El-Arifi is now an auto buy for me. This series is very quickly becoming one of my favorite fantasy series. The characters, the politics, the world building all amazing.

This book starts out being fantastically helpful with a review on the finer points of the first novel, which was something I was worried about remembering since I read The Final Strife an entire year ago. Kudos to the author for how seamlessly that fit in. But also for the fact of just how much I DID remember after all this time, which says a lot about the first book in this series.

Being back with Sylah and Anoor was like slipping back into a comfortable blanket and I don’t know why I was so intimidated to pick up this book and return to this world.

The Battle Drum picks up almost exactly where The Final Strife left off and we immediately jump back into the plot, no slow winding up for this one, but at the same time we were getting more information that we needed and I liked that combination of background vs plot progress a lot.

Sylah is on her way to the mysterious other lands she discovered in book one while Anoor is getting ready for her Warden duties. And all three of us just wanted them to be back together again! Lol

They set out looking for answers to save their world but the secrets and truths they uncover just might mean the end of it.

I don’t want to say anything to spoil the slightest part of this book. The twists and turns were unpredictable and so excellent to experience. Cannot wait for the final book in this trilogy!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

Despite being absolutely DEVASTATED by the ending, this is truly everything I could have wanted from the sequel and more.

Book two of the Ending Fire trilogy takes place pretty much immediately after the end of book one (minus what would have been some travel time). We get right into the thick of it, following all of the original faves: Sylah, Anoor, and Hassa. Each one is handling her own trials, and as the story moves you can see the threads weaving together. Everything is flowing toward the final book in such an interesting way, and I can’t wait to see what happens.

The Battle Drum doesn’t, in my opinion, suffer from middle book syndrome, and the action feels fresh and purposeful the whole way through. I especially love that TBD delivers answers for a lot of questions that were opened up in TFS, including the prophecy. There’s a lot going on, and El-Arifi delivers it in a way that does right by the complexities she constructed in the story’s groundwork.

If I was on the edge of my seat at the conclusion of TFS, I’m close to imploding based on how TBD ended. I have a lot of feelings. And a lot of hopes for how certain situations might evolve from where we left them.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention all of the incredible rep in this book. I’m addition to a full BIPOC cast, there’s also plus size rep (Anoor), disability rep (limb differences, mobility aids, sign language), addiction rep, 2SLGBTQ plus rep in a queernormative world, and more. The book tackles very heavy themes though, so definitely check trigger warnings.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a lot going on & took a turn that I was not expecting so I am anxious to see how they are going to wrap this all up in the next book. In this book, we are introduced to a new character & I just could not get into her chapters until midway through the book. It was so good to see more of the world & learning about different types of magic as well as answering a few questions we had from Book 1. Anoor & Sylah really annoyed me, just as they did in Book 1. Justice for Hassa, she's still my fav & I hope she's getting the cover for Book 3!

What a cruel, cruel cliff hanger to leave me dangling from! Despite this book being so long, I still flipped the proverbial page (I read the e-arc) expecting more. NEEDING MORE! In fact, my brain is already speculating on what the story will reveal next, but this review isn't for speculation. It's for praising!
Mood: Murder mystery! That's right Anoor gets to live her favorite zine, and Saara El-Arifi isn't afraid to let her characters fail and suffer.
Mood: Travel, discover new lands, new histories, and new secrets, all with lover-to-enemy in tow! Sylah is on a journey and without spoilers I enjoyed the author's commitment to Sylah's continued battle with addiction and, again, allowing Sylah to fail while also remaining so dedicated. This back and forth of who Sylah wants to be, could be, fails to be, and who she is and who she is becoming makes her so real. I cannot wait to see who she becomes.
Finally Hassa: She is my favorite ghostling and probably my favorite character out of the whole series. If you ever need a character to look at and say "she proves that anything can be done and any hardship can be endured" it's Hassa. She is bold and brave and I love her most! Whatever empire is pulled down and whatever is built in its place, I want Hassa ruining it!

This was one of my most anticipated 2023 reads after The Final Strife became a massive hit for me in 2022.

The Battle Drum FULLY delivered on that anticipation. Somehow the worldbuilding was even more complex and beautiful than TFS, the triple-narratives in the book were easy to follow (usually I struggle to follow multi-POV books!), and the lore behind the world was deeply fascinating.

Then we get to Sylah and Anoor's actual lives during this book. DAMN. This book is a WILD RIDE.

10/10, not at all surprised this was five stars for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

I was so lucky to receive an e-galley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Random House so much! This book is so so good! I absolutely loved it!

I was so excited to see this cover as it looks exactly like I imagined Anoor. If you loved the first book, buckle up! We get to spend much more time with Hassa and learn more about the origins of the Empire. I think I liked it even more than the first book. I won't say much more, but the ending! AH!

While I appreciate the opportunity to read this but unfortunately I just couldn't get into this one.

This picks up right where the Final Strife ended. Since this is a sequel, I'm not going into details.
I will just say that I loved it! One of my favorite things about the first book was the world building, and this one expanded on that quite a bit. There is so much going on in lots of different places and I can't wait to see how it all plays out.
A great cast of characters again. I love them all, but I was really loving the parts with Hassa.

Lets just say this book gives off" I left you alone for 20 minutes! There's a chicken in the tub Timmy is covered in chocolate I hope. Dad is taped to the chair and where are your eyebrows. Ungraspable chaos and shock factors after shock factor I'm sure I gasped and my heart stopped more times than should be legally allowed. Why so much homicide. SOOO much homicide and unaliving. Cant wait for Book 3 because hands may be thrown in ways one does not hope.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Saara El-Arifi has done it again! I read this 500+ page book in just about two days; it didn't drag at all, which a lot of fantasy doorstoppers can do. It felt very quick, had a LOT of twists and turns, and kept me reading at the edge of my seat.

I really loved The Final Strife, so I had high expectations for this book, and it did NOT disappoint. I loved how this sequel expanded on the already impressive and immersive worldbuilding El-Arifi set up in the first book. I loved learning about the world and all the colors of blood that Sylah discovers have existed all along. This book take you on a whirlwind of discoveries and leaves you breathless from all of the stressful and suspenseful situations all of the characters end up in. It's certainly a wild ride.

I of course loved reading Anoor and Sylah again, but Hassa in particular shined in this book. I also LOVED the new character, Nayeli, and her POV chapters - they were arguably my favorite part of the book. El-Arifi has an extraordinary talent for making all of her characters stand out from each other and have very different, memorable voices.

I can't wait for book three!

It’s not often I like the second book in a trilogy more than the first but The Battle Drum was spectacular! A few things seemed to fall into place a little conveniently for me however the expansion of the world building and backstories of the characters were so well executed! There were quite a few twists I didn’t see coming AT ALL!

Sylah, Anoor and Hassa are discovering that the world as they know it is only a shadow of what is really out there. Sylah adventures to a land, that she only recently learned existed, to find answers to the increasing tidewind destruction. Anoor tries to balance leading with the needed change that politics inhibits. Hassa continues to hear, listen and try to navigate the changing threats as the world unfolds. As each follows their story thread, the world expands and a new threat emerges — one that is far larger than the Warden’s Empire and destructive tidewind.

In this second book of the Ending Fire Trilogy, the world as we know it is exponentially increased. We discover that the Warden’s Empire is only a fraction of a much larger society that once was. Led by a fanatic, the greater thread of this story has been progressing for hundreds of years and we are seeing how our three protagonists fit into that puzzle. Overall a good novel that moves the story forward. There were, however, moments where I would hit a lull or detour in the pacing. We are definitely set up for the final installment and I’m looking forward to see how everything pans out for Sylah, Anoor & Hassa. 3 stars.

Review based on an Uncorrected Digital Proof provided by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley. Thank you!

Sorry for the late review this book was very good but so so good. This series is honestly written so beautiful one thing i will say about this novel is at times i didnt remember a person because that person didnt get much airtime in the novel HOWEVER the storylines in this novel were so good it had so many. The main leads in this novel make u fall inlove with them and the story the romance the fantasy aspect the history and concept in this novel are amazing. I remember reading the first one and zooming past it and once i picked this one up after the first chapter i was sucked back in this novel was not boring at all.. and usually with long paged novels they have filler chapters NOT THIS ONE. This book had great world building great leads great storylines i cant wait until the last book seriously one of my favorite fantasy series. It touches down on such important topics regarding a kingdom being so divided and the concept by being divided by blood is still so interesting to me and i love this book series so much. Great Great book! You did it again!

So I probably should’ve read the first book before reading The Battle Drum, but too late now! I enjoyed this a lot. There was a helpful recap or what I thought to be a recap at the beginning of the book.

This was definitely taking me out of my reading comfort zone, but for one of my first fantasy books, I think this was a great read.

Definitely an interesting concept to have people judged by the color of their blood, but sooner rather than later blood will no longer determine person’s status. This is really a story of fighting for freedom and managing without forgiveness. I’m going back to read the first installment of this series, but overall really enjoyed this!

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, I can't wait to read more! Saara El-Arifi truly understands how to write a damn amazing world with fleshed-out characters who make stupid decisions, but you still root for them all the same.

I didn't think I'd like reading Jond's chapters all that much but it was really fascinating to see his worldview and dedication to Sylah. Definitely a really unexpected but pleasant surprise.

Having Anoor and Sylah separated for most of this book was heartbreaking, but really great to see them develop outside of each other.

This series is so lovingly crafted and I can't wait for more! Words don't really do it justice, just read the books. And pay attention to all the details the author pours her heart and soul into. It all comes together... :)

***4.5 Stars***

Overall,
How can you end it there!!!! I am always a little nervous about the second book in a new trilogy. Often there is a bit of a slump. While this book started off slow it picked up and the flew. I have so many emotions, sadness, anger, frustration. I need the next book sooo bad!

Cover,
As with the first in the series the US artwork is gorgeous! Absolutely love it.

Recommendation,
Yes. If you love fantasy, lgbtq, and kick ass well developed characters.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my free and honest review.

How am I supposed to go on living after that ending??? This is the perfect follow-up to The Final Strife, and if anything, it felt more engaging! From the start, the twists and turns were so unpredictable, and the bridging of past and present is so seamless that I’m still slack-jawed. I can’t wait for the conclusion to this fantastic series!

I had to take my time with reading this book, not because it was boring or anything so dreadful as that, but because there was so much going on. Yes there is a lot of information, but oh my goodness the complexity and world building was fantastic. I loved the expanded perspectives, Hassa continues to be one of my favorite characters from the first book and I am really interested in what happens next for her. Anoor and Sylah are on their separate journeys after the events of the first book, and oh boy are they in for a wild ride.

This is a highly recommend, 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to Del Ray and NetGalley for the free eARC, I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.