Young adult fantasy literature received a distinct Arabian-inspired expansion with the publication of We Hunt the Flame, a quest novel following a hunter disguised as a man and an assassin prince who search for a lost artifact to restore magic to their land. Written by Hafsah Faizal, the New York Times bestselling debut launched the Sands of Arawiya duology and introduced readers to a richly detailed world rooted in ancient folklore.
Career & Background
Born in Florida and raised in California, Faizal was homeschooled as the eldest of four children. Her pathway to writing began at age seventeen in 2010 when a visit to her local library introduced her to teen book blogging and advance reading copy programs. She launched the review blog IceyBooks and subsequently taught herself coding and web design, founding IceyDesigns to build custom websites for authors and design literary goods.
Her experience in digital design served as a bridge into writing original fiction starting at age nineteen. After securing literary representation through the #DVPit pitch contest on Twitter, she published her debut novel in 2019. Beyond her Sands of Arawiya books, Faizal expanded her body of work with novels including A Tempest of Tea and A Steeping of Blood. Recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in 2021, she has been profiled by NBC, NPR, Publishers Weekly, and The Washington Post. When not writing, she plays video games such as Skyrim and Assassin's Creed and resides in North Carolina with her husband.
Writing Style & Themes
Faizal's writing is characterized by atmospheric worldbuilding, high-stakes romantic tension, and rich cultural immersion. Drawing on her background as an American Muslim of Sri Lankan and Arab descent, her fiction integrates authentic cultural motifs and mythologies to dispel stereotypes within mainstream young adult fantasy. Her plots frequently center on misfits, dual identities, and moral conflict, exploring themes of duty, grief, and the personal costs of leadership.
Major Works
- We Hunt the Flame — Published in 2019 as Faizal's debut YA fantasy novel and the first book in the Sands of Arawiya duology, centering on a hunter and an assassin on a quest to restore magic.
- We Free the Stars — The 2021 fantasy sequel concluding the Sands of Arawiya duology as its protagonists battle dark forces to save their kingdom.
- A Tempest of Tea — A #1 New York Times bestselling novel that begins a fantasy series combining secret societies, dangerous bargains, and high-stakes intrigue.
- A Steeping of Blood — The fantasy novel continuing the storyline and world established in A Tempest of Tea.
