Review | Hafsah Faizal’s ‘We Hunt the Flame’

Fantasy fiction often consists of similar series and familiar story arcs. Hafsah Faizal’s We Hunt the Flame bends these preordained limitations and sets an exciting precedent for new elements to flourish in fantasy.

In a genre typically dominated by European roots, this thrilling adventure story defies expectations with a refreshing mixture of magic and Middle Eastern culture. The book follows two urban legends: “The Prince of Death” and the “Hunter.” Zafira bint Iskandar (the Hunter) provides for her starving village by hunting in the hellish forest of the Arz, for she is “braver than the sun itself.”

In stark contrast to Zafira’s heroism, Nasir Ghameq (Prince of Death) — son of the Sultan — shows himself to be a monster by committing murders at his father’s behest, for “monsters bore no duty to the innocent.” Neither Zafira nor Nasir wish for the names their deeds have earned them, but both become legends to the people of Arawiya — and their only hope.

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