Read every series in the right order
Sands of Arawiya Books in Chronological Order – Complete Reading Guide
Table of Contents
Quick Answer (TL;DR)
- The order (and timeline) is simple:
1) We Hunt the Flame → 2) We Free the Stars. - Start here: We Hunt the Flame introduces Zafira the Hunter, Nasir the Prince of Death, the cursed forest Arz, and the quest that seeds everything in Book 2.
- What you’ll get: Desert quests, ominous relics, blade-bright banter, slow-burn romance, found family (the zumra), and a magic system knotted to history and responsibility.
- Reading vibe: YA adult-friendly fantasy—lush, lyrical, and fast once the quest begins.
- Best format: The duology is bingeable in print; the audiobooks are immersive if you like pronunciation cues and cadence baked in.
Introduction
Arow-lashed dunes. A cursed forest that swallows light. A girl who hunts so her people may live—and a boy trained to kill because his father decrees it. Hafsah Faizal’s Sands of Arawiya duology merges a quest fantasy with a character-first revolution, drawing on a world inspired by ancient Arabia: marketplaces ringing with song, minarets spiking the skyline, and legends that feel as heavy as steel.
This guide is your complete companion to the Sands of Arawiya Books in Chronological Order. You’ll get spoiler-light blurbs for each book, a timeline of how the characters grow, publication vs. in-world order (they’re the same here), pointers to collector editions and audio, plus FAQs you can skim before you step into the Arz.
Quick Facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Series | Sands of Arawiya (duology) |
| Author | Hafsah Faizal |
| Books | 1) We Hunt the Flame (≈480 pp) · 2) We Free the Stars (≈592 pp) |
| Setting | The kingdom(s) of Arawiya: desert caliphates, the cursed Arz, island of Sharr, Sultan’s Keep |
| Genres | YA epic fantasy · quest fantasy · romantic fantasy |
| Tone | Lyrical, high-stakes, atmospheric; humor via the zumra’s banter |
| Reading Difficulty | Easy–moderate (rich vocabulary; steady escalation) |
| Estimated Read Time | ~9–11 hours each (print) · ~14–17 hours each (audio), edition dependent |
| POV | Primarily dual (Zafira & Nasir), with ensemble emphasis |
| Magic | Ancient relics, the Jawarat, and the long-shadowed Sisters of Old |
| Romance | Slow burn; kisses/close romantic tension; emotionally intense, not explicit |
| Content Warnings | Violence, assassination, parental abuse/manipulation, grief, possession/mind whispers, war aftermath |
| Ideal Age Range | Mature 13–14+ and adults (YA that crosses over easily) |
| Best Reading Order | Publication order = in-world order: We Hunt the Flame → We Free the Stars |
| Media Adaptations | None officially announced at time of writing; see the adaptation section for current context |
| Buzz | We Hunt the Flame debuted on the New York Times list; the duology built a devoted, creative fandom (art, cosplays, special editions) |
About the Sands of Arawiya Book Series
People lived because she killed. People died because he lived. Those two lines frame the moral lattice of the duology. Zafira Iskandar, the Hunter, hides her identity to feed her people, slipping into the Arz where no one returns. Nasir Ghameq, the Prince of Death, wears obedience like armor, carrying out assassinations for his father, the Sultan. One needs to remain unseen; the other has never been allowed to be seen as human.
As a magical calamity creeps across Arawiya, legends reawaken—sisters, relics, prophecies—and a journey launches to recover what was lost, knowing not all losses should be undone. The engine of the story is a zumra (found family) whose loyalty and barbed humor keep the pages swift even when the stakes turn dire. Faizal’s prose is sensory—heat-haze horizons, the perfume of spice markets, steel’s cold weight in the hand—and her world feels lived-in: prayer, custom, and the costs of empire all matter.
This is a two-book arc by design: Book 1 plants the quest and the fractures; Book 2 widens the war, deepens the heart, and insists on a reckoning.
Books at a Glance (with Amazon Buy Links)
| Title | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|
| We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya #1) | Buy on Amazon |
| We Free the Stars (Sands of Arawiya #2) | Buy on Amazon |
Sands of Arawiya Books in Chronological Order
1) We Hunt the Flame — The Hunter and the Prince of Death
Where it begins: The Arz—a sentient, shadow-thick forest—has pressed in on Arawiya like a slowly closing fist. In the caliphate of Demenhur, Zafira Iskandar hunts to keep villages alive, disguising herself as a man. Across the sands, Nasir Ghameq enforces his father’s cruelty with surgical precision, a knife honed on fear and command.
The call: Whispers surface of a lost artifact—a way to restore magic and roll the Arz back. Zafira sets out to find it, because if she does not, no one will. The Sultan sends Nasir after the same prize, with orders to retrieve the object…and kill the Hunter.
What to expect (spoiler-light):
- A zumra assembles with delicious friction: a quick-tongued general who hides more than he reveals, a spear-whirling warrior with indomitable cheer, scholars with secrets, and two protagonists who do not fit the roles the world assigned them.
- The island of Sharr—all blade-edge atmosphere—turns the quest into a series of choices where the right answer cuts either way.
- The Jawarat (an ancient book with a voice) adds a supernatural pressure that’s as much temptation as it is aid.
Why it’s unputdownable: The story fuses classic quest beats with a voice that’s both lyrical and keen. The result: sharp tension, found-family banter, and a romance that smolders where blades cross.
2) We Free the Stars — The Reckoning and the Restoration
Where it goes: The quest fractures into strategy. The Arz is no longer the only clock ticking; Arawiya itself teeters, caught between an old terror returning and a new generation daring to redefine power. Zafira grapples with the Jawarat’s cost. Nasir wrestles with a magic he never asked to wield and a past he can no longer ignore. The zumra must become more than a team; they must become a movement.
Expect (still spoiler-light):
- Heists, infiltration, and quiet conversations where the hardest apology is to yourself.
- Court intrigue at Sultan’s Keep, unrest in the caliphates, and a plan that demands cooperation from those who’ve never been offered it.
- A romance allowed to breathe between battles—full of the difficult grace of trusting someone who broke you just by being who they were forced to be.
Why it lands: Book 2 refuses easy wins. It ties the saga’s magic to memory, consequence, and community, then makes the ending feel both inevitable and hard-earned.
Series Timeline & Character Development
Zafira Iskandar — From masked provider to visible leader
- Book 1: Zafira’s gift is precision and grit; her mask is necessity. Her greatest fear isn’t the Arz—it’s visibility. The quest forces her into rooms where her voice must weigh more than her arrows.
- Book 2: Power complicates what she thought “help” meant. The Jawarat’s whispers and the cost of leadership test her boundaries, asking whether she can protect without possessing. Her empathy sharpens from personal to political.
Nasir Ghameq — From blade to man
- Book 1: Nasir is a blade with a heartbeat. He has learned that compassion is punished, so he buries it so deep it feels like treason. Contact with the zumra and the truths of his father’s rule crack that casing.
- Book 2: He must decide what it means to be his own, not simply the instrument of a throne—or even the instrument of revenge. Magic complicates and clarifies: some gifts are burdens until you choose them.
Altair al-Bataar — The grin that hides the ledger
- Book 1: A quip and a secret walk into a war room. Altair is the zumra’s spark and smoke—infuriating, necessary, and never quite what he appears.
- Book 2: The mask slips; the ledger of debts becomes visible. His arc asks whether a trickster can also be a builder of futures.
Kifah Darwish — Joy as a weapon
- Book 1: Spear-bright, snack-obsessed, and allergic to despair, Kifah makes the zumra function when everyone else spirals.
- Book 2: She chooses community as a discipline, not an accessory. Her steadfastness is a kind of heroism the story quietly reveres.
The Zumra — From quest party to people’s movement
- Book 1: Shared danger → shared purpose.
- Book 2: Shared purpose → shared accountability. Their banter becomes ballast for a revolution that insists on living after the last page.
Novels Sorted by In-Universe Events
- We Hunt the Flame
- We Free the Stars
(Publication order and timeline order are the same—nice and clean.)
Novels Sorted by Publication
- We Hunt the Flame (2019)
- We Free the Stars (2021)
Companion Works
- Blood & Tea duology: A Tempest of Tea (and A Steeping of Blood) are separate from Sands of Arawiya—new world, new cast, same authorial strengths: barbed banter, heist-leaning plots, glamor with teeth. If you loved the zumra’s dynamic, you’ll vibe with these crews, too.
- Author extras & design roots: Hafsah Faizal founded IceyDesigns; you’ll feel that visual sensibility in her maps, motifs, and cover aesthetics.
- Special editions: OwlCrate, FairyLoot, Barnes & Noble, and indie boxes have released sprayed-edge / foil editions with art prints, bonus endpapers, or author letters. Availability is seasonal; collectors should peek at second-hand marketplaces or watch for reprints.
Editions & Formats (hardcover, collector, audio)
Print & Collector Notes
- Hardcover firsts often feature embossed cases, metallic foiling, and gorgeous endpapers—worth the shelf space if the aesthetic of your library matters to you.
- Paperback is travel-friendly; the duology makes a great weekend or holiday binge.
- Special runs (e.g., sprayed edges, custom endpapers, matching sets) tend to sell out quickly. If you want matching duology spines, grab both volumes from the same line when you can.
Audiobook Tips
- Excellent for the names and cadence. The narrators lean into the lyrical prose and the zumra’s banter; production usually includes a pronunciation guide in the front matter.
- If you’re new to YA epic fantasy on audio, this duology balances action and intimate conversation well, so it’s easy to follow while commuting or cooking.
Why Read Sands of Arawiya Books in Chronological Order?
Because the duology is one story in two movements:
- Movement I — We Hunt the Flame: Gather the pieces (and the people). Learn where the rot began. Decide what you’re willing to lose for a chance to set things right.
- Movement II — We Free the Stars: Pay the bill. Ownership replaces rumor. Your why gets tested against the world as it is—not the legend you imagined.
Reading any other way blunts the emotional math. The slow-burn relationship, the zumra’s trust, the political stakes—each thread is tuned to resolve in Book 2. The Sands of Arawiya Books in Chronological Order keep those threads tight and let the finale hit with the sweep Faizal intended.
Author Spotlight: Hafsah Faizal
Hafsah Faizal is the #1 New York Times and international bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame, We Free the Stars, and the Blood & Tea duology (A Tempest of Tea, A Steeping of Blood). A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, she’s also the founder of IceyDesigns, which began as a web design studio and grew into a beloved shop for readers and writers. When not drafting or designing, you might find her playing Assassin’s Creed, traveling, or rearranging a library that keeps mysteriously multiplying.
Her signature on the page: atmospheric lyricism, ferocious tenderness, and plots that entwine heritage, faith, and choice. If you’re here for found family with edges and romance that respects its characters’ scars, you’re in the perfect place.
Media Adaptations (films, TV, audio)
Screen
- Status: As of this writing, there has been no official film or television adaptation announcement for the Sands of Arawiya duology. The series’ cinematic visuals and clean two-book arc make it ripe for adaptation, so keep an eye on the author’s channels and trade news.
Audio
- Both novels are available as unabridged audiobooks. If you like to hear names and prayer-phrases pronounced correctly from the jump, start here or keep audio as a companion to your print read.
FAQs
What is the correct Sands of Arawiya reading order?
Read in publication order, which is also chronological: 1) We Hunt the Flame, 2) We Free the Stars.
Is Sands of Arawiya YA or adult?
Marketed as YA but widely read by adults. Themes include violence, manipulation, grief, war, and slow-burn romance without explicit on-page content.
How romantic is the series?
It’s a slow-burn, emotionally intense romance with kisses and close-quarters tension. No explicit scenes.
Do I need to read any companion novellas?
No. The duology is complete on its own. Hafsah Faizal’s Blood & Tea duology is separate (new world and cast).
Is there a movie or TV show?
No official adaptation has been announced at this time.
Audiobook or print?
Both work beautifully. Audio helps with names and cadence; hardcover/collector editions offer stunning designs and maps.
What age is it best for?
Mature 13–14+ and adults, depending on sensitivity to violence, manipulation, and war themes.
Final Thoughts
Some fantasies throw you into a maze and hope you run. Sands of Arawiya lights the path with duty, faith, and stubborn love, then asks if you’re willing to pay the fare to climb out with everyone you can. Read the Sands of Arawiya Books in Chronological Order—We Hunt the Flame then We Free the Stars—and you’ll get the story as it was meant to land: a quest that turns into a homecoming, a knife that learns tenderness, a leader who learns to be seen.
When you close the final page, the sand will still feel warm under your feet—and the zumra’s laughter will linger like a promise.
