Sands of Arawiya
#4893.95 in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 2 books Status Complete 2019–2021 Reading commitment Low Hafsah Faizal Last reviewed 2026-08-24
Overview
Sands of Arawiya is a complete two-book YA epic fantasy duology by Hafsah Faizal, set in a desert land ruled by five feuding caliphates and shadowed by a curse that has stolen its magic. It follows Zafira, a young woman hunting in secret disguised as a man, and Nasir, a prince sent to kill her, as their paths collide on a journey to recover a cursed magical relic, an ancient evil emerging alongside it that threatens to outstrip the danger of the artifact itself. We Hunt the Flame (2019) debuted at number five on the New York Times bestseller list and earned starred reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books; the sequel, We Free the Stars (2021), completed the story. A television adaptation was announced in development by STXtv in February 2021.
Epic fantasy · For YA
Core Canon: Reading Order (2 works) counts toward ranking
Sands of Arawiya Hafsah Faizal
| Work | Year | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | We Hunt the Flame | 2019 | core | 3.86 (95,076 ratings) |
 | We Free the Stars | 2021 | core | 4.18 (39,560 ratings) |
Complete YA duology, a Ministry-of-Magic-free West-Asian/Arabian-inspired secondary world.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Sands of Arawiya? Sands of Arawiya's Core Canon is 2 books.
- What is the reading order for Sands of Arawiya? Publication order, starting with We Hunt the Flame. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Sands of Arawiya finished? Complete (2019–2021).
- How much reading does Sands of Arawiya take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 2 Core Canon books · ~1,072 pages).
- How is Sands of Arawiya ranked? #489 in this site's official ranking, based on 134,636 reader ratings across 2 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #489?
Ranked #489 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.95 across 2 core books.
- Backed by 135k reader ratings.
- Less than 0.01 behind #488, Beasts of Prey (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 2 books · Complete · 135k ratings · Ranks #489 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment epic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (2 Core Canon books)
- We Hunt the Flame (2019)
- We Free the Stars (2021)
Awards (verified)
- No confirmed award wins found for this universe.
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Suggestions computed from what Sands of Arawiya and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Eon Epic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.01
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- The Wrath of Ambar Epic fantasy / Romantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.83
- Os Dragões Originais Romantasy / Epic fantasy · Ongoing · Low commitment · 4.44
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.95 across 134,636 ratings on 2 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Sands of Arawiya admitted (Hafsah Faizal) accepted 2026-08-24
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-24
Rule: Core = the complete two-novel duology (We Hunt the Flame, We Free the Stars). No companion short fiction or novellas in this world were found.