Name: Cloudface's review of The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi
Item: The Final Strife
Rating: 4
Author: Cloudface

Saara El-Arifi

In the first book of a visionary African- and Arabian-inspired fantasy trilogy, three women band together against a cruel empire that divides people by blood. Red is the blood of the elite, of magic, of control. Blue is the blood of the poor, of workers, of the resistance. Clear is the blood of the slaves, of the crushed, of the invisible. 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. Anoor has been told she’s nothing, no one, a disappointment, by the only person who matters: her mother, the most powerful ruler in the empire. But dust always rises in a storm. Hassa moves through the world unseen by upper classes, so she knows what it means to be invisible. But invisibility has its uses: It can hide the most dangerous of secrets, secrets that can reignite a revolution. As the empire begins a set of trials of combat and skill designed to find its new leaders, the stage is set for blood to flow, power to shift, and cities to burn.

The Final Strife

'Epic in scope, its worldbuilding as intricate as filigree. The Final Strife sings of rebellion, love, and the courage it takes to stand up to tyranny, following three women whose journeys will keep you gripped to the last' ―Samantha Shannon, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree

The Empire rules by blood

Red is the blood of the elite, of magic, of control.

Blue is the blood of the poor, of workers, of the resistance.

Clear is the blood of the servants, of the crushed, of the invisible.

The Aktibar – a set of trials held every ten years to find the next Ember rulers of the Empire – is about to begin.

All can join but not just anyone can win; it requires great skill and ingenuity to become the future wardens of Strength, Knowledge, Truth and Duty.

Sylah was destined to win the trials and be crowned Warden of Strength. Stolen by blue-blooded rebels she was raised with a Duster’s heart; forged as a weapon to bring down from within the red-blooded Embers’ regime of cruelty. But when her adopted family were brutally murdered those dreams of a better future turned to dust.

However, the flame of hope may yet be rekindled because Sylah wasn’t made to sparkle, she was born to burn.

And it’s up to her whether she rules the empire or destroys it.

The Ending Fire Trilogy #1

Jasper

'Remember, my friends: love gives you strength, but retribution gives you purpose.'

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

In the first book of a visionary African and Arabian-inspired fantasy trilogy, three women band together against a cruel Empire that divides people by blood. Red is the blood of the elite, of magic, of control. Blue is the blood of the poor, of workers, of the resistance. Clear is the blood of the slaves, of the crushed, of the invisible. 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. Anoor has been told she's nothing, no one, a disappointment by the only person who matters: her mother, the most powerful ruler in the Empire. But dust always rises in a storm. Hassa moves through the world unseen by upper classes, so she knows what it means to be invisible. But invisibility has its uses: It can hide the most dangerous of secrets, secrets that can reignite a revolution. As the Empire begins a set of trials of combat and skill designed to find its new leaders, the stage is set for blood to flow, power to shift, and cities to burn.

Cloudface

I am definitely interested in continuing this trilogy when the next book come out. The world building was cool and I fell in love with the main characters by the end. I do have a few criticisms: mainly that I do not think this book needed to be as long as it was; there were multiple scenes that felt like repeats of previous scenes. Also, this book is listed as adult, probably because of the drug addiction that Sylah struggles with, but the story structure and writing style was very reminiscent of a YA novel. I didn’t mind that personally, but it may put off some readers. If you like the tropes of YA fantasy but want a book that is free to explore some more mature themes, you may enjoy this book.

Alice Hyman

There are some books that when you read them, you just know. You know that these characters and their stories are going to live in your head for years. 

The only reason it may not be the first title that jumps to your lips when someone asks for a recommendation is that you don’t want to share - Share these characters that you care for SO deeply - Share this world where they struggle and dance, laugh and cry, love and bleed…

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. 

The Final Strife is one of those books for me. 

It takes the norms of the ‘chosen one’ trope or the ‘brooding assassin with a past’ throws them straight out the window. To be honest Sylah would definitely throw you out the window… and swear at you afterwards. 

Anoor. Beautiful, courageous Anoor, who I’m sure a lot of bookish people will see themselves in, would probably laugh in your face … and maybe offer you tea.

All the characters are all so beautiful flawed, and so flawlessly real. 

The politics, the intrigue, the twist and turn of the plot, the world building all leave you so immersed, so breathless that all you can do is want more 

Gritty, Sapphic, Inclusive, Friends/enemies to lovers, morally grey characters, badass side ones … just everything you could ever want, and it all takes place in the blood soaked land of The Final Strife

This book wasn't bad but I finished thinking it was just okay. I felt the bookbwas longer than it needed to be and most of the book is just training...

The twists that came I already guessed so they weren't that shocking at all.

But I didnt hate it bit I was bored in parts.

So unfortunately I didint finish thinking it was good..it was okay I don't think I'll continue the series.

Samantha King

This book wasn't bad but I finished thinking it was just okay. I felt the bookbwas longer than it needed to be and most of the book is just training...

The twists that came I already guessed so they weren't that shocking at all.

But I didnt hate it bit I was bored in parts.

Things I liked

The world building and how it works

How it supports the LGBq community 

So unfortunately I didint finish thinking it was good..it was okay I don't think I'll continue the series.

I very much enjoyed this book. For having almost 600 pages, I tore through this thing in like….two days (granted, I currently have a lot of free time). I’m still thinking through this book and about characters and things that happened, so these are kind of like….off-the-cuff thoughts. If you don’t want to be spoiled, just know that I definitely recommend this story - I had a fantastic time reading this.

I love the world. Love it. It was just complex enough where I was a little confused in the beginning but then caught on as the story progressed.

The history is interesting, and the people occupying the land and how they got there was a great twist. The end of this book has me eager for the next one so I can see what happens next.

I love the three main characters, and I love the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters and how inclusive the world is in that aspect.

Now beware of more specific spoilers below.

Oddly, I liked the relationship between Sylah and Jond more than I did between Sylah and Anoor. I think there was just a lack of tension and build-up - maybe because I thought it was so obvious that they would eventually end up together.

And then at times I thought the training-challenges-win-more training-next challenge was a little repetitive (but I still enjoyed it).

I mentioned at the beginning that it was a little confusing to follow and maybe just a touch slow, which could be a turn-off for some readers, but the book and the pacing soon REALLY picked up and I flew through it because I was so engrossed.

To sum up: a very enjoyable first book in what I’m sure will be a GREAT series.

Rachael Bahr

I very much enjoyed this book. For having almost 600 pages, I tore through this thing in like….two days (granted, I currently have a lot of free time). I’m still thinking through this book and about characters and things that happened, so these are kind of like….off-the-cuff thoughts. If you don’t want to be spoiled, just know that I definitely recommend this story - I had a fantastic time reading this.

Beware of mild spoilers ahead.

I love the world. Love it. It was just complex enough where I was a little confused in the beginning but then caught on as the story progressed.

The history is interesting, and the people occupying the land and how they got there was a great twist. The end of this book has me eager for the next one so I can see what happens next.

I love the three main characters, and I love the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters and how inclusive the world is in that aspect.

Now beware of more specific spoilers below.

Oddly, I liked the relationship between Sylah and Jond more than I did between Sylah and Anoor. I think there was just a lack of tension and build-up - maybe because I thought it was so obvious that they would eventually end up together.

And then at times I thought the training-challenges-win-more training-next challenge was a little repetitive (but I still enjoyed it).

I mentioned at the beginning that it was a little confusing to follow and maybe just a touch slow, which could be a turn-off for some readers, but the book and the pacing soon REALLY picked up and I flew through it because I was so engrossed.

To sum up: a very enjoyable first book in what I’m sure will be a GREAT series.

I fnished The Final Strife over a week ago and while I knew what I wanted to say I have been trying to figure out how to say it without giving anything away, so here is the short version :) 

The Final Strife crafts a rich and beautifully unique world, deep diving into the magic system (bloodwerk and runes), the religion (and how it plays into the politics and history with its variations amongst the classes) and the societal structure but without the usual info dumping. The world is brutal, and the writing is unflinching in its description of punishment, hatred, death and addiction. It is in this world that we find our, morally grey, MC Sylah. 

Sylah has found an outlet for her guilt (which you discover more about as the story progresses) with an addiction to joba seeds, and fighting in the Ring to earn enough money to feed her habit, but a figure from her past leads her to a rash decision and into the life of Anoor, whose arc from whiny and entitled to strong, determined and out for change is one of my favourite things about the book. 

Other characters weave into the story in a complex knot and of all of them, Hassa, I really liked. She is a truly interesting character with a much larger role to play in the coming books and I look forward to finding out about her and the Ghostings. 

Over all I enjoyed the story, though I felt the pace was a little slow and the structure of training and trials a tad repetitive, but the last 15% or so really accelerated with some truly surprising twists and turns that definitely have me wanting to read the next book as soon as it comes out. 

The Final Strife is diverse, and I appreciate how all parts of the LGBTQ+ community are naturally represented and accepted within the book without feeling forced or like they are a token mention for diversity's sake. The story also has positive disibility rep which is, still, all too rare in fantasy. 

To conclude - The Final Strife is a great introduction to a new world and some wonderful characters, and I am wholly looking forward to book 2.

Narah Quinn

I fnished The Final Strife over a week ago and while I knew what I wanted to say I have been trying to figure out how to say it without giving anything away, so here is the short version :) 

The Final Strife crafts a rich and beautifully unique world, deep diving into the magic system (bloodwerk and runes), the religion (and how it plays into the politics and history with its variations amongst the classes) and the societal structure but without the usual info dumping. The world is brutal, and the writing is unflinching in its description of punishment, hatred, death and addiction. It is in this world that we find our, morally grey, MC Sylah. 

Sylah has found an outlet for her guilt (which you discover more about as the story progresses) with an addiction to joba seeds, and fighting in the Ring to earn enough money to feed her habit, but a figure from her past leads her to a rash decision and into the life of Anoor, whose arc from whiny and entitled to strong, determined and out for change is one of my favourite things about the book. 

Other characters weave into the story in a complex knot and of all of them, Hassa, I really liked. She is a truly interesting character with a much larger role to play in the coming books and I look forward to finding out about her and the Ghostings. 

Over all I enjoyed the story, though I felt the pace was a little slow and the structure of training and trials a tad repetitive, but the last 15% or so really accelerated with some truly surprising twists and turns that definitely have me wanting to read the next book as soon as it comes out. 

The Final Strife is diverse, and I appreciate how all parts of the LGBTQ+ community are naturally represented and accepted within the book without feeling forced or like they are a token mention for diversity's sake. The story also has positive disibility rep which is, still, all too rare in fantasy. 

To conclude - The Final Strife is a great introduction to a new world and some wonderful characters, and I am wholly looking forward to book 2.

thank you to random house publishing house ballantine, del rey, and netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

an intricate (blood) magic system, a queernormative world, and the slowburn grumpy x sunshine romance that leaves you screaming at your book the entire time. i can already tell that this book is one that’ll be remembered and beloved for ages.

if i hadn’t known anything about this prior to requesting/reading this, i’d never have assumed that this was a debut. this story was so intricately crafted, you’d think that saara el-arifi was a long-loved author. however, i worry that because the book starts at a very slow pace, and with lots to learn about the world, it’ll deter people from reading on. but i urge you, if you’re hesitant about committing to a complex high-fantasy world, give it until you’re a 1/3 of the way through before making any judgements. it picks up so quickly after that and will keep you hooked the entire way. i was the same way at first, and i’m 

on to some specifics... well, every little theory i had while reading (right or wrong) paid off so well. there’s so many teeny bits of foreshadowing, and i’m sure i’ve still missed a bunch of it. each character that we follow (mainly sylah and anoor as our primary povs, but also jond and hassa) felt so fleshed out. which is why i’m glad we were given the time to get to know everyone’s different relationships before all hell broke lose.

and of course, i have to mention anoor and sylah. the two of them are so perfect to each other. right from when they met, their interactions were hilarious and surprisingly intimate. i smiled, i swooned, i laughed my ass off. also, while i 

keeping count of how many times i screamed at my phone “kiss already”, i did lose count. oops. the two of them alone would’ve pushed me through the story if i wasn’t engaged in the plot. but well,, obviously i’m in love and impressed by it all.

my brain is truly mush after that ending so, of course i’ve probably missed another 1,000 things i could talk about. but please please please pick this book up. you will not regret it. please i need them to confirm a sequel, help a musawa out here — psst if you read the book you’ll understand what i mean. did that convince you?

thank you to random house publishing house ballantine, del rey, and netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

an intricate (blood) magic system, a queernormative world, and the slowburn grumpy x sunshine romance that leaves you screaming at your book the entire time. i can already tell that this book is one that’ll be remembered and beloved for ages.

if i hadn’t known anything about this prior to requesting/reading this, i’d never have assumed that this was a debut. this story was so intricately crafted, you’d think that saara el-arifi was a long-loved author. however, i worry that because the book starts at a very slow pace, and with lots to learn about the world, it’ll deter people from reading on. but i urge you, if you’re hesitant about committing to a complex high-fantasy world, give it until you’re a 1/3 of the way through before making any judgements. it picks up so quickly after that and will keep you hooked the entire way. i was the same way at first, and i’m so so glad i kept with it.

on to some specifics... well, every little theory i had while reading (right or wrong) paid off so well. there’s so many teeny bits of foreshadowing, and i’m sure i’ve still missed a bunch of it. each character that we follow (mainly sylah and anoor as our primary povs, but also jond and hassa) felt so fleshed out. which is why i’m glad we were given the time to get to know everyone’s different relationships before all hell broke lose.

and of course, i have to mention anoor and sylah. the two of them are so perfect to each other. right from when they met, their interactions were hilarious and surprisingly intimate. i smiled, i swooned, i laughed my ass off. also, while i was keeping count of how many times i screamed at my phone “kiss already”, i did lose count. oops. the two of them alone would’ve pushed me through the story if i wasn’t engaged in the plot. but well,, obviously i’m in love and impressed by it all.

my brain is truly mush after that ending so, of course i’ve probably missed another 1,000 things i could talk about. but please please please pick this book up. you will not regret it. please i need them to confirm a sequel, help a musawa out here — psst if you read the book you’ll understand what i mean. did that convince you?

Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

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Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

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Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi