Full review to be posted soonish.

I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting and refreshing addition to the adult fantasy genre, inspired by Ghanaian mythology. Although I have mixed feelings about the book, it was definitely an engaging and highly complex read. Firstly, I thought the romantic connection between two adopted siblings was questionable & the plot line here was quite confusing. The rest of the plot and world building nonetheless provided interesting conceptions of class and power, and although I felt my interest in the plot dipped at certain points, it would be interesting to see how the story develops in the next book when it comes out!

Okay, it could be that this is at least the third fantasy novel with a tournament-centered plot I've read this year, but I just wasn't invested. Between the high page count (my pandemic brain just can't take it, I need to read a novella asap) and the unbalanced, transitionless POVs, the truly interesting albeit neglected politics plot was the only thing that kept me going.

And the interesting magic system! In a highly segregated, caste-like society where only the red-blooded can work magic by combining blood runes, magic can be used for almost anything. The approach is a lot like the solving of a puzzle, the possibilities almost endless. But adding magic-fueled microphones (?) and rune guns (???) to the worldbuilding of a yet unindustrialized empire makes the setting a little hard to grasp.

Where am I? When am I? No idea. Why are enslaved people systematically being mutilated by their oppressors when they still make up the majoritiy of the workforce, despite the existence of magic that can generate electricity? Also no idea. "Genes" and "neuroreceptors" are terms that get thrown around, but how are medicine and genetics implemented in a world where blood determines your worth? No answers.

Perhaps it's the absence of truly tragic protagonists or simply the lackluster narration style, but I don't think I'm hooked enough to read further lengthy books in this series. There are some wacky plot holes here that I doubt will be filled in in the sequels, so I have no motivation to go on. The Final Strife is by no means a bad debut, but it didn't strike a chord with me.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, for me, this was a DNF at 26%.

I had tried to read this one on two separate occasions (in case it was me more than the book itself) but I just couldn't get into it.

The premise of this book sounds amazing, I was desperate to read this from that alone, but sadly, it felt as though it was never going to come into this book in the way that I wanted. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions, but that wasn't enough for me to want to continue reading this.

Hopefully in the future, I can go back to this one and fall in love.

I tried so hard to like this book but I couldn’t get into this which sucks. This has so much potential though! So I do hope someone else will like this but I’ll DNF this.

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this eArc.

This was an amazing book, I am so glad I have a fancy physical copy coming soon that I preordered that reflects this beautiful book. 10/10, another great read!

An exciting epic that got better and better as the story unfolded. The latter half is faster paced and more gripping, definitely worth reading on for..
It is set in a land where there is a hierarchy of classes which determines where people live and what they are allowed to do and what they are subjugated to. The story starts with Sylah, stolen as a child and forged into a weapon, whose purpose it was to help bring down the Embers. However, Sylah has her demons to face - she is seriously flawed but this just adds to her character (and the events that unfold). Guilt, betrayal, love, loyalty and lots of action accompany Sylah and Anoor’s quests to bring about change - both have their own vision about how to do this (as do others who come to the forefront and add to the peril).
The settings are vivid and the characters strong - I look forward to reading the next book in the trilogy.

What an absolutely amazing debut fantasy by Saara El-Arifi.
Inspired by African and Arabian mythology which I really loved learning about.
Excellent prose that was really accessible for an adult fantasy story.
With characters who are flawed and whose relationships are messy but I got so attached to them!!
It has a blood based magic system that was well crafted and thought out.
A world where you can ride around on giant lizards and a nightly sand storm that can literally rip the skin from your bones because of the velocity…so yeah don’t get trapped outside at night! 😳🙈.
I also loved that this is a world where gender, race and sexuality doesn’t matter. Hassa is talked about being transgender but it’s not a reason for her persecution.
However there is still oppression present depending on what blood you have and this is a story about blue and clear bloods fighting in a resistance to overthrow the system that sees them as nothing. My only issue with this is that I had a little trouble with the length and pacing on this one and the ending needed more time for me.
I gave this one 4⭐️.

✨Online synopsis reads:

The Aktibar – a set of trials held every ten years to find the next Ember rulers of the Empire – is about to begin.

All can join but not just anyone can win; it requires great skill and ingenuity to become the future wardens of Strength, Knowledge, Truth and Duty.

Sylah was destined to win the trials and be crowned Warden of Strength. Stolen by blue-blooded rebels she was raised with a Duster’s heart; forged as a weapon to bring down from within the red-blooded Embers’ regime of cruelty. But when her adopted family were brutally murdered those dreams of a better future turned to dust.

However, the flame of hope may yet be rekindled because Sylah wasn’t made to sparkle, she was born to burn.

✨My thoughts:

So for the first 100 pages I very nearly DNF’ed this book, however the book did a 180 and I suddenly felt committed to see where the story would take our protagonist Sylah. The world building is intricate, layers upon layers that take some getting used to but it’s exceptionally well thought out and different to any fantasy I’ve read before.

In terms of the characters I can’t say I truly loved any of them and that is to me can be a problem, I want to root for a character or feel some sort of emotion towards them but I felt that was completely lacking. The trials themselves were interesting but could have become more in-depth and given more than a few paragraphs per.

Overall the book is well-written and there’s a strong idea there, it just didn’t compel me which I’m gutted about, and probably why my review is a little lacklustre.

STAR RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

*Thank you @netgalley and @harpervoyager_uk for also sending me a release of the e-book.

I went into this book with high expectations but unfortunately I ended up disappointed. While the premise of the story was interesting the actual story felt really slow and dragged a lot especially the first half where not a lot happened. This meant the ending where everything started to happen felt rushed and I just felt that this is the part of the story that should have been more fleshed out.

There are three points of view in the story where we see the world through the eyes of three people from different social standings because of the colour of their blood. I liked that we got to see the way people are treated and the realities of their lives from different aspects but at times I felt that the povs weren’t very distinct so I would be confused when there was a sudden change though later in the story it became easier to differentiate.

Sylah the main point of view we saw with Hassa and Anoor not getting as much though I liked her point of view least and wished we had gotten to see Hassa a lot more as she was the most interesting character for me. Her bravery and resilience despite how she has been treated to help and protect the most vulnerable people. I hope we get to see more of her in the sequel.

I enjoyed the second half of the book a lot more especially when the pieces started falling in place and the three storylines started to merge and we get to see how things aren’t as they seem. There was some revelations that I did not see coming and had me shook. I am looking forward to seeing what the outcome of the events at the end of the book will have in the next book.

Overall I did enjoy the story but I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would but I am still looking forward to reading the sequel.

I fnished The Final Strife over a week ago and while I knew what I wanted to say I have been trying to figure out how to say it without giving anything away, so here is the short version :)
The Final Strife crafts a rich and beautifully unique world, deep diving into the magic system (bloodwerk and runes), the religion (and how it plays into the politics and history with its variations amongst the classes) and the societal structure but without the usual info dumping. The world is brutal, and the writing is unflinching in its description of punishment, hatred, death and addiction. It is in this world that we find our, morally grey, MC Sylah.
Sylah has found an outlet for her guilt (which you discover more about as the story progresses) with an addiction to joba seeds, and fighting in the Ring to earn enough money to feed her habit, but a figure from her past leads her to a rash decision and into the life of Anoor, whose arc from whiny and entitled to strong, determined and out for change is one of my favourite things about the book.
Other characters weave into the story in a complex knot and of all of them, Hassa, I really liked. She is a truly interesting character with a much larger role to play in the coming books and I look forward to finding out about her and the Ghostings.

Over all I enjoyed the story, though I felt the pace was a little slow and the structure of training and trials a tad repetitive, but the last 15% or so really accelerated with some truly surprising twists and turns that definitely have me wanting to read the next book as soon as it comes out.
The Final Strife is diverse, and I appreciate how all parts of the LGBTQ+ community are naturally represented and accepted within the book without feeling forced or like they are a token mention for diversity's sake. The story also has positive disibility rep which is, still, all too rare in fantasy.

To conclude - The Final Strife is a great introduction to a new world and some wonderful characters, and I am wholly looking forward to book 2.

In an empire where people's lives and opportunities are dictated by the colour of their blood, Sylah was meant to bring the ruling class to its knees. A red-blooded Ember brought up by blue-blooded Dusters, she was to enter the Aktibar (a set of trials used to determine the next rulers of the empire) and win. But when her adopted family are brutally slaughtered, Sylah is left adrift and without purpose. When a ghost from her past reappears on the eve of the Aktibar, Sylah is thrown abruptly back into a world of secrets and rebellion. But is she really the right person to win? Or is the rebellion a smokescreen for the problems facing the empire?

The Final Strife is an epic opening fantasy story in what is set to be an immersive and action-packed series. It has superb world building, a tight plot and really great character development. Everything about this book is so, so good. And the final twist at the end? Well, you'll have to read the book to find out just how brilliant it is.

Preliminary 5-star review. Will post a full review and adjust the rating accordingly after I finish the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

This book was easily one of the best fantasy debuts I've read this year. It's such a fast paced book that I quite literally could not put it down and found myself drawn to the characters. I found the Ghanaian mythology fascinating and I loved the twists and turns throughout the book. Can't wait to see what happens next!

This book is everything I want in a fantasy.

I was hooked from the very first page and i continued to be throughout.

The adventure is thrilling and you cannot help but root for the characters. The portrayal of addiction and relationships is brilliant and I absolutely loved the plot twists.

Cannot wait for book two!

Not for me, unfortunately. A very intriguing premise, but flat characters and some questionable dynamics (so many comments about weight, why?), the key of which fall flat (if brought up as siblings is your jam for one arm of a love triangle, you may have a better luck there than I did). I am also not persuaded by the inspection of privilege as was presented - so, overall a DNF.

Thank you #Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book.

I kid you not when I say that I only had a very vague idea of what I was walking into when I picked this book up. literally all I needed to know was that it’s f/f enemies to lovers and I immediately hopped on the agenda. I really enjoyed this book, especially the world building and the blend of cultures in it. I loved pretty much everything about this except for the fact that I felt it was a little too long for my taste. The writing was a little weirdly paced and quite repetitive in my opinion. Overall, it was a great debut and I’d definitely recommend reading it.

In a word, epic. Thank you so much to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. It’s a sweeping, battle cry of a fantasy book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Final Strife:
- political Ghanian-Arabian inspired Adult fantasy
- sexual & gender diversity completely accepted🥰
- Secret identities
- Blood colour caste systems
- Survival competition & fighting rings
- Blood Magic & runes
- Uprising

I’m struggling to put into words how much I enjoyed this but I’m gonna try my best!

The author did an incredible job at creating this world. It’s perfectly detailed and complex without it being too difficult to understand. The culture woven throughout really packs a punch and I enjoyed the little snippets of worldbuilding before each chapter (diary entries, songs etc).

The characters relationships with each other were wonderfully messy but what the author does really well is character growth. Each characters journey twists and turns as they learn more about their way of life.

LGBTQIA+ Inclusion is something that is incredibly written in here. There’s no focus on any aspect, but the author writes sexual and gender diversity into the story with ease. We have Trans rep, non-binary rep and all sorts of sexualities that are just completely normal and I really appreciated that.

I could go on but just read it !!! You will not be disappointed 😌

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!🤎

TW/CW: forced amputation, torture, substance abuse, addiction, child abuse, death, violence, slavery, racism

There is no persistent YA trope that annoys me more than the ill thought out competition. From the minute Harry Potter slid Quidditch into its already over-filled mythos, everyone else has seen the storytelling potential of training, and agonising and then the artificial excitement of tournament. But rarely are they thought through properly. There is much to be said for the Battle Royale riff in The Hunger Games, for example, but how many of the watchers were turned off when their tributes were amongst the 50% of contestants that die int he opening. Can you think of another sport that has one scoring opportunity that means you win and the game ends then, making the rest of the scoring meaningless except Quidditch? Time and again in YA our hero has to outsmart similar teens to win a competition to become whatever it is they need to become.

All of which is pre-amble to say that whilst I rather liked the overall set-up and in particular the characters of The Final Strife - its central conceit (basically am massive civil service exam / tournament) is really poorly designed. The situation, a three tier society, with different colour bloods, only those in the top tier can do magic is pretty standard for allegorical fantasy. Our two leads turn out to be swopped at birth, so the daughter of fearless leader turns out to be unable to do magic, whilst the daughter of the lead rebel can. They cross paths, fireworks fly but they come to an agreement for one to share her blood with the other to make her potentially able to win the tournament etc etc. As I said the character stuff is great. The tournament stuff - hoo boy.

Much is said early on about the massive arena being built to house these games, and there are some great set pieces which show off how they could be a great spectators sport. And then there are some rounds which are - not so much. Whilst i though the "steal a weapon from a heavily guarded tower some time in the next month" did well to show off stealth, its impossible to to watch. As for the "see how long you can stay in solitary confinement without going mad" - well I'm not watching that one in prime time.

As mentioned above, I actually rather liked much of the world building, and certainly the core relationship in The Final Strife. The reluctant revolutionary versus the spoiled failure works, not least because they slowly realise that they are leaving each others lives. But the competition did destroy if for me, El-Arifi doesn't talk stadium attendance, but the accountancy exam I sure packed them in. If you can get past that, its a pretty good read.