The Final Strife

20+ stars

This must be, without a doubt, the best fantasy I've read this year. I have now purchased this book in all the editions it is available in. I highly recommend the audiobook. It alone is an experience. As a debut, I'm left dumbfounded at how amazing this book was.

It's incredibly hard to write this review. To unravel the intricacies interwoven in this book... If you allow yourself to sit with this book and let the book sit with you, it will reach the depths of your soul. This book will trigger memories that only your DNA will recognize. This book speaks to the native people who because they've lived a mostly peaceful life are welcoming and generous. This book speaks to colonialism and erasure, the perception of balance of power, and the imbalance of power. It speaks to if you say a thing enough people will only remember that thing and not what came before it. It speaks to suppression and the lengths people will go to end that suppression.

Saara El-Arifi put so much thought and care not only into the world building, character development and plot but into the sensitive area of addiction. I ran into a review where they claimed there was fat shaming in the book. Not once was there any shaming. There was a point in the story where Sylah has been given Anoor's clothing to wear and it is at this point that she realizes how much weight she has lost because of the addiction. It was a moment of self-reflection and one where she needed to decide if she was truly going to work on kicking the habit. With that said, other strong points were the queernormative society and compelling women driving the story: Sylah, Anoor and Hassa.

You will find your fast paced fantasy, with great world building, sprinkled with twists and turns, magic, hate, love and intrigue. You will find great storytelling where each detail is fleshed out. I'm just here to tell you, you will find so much more.