The Final Strife

A Novel

By: Saara El-Arifi

Narrated by: Nicole Lewis, Dominic Hoffman

In the first book of a visionary fantasy trilogy with its roots in the mythology of Africa and Arabia that “sings of rebellion, love, and the courage it takes to stand up to tyranny” (Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange Tree), three women band together against a cruel empire that divides people by blood.

“A game-changing new voice in epic fantasy . . . There are no Chosen Ones here, only bad choices and blood.”—Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Oprah Daily, Autostraddle

Red is the blood of the elite, of magic, of control.
Blue is the blood of the poor, of workers, of the resistance.
Clear is the blood of the slaves, of the crushed, of the invisible.

Sylah dreams of days growing up in the resistance, being told she would spark a revolution that would free the empire from the red-blooded ruling classes’ tyranny. That spark was extinguished the day she watched her family murdered before her eyes.

Anoor has been told she’s nothing, no one, a disappointment, by the only person who matters: her mother, the most powerful ruler in the empire. But when Sylah and Anoor meet, a fire burns between them that could consume the kingdom—and their hearts.

Hassa moves through the world unseen by upper classes, so she knows what it means to be invisible. But invisibility has its uses: It can hide the most dangerous of secrets, secrets that can reignite a revolution. And when she joins forces with Sylah and Anoor, together these grains of sand will become a storm.

As the empire begins a set of trials of combat and skill designed to find its new leaders, the stage is set for blood to flow, power to shift, and cities to burn.

Book One of The Ending Fire Trilogy

Don’t miss any of Saara El-Arifi’s searing Ending Fire Trilogy:
THE FINAL STRIFE • THE BATTLE DRUM • THE ENDING FIRE

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Saara El-Arifi (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Saara El-Arifi deftly facets every layer of her debut. Epic in scope, its world building as intricate as filigree, The Final Strife sings of rebellion, love, and the courage it takes to stand up to tyranny, following three women whose journeys will keep you gripped to the last.”—Samantha Shannon, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree

“With a heroine with bite, a supporting cast of flawed but deeply human characters, and world building that is raw, unforgiving, and richly textured, The Final Strife is the real deal: epic fantasy turned on its head in the most compelling way imaginable.”—Kalynn Bayron, bestselling author of Cinderella Is Dead and This Poison Heart

“El-Arifi debuts and launches the Ending Fire series with a fast-paced epic fantasy inspired by Ghanian and Arabian folklore. . . . El-Arifi keeps the pages flying even while building an intricate secondary world, allowing readers to learn its rules through action rather than exposition. This sets a high bar for the series to come.”—Publishers Weekly

Excellent Book

If you enjoy masterful storytelling with natural character relationship development you simply must pick up this book.

Great storytelling and compelling world building

I really enjoyed this one. The characters were lovable but flawed, making them feel more real. The world, even though we only see a tiny glimpse, is compelling and I can’t wait for more if it’s history to be revealed. I’m looking forward to the sequel.

Absolutely loved this!!

I absolutely loved this book. Can't wait for the second one to come out. This was definitely a tale worth listening on repeat.

I liked.

It is worth a listen. I am hoping Book 2 be able to answer my questions remaining from Book 1. LOL

Triumph over oppression in dystopia landscape

The hardest part for me was taking in the setting of this “meek-shall-inherit-the-earth” epic. Trigger warnings for enslavement, mutilation and violence. But beautifully crafted characters who are endearing, frustrating, and empathic. This is a triumph story of beating incredible odds, battling structural ills inside and out. There is some graphic romance and lots of battle violence. Blood based magic means a gore warning too. Recommended for 17+ but an excellent well paced listen. Incorporates griot storytelling, cultural flavors in fashion, food, dance and style that are vivid and colorful.

Incredible

Wonderful performances for an absolutely incredible book! I cannot wait for the second book in May.

I liked it

Good story. I enjoyed it. The ending was really good and she is a good writer

Everything I wanted from a fantasy series.

The final strife manages to hit all of my favorite aspects of the fantasy genre without letting the plot lines feel stale because of overused tropes and character traits. The worldbuilding is impeccable and the characters are heartbreakingly human. Every character is allowed their own unique strengths, weaknesses, and moral failings and no one is reduced to stereotypes, even when the characters themselves have to work through their biases against eachother. I love the romance and the heartbreakingly realistic way that the high stress of revolution gets in the way of it constantly.
Additionally, I can't not rave about how refreshing it is to have a predominantly black fantasy series given how white the genre seems to skew. And as if that wasn't enough for me to pick it up, there are so much beautiful queer representation in this book, including the romance btw the two main characters and a couple of trans and nonbinary characters as well.

In short,
Saara El-Arifi I'm obsessed with what you created.

And to anyone thinking about it-
YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY READ THIS BOOK.

10/10

I can't wait for book two, and in the mean time I'll be here, re-reading and waiting for the fandom this book deserves to emerge.

Good Read

I struggled initially with this book, because it seemed to many unexplained details for fantasy story. However as the author started giving more details it got easier. Personally I could have done without where the relationship lead with the two young ladies.....but just my opinion, another route would have been more interesting and added more volume to the story. But I'm on to part 2!

Beautiful and Detailed.

This book is really something. It is captivating and extremely detailed. This author created an entire world. They have thought of every detail and given it to us. At first it was a bit difficult for me to get into as it isn’t a super fantastical story with magic and crazy creatures.. but I gave it a chance and before I knew it I was deep in. I love the narrators as well. They fit perfectly and did an amazing job!