The time it was about We Hunt the Flame

Posted May 10, 2019 by Stacee in Blog Tours, Interviews | 0 Comments

I have been following Hafsah Faizal on social media for what seems like forever. I’ve loved her wallpaper designs on Icey Books and I’ve swooned over her enamel pins and journals on Icey Designs.

Needless to say when the news broke that Hafsah sold her book, I was beyond excited. And when I got the invite to take part of the blog tour for We Hunt the Flame, I couldn’t type out an email response fast enough.

Before we get to Hafsah’s interview, let’s check out the book.

Title: We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya #1)
Author: Hafsah Faizal
Pages: 480
Pub Date: May 14, 2019
Publisher: Farrar Straus and Giroux
Find it: Macmillan | Indiebound | B&N | Amazon | Goodreads

People lived because she killed.
People died because he lived.

Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the king. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways.

Both are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya—but neither wants to be.

War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the king on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds—and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.

Set in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia, We Hunt the Flame is a gripping debut of discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands.

Sounds good, right?

1. Please give the elevator pitch for We Hunt the Flame.

Set in a world inspired by ancient Arabia, WE HUNT THE FLAME follows a huntress searching for a lost artifact that can save her dying world, and the prince of death sent to kill her.

2. Which came first: the world or the characters?

The characters! The world actually changed drastically after being set in a eurocentric kingdom for the first third of the story. Once I switched the setting to one infused with ancient Arabia, everything just clicked!

3. Why do you love Zafira and Nasir and why should we root for them?

Zafira and Nasir are characters carved from my own soul, and seeing them fight—or learn to fight—for what they believe in makes me love them beyond measure. Why should YOU root for them? Well, one of them is a feisty huntress whose arrow never misses. The other is a notorious assassin who just needs a hug.

4. Without spoilers, which scene was your favorite to write?

Oof, too many. One of my favorites is a scene in act three that involves a poker, a certain character falling apart, followed by a salve made from honey.

Speed {ish} round:

1. You find out that you’re being published for the first time. Describe the next 5 minutes.

CHAOS. It’s happening, but… wait. Is it really happening? It’s time to read that email several more times, just to make sure I’m not dreaming. Then maybe I should reply to my agent? That would be good. Flail, drag my whole family to my computer screen. Type out a reply, type it out again. HIT SEND! Wait, did he say I’m going to be published?

2. What three things would you take to a desert island?

Water. A box of matchsticks. A compass. I’m nothing if not realistic.

3. You can only read one book for the rest of your life. What is it?

SIX OF CROWS. There’s just something about that book that speaks to me, and I get six narratives to follow, so it’s like six books in one!

4. Which book character would you want to hang out with?

This question is cruel, because how can I pick just one? Nikolai!

5. What is the one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?

Trust your editor. It might feel like I’m having to tear everything apart, and it might feel like the end is nigh, but trust and discuss. You’ll get there.

6. You wake up and discover you are Bella in Twilight. You know how it plays out. What do you do differently?

*hides face* I read the books years ago, and remember next to nothing. But I’d move out of that town. It’s so gloomy and boring. Give me the city! You can keep your vampires, Forks!

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Hafsah Faizal is an American Muslim and brand designer. She’s the founder of IceyDesigns, where she creates websites for authors and beauteous goodies for everyone else. When she’s not writing, she can be found dreaming up her next design, deciding between Assassin’s Creed and Skyrim, or traversing the world. Born in Florida and raised in California, she now resides in Texas with her family and a library of books waiting to be devoured. WE HUNT THE FLAME is her first novel.