Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
A great read. Set in a world very different to our own. I totally enjoyed sharing Sylah’s journey to discover herself and her true heritage. There are endless excitements and challenges for her along the way. Stories of barbaric treatments meted out to those deemed of a lower status. These made my flesh creep but all part of a well woven tale that stirs feelings and emotions. the balance between the magic system and the fantasy aspects of this story is just right and so allows the other themes of the book to come through and encourage a deeper connection with the story and characters. Saara El-Arifi you little minx you knew what i wanted in a book and delivered, the sense setting and world building is *chef kiss*, its not a info dump but worked in to the storyline nicely. the characters are on point which a growth that is natural and either character 180s they ARC to become what is need in the storyline. Plus the cutlures are well researched and explain in the story and so makes it all so realistic and respectful. It's a strange thing giving your own book five stars. Especially when you first wrote it, you didn't think anyone but your cat would read it - and she doesn't like fantasy all that much so she still hasn't got round to it. Sylah dreams of days growing up in the resistance, being told she would spark a revolution that would free the empire from the red-blooded ruling classes’ tyranny. That spark was extinguished the day she watched her family murdered before her eyes.
Apart from the brutality and discrimination that is blighting the Empire, there is also the worsening environmental situation, with the scouring, deadly sand storms. Even if society changes, will there be a land left to live in? Sapphic enemies to lover of course i was there plus its fantasy and sci fi and going to be a trilogy, excuse me while i go scream for joy. Can all three work together to bring change to the Empire? Is there more going on beneath the surface? Will their differences destroy everything?The Aktibar – a set of trials held every ten years to find the next Ember rulers of the Empire – is about to begin. The training for the trials were interesting to read. Learning about the skills and powers needed to get through each one. In the first book of a visionary fantasy trilogy with its roots in the mythology of Africa and Arabia, three women band together against a cruel empire that divides people by blood. I was beyond excited for this fantasy series starter debut before I even finished. And now that I’m done, I am even more obsessed than I ever believed possible. Sylah used to believe that freedom, that rebellion from oppression, was possible. Trained for that purpose alone, the decimation of her old rebellion leaves her searching to fill the ache and she does so with drugs and fighting rings. But when a serious of consequences and decisions lead her to meeting Anoor, her entire world will change. This book delivers on all fronts, political dynamics, intrigue, twists, gurns and totally devastatingly emotional! Plus, romance and relationships that pull you in and turn you inside out!
Because what if that don’t understand, what if they don’t understand and in doing that show that they don’t understand the piece of you that also lives there. Then we have Hassa, a Ghosting servant and friend of Sylah, who’s status renders her all but invisible to Embers. Hassa uses this to her advantage, gaining work in the heart of the Ember’s home, gathering information to help other Ghostings. Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for granting my wish and providing me with an eARC of this book! I’m so excited that it’s my first Netgalley review. We also shared in Sylah’s deep felt sorrow of past events in her family and how this was driving her on to her ultimate goal.Although The Final Strife is mainly set in the capital of an empire with only 13 cities, it seems vast and epic due to rich history and storytelling that makes it feel real and lived in. The fantastic epigraphs add to this effect, as well as the interludes containing more oral stories, such as that of the clear-blooded people’s rebellion 400 years before and the tale of the god Anyme and the spider. I just loved all the details that fleshed out this world, especially since part of the story involves characters seeking the truth after finding a piece of a map that doesn’t fit the historical accounts they’ve all heard. The way Saara El-Arifi parcels out information leading to bigger revelations is expertly done, and there are some great twists—even when they’re expected, they work well because of how it gradually builds to the clear conclusion. (And there was still a revelation right at the end that I was not anticipating at all.) Sylah may have her flaws and issues but I loved her. Seeing her journey and struggle with drug addiction. The strength she has to power through and try help others. multi dimensional characters that truly develop as people as the story goes on, Sylah's battle with addiction, and Anoor's struggle to prove herself are just the main points of the personal journeys both characters go on. I loved the story, simply loved it, and I could not wait to finish it, to see if things would work out the way I thought they would. Some did, some didnt, and that was fine by me, as I loved the ending, and I can not wait for the next book.
Sylah, stolen by Dusters, was destined to win the Aktibar, the trials that take place every ten years to find the next Ember rulers of the Empire (Wardens), and become Warden of Strength. Taken by the Dusters as a child, they raised her to win, until her entire adopted family were murdered. Six years later, Sylah is a completely different person, without a cause, without hope, and she has turned to Joba Seeds, an addictive drug. She lives day by day, always looking for her next fix. The three women find their answers, but they’re not the answers they wanted. The drumbeat of change thrums throughout the world. Epic fantasy turned on its head in the most compelling way imaginable. A heroine with bite, a supporting cast of flawed but deeply human characters, and world building that is raw, unforgiving and richly textured, The Final Strife is the real deal. El-Arifi is a bold new voice in epic fantasy and I cannot wait to read more of her work." - Kalynn Bayron
Success!
A beautiful sapphic story that speaks of revolution, oppression, and addiction: this is a truly remarkable debut from Saara El-Arifi! This is not for the fainthearted, but El-Arifi does a great job of conducting a painstaking exploration of classism, racism, and so much more. Sylah was born with the red blood of the elite that would enable her to do blood magic, but she never learned the runes since she was kidnapped by rebels. During the Night of the Stolen, this group sneaked into the homes of several noble families, swapping Sylah and the other highborn children with their own blue-blooded babies. These revolutionaries raised the children they abducted to understand just how terribly those with blue blood were treated: they were forced to do manual labor, such as working plantation fields; they could be brutally executed without a fair trial; and they were impoverished. The rebels also trained the children, preparing each of them for one of the tournaments to determine the next Warden of one of the four guilds—strength, truth, duty, or knowledge. Sylah was a strong fighter and an especially promising candidate for a future Warden of Strength, but the rebels’ plans to install these children in positions of power someday failed when they were discovered and massacred—except for Sylah and her mother, who alone managed to escape. Filled with grief over the loss of her loved ones and destiny, Sylah lost herself in drugs and became an addict, earning money by fighting in the pits run by the so-called fifth guild leader, the “Warden of Crime.” She’s especially wistful when the tournament she was supposed to enter draws near, but she has an opportunity to influence it after all—even if it’s not how she’d always imagined—when she breaks into the rooms of the Warden of Strength’s daughter and meets Anoor.
Great Deal 
New Comment