DNF at page 111

There is nothing wrong about or with this book. But it just is not capturing my attention with the characters.

TW for drug abuse.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for my honest opinion. Thank you to Saara El-Arifi for giving me the opportunity to read The Final Strife before its release.

If theres one book you just HAVE to read this year it’s The Final Strife. This book was not only beautifully written but the plot was fantastic, I genuinely cannot wait for the next book to come out so I can read more of these characters.

“The Empire rules by blood

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 servants, of the crushed, of the invisible.”

From just the summary alone I was desperate to read this book; a world divided based upon the colour of someones blood? I’m sold. The characters within the novel not only have to deal with the struggles that come with the Tidewind that literally rips people to shreds each night, but they have to cope with the systematic oppression based on something that is simply in their DNA. It is no wonder that many of the characters initially feel trapped within their own situations.

As the clear leading class, the Ember’s methods of treating both the Dusters and the Ghostlings are horrifically cruel. While if you commit a crime as an Ember you will be given a fair trial, the “trial” for others is to be pulled apart. For Ghostlings it is even worse; their tongues cut out and their hands chopped off at a young age due to events from many years ago.

The story centres around three women, each possessing a different colour blood. When Sylah was very young she was stolen away from her Ember mother and replaced with a Duster’s child. Taken into the rebel group Sandstorm’s care, she grows up as one of the ‘Stolen’; children raised to give the rebel’s a chance to overthrow the current government. However, things go wrong and we meet Sylah as she wastes her life; addicted to a substance that is killing her.

When a figure from her past resurfaces Sylah is forced to re-evaluate her life once more; causing her world and Anoor’s worlds to begin to intertwine. Though most of the swapped children were killed, one Duster baby still remains as the child of a person of power. Sylah finds herself training Anoor for the Aktibar for the Warden of Strength. In such close proximity, the two discover not all is as it seems and begin to learn more about the very different circles the over grew up within.

The other key character within this book is Hassa; a Ghostling who is not content with the life she has now. While she is close friends with Sylah, it soon becomes clear that the two have secrets from one another as Hassa sets out to achieve her own goals.

The world within The Final Strife is diverse and while many things are wrong with how it is ran, one thing that I appreciated was how accepted all parts of the LGBTQ+ community were within the book. We see a variety of representation in a way which in no way feels forced; all of the characters are so well developed and their preferences are clear.

I thought a lot after finishing this book and you know what? I'll be supporting these flawed "chosen ones" making bad choices. Full review will be posted soon.

This was a terrific book. The society felt real across multiple classes, with everything at reasonably well filled out--history, geography, city planning, government, culture, magic system--in addition to character and plot. Every individual component felt as if it could have been enriched just a bit more, but since all of them provided a minimum amount of detail the world felt real and vivid as a whole. And, since this is the first in a series, the rest of the books (I hope!) will deepen and enrich the world-building.

The plot, too, was very engaging: two young women---one, a street rat; the other, a privileged daughter of a political leader---are both very skilled in some ways, but in other ways complete failures at fulfilling their appointed roles. They have had little choice in being appointed to these roles, and yet embrace them with varying degrees of fervor as the plot develops. Naturally, their paths cross and they find that they have complementary strengths that can stir things up in very interesting and exciting ways. (They also have vastly different views on fashion that added a charming little quirk to their interactions.)

The pacing, too, worked well. The book follows the main plot arc (preparing for a grand test that will put the winner in a position to influence government in very important ways) to a satisfying conclusion, while introducing further mysteries and secrets that introduce an expansion of the politics and geography of the world in ways that promise to make for an exciting set of sequels. I will absolutely read the next book(s) as they come out.

i wanted to love this but it is too reminiscent of existing fantasy novels, specifically Red Queen & The Midnight Lie & The Jasmine Throne & The Unbroken, which i wouldn't mind if the writing wasn't so heavy on exposition and the world-building didn't strike me as very uninspired (with elements/things from our world being given a fantasy name). the writing never really grabbed me and the characters have rather tropey function. also, this book is being promoted as sapphic which it kind of is but a lot of time is dedicated to an incesty m/f dynamic...

3.5 stars!

The things that this book did really well:

1. Themes of oppression and class division as well as the magic system and world building. There's blood magic involved but it's done in a way that felt unique.
2. The Lgbtq + representation, the central romance is going to be sapphic and I am here for it.
3. The disability rep and the drug addiction representation. The main MC, Sylah is a drug addict and constantly struggles because of it. It felt very authentic.
4. Anoor - I loved her character and the tremendous development that she went through.

The reason I am not rating this higher:

1. Slow pacing with lots of overexplanation at times. The change of pov from one character to another felt clunky and abrupt throughout the book. However, since I read the arc version this might change in the final draft.
2. The main reason that I couldn't love this fully was because of Sylah. She is a perfect example of morally grey but she got on my nerves throughout the book. I couldn't bring myself to root for her and I absolutely hated how she kept blaming others for everything that was wrong in her life.
3. While the main romance is going to be sapphic, this book focuses almost entirely on a hetro relationship which bordered on incest. I think readers will be divide on this but I thought it was a bit misleading and kind of unnecessary. The said couple could have been just friends and it wouldn't have changed literally anything. Plus, I didn't really feel any chemistry between the two of them to begin with.

Overall, it was definitely enjoyable and I do want to find out what happens next so I will probably be picking the next book as well.

Got a preview ARC of this from NetGalley, and have just blitzed through it in a day! Genuinely couldn’t put it down. Fast paced, and with little mysteries constantly unfolding to keep you turning the pages. Can’t wait for the next one!

What a great start to a series and a brilliant debut!

Although initially slow paced, this story soon gathered momentum and the final 20/25% was fantastic! So many twists and turns, so many challenges to overcome and so much hope.

Sylah, Anoor and Hassa - three young women, separated by blood and status, brought together by love, friendship and a shared goal. These characters were wonderfully written, none of them perfect and each with their own secrets, but they are all powerful and strong in their own way. These women were true heroines in every sense of the word, and I loved them all for different reasons.

The world building is rich, detailed and immensely colourful. The story is well crafted and whilst the idea of a chosen one saving the world through a competition isn’t new, this felt different. The challenges were imaginative and the use of magic, through ‘blood werk runes’, was fascinating. I cannot wait to learn more!

A fantasy full of complex relationships and packed with diversity and representation, The Final Strife was a brilliant read and one I highly recommend - 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (rounded up to 5).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (Harper Collins UK - Harper Voyager) for providing a copy of the book for review. All opinions are my own and provided willingly.

“Stolen, sharpened, the hidden key,
We’ll destroy the empire and set you free,
Churned up from the shadows to tear it apart,
A dancer’s grace, a killer’s instinct, an Ember’s blood,
A Duster’s Heart.”

OMG this book was soo good! I can't stop thinking about it. Not often do I give a first book in a series 5 stars but this was amazing.

Follows 3 girls of 3 different blood colours. How they fit in this world and what they do to try change it was not was I was expecting from this at all.

The main plot is very political and peoples blood colour determines where they fit in to society with red blood Embers being the high society/rich/governing people, the blue blood Dusters being lower class/poor/worker people and the clear blood Ghostings who are the servants and are overlooked by pretty much everyone who can't talk and have no hands for reasons I won't spoil. Also learning about the world sometimes at the same time as the main characters was so interesting and can't wait to find out more.

Supplementary to that is the Aktibar trials which I thought would be the main focus of the story but its not really its there more to move the character development and world building elements along. The trials were great, reminding me a bit of hunger games type challenges but were not overly drawn out.

Can't forget the Magic system which was done really well. It was unique but 100% made perfect sense and enjoyed learning about it.

This is a brutal world with so much life and twists with an ending that made me say "What the F***" out loud. Also the slow burn enemies to lovers romance was done so well.

100% recommend and can't wait for the next book.

Such a unique and interesting concept. The plot had me gripped throughout, I love the characters (main and side) the world building was spectacular and the magic system was so intricately described

Urgh, how do you sum up this extraordinary book. Books not even good enough a term... sumptuous tome of excellence. The Final Strife is one of those books that's so unbelievably hyped in the book community you worry that it won't live up to expectations. Well, Saara certainly did and exceeded them. The Final Strife is too good to sum into words other than READ IT NOW. I read it on Netgalley, thank you Harper Voyager, but it was so good that I had to buy myself a copy anyway. Cannot wait for book 2!!!

Thank you to Harper Voyager UK & Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

What a great book! I’d heard a lot about this book before reading & I was so excited to start.

Although the competition plot isn’t the most original, the world building is fantastic! The world built is so rich & beautifully layered. I loved the bits of history we were given & everything was written in a way that it was all seamlessly inserted into the story without making it seem dull or lengthy.

Sylah & Anoor were both wonderfully in depth, complex characters. Everyone loves an underdog & both embodied that in such different ways. The way their relationship blossomed felt so natural & not at all forced, I was rooting for them from quite early on & that bittersweet ending was just perfect!

And what an ending! Cannot wait for the second instalment!

The Final Strife-Review
Author:
Genre: High Fantasy/Adventure
Page Count:640 pages
Publication Date:28th of June 2022
A stunning start to a series
Thank you to @netgalley / @hapervoygeruk for providing me with this e ARC before publication
Review;
This book was so amazing there wasn’t a moment I was bored. It’s one of those books I will happily reread and probably enjoy even more if that possible. I gasped in shock numerous times the writing is incredible and so addictive.
The character has my heart they are simply amazing and so well written with depth and beauty. I wish I could be friends with them sm. This book truly has everything from hot women, amazing friendships, witty banter, epic world building, high stakes and dark secrets.
This debut novel is something to which will become a timeless classic. It features such important themes and is so diverse with beautiful representation of non-binary, mix race and WLW couple. I honestly could not recommend more I have already pre-ordered my physical copy and can’t wait to get it next year. (it’s a paperback edition)
Rating;
5 stars
TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNING
Graphic
Addiction, Drug abuse, Violence
Moderate
Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism
Minor
Child death, Fatphobia, Body shaming

I fell in love with the gorgeous cover and loved this story that talks about oppression and hope.
You are immersed in a world where there's those who rule and those who serve.. There's a lot going on and it's not a book to read without stopping and reflecting because there's a lot of food for thought.
We are used to fantasy as a sort of way to escape reality, this book is full of situations that could be in our world but also of people fighting to improve and change.
The author is a good storyteller and I loved how world building and characters were developed.
An excellent story, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I have always been a reader of fantasy but not for a while - what a book to reignite my love of the genre. The world building in this book is remarkable. A world share your status is determined by the colour of your blood. Syrah is not your typical heroine, filled with guilt and drug addicted living on the edges of society, she discovers herself and I warmed to her and her friends. A book of friendship and love, mothers and daughters, privilege and poverty, loyalty and betrayal. Taking her inspiration fromGhanian and Arabian folklore the author manages to create a novel that keeps you turning the pages and I’m looking forward to the second part of the trilogy. Fingers crossed it’s not too long before it is published. A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in return for a honest review.

When I originally got access to this, I read about a third of it, slowly starting to enjoy it more and more before life got in the way and now The Final Strife is published. It's a Sunday Time's Bestseller. And I'm typing this review on my phone while making heart eyes at my beautiful Waterstones special edition hardback trying not to dissolve into whisper shouting my precious a half dozen times.

The Final Strife had me saying what the fuck a couple times because seriously, wtf. There are always twists and turns that a prolific reader will spot. It's the nature of the game, but sometimes you read something and you just go...WHAT!? The author has done something you didn't suspect at all. A revelation out of left field. But somehow it works and you keep read in a state of shock for a moment or two.

I need book 2. And book 3. And any sort of book bible with all the behind the scenes stuff now.

The empire is brutal. It's genuinely awful and I would like more of it.

Holy moly why did this have to end!? I need more please. I need it now. This book is INCREDIBLE. The world building was absolutely phenomenal in this one, what a beautiful debut from this author. I can’t wait to read all the future books that they release. Their writing style is amazing, the plot is fast and concise, the characters were all lovable and relatable. (I adored Sylah!) I can’t wait for book two, I’m very excited to see where the next book takes us in this story.. I’ll just be over here waiting not so patiently…

This is one of my anticipated reads for the year and I wasn't let down. The world building and the characters was incredibly done. I loved following the characters as they travelled the world and I need the next one as soon as possible!

A solid start to a series, fleshed out characters and imaginative worldbuilding that had me hooked for answers! Unfortunately, what didn't work for me was how drawn out it felt because of the length of the book & the developing love triangle. Highly recommended though, this is a fresh new epic fantasy.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I’m so glad to say it didn’t disappoint me at all, my own self-hypedness wasn’t exaggerated. The Final Strife is a stunning epic fantasy, it’s addictive, captivating , you’re going to have late nights reading this. The story looks at an Empire built on magic (specifically blood magic, control, slavery and fear, but we know with fantasy that won’t be the whole story, what does any empire always need, a strong rebel and you better believe Saara El-Arifi has provided us with this. This isn’t a story of an evil empire, this is the story passion, courage and rebellion, this is a story full of beautiful written and fascinating characters, fantastic world building and a talent for writing which is so good, I need to read so much more from El-Arifi now. It can be a little slow paced, but that has to happen when you’re setting up an Empire and it’s Rebellion, it made no affect to my enjoyment though because I was enthralled and loved every minute, a thoroughly and highly recommend read

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion