shout about this with the whole world in January.

I absolutely love this novel! I thought the pacing was great and the adventure was captivating. Zafira is one of my all time favorite female protagonists and I will definitely be recommending this book to my students!

It took me forever to get into this book, but once I did it really took off. Altair, who was left behind accidentally at the end of the last book, is finally reunited with the rest of the zumra, but with costs. All ends well, but with losses.

***I received an uncorrected proof of this ebook from netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

“We hunted the flame together, found the light in the darkness, but we are far from done, laa? Now we unleash it. We free the stars.”✝

We enter on (most of) the zumra trying to remedy the chaotic aftermath of book 1. I was SUPER NERVOUS to read this book, because sometimes second duology volumes like to hurt me with weak-plots and character-assassinations. But, seriously, THIS BOOK WAS PERFECTION. While Faizal's writing was fantastic in her debut, she has truly perfected her craft in WFTS. The prose was magnificent. (OKAY, THE WAY SHE CAN EXPRESS ~YEARNING~ IS UNMATCHED. SHEER POETRY). The book was nonstop exciting confrontations, political intrigue, unexpected twists, and did I mention yearning? I loved the addition of Altair's POV and was pleased that he got exactly what he deserved in the end.

What a fantastic finale to a fantastic duology. I am seriously not emotionally ready to leave Arawiya behind yet.

Bless Faizal for feeding my trope hunger. She really gave us
[ AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE HORSE. & AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED. & AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE ALCOVE. (hide spoiler)]

✝check against final text

3.5 stars This book was so much. I’ll start with the positives. I love these characters and this world. They are all so interesting. The way that the author is able to create a range of distinct cultures and human experiences is lovely. I really enjoyed getting to know all the distinct places and seeing a specifically middle eastern take on a fantasy world.

Both of the lead characters are full flawed people. Their failures and desires felt real. For me Nasir and Altair were so wonderfully human. Their strengths and weaknesses made the book real. I also loved the addition of Zafira’s sister Lana to the group. She added something youthful and hopeful that would’ve been missing with Altair’s distance from the group.

However...this book was too long. It should’ve either been significantly paired down (possibly shortened travel scenes or cutting unnecessary description) or it could be two books (ending the first book with the battle in the Palace). This might’ve been a mismatch between the contract and the author’s vision, but I suspect additional critique could’ve helped.

That said, I am excited to see where Hafsah Faizal goes. She is an exciting voice in YA fantasy for sure!

*thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review- NetGalley*

Faizal never ceases to amaze me on her talent with story weaving. Once again I was wrapped into this world and the character within it. I felt heartbroken, love, loss, and so many intense feelings throughout this gorgeous duology. I can’t wait to see where this author goes in the future and will definitely have her on an auto-buy list!

Sorry - without reading the first book, it's impossible to get into this world and understand these characters. DNF.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal
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Social Justice Topics:
▪️Women’s Rights

Grade Level: 6th and up

I’m so happy @netgallery let me read the second book in the We Hunt the Flame duology. I’m not usually one to continue a series after the first book (RIP my middle school reading identity), but I knew I needed to finish this series. It was so fun to see the end of Zafira and Nasir’s story, and I know I’ll be thinking of these characters for awhile.