Nafiza Azad

Azad's debut YA fantasy is set in a city along the Silk Road that is a refuge for those of all faiths, where a young woman is threatened by the war between two clans of powerful djinn.

The Candle and the Flame

Sheila

It's probably because I've been all up in my feels these past couple days, but I really liked this! My heart felt so warm at Zulfikar & Fatima Ghazala's romance, & I loved the Alif sisters so much. The villains were a bit too trope-y for my taste but that didn't bother me too much here for some reason. Overall entertaining!

Maria

не буду дочитывать. очень раздражает текст с глаголами настоящего времени, усыпанный рандомными словами на хинди и арабском - сразу такое ощущение, что автор не очень уверенно владеет английским и старается не забирать крутые виражи (что, я уверена, не так, но почему-то книга сделана как сделана)

Sahi K

It’s probably more of a 3.75 but I’m rounding up. 

I really didn’t know much about this book and I only became interested because of that gorgeous cover and the vague idea that it’s based on Muslim culture. But what happened between the pages of this really surprised me and I can say confidently that it’s been a while since that has happened in a YA fantasy.

I’m not usually someone who looks for atmospheric world building but am more satisfied by extensive magic systems, but this world of Noor really blew my mind. The author brings this beautiful city to life through her words and I was completely mesmerized and felt myself a part of it every step of the way. Every little thing like the food, the culture, the faith, the customs, the clothes are explained in their glorious detail and I lapped it all up. The supernatural element of the Djinn, their way of life and especially the significance of their naming was explained wonderfully and I really enjoyed their story. Even the differences between the various clans of the Djinn, their inherent natures of order and chaos are told through different perspectives, so we as a reader can decide what we feel about them. The author also does a spectacular job showing us how a true multicultural city feels like, with its amalgamation of cultures and people, everyone living in harmony, preserving their own cultures while also sharing it with others. I don’t think I’ve really read about a more amazing place before and Noor is going to be one of my favorite fantasy worlds for the foreseeable future. But above it all, my favorite part of this book was the inherent desiness of it. The author doesn’t shy away from extensively using Hindi and Urdu words to describe every facet which totally delighted me - I could smell the food and picture the gorgeous saris and ghagras and experience the joy of celebrating Deepavali. 

This book is full of amazing characters, especially the women and I can’t talk enough about them. Fatima Ghazala has seen a lot of loss in her life, but she is ready to brave more to ensure the protection of her family and the people of her city. She may just be an ordinary citizen who has discovered her latent powers, but that doesn’t mean she will ever let anyone else make decisions for her or let go of her self esteem. I was in awe of her strength even in the most desperate of times. Her sister Sunaina is conflicted about Fatima’s newfound abilities which leads to some strain in their relationship but I liked the way they worked for it, and never let each other go. The Alif sisters and their parents are like found family and I absolutely adored their bond. The sisters bring much needed levity to this story with their hilarious bickering and banter, and their parents become defacto parents for Fatima and Sunaina, always making sure they are taken care of. 

On the other hand Princess Bhavya is living in a gilded cage and all she wants is the freedom to live her life. While she came across as unlikable initially, we slowly get to know her better and realize all her petulance is only a defense mechanism. Her brother Aarush, the maharajah of Noor is a good person but not a natural leader. I could sympathize with him a bit, but couldn’t absolve him of his indecisiveness. Zulfikar is the Emir of Noor and representative of the Ifrit, and he is definitely a responsible leader but pretty stoic, and I didn’t feel like I got to know him much. 

The romance between Fatima Ghazala and Zulfikar felt both like instalove and not, the bond between them borne out of magic and holding a lot of uncertain feelings on both sides - it took a long time for them to trust each other with their feelings and I loved this dynamic between them. There is a lot of push and pull, a developing friendship, forced proximity due to their responsibilities - I loved how all these tropes were executed so beautifully together. 

This is a very slow paced politics driven fantasy, with hardly any action but I slowly fell in love with it. Despite there being rebellion and traitors in the royal court, I loved how the author subverted these usual fantasy tropes. The purpose of this story is not to find who the villains are (they are pretty obvious), but to let us think about what it means to be a leader, a King. We see how competent and decisive women can’t rule the kingdom because of misogynistic rules but an unwilling man remains King, whose inability to make personal sacrifices and be decisive may spell doom for his people. We also see how faith is described as just a part of the daily life of the characters, and not something that separates them from the others. The ownvoices Muslim representation is spot on and I appreciated how much Fatima’s daily prayers are as much a part of her as are her powers. This book is all about women - their love and friendships, their need for freedom and to be able to make choices, to not feel objectified or treated as a possession. We also see the manifestation of all kinds of female strength, both alone and in numbers, physically and in their silences - and this is what elevates this book to more than just a typical YA fantasy. I also particularly enjoyed the discussions around the value of a found family, the importance of forgiveness, and the choice to make sacrifices for the sake of others. 

This is a very quiet kind of fantasy novel. We have court politics, rebels and supernatural creatures, but it is more about the humans, their lives and the choices they make everyday. If you are looking for a slow paced, very atmospheric fantasy novel with ownvoices Muslim representation and lots of desi elements, then this book is perfect for you. This may not be action packed, but it will definitely make you feel and think and hope.

Khushi Saini

This book was absolutely spell-bounding. The overall plot was fairly predictable but I'm such a sucker for a slow-burn romance with more attention placed on the development and minimal steaminess possible. There were at times when I thought it was going to gear into love-triangle/quadrilateral and I was pleasantly surprised that it actually didn't, at least not in the conventional sense. The world-building is amazing and my favorite part of it was aspects of so many cultures mixing in one. There were no obvious divisions, no pitting one religion against another, just characters loving and respecting one another regardless of it, and I was so happy to, for once, see mentions of Sikhism/Punjabi culture in this book along with Islam and Hinduism.

This is not very fast-paced and action-packed at all, and is far more character-driven so if you love books like that, you'll enjoy this one. I'm sad the book didn't get higher ratings on GR, but I loved it immensely and will recommend people read this book. (There is also a glossary at the end of the book to help with translations of words!)

Vanessa Bintou

This is one of my favourite books of the year and one of the best I'he ever read!

 The Candle and the Flame tells a story of Fatima, a girl with Djinn fire that lives in Noor City. The country is ruled by both Ifrit Djinn and human, because in the past Shayateen Djinn attacked Noor City and destroyed all human population, which leaded the maharajah to ask Ifrits' help and in return he gave them 5 cities located in the dessert. The story is amazing, filled with political intrigue, magic, interesting characters, strong women and beautiful relationships.

The world building and the magic the names have were enchanting and I loved how the writer decided that the Ifrit, the good Djinn and creatures of order, had a matriarch society and respected the women so much. The story in the first glance is a fantasy, but it has so strong political, social and religious aspects that I forgot it. Furthermore, it is filled with brave, kickass women and address important issues, such as human rights and feminism so beautifully that I wanted to cry from happiness.

There is Muslim representation since our protagonist, Fatima Ghazala, and a lot of the other characters are Muslims, and personally I loved how I had a glimpse of how important role their religion plays in their everyday lives!

Another aspect of this book I love is the way  Nafiza Azad build the romance. It would have been easy to make it a love story filled with jealous rivals, but the fact that she decided to make the women strong and respectful instead of beautiful, and the romance not the regular insta love and a secondary element was an excellent choice. In general, I loved all of Fatima Ghazala's relationships, from her friendship to the Alif sisters and their parents, to her employer, her adopted sister and grandmother, and her mentor The Ifrit bookseller. She had no family of her own, but she chooses an adopted family that she loved and loved her in return.

The only thing I didn't like as much in the beginning was the third person narrative, but after some time I got used to it and I had no problem following the story! 

The Candle and the Flame is an amazing book and I hope everyone will love it as much as I did!

Andrea Mack

Azad's sumptuous debut YA fantasy is set in a city along the Silk Road that is a refuge for those of all faiths, where a young woman is threatened by the war between two clans of powerful djinn. Fatima lives in the city of Noor, a thriving stop along the Silk Road. There the music of myriad languages fills the air, and people of all faiths weave their lives together. However, the city bears scars of its recent past, when the chaotic tribe of Shayateen djinn slaughtered its entire population -- except for Fatima and two other humans. Now ruled by a new maharajah, Noor is protected from the Shayateen by the Ifrit, djinn of order and reason, and by their commander, Zulfikar. But when one of the most potent of the Ifrit dies, Fatima is changed in ways she cannot fathom, ways that scare even those who love her. Oud in hand, Fatima is drawn into the intrigues of the maharajah and his sister, the affairs of Zulfikar and the djinn, and the dangers of a magical battlefield. Nafiza Azad weaves an immersive tale of magic and the importance of names; fiercely independent women; and, perhaps most importantly, the work for harmony within a city of a thousand cultures and cadences.

The Candle and the Flame

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