We Hunt the Flame

We Hunt the Flame is the first book in the We Hunt the Flame Duology by author Hafsah Faizal.

Synopsis
Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the king. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways.

Both are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya—but neither wants to be.

War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the king on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds—and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.

Set in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia, We Hunt the Flame is a gripping debut of discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands.

Plot Summary
Long ago, when the 6 sisters ruled Arawiya, there was magic. Now, that time has passed. With their dsappearance, so went the magic in the world.

'''A malignant forest, plagues the lands. Those who enter the Arz, never return. Except for Zafira''', a huntress who returns time and time again. She, however, lives in the sole caliphate that believes women have no value. The Caliph of her kingdom in Arawiya believes all suffering and disaster was brought on by the 6 sisters, therefore all women. Now, Zafira is forced to masquerade as a boy, a Hunter in order to feed her village. She, er he, is renown and keeps a struggling kingdom from starvation. Very few know of Zafira’s identity as the Hunter: Yasmine (her best friend) Deen (Yasmine’s brother), and Lana, Zafira’s younger sister.

The book begins with Zafira returning from a victorious hunt. The food will go towards the banquet of her best friend, Yasmine’s wedding. It is both a happy and sad event for Zafira as she feels her friendship will not be the same with Yasmine, even the Yasmine’s betrothed, Misk, is a good man who loves her best friend fiercely. On her way  The Silver Witch (more on her later) appears before her, knowing she is a huntress and invites her on a quest to defeat the Arz once as for all by journeying to Shaar and retrieving the book of magic,  Jarawada. Zafira tucks the invitation in her pocket, unsettled and to think about later.

—

Nasir is the crown prince to Arawiya. His father, the Sultan, was once a good man who cared about the people, but since Nasir’s death, he has lost all kindness and empathy. He hates Nasir and finds his compassion disgusting. The Sultan has tried to break the compassion out of Nasir by making him the royal assassin. A job that has all but broken Nasir’s spirit. He loathes it, and himself because of it, but he can do nothing to change it. It once used to bother him, but now he kills without thought.

The Sultan buys blood magic from a mysterious witch who has magic in a time where magic doesn’t exist. The Sultan has the son of a caliph kidnapped and imprisoned in his dungeon to bring the Caliph, his father, to heel. The Caliphs were made to serve as power check to the Sultan, and the Sultan a power check to them. However, that’s not good enough for the Sultan. Nasir’s mother, the Sultana,  was supposed to leave the Kingdom to Nasir when she passed, however, his father somehow convinced her to leave it to him. He uses and abuses his power to control the Caliphs.

Nasir’s will is controlled by the people he cares for. For one, his ex-lover Kulsum. When the Sultan found out about their romance, he cut out Kulsum’s tongue-and thus, took away the thing she loved most, singing. He makes it clear he will not hesitate to hurt her again if Nasir doesn’t obey.

After a meeting with the Sultan’s general, Altair, – who he hates for his pompous attitude and the vicious truth he speaks-he meets Kulsum near his room and kisses her fiercely. It is clear she wants him too, but he then breaks away, remembering why they can’t be together.

—

The day of Yasmine’s wedding arrives and her best friend looks resplendent. Zafira herself wear’s a slightly less formal blue and silver dress that she dearly loves. She sees the look Deen gives her, no longer looking at her as a girl/sister, but as a woman. She looks away and tries to ignore it. The two are married and the people feast.

Later, Lana confronts Zafira, holding up the invitation the priestess gave her, asking Zafira if she was ever going to say anything. Zafira honestly doesn’t know. Zafira reflects on their roles in the household. Their father taught Zafira how to hunt when it became clear she could enter the Arz; their mother taught Lana how to nurture.

It was once a happy household, but when sickness took hold and they needed food, their father went into the Arz to hunt, after all, his daughter did it everyday. He returned, having gone mad. Their mother was forced to kill her husband it changed her. She is a ghost of a person now, living in nightmares and sorrow.

When her mother calls for Zafira, she is surprised. she hasn’t talked to her since the day her father died 5 years ago. For the first time, Zafira’s mother is clear eyed and they have a sincere chat. Zafira feels bad for not talking to her earlier, and her mother says she too should have called for Zafira sooner.

—

Altair goads Nasir to come from a drink with him. Altair only drinks coffee-to keep his wits about him, and Nasir drinks water.

Later, The Sultan calls for Nasir. He tells him the silver witch is up to the something and Nasir must journey to Shaar to kill the Hunter before he gets his hands on the Jarawada. Then he will return with the book so the Sultan can have control over magic. He will only be accompanied  by Altair, who he is ordered to kill before journey end.

He bursts into Altair’s room to tell him of the arrangement, only to find him in bed and girls giggling in his rooms, one of them is Kulsum. They are swift to  leave. One thing Nasir did not consider is how he would cross the Arz. The Silver Witch appears before Nasir and Altair, providing him with a clear path through the Arz and a ship to sail across the ocean to Shaar.

—

Zafira walks out to the stables with Deen, who proposes marriage to her. She declines, she is not like Yasmine. She doesn’t want to get married yet. Deen brings up the invitation, which Lana told him about. He asks her if she plans on going and she gives no affirmative. He seems upset that she doesn’t want to marry, but she tells him that when she is ready to marry, she will marry Deen.

The Silver Witch appears before them, to answer Zafira’s many questions about the journey. She says the Caliph will meet her with resources on the day of the journey, while she provides a ship and crew. She disappears once more.

The day comes, and Zafira decides she must try and see if she can bring magic to the world and rid them of the Arz once and for all. She disguises herself as the hunter and goes to the port where a ship awaits her. Deen, Yasmine, Lana and many villagers are there to see her off. The Caliph arrives and he is gentle and kind to the hunter, proud of what he has done. He thanks the Hunter for her sacrifice and Zafira bitterly notes he wouldn’t feel the same way if he knew she was a girl.

Haytham, the Caliph’s right hand man pulls Zafira aside and wishes her, the huntress ,good luck. She panics and asks how he knows she is a girl. He tells her it is years of practice. The Caliph has an heir who he banished–because she is a girl. He believes she will rule well as a Calipha but she needs encouragement to come back and face her father, to prove gender does not determine competence and intelligence. He asks Zafira to take the first step and reveal herself, just as Yasmine, Deen, and Lana have often pushed her to do.

Then, Deen enters the conversation, asking the Caliph if he may have permission to accompany the Hunter on this important journey. Angry soldiers give their disagreement as they consider him a deserter. Haytham quiets them, reminding them Deen left with honorable discharge, an offer many think Deen accepted too quickly when his father died and he needed to take care of his family.

The Caliph readily agrees and Haytham seems happy with the choice as well. Zafira, on the other hand, is furious. Zafira asks the Caliph to take of their two families while they are gone, to have them reside in his palice. He agrees, saying it’s the least he can do for the two who are risking their lives. She also asks him to help feed the people, and he says he will find a way, even if it means dipping into his own stores.

With that, they set off. When they are far enough from shore, but still within eye sight, Zafira thinks on what Haytham said about the Calipha-to-be and someone needing to get the ball rolling. She drops her hood and shows the Caliph she is, in fact, a girl. His reaction is that of fury, while Haytham, Lana, and Yasmine smile, proud. Misk, finally makes the connections as well -and sees it was her all along. She knows the Caliph will not go back on his word to take care of her family and feed the people, he is not an evil man, merely a sexist one.

Zafira then turns to Deen and accuses him of only making the journey because she is going. She realizes this was The Silver Witch’s intention all along. It is why she appeared in front of them both that night in the barn. There may have only been one invitation, but she never meant for Zafira to travel alone. They let bygones be bygones and she forgives him. They note that the crew on the ship are mere shadows, how? They don’t know, but it is the magic of the Silver Witch.

The two teams get to Shaar roughly around the same time. Nasir and Altair find the Hunter and Deen quickly. Then everything happens at once:

An ifrit aims for Altair. Altair aims for the Hunter. Nasir aims for the Ifrit. Zafira aims for Altair. 3 arrows fly (the ifrit doesn’t really get a chance). Altair hits Deen who jumps in the way so the arrow doesn’t hit Zafira. It is fatal and he passes away quickly in Zafira’s arms. Zafira’s arrow hits Altair in the shoulder, maiming him. Nasir’s arrow kills the ifrit. Turns out Altair also new Deen, they once fought together.

Nasir proposes a truce between he, Altair, and Zafira. She needs them to help her fight and they need her to find the Jawarat. She grudgingly agrees. She wears Deen’s cloak despite the heat and eventually passes out from heat stroke. She awakens to find herself being cared for by Nasir and Altair. She is surprised how gentle Nasir can be.

Nasir notices that the compass the silver witch gave him doesn’t lead him to the Jawarat, but points the way towards Zafira. They are eventually attacked by Ifrits again, and they wear the face of those that mean something to each person. Except for Nasir, they have no face to show for him, so he sees them as truly are. He does not love, he does not hope. His life is just existence, awaiting the next order of his master. They defeat the ifrits but when they run into more, they are stopped by a Safi, an immortal jinn, named Benyamin. He also happens to hail from Nasir’s mother side, and they are cousins that have never met. Unlike Nasir who is only half Safi, Benyamin is full. He travels along with one of the Caliphas elite 9, Kifah, who is here for revenge.

Nasir and Altair fight. Nasir knows by now that Altair has a  spy network in the palace, for he knows that Nasir has directions to kill him. Nasir finds out that Altair’s main spy was Kulsum. Nothing they had was ever true. She only ever pretended to love him. AAAAND Altair, in turn, is a spy for Benyamin. That is how news of the Hunter’s journey traveled so fast to him.

'''He then imparts this bit of shocking knowledge: The Silver Witch is none other than  one of the 6 sisters of old. She was the most powerful and was Warden of Sharr. She was pure of heart, but then the Lion''' bid his time, and made her fall in love with him, convinced her that her sisters kept her here as warden out of no love for her. She called her sisters to Sharr where they were killed in battle, along with the Lion. She alone escaped. They all know, that despite the Silver Witch wanting to make amends with the world, there has to be something else up her sleeve other than returning magic to the world and righting her wrongs.

Benyamin goes on to convince the others that the only way to reach the Jawarat is to tackle the goal as zumra-a gang. And that once magic is free, the Arz will fall.

As they journey, Zafira finds herself watching the Prince and he her. Her strength and courage to look him in the eye is attractive to Nasir. No one ever looks him in the eye aside from Altair and Kulsum. Altair makes the journey light with his witty banter, always egging on Kifah, who honestly seems to enjoy it. Benyamin is content to keep to himself and put his nose in a book whenever they stop to rest. She ponders on the tattoo Nasir has on his arm. He lets her look, assuming she cannot read Saific, but she can. The tattoo talks off love, and she wonders who he could have loved once. His mother? She also has seen the scars on his back, burn marks, scars.

One night, as Zafira sleeps, she meets Benyamin in her dreams. He explains to her that he is a dreamwalker and he has brought her to see Alderamin, the beautiful place he lives. There, his wife still stays, and it is the place he burried his baby son. He has not be able to use dream walking since the loss of magic, but here on Sharr, he can once again.

He explains to her that there are two classifications of magic.

He explains to her (at some point) that she-Zafira- is a Da’ira, a compass. She can never be lost and will always find her way. He also tells her that the Silver Witch never intended for her to journey alone in Sharr. She left bread crumbs for Benyamin to follow Zafira, as well as Nasir and Altair. Zafira, knows of course that none of them will truly protect her once they get to the Jawarat, they merely want to use her.

In the middle of another night, Nasir leaves and finds an alcove. He uses blood magic (his father gave him) to contact him, without knowing that Zafira and Altair follow him and are watching. His father berates him, belittles him, and they see the cold and ruthless Nasir fold into himself like a beaten child. Zafira is frustrated that he doesn’t stand up to his father who tells him to make sure

Zafira is kidnapped in the middle of the night, and wakes up in a palace of sorts. A man meets her and introduces himself as her companion:

He explains to her that she is driven by the need to be loved. She tells him love is for children. He then explains that. the reason she hunts in the Arz, is so the people of the village love her. She became a huntress to win the love of her father.

He then tells her there is nothing wrong with love. It is a strength and a curse in equal parts. He then says for all he has helped, he has one request. When she finds the Jawarat, she will let the shadow/darkness borrow. He will return it to her after that. He too, she realizes just wants to use her. When she still denies him, he has her locked up.

—

Nasir wakes to find Zafira gone. They search but she is no where. No fear, Nasir knows hot to find her. He has the compass from the silver witch that leads him in the direction towards Zafira. The Ifrit attack once again, except this time, Nasir finally sees a face he recognizes, Kulsum. Ifrit-Kulsum tells him that he has begun to love Zafira, and  Nasir makes no attempt to deny it. He slashes the ifrit down. They arrive at the mysterious palace.

Zafira wakes to find herself chained up, uncomfortable, limbs stretched out. The Darkness asks if she will reconsider, but she does not. Now that she has refused his deal, he will force her. They talk and he eventually loses her temper when she does not recognize who he is from his power:

'''The  Lion. The darkness is the Lion of the Night, everyone thought to be dead.''' He is Half ifrit, half safin and said to be as powerful as the 6 sisters themselves. Benyamin would not tell them who the Master of Sharr was, even though he knew. Now she finds out it is the Lion.

Nasir eventually finds Zafira and The Lion has him chained up as well. Though not before Nasir finds out what his magic gift is. He too, controls darkness and shadows, an d it pours, unrelenting, from his fingers. Finally, unleashed. The Lion reveals to Nasir that his father, the sultan, has been in his control for a long time. The cruelness in him is all the Lion controlling him. Nasir realizes that Benyamin was right-his father is still in there, somewhere. His kindness shows through rare, small glimpses. He realizes the lion is speaking true, for he sees his eyes reflected in his father’s. Through an amulet his mother gifted his father, the Lion controls him.

The Lion then takes a poker to Nasir and tells him every time his father burned him, branded him, it was he, the lion, who was controlling it. Before each kill, Nasir was branded, 48 brands. The Lion gets ready to make 49. Zafira screams and tells him she will give him the Jawarat, as long as he doesn’t brand Nasir, for she sees the fear and panic in his eyes and she would do anything to take that away. It is a futile attempt, and the Lion brands Nasir again.

'''The Lion tells him they will now be joined by Nasir’s brother and in comes Altair. Turns out they are half brothers-with the same mother.''' The rest of the Zumra find their way to Nasir and Zafira and a battle ensues. Nasir breaks from his shackles, as he was taught in his training as an hashashin and escapes with Zafira. When they get to relative safety, she helps patch him up with resin (medicine?) Lana had given her for the journey, they share an intimate moment where a kiss seems to be coming when the others return and interrupt them, making fun of them.

Zafira learns it is Altair who killed Deen, not Nasir as she thought and kept asking. He tells her it was an accident, he didn’t have full control of his arrow. He liked and respect Deen. They had once fought together. The Zumra starts to fight, as they realize Benyamin knew that The Lion was here and alive the whole time. Benyamin argues that if he had told them who the Master of Sharr was, none of them would have ever come out here to fight the Lion, which is true.

Nasir is the by the water when the Silver Witch appears to him, she tells him she may not have a chance to tell him later, but his mother isn’t dead.  She is his mother, the beloved saltana of Arawiya. After she was tricked by the Lion she fled, later giving birth to Altair in hiding. She then met Nasir’s father and knew what true love was. She had Nasir and everything was great. She gave his father the amulet as a present, not knowing it would allow The Lion to control him. After that, it was too late. Nasir doesn’t believe her and she shows him the burn mark…of the one time she stepped in front of Nasir, blocking his father from branding him. She tells him he is the light of her life and she trained him well, as a hashashin, to take on The Lion. He feels betrayed, his mother used him. She disappears and Nasir finds Altair behind him, having heard it all.

Zafira needs time alone and wonders off, only to start hearing voices calling for help. Nasir goes after her and tries to provide a “distraction” to snap her out of it. It turns into a passionate fiery kiss. They start heading back and he tells her “this changes nothing.” She tells him she was not expecting him to marry her after a kiss, not to worry. He wishes he could take it back immediately, but his pride doesn’t let him. She is close to the Jawarad now, she can feel it. She listens to the voices once more andfinds it in a tomb of sorts, protected by 5 trees. She notices a heart beat in the ground…and realizes the 5 sisters must have died here, making the Jawarad with their final bit of strength. They concealed the magic in the book and protect it still today,  a encasing magic in the beating hearts below the 5 trees. Benyamin tells her to stay on the stone she’s standing, for in that area she is protected, the Lion cannot get her.

The lion appears and tries to get her to give him the book. The Silver Witch appears and tries to hold off the Lion, but is unsucessful. Zafira, bleeding due to an altercation in this ongoing battle, sheds blood on the Jawarad after picking it up and it binds itself to her, through a blood bond. She is it’s master and it will heed no one else. She tells Nasir and the other about the beating hearts. Then, The Lion takes aim and and shoots straight for Nasir. Altair steps in front of him, and Benyamin in front of Altair. It fatally wounds Altair and the once-immortal quickly dies.

But the others don’t have time to mourn, they quickly dig up the 5 beating hearts and magic is released into the world once again. This action, however, also sets the Lion free, finally able to wreck havoc on the world beyond Sharr. They also find that the Silver Witch has disappeared again.

Zafira despairs as she drops the Jawarad and the Lion grabs it. Altair finally decides to show his magic and fills the shadows with infinite light, forcing the Lion to flee. After he is gone, Kifah tells her not to worry, as she is a miraji and took Benyamin’s book and masked it as the Jawarad, hiding the real one with her.

They know they must get back to the non-ghost ship Benyamin brought here for them, always thinking ahead, and sail back. They must get the  hearts to the 5 caliphates. Nasir must try to free his father. Then,  after a while on board, they suddenly realize that Altair isn’t there. They look for him, only to realize the Lion must have taken Altair…and he carries one of the hearts.

Nasir decides that he will no longer be the monster he is. He will stand up to his father, because his people need him to.

—

Praise for We Hunt the Flame
“As dazzling and magical as the world Faizal has crafted, WE HUNT THE FLAME should be on every fantasy fan’s bookshelf.” – Kiersten White, New York Times bestselling author

''“Hafsah Faizal weaves an intricate tale that brings us not only a richly imagined new world of magic to explore, but more than that, with a deft, wise hand, she charts the yearnings of the human heart, all while delivering breathtaking twists and unexpected turns. A truly stunning debut!”'' – Robin LaFevers, New York Times best-selling author of Courting Darkness and the His Fair Assassin trilogy.

“With fierce characters, deathly challenges, and world-building both lyrical and spellbinding, WE HUNT THE FLAME is unputdownable.” – Marieke Nijkamp, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

''“Hafsah Faizal’s voice is not one that simply speaks, but sings across the page. WE HUNT THE FLAME is a spellbinding tale filled with deception, political intrigue, and atmosphere that lives and breathes—I am obsessed with this story.”'' – Kerri Maniscalco, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

''“Fresh, bold storytelling populated with vibrant characters marks Hafsah Faizal as an explosive new voice in fantasy. Charged with adrenaline and romance, WE HUNT THE FLAME held me enthralled and desperate for more!”'' – Jessica Khoury, Author of the Corpus Trilogy and The Forbidden Wish.

“I adore Hafsah’s writing; she has such a beautiful way with words.” – Beth Revis, New York Times Bestselling Author of A World Without You

''“WE HUNT THE FLAME enchanted me with its lyrical storytelling, rich mythology, and most of all its unforgettable cast of characters, so vividly drawn that I felt as though I had braved the desert’s perils at their side. A wholly unique debut, destined to take the world by storm.”'' – Margaret Rogerson, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Enchantment of Ravens

“A sparkling debut, full of mystery and magic, vivid characters and rich language.” – Roshani Chokshi, New York Times Bestselling Author

“Beautiful storytelling, mesmerizing settings, and fiery characters—WE HUNT THE FLAME is danger, magic, and hope all wrapped into one, and it is intoxicating.” – Evelyn Skye, New York Times bestselling author of The Crown’s Game series

''“In her incredible debut, Hafsah Faizal has crafted a whirlwind Arabian-inspired fantasy, filled with heart-stopping twists; powerful friendships; a steamy well-developed romance; and lyrical prose that left me breathless. Fans of City of Brass or Children of Blood & Bone will devour this tale that left me with my jaw on the floor, distressed that the story was over.”'' – Shauna Sinyard, bookseller at Park Road Books

''“Hafsah Faizal’s WE HUNT THE FLAME is a gorgeously written, exquisitely built world that you will want to stay in forever. Nasir and Zafira are epic protagonists, and the entwining of their stories results in one of the most stunning pieces of YA fantasy literature.”'' – Rachel Strolle, teen librarian at Glenside Public Library District

“With bold prose, Faizal stitches together darkly intriguing magic, a rich cast of characters (including, of course, our favorite kind of self-loathing prince), and a refreshingly non-exoticized Arabian-inspired setting.” – Allison Senecal, bookseller at Old Firehouse Books

“With bold prose, Faizal stitches together darkly intriguing magic, a rich cast of characters (including, of course, our favorite kind of self-loathing prince), and a refreshingly non-exoticized Arabian-inspired setting.” – Allison Senecal, bookseller at Old Firehouse Books

''“In this thrilling new addition to the fantasy genre, Arabian mythology mixes with action, humor, romance, and identity as a diverse cast of characters quests to save not only their home, but also themselves. From freezing snow to burning sand, Faizal draws readers in with sumptuous writing. Magic and mystery keep the pages turning until the very end.”'' – Madeline Dorman, bookseller at Blue Willow Bookshop

''“WE HUNT THE FLAME is a lush and vibrant epic fantasy immersed in ancient Arabian culture that will leave you wanting more. Perfect for fans of Roshani Chokshi and Renée Ahdieh.”'' – Melissa Lee, bookseller at Blue Bunny Books

''“Classic fantasy elements get a fresh take in this expertly crafted, Arabian inspired world that is dark, romantic and entirely enchanting. Complex characters that tug on your heartstrings and a story that is lush in both its beauty and prose, Hafsah Faizal’s WE HUNT THE FLAME is not to be missed!”'' – Katie Stutz, bookseller at Anderson’s Bookshop