**I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you, I Read YA!). These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**
The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad
Release Date: May 14, 2019
My Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Azad's debut YA fantasy is set in a city along the Silk Road that is a refuge for those of all faiths, where a young woman is threatened by the war between two clans of powerful djinn.
Fatima lives in the city of Noor, a thriving stop along the Silk Road. There the music of myriad languages fills the air, and people of all faiths weave their lives together. However, the city bears scars of its recent past, when the chaotic tribe of Shayateen djinn slaughtered its entire population -- except for Fatima and two other humans. Now ruled by a new maharajah, Noor is protected from the Shayateen by the Ifrit, djinn of order and reason, and by their commander, Zulfikar.
But when one of the most potent of the Ifrit dies, Fatima is changed in ways she cannot fathom, ways that scare even those who love her. Oud in hand, Fatima is drawn into the intrigues of the maharajah and his sister, the affairs of Zulfikar and the djinn, and the dangers of a magical battlefield.
Nafiza Azad weaves an immersive tale of magic and the importance of names; fiercely independent women; and, perhaps most importantly, the work for harmony within a city of a thousand cultures and cadences.
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You are a child of flesh and blood, and I am a being of fire and bone. Were I merciful, I would bid you run and end this tale here. But I am Ifrit and my stories are eternal even thought I am not. In return for the kindness I have shown you, will you become the ink that writes my tale?The Candle and the Flame truly took my breath away, with its heart and passion and overall greatness. This is a tale of multiple people, getting along despite their differences and in spite of their pasts. It inspired me, really.
The writing is so poignant, as we follow multiple third-person points-of-view; from the Maharajah to Fatima herself, all of the characters bring so much to the story. This is such a lush fantasy, too, and had such amazing worldbuilding. We're entrenched in Noor, a city along the Silk Road, so there are many different cultures co-existing, namely Middle Eastern, Indian, Chinese, and so on. I loved having the setting be fictional, yet featuring religions and cultures from our world.
Others who also co-exist (almost) peacefully with the humans are the djinn; the Ifrit are a clan who co-occupy the city to protect everyone after a massacre carried out by another djinn clan eight years ago. However, some people want them out because they're also djinn, judging the whole race for the actions of a few. There are definitely parallels to today's world here, and Azad handles it gracefully.
You can't judge an entire population of a people by the actions of a select few. You can't use your grief and your sorrow to justify your hate and your discrimination.I loved all of the characters so much, especially the female ones! Every time Fatima Ghazala stood up for herself, I would immediately have the urge to give her a standing ovation. The Maharani and the Rajkumari Bhavya were also great examples that women can rule easily and probably better; Sunaina, Fatima Ghazala's sister, took some time to grow on me, but I ended up loving her gentleness and generosity. Also, did I sense something between Bhavya and Sunaina . . .
The romance was sooo good; if I had to describe this whole book in a word, it would be "passionate." And the romance is definitely just that: Fatima Ghazala and Zulfikar have an ardent relationship, and I want more of them. I mean, that ending!
Names are important to my people. Important in a way they aren't to humans. Our names are the expressions of our best qualities and, on earth, our names are what literally shapes us.The fact that this is Nafiza Azad's debut is astonishing; I'm truly blown away and I can't wait for what she's going to do next. A lush fantasy with an amazing cast of characters, The Candle and the Flame is a stunning read full of passion and love. Pick it up today!
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About the Author: Nafiza Azad is a self-identified island girl. She has hurricanes in her blood and dreams of a time she can exist solely on mangoes and pineapple. Born in Lautoka, Fiji, she currently resides in BC, Canada where she reads too many books, watches too many Kdramas and writes stories about girls taking over the world. Her debut YA fantasy, THE CANDLE AND THE FLAME, will be released by Scholastic in 2019.
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