RELEASE DAY REVIEW: The Final Strife (The Final Strife Trilogy #1) by Saara El-Arifi
We received an advanced reader copy of this book.
Published: June 21, 2022
Review:
Myth: 4/5
The Final Strife kicks off a new epic fantasy trilogy where your place in the empire is determined by the color of your blood. With three main classes, the story features a heroine from each with interweaving threads as their paths cross and lives change.
This book brings Anoor and Sylah together for a series of trials that will determine new leaders in the empire. It has all the elements of a forced proximity turning into something more, but keep in mind the romance was definitely subplot. I loved the character arcs for both women in this book, Anoor, sheltered and privileged, getting her first real looks into the empire, and Sylah, bred for a purpose she thought was lost has to figure out what really drives her when she starts to see multiple paths to the change she desires.
Magic: 5/5
A society that revolves around those in power being the only ones to wield the blood magic, I love when a magical element in a fantasy world is wholly relatable and this one just knocks that concept out of the park.
Overall: 4.5/5
An epic fantasy with African and Arabian mythology, The Final Strife builds the story of a complex empire, doing things as it has for hundreds of years and three women learning about themselves and each other, working to find a way to change everything.
Other books in the series:
