“Hope, he had learned, arrived swiftly, seeking to bloom in the darkest of places and in the most harrowing of times.”

An incredibly satisfying, heartfelt conclusion to this duology.

I enjoyed this so much more than book one and I'm not even sure why. Perhaps I was just in the right place for it or maybe it really was an improvement (don't get me wrong, book one was good too!) but this was so good. With We Hunt the Flame I remember loving the writing style and the worldbuilding but struggling with the characters, something that didn't happen this time. The writing style and worldbuilding remained impeccable, but I grew to care for the characters as well - even Nasir, which was a surprise after how much he annoyed me in book one.

There were a few moments I felt confused about the plot but I'm always willing to admit that might be because I missed the key details that would have made those aspects make sense. Either way, they were usually resolved quickly and I was back to understanding everything that was going on.

Overall, this is such a solid YA duology that deserves all of the attention and love it receives.