The scream that I scrumpt when I got this ARC!!!!!! What an amazing ending to this stellar trilogy. I love all of these characters so much. I love how the prophecies and religious meanings were twisted to mean something entirely different than we thought originally. I did feel like it was slow moving at the beginning and was struggling through it a bit. Especially bc I felt like characters were being stupid. I don’t like knowing something before a character and then having to wait SO long for them to realize the information that has seemed to obvious to me for 100’s of pages. Anoor and Jond really should have figured their situations out earlier and in my opinion the “hints” we were getting as the readers were so blatantly obvious that it was just frustrating to watch them keep not getting it. Once the battles started I really locked in. Gorn!!! What an absolute badass. I got to stick with my favorite character Hassa until the end and was so emotional about her story wrapping up. Emotional about Sylah and Anoor’s story wrapping up as well obviously but the ending was so heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. This series is an absolute banger. Please read!!!

Thank you so much for this advanced reader copy. This was the conclusion to masterpiece series. I will read anything Saara El-Arifi writes! I honestly can’t believe it’s over. This book was just wow, fantastic!

Having been fairly disappointed with the second instalment of this trilogy, The Battle Drum, I was a little nervous about picking this one up. I’m happy to say I did enjoy it more than book 2. The focus was on preparing for and fighting the final battle, and that focus helped to push the narrative forward. However, it did feel like things resolved too easily and without meaningful sacrifices from our heroes (characters died, but not main ones, and even when a main character seemed to be in mortal peril they were swiftly saved.) The political fallout all seemed somewhat simplistic as well. Probably not a series I will reread but this final book was enjoyable in the moment.

Thank you to Del Rey for my arc!

I absolutely loved this! a stunning conclusion to this fantastic series. I hated saying goodbye to this world and these characters who i've grown to love so much. highly recommend.

I liked this book a lot, I just didn’t love it. The first two books in this series are some of my favorite books ever, and I just felt this book didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I loved the expansion on the world building, and the magic. Jond’s POV I liked a lot more than I expected! I liked Hassa’s storyline, however I just didn’t feel like we got ENOUGH of her story. I felt like the end of this book didn’t quite satisfy me, it was missing the emotional impact that I got from the other books and felt like it wasn’t quite complete yet. Overall a great series, and I think people will also enjoy this.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

The Ending Fire is the final installment in Saara El-Arifi's Ending Fire Trilogy, and follows Anoor, Hassa, Sylah, and Jond as tensions in the Wardens' Empire come to a head.

The thing about fantasy trilogies is that they can be the best thing you've ever read, but still fall apart at the end. Fortunately, The Ending Fire did not fall apart. If anything, this strong, fast-paced conclusion to a strong trilogy solidfied me as a reader who will pick up any Saara El-Arifi book on sight from now on. Though I did wish the book was a bit longer -- I wanted a bit more meatiness to some of the slower moments, a little extra time settled in with these characters and this world -- ultimately I had a really good time with this book. It's at similar caliber to the rest of the series, and El-Arifi masterfully executes the conclusion of the lead characters' arcs in ways that feel satisfying and organic. I was on the edge of my seat practically the entire time, and finishing this book only made me want to go back and start the first one again.

A solid finale to a fantastic trilogy! The sheer vastness of this series's world is a true accomplishment by the author. The way she was able to tie in all of the many aspects of the overarching story... truly masterful. I particularly enjoyed following Jond (something I never thought I would say at the beginning of the series), and Anoor's journey was painful yet compelling to witness. I wished the book was longer, or that there was even a fourth book in this series, because there is so much more I want to discover from this world.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc!

I liked the world, and overall, it was a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. I had a bit of a hard time with the new perspectives for the final battle. This ended up using miscommunication in one of the romantic subplots, too, which isn't a favorite of mine.

The Ending Fire is the outstanding finale to the trilogy. It begins right where The Battle Drum left off and Sylah is desperate to find out what happened to Anoor. Was Anoor kidnapped or did she leave willingly? Hassa is left to untangle the mysteries that concern the Ghostings. As war approaches, all of the characters must choose where they stand once and for all.

The Ending Fire trilogy is one of my favorites! I love the rich world-building and complex politics. The characters leap off the page and absolutely steal your heart. While their fates have always been intertwined, Hassa, Sylah, and Anoor all go on their own epic journeys in this finale. Each of their character arcs feel fulfilling and heartfelt. Saara El-Arifi does an incredible job of balancing the side characters’ journeys along with the main trio.

Readers seeking a satisfying fantasy trilogy should read this series. The characters will steal your heart, the battle sequences are epic, and the politics are intricately constructed. I loved my time with Sylah, Anoor, and Hassa. I can’t wait to see what Saara El-Arifi writes next!

Thank you to Saara El-Arifi, Del Rey, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book. This book has my whole heart. I absolutely adored this! From the incredible characters, to the plot, to falling in love with everything so quickly- I couldn’t put this down. I highly recommend this! It really just sucks you in and makes you never want to leave. In my opinion, those are the best books and I couldn't get enough.

I’m soooo sad this journey is over. I grew to love these characters soooo much and this was an amazing ending to aid in this amazing story.

4.5 Stars

In The Ending Fire, roles are shifting, allegiances are changing, and the rebellion against the Warden’s Empire is surging – but a greater war is coming.

Saara El-Arifi is a master crafter of rich and imaginative queer normative fantasy worlds, deeply flawed and yet loveable characters, and intricately woven plot-lines that culminate in a gipping and emotionally resonate conclusion to an OVERWHELMINGLY EPIC series.

First, let’s talk about the worldbuilding. The Ending Fire expanded upon the complex and vividly detailed world outside of the Warden’s Empire, from the mushroom towers to the underground beachside glass colony, to the book-loving ship city, I love the imagination behind each one and how every setting is infused with its own culture and history. Saara is so creative in the execution of her craft – I LOVE using the Griot storytellers as a mechanism to provide recaps from the previous books and was blown away by how effective her choice was to allow both major AND minor characters to provide a point of view during the ending battle scene. (Rascal the Kitten’s POV OMG I was in love!)

The relationships between and surrounding our main characters evolve significantly in The Ending Fire, as each character navigates the constantly changing landscape of alliances vs. enemies. Similar to the previous books, Saara does NOT shy away from putting her characters through intense hardships, but the beauty of it is in how their internal struggles mirror the broader conflicts of the world they inhabit so while its difficult to see our beloved friends continue to struggle, I find it consistent with the grim realities of the world that they live in. Also, JOND coming out of left field to end up one of my favorite characters, WHAT?! His arc in particular, alongside Hassa, were the most developed of the series.

While I found the foreshadowing to be more subtle in The Battle Drum than in The Ending Fire, (as I was able to easily guess most of the plot twists/character reveals), I still appreciated the twists and turns that drove the story forward. I loved the additional and more expanded thematic exploration of power and rebellion as a whole, and the story providing a more nuanced understanding of the Zalaam—a faction that seeks to consolidate power through manipulation of belief and religion and how corruption is born systemically but can often be nurtured and grown through the influence of one over-empowered individual.

If I could change anything about this series, however, it would be a quartet instead of a trilogy as I think we needed just a little more time to flesh out the story, to get more time with Sylah and Anoor as a couple or to have an expanded epilogue. The last battle scene was EPIC though the ending felt abrupt and while technically resolved, was emotionally unsatisfying. HOWEVER, with this choice, Saara ultimately stayed true to the story’s themes surrounding sacrifice and the often harsh nature of change.

I loved it. I love this series and I feel confident that I will love anything that Saara El-Arifi writes. Thank to you netgalley and Del Ray for the opportunity to read The Ending Fire as an advance reader copy.

As the grand finale to Saara El-Arifi’s The Ending Fire trilogy, this book delivers a bittersweet conclusion to one of my favorite series. The Wardens’ Empire is crumbling, rebellion brews under the Truthsayer’s army, and long-awaited battles loom on the horizon. Sylah, Hassa, and Jond are thrust into their respective roles, navigating politics, war, and matters of the heart, while Anoor’s role with the Zalaam becomes increasingly complicated.

El-Arifi’s world-building and intricate storytelling are as strong as ever, immersing readers in the vividly complex universe she has crafted. However, I was somewhat disappointed with the direction Sylah and Anoor’s character arcs took. Much of their development seemed to stall, with their chapters becoming overly focused on their love for each other, to the detriment of the stakes at hand. The dynamic relationship I had loved so much in the earlier books felt diminished as their previous motivations were replaced by pining and romantic distractions. Anoor’s connection to the Zalaam, in particular, became increasingly frustrating to read, as her character's involvement with this storyline relied too heavily on her naiveté, discounting all of the character development she had in the previous two books.

On the other hand, Hassa and Jond stood out as the saving graces of this book. Their character growth felt richly rewarding, and I’ve been invested in Hassa’s story from the beginning. Her arc concluded in a deeply satisfying way, and I found myself rooting for her the most. Jond, too, even with his own romantic distractions, had a fulfilling journey, though I wish the story had spent more time diving into his leadership and inner conflict rather than his romantic entanglements.

Unfortunately, the climactic final battle, which should have been the pinnacle of the trilogy, fell short for me. With multiple POVs from supporting characters and a disjointed execution, the scene became confusing, and inconsistencies in the plot distracted from what should have been an emotionally charged and intense moment. Instead of the exhilarating conclusion I anticipated, it left me feeling disconnected and eager to move on from the chaos.

While The Ending Fire didn’t quite live up to the high expectations set by the first two books, it was still a mostly satisfying conclusion to the series. Fans of the world and characters El-Arifi has created will likely appreciate the larger plot resolutions and the exploration of love, war, and sacrifice. However, it lacked the tight, thrilling execution that I was hoping for.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I love Saara El Arifi and I love this trilogy
Just amazing
Such a fitting ending and though I was a bit surprised at how naive Anoor was at times
5 STARS

It’s rare for me to love the next book in a series more than the prior, but with The Ending Fire trilogy each book got better and better.

Some of the things I really loved about book:
-All the different POVs.
-How each character has a very distinct voice.
-The growth and change each character went through.
-How each character arc wrapped up.
-The end battle sequence!

I wish this series could go on forever, but it wrapped up exactly how it should have. Highly recommend to those who love character driven fantasy stories that are set in queer-normative worlds.

5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Saara El-Arifi could publish her grocery lists and I would EAT. IT. UP.

I loved this series SO MUCH, and this final installment was no different. The pacing felt great with minimal "filler" pages. The muli-POV story telling helps not only wrap up the story and address what is happening in different areas, but it allows for us to see everyone's stories come to a conclusion. The character growth from start to finish for this series was SO well done--Sylah comes SO far from the joba seed addict in the opening of The Final Strife but doesn't lose herself. Anoor? Hassa? I love them all, and I am so sad that this series is over.

This series is a perfect example of telling the story that needs to be told, how it needs to be told, and concluding things in a way that offers closure but also keeps you emotionally open. The worldbuilding, the character development, the story craft--everything is absolutely perfection in this series. My only complaint is that I would have LOVED a 4th book so we could have seen even more and gotten more out of the different parts of the world. But again, I could read a 20 book long series by El-Arifi and still want more, so I will probably never be satisfied with the length.

If you were a fan of the first two books in this series, this one will not disappoint! You may, however, end up in a book slump out of sadness that it is over.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC of this book to review prior to publication!! P.S. Please send me Cursebound. I am begging.

The Ending Fire is book three in The Ending Fire Trilogy by Saara El-Arifi.
This is my most anticipated read! And Saara did not disappoint!
A phenomenal fantasy series that truly captivates readers and hooks them till the very end.
The fantastic world-building, intriguing politics, engaging characters and wonderful character development, this was just perfect. The author did a fantastic job with this third novel to keep the character building, would building, and the story line flowing.
The strong female leads are everything.
A gripping story that I couldn’t get enough of.

One of my most anticipated reads of this year and it didn’t disappoint! Thank you for giving me this arc for my review. This was such a satisfying ending to this trilogy and I’m sad to say goodbye but I’m so hopeful to what this author will do next!

Although I'm sad that the series is over, this was a perfect ending to it.

This book had so much going on at once. So many characters in different parts of the world trying to convince people to fight for them in the upcoming war. Every blood color united against the enemy.

I couldn't tell you which POV was my favorite because they were all so compelling.
I loved the brilliance of their creations with bloodwerk.
And I loved the way it ended. Very satisfying!

It was a pleasure to be invited to read The Ending Fire and conclude the trilogy.

Author Saara El-Arifi did a masaterful job wrapping up all the characters' stories. Good use is made of the mythology/religion developed in the series and the interconnected characters. Technology and magic fuse together effectively. The battle scenes do not bog the story down.