Sands of Arawiya
#3983.95 of 664 ranked universes · 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.
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? #398 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 134,636 reader ratings across 2 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #398?
Ranked #398 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 3.95 across 2 core books.
- Backed by 135k reader ratings.
- Less than 0.01 behind #397, 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 #398 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.
- Annals of the Western Shore Epic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.91
- The Chronicles of Damar Epic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.20
- The Books of Pellinor Epic fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.10
- The Queen's Thief Epic fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.09
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.