The Final Strife
Ratings19
Average rating4.3
15
Ratings19
Average rating4.3
In the first book of a visionary fantasy trilogy with its roots in the mythology of Africa and Arabia that “sings of rebellion, love, and the courage it takes to stand up to tyranny” (Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange Tree), three women band together against a cruel empire that divides people by blood. “The Final Strife is the real deal: epic fantasy turned on its head in the most compelling way imaginable.”—Kalynn Bayron, bestselling author of Cinderella Is Dead and This Poison Heart ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022—Book Riot 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 when Sylah and Anoor meet, a fire burns between them that could consume the kingdom—and their hearts. 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. And when she joins forces with Sylah and Anoor, together these grains of sand will become a storm. 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. Book One of The Ending Fire Trilogy
Series
2 primary booksThe Final Strife Trilogy is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2022 with contributions by Saara El-Arifi.
Reviews with the most likes.
A clever take on racial tensions in a fantasy setting. Racism is often a challenging topic to take on, and this one takes it a step further by making the colour of a persons blood literally the defining characteristic of their social standing. With 3 castes of people living in the empire the tensions between the haves and the have nots are cleverly manipulated by those at the top. The reveals and twists cleverly act to undermine the social order and the basis for the regime, but also the motivations of some of the rebel characters as well, creating a wonderfully murky moral picture despite the obvious bias of the society.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. The very real oppression, the politicking and the hidden agendas all work together to produce a fascinating cocktail. Very much looking forward to see where this series goes
A book full of excellent world building and interesting ideas, I definitely feel like I learnt something. I really enjoyed the two main characters and their developing relationship. The main character swears brilliantly and the dialogue is really fun.
I found the plot of the first half of the book a little prosaic, however the second half of the book really kicks in and I am looking forward to the sequel.
Edit- Just found out that all the violence in this book really took place in history. Which has blown my mind.
I don't know why I keep (accidentally) picking up these ya fantasy books. I didn't even know it's YA. Not sure it is. It feels like YA: The characters are 20ish yrs old, supposedly meant to hold the key to change the world, and acting like such brats...
...at least halfway through the book.
Then that annoyingly caricatured tropey landscape (and don't get me started on the useless love triangle) suddenly chips away and reveals depth and layers, and yes, a lot of this is predictable, but there are also little clever twists.
The last 20% really made the difference for me. I did a lot of eye-rolling and sighing through it, but suddenly I'm left wanting to read the sequel ??? right now.
There's a reveal at the end I'm very excited about and I can't talk about it here (because: no spoilers) and it frustrates me.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)
This was a bit slow to start for me but once the pace picked up I enjoyed it. I look forward to the next one.
