An interesting premise, but reminded me of similar stories in this genre.
A well paced storyline did keep me engaged, but I did not love it as much as I would have wanted to.

I did enjoy the idea of this story with all the different races of humans in a very hierarchical system.

It takes way too long to find out exactly what Sylah's role is as a large part of the beginning of the book is about her on drugs and her taking drugs which really isn't entertaining.

I did really like the relationships between Sylah and her friends and the inclusion in the romantic part of her life.

The actual fighting action scenes isn't what really interests me, it's finding out more about the history of the land, the blood magic and where exactly all the different blooded races of humans come from which I will read book 2 and hopefully get these questions answered.

Such an enjoyable book! Even if it takes a little bit too much for you to be totally immersed in the story, once you get in, it's really hard to not keep reading. As someone that doesn't enjoy long books, this book made me question that, a lot. But something I know, it's that the author did an amazing job at keeping us interested, building an astonishing world building, with remarkable main characters and a story to never forget.
The Final Strife sets in a world where class and power are the main point and we follow three women Sylah, Anoor and Hassa.
The three of them being complex, multifaceted, and very distinctive.
So excited for the future of this series and the author!

This was one of the best fantasy novels I have read this year. The world building is on an epic scale and although it does seem like a lot of information dumping to begin with if you stick with it it pays off. The three main female characters are all able to carry the plot well, although I preferred Sylah and Hassa's points of view more than Anoor's. I think Anoor could have been fleshed out a bit more and she seemed to conveniently complete the trials rather quickly. Nevertheless, I totally forgive that due to the rich world we are immersed in. Some of the plot is brutal and doesn't shy away from descriptions of torture to really give characterisation, especially to Hassa and the Ghostings. I loved the magic system even though it wasn't overly prominent to the story, the use of blood work and runes was done well and the undercurrent of addiction which runs through is honest and raw.

I already read this book a while ago, however I haven't been able to write a review because it took a while to put in words HOW GOOD this book was.

The Final Strife is a strong debut based on Ghanian mythology. Set in a hierarchical world where people are divided based on their blood, where 20 years ago people from a rebelling faction of the working class stole infants from the ruling Embers and replaced them with their own children. Sylah, an Ember raised by this now-wiped out rebellion, grieves for her adoptive family. Addicted to drugs and fighting to survive,

This story is highly engaging. It's an honest tale about addiction, oppression and questions what divides one class from another. The characters feel flawed and multidimensional and I loved seeing them grow throughout the book. Another thing I adored about the choice of POV characters was how we saw all levels of the society in this world - ruling class, the criminal underworld and the working class.
The twists in the book are nicely foreshadowed and each revelation really gave meaning to the bigger picture.

There is blood magic in this book, however the way it was presented didn't feel like self-harm, which is refreshing in a fantasy book. For people who feel uncomfortable about this: in the world, blood magic is used to inscribe runes. The ones capable of blood magic use a stylus and a device strapped to their forearm which is strongly reminiscent of how blood is drawn.

Anyway, this book only became stronger with each scene. It's one of the best books I read this year, and I can't wait to see where Sylah's, Anoor and Hassa's journeys go next.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher to give me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Sadly, this one wasn't for me. Excellent premise, but I just couldn't get into it. A me problem, I think!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the early access!

I loved this book, and can't wait for my beautiful Goldsboro edition!

I really enjoyed this book. It took a while for me to get into it and it took a long time to read, but I’m glad I stuck with it. Although it didn’t feel slow, it was taking me a long time to read. There’s quite a lot of history and background at the beginning and I was a bit confused at times, but once the main storyline started I really enjoyed it. I also really liked the characters. They were fun to read about and I became very invested in what was happening to them. I didn’t love the main storyline and I think this is because it’s similar to a few books that I’ve read in the past, so it didn’t feel very original. But the characters and deeper storyline are what made me enjoy this book so much. I would definitely recommend this book and I’m hoping there’s a book two coming as I need to know what happens next!

Unfortunately I struggled with this. I thought the blurb sounded amazing, and I was really excited to dive into an epic debut fantasy by an author of colour (which this industry needs far more of!) - but I found myself disappointed by the book as a whole. There were many interesting elements and ideas in this, though few of them were examined with any depth. In the end, I found it hard to finish the book, and my friend who was reading alongside ended up dnf'ing it. I wish I liked it more, but there was no emotional attachment to any of the characters and I was... bored?

A fantastic start to a new epic series by Saara El-Arifi! The Final Strife is a gritty, sapphic and thrilling story that will stick in your mind for some time.

This book centres around three female protagonists in a divided community where the colour of your blood denotes your worth and even then you are further categorised. You have the ruling red-blooded class, the working blue-blooded class and then there’s the lowest class of translucent-blooded people.

“If your blood runs red, go straight ahead. If your blood runs blue, you’re not coming through. Translucent hue, who are you, who are you, who are you?”

We have the usual trope of ‘the chosen one’ being flipped on it’s head with her reluctance to enact the revolution she was stolen and crafted for. Sylah is flawed, terribly so and addicted to a drug that may very well kill her.

Anoor is utterly charming and has a hard life being raised with spite by a mother that doesn’t want her but is saving face.

Finally we have the oh so clever and beautiful Hassa, having suffered the same fate as any child born with translucent blood of having her tongue and hands removed, she is a force to be reckoned with. Hassa should hate Sylah and Annor for who they are but she does not. Hassa is playing the long game and knows much more than she lets on.

The whole story is epic, delivering on all fronts. We have the social divide, political issues, injustice, love, vengeance and betrayal. The characters aren’t just one-dimensional either. There is beautiful representation of different identities and relationships throughout the book that don’t feel like they are added in for the sake of ticking a box. We have well-rounded characters that identify as trans, non-binary, lesbian, bisexual and gay. Each character is there for a reason and it’s great to have such depth with a story.

It’s not just the classes that are at war, their very environment is out to get them with the ever increasing, ripping winds that are deadly to those caught in it. There is a reason why they are getting worse which I will leave to you as the reader to discover.

The book is amazing, you really get behind and root for the characters. The ending isn’t your typical ending either and paves the way for more books in the story.

Book 2 can’t come soon enough!

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperVoyager for granting my wish, I loved it!

The Final Strife was an incredible fantasy debut, and despite it initially being quite intimidating, I flew through it.

The world building was impressive and I know there’s a lot more to come in the sequel. This world is divided by blood, red blood belongs to the elite, blue to the workers, and clear blood for the servants. Every ten years, the Aktibar is held: a set of trials to determine the Empire’s next leaders. Sylah has red blood but was stolen as a child along with a few others, and raised amongst those with blue blood, training her to become one of the Empire’s leaders and put an end to the current regime.

‘A dancer’s grace, a killer’s instinict, an Ember’s blood, a Duster’s heart.’

But as it is a fantasy book, not everything goes to plan. Sylah is meant to enter the competition but instead finds herself breaking into the room of the girl she was swapped with, the only blue blooded girl still living, as the rest were killed when it was discovered they were swapped. Unfortunately for Sylah, Anoor ties her up and keeps her over night so she misses her one chance to sign up. Fortunately for her, Anoor has signed up, and is in desperate need of an instructor so Sylah offers to train her in exchange for being taught how to use blood magic, which can only be done with red blood. I loved their relationship and how over time they grew to trust each other and become closer. I’m very excited for further developments in the sequel!

‘If Anoor was the tidewind, Sylah was fire.’

I loved the magic system in this book and all the intricate details so much! It was written incredibly well and I never wanted to stop reading in anticipation of the next scene. There were so many badass female characters in this and I adored the slow burn friends to lovers. Hassa was such a fascinating character as someone born with clear blood. Those with clear blood have their tongue removed so they can only communicate through their own sign language, which very few non-clear blooded people can understand and interpret. I can’t wait to see more of this character and the relationship between Sylah and Hassa.

‘It’s not up to you to choose who lives or dies.’

I completely recommend this book if you love fantasy with intricate world building!

Book 1 of a trilogy, this fantasy book doesn’t disappoint. With emphasis on the class system, your class is determined by the colour of your blood. Strong world building, interesting plot with well developed characters, can’t wait for the next instalment.

Thanks to Netgalley and the oubblisher for the eARC!

This is the first book in the Ending Fire trilogy and I think it's a really fascinating start!

Set in a dark and brutal world, we follow three women Sylah, Anoor and Hassa.
Three complex, multifaceted characters, with whom it is not easy to get in tune but following their developments was really interesting. Especially Sylah with her addiction, I find she was the most exciting character to follow.

Worldbuilding is detailed, with a vivid world where the themes of racism and classism are strong.
The story full of political conspiracies, betrayals and the struggle for power kept me glued to the pages as did the fascinating Ghanaian mythology.

A dense story, but in which there is no shortage of action and intrigue, The Final Strife is an atmospheric epic fantasy that sets an interesting foundation for the sequel!

3.5 / 5

I enjoyed the concept of the colour of your blood denotes your caste. There was some good world building. I liked the setting and atmosphere set. However I did get a bit annoyed with the constant use of Java seeds in the beginning of the book. I get that it was an addiction but it just frustrated me. On the back of that, the characters seemed one dimensional and a bit boring. The beginning is pretty slow going. I do think the book could have been shorter, there was quite a bit of dialog and internal monologue that we didn’t really need. I may pick up the next in the series just to see where it goes.

The Final Strife is an adult African and Arabian inspired fantasy set in a corrupt empire that categories people according to the colour of their blood - red, blue, and clear.

Red blood is the colour of the rulers and elite of the city. Blue is the colour of the working class. Clear is the blood of the slaves.

The Final Strife follows three women each with a different colour blood. Sylah grew up part of the resistance, she was supposed to be the chosen one, but it all fell apart and now she relies on drugs to survive. Anoor is the daughter of a powerful ruler, but she secretly has blue blood and has been made to feel inferior her entire life. Finally, Hassa works in the shadows, never noticed by the upper classes. They tried to take her people's language and power, but they failed.

This is a story of rigid class divides and revolution. It's absolutely amazing.

The characters are loveable but complex and flawed. Sylah and Anoor appear to be the main characters but Hassa is constantly working in the background. It does a great job of showing how even those who feel oppressed and want to work towards revolution, may be unwittingly oppressing people themselves.

There's great character development regarding Sylah's drug addiction. The Final Strife never villainies her, and shows how her addiction is linked to trauma and isolation. The only way out is working through that trauma.

I loved the bisexual representation and there's a great slow burn sapphic relationship in the background of political intrigue and a competition to choose the next rulers of the city.

It also has my absolute favourite trope of secrets being revealed that heavily change the characters understanding of the world. That ending? Yes.

If you love epic fantasy this is a fantastic choice and I urge you pick it up.

The Final Strife is an epic beginning to a trilogy set in an empire where the colour of blood determines your station in life. Sylah, a red-blooded Ember stolen and raised by blue blooded Duster rebels, was destined to overthrow the empire. But after her adopted family were brutally murdered, those dreams of a new regime turned to dust. Without a purpose, Sylah is adrift and falls into addiction. On the eve of the Aktibar, a set of trials held every ten years to find the next Ember rulers, Sylah encounters someone from her past and suddenly finds herself embroiled in the plans of the rebellion.

This first instalment in the Ending Fire trilogy absolutely captivated me. The world building was vivid and detailed, the plot intriguing, and the characters well developed. The story is told from the perspective of three female characters: Syrah, Anoor and Hassa, all three courageous, flawed and determined, all three beautiful. Syrah’s addiction was particularly well depicted throughout the book, showing her struggles to obtain a next fix, as well as issues with withdrawal and long-term effects of addiction. I was rooting for all three, and am impatient to see where the story will take them. The world system addresses issues such as classism and racism, but El-Arifi also created a world that is gender-inclusive and queer-normative, with everyone born musawa in the likeness of a genderless deity worshipped in the empire.

Thanks to the publishers for providing me with an electronic review copy of this novel, all opinions are my own. The second instalment of this trilogy is due mid-2023, and it’s already on my list of highly anticipated releases for next year.

A vibrant fantasy debut -- the trilogy should be a smash-hit, by all rights, and I hope it is. The world-building is deep and rich, bringing a mish-mash of cultures together to create something relatively new for 'western' readers. There are a few moments of needing to suspend disbelief that take a bit of work to get going, but once you do, El-Arifi will sweep you off your feet.

I really enjoyed this book. It was eye opening, cruel, intense and frankly horrifying at moments. But it was so fantastically written, ab amazing debut into the fantasy world!

I tried this one, but it really wasn't for me. I was only about 10% in when I had to give up. Brutal violence, abject horror, brutalisation of entire peoples - it was too much, and too dark, for me. DNF'd at 10%

This, to me, was a great fantasy debut. A cruel empire where young children were stolen to drive a resistance.

Within this book, your place in society is decided by your blood type. I really enjoyed the politics of this world, the characters and their growth throughout. There is a trial to decide upon the next leaders. The magic system is interesting but is not the main focus of the book.

I am very interested to see how this world is going to expand in the next book after the ending of this one.