We Hunt the Flame

Hafsah Faizal’s We Hunt the Flame (2019) is a fantasy/romance novel and the first installment in the young adult duology Sands of Arawiya. We Hunt the Flame gained critical success and received the 2020 Ignyte Award for Best Novel.

We Hunt the Flame explores themes of morality, redemption, and cultural legacy, with a strong emphasis on character development. Drawing on Faizal’s Sri Lankan and Arabic heritage, the story is set in a fictional land which is heavily inspired by ancient Middle Eastern culture—including specific references to folklore and mythical creatures. It follows protagonists Zafira and Nasir as they embark on a quest to find an ancient artifact and restore peace to the caliphates of Arawiya. The author’s lyrical prose style is reminiscent of Middle Eastern poetry and supported by theatrical framing, which imbues the story with an epic-like tone.

This guide is based on the Kindle edition of the text (2019).

Plot Summary

The five caliphates of Arawiya are ruled by the tyrannical Sultan Ghameq, whose son Nasir works as his personal hashashin (assassin)—the Prince of Death. The young prince believes his father is beyond redemption, yet does his bidding out of love for the caring man he once was. Arawiya has been suffering under a curse for over 90 years after the mythical Six Sisters, magical beings who once ruled the country, stole magic from the land and disappeared.

Zafira lives in the caliphate of Demenhur, where women are oppressed and the constant snow makes for harsh living conditions. In order to feed her family and village, the young woman dons her father’s cloak to disguise herself as a man and hunt in the Arz, a dark enchanted forest. She’s earned a reputation all over Arawiya as the mysterious Hunter, and the only person who can enter the Arz without losing their sanity.

One day, the Sultan requests the Hunter’s help to retrieve a lost artifact beyond the Arz: He wants to find the Jawarat, a magical book that can return magic to the land, so he can expand his control over the country. Still disguised as a man, Zafira accepts the request because she doesn’t believe the stories of the Six Sisters’ betrayal and wants to make a difference as a woman. She embarks on a ship to Sharr, the cursed island beyond the Arz, with her friend Deen.

Unbeknownst to Zafira, the Sultan also sends Nasir to Sharr to kill her and bring him the Jawarat once she finds it. The Silver Witch, the Sultan’s mysterious advisor, covertly helps both Zafira and Nasir in their quests. The two protagonists meet on Sharr after Nasir’s companion Altair accidentally kills Zafira’s friend Deen. They immediately become enemies but are forced to work together to survive on Sharr, which was long used as a prison for dangerous magical creatures. Darkness is sentient on the island, and Nasir and Zafira both struggle to resist its call. However, Nasir eventually discovers that he is able to wield darkness as a weapon, while Zafira learns that she has the ability to magically navigate it.

Nasir, Altair, and Zafira meet Benyamin, a safi (a pointy-eared immortal) erudite, and Kifah, an elite warrior, who have been secretly conspiring with Altair against the Sultan. Together, the zumra (group) uncovers the truth about the Six Sisters’ disappearance: The Six Sisters’ famed enemy, the Lion of the Night, is still alive and has been manipulating the Sultan to find the Jawarat that can free him from Sharr. The Silver Witch then reveals herself to be the last surviving Sister, as well as Altair and Nasir’s mother, whom they believed to be dead. In the end, she fights the Lion alongside the zumra and they narrowly escape with the Jawarat. However, Benyamin is fatally wounded and Altair is taken prisoner by the Lion. Nasir and Zafira have embraced their feelings for each other over the course of the story, and vow to rescue Altair and restore peace to Arawiya.