We Free the Stars: Sands of Arawiya, Book 2

This duology finale favors beautiful prose and melodrama over clear storytelling, enough that even with such an exciting fantasy-world setting, it's hard to recommend. Many writers talk about how important it is to invite the reader on the journey with them. You know when this is done well as a reader because following the story is effortless. In We Free the Stars, everything from the dialogue to the large massacre scenes are hard to follow. Important scenes are not built up to, like when Zafira makes a decision about how to treat the Ifrit ruler when Ifrit rights were barely mentioned before. Other scenes are not logical, like when someone who was thought dead is found alive, there's strange behavior around it instead of a satisfying reunion.

There are a few high points, including scenes with Zafira's little sister, the healer, who becomes another strong female character of many in this tale. And Altair's struggles with his villain father add some fascinating tension. Another pass through this story for clarity and continuity of storylines would have done wonders for We Free the Stars. This enchanting world and its characters that the writer created deserved a better send-off.