- Zafira, the “Hunter,” who disguises herself as a man to provide for her people in a world where magic is lost and women’s freedoms are stripped away.
- Nasir, the “Prince of Death,” an assassin burdened by his tyrannical father’s expectations and his own remorse.
When both are sent on a quest to retrieve a magical artifact that could restore Arawiya’s power, their paths collide in the cursed Forest of Dusk, where ancient secrets and shifting alliances test their loyalties. Faizal’s prose is rich with sensory detail, evoking saffron-scented bazaars and sand-blasted ruins, while exploring themes of identity, oppression, and the weight of legacy.
The first in the Sands of Arawiya duology, We Hunt the Flame blends An Ember in the Ashes-style tension with The Wrath & the Dawn’s cultural allure, culminating in a cliffhanger that sets the stage for its sequel, We Free the Stars.
For fans of immersive desert fantasies:
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The City of Brass (S.A. Chakraborty, 2017) – Middle Eastern mythos and djinn politics.
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The Wrath & the Dawn (Renée Ahdieh, 2015) – A One Thousand and One Nights retelling.
