Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves created and hosted by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out Lisa’s introductory post, here.

We Hunt the Flame
by Hafsah Faizal

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.

I’d really like to be reading more Middle Eastern-inspired fantasy, so it’s kind of ridiculous that I still haven’t crossed this book off my TBR – especially when it includes one of my favourite tropes of a woman disguising herself as a man. As it’s a tale inspired by the Middle East, I think I’m going to pick this one up when the weather starts warming up!

Are there any Middle Eastern or Middle Eastern-inspired stories you’d recommend?

Before

I enjoyed The City of Brass last year and I was finally able to pick up a copy of The Kingdom of Copper over Christmas, so I couldn’t resist reaching for it. I love Chakraborty’s world-building and Ali is my sweet summer child. Look out for my review next week!

Now

I want to make a dent in my winter TBR and I have a new NetGalley books to pick up, so yesterday I started Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s first thriller, Untamed Shore. I’m already halfway through it and I’m hoping to finish it tonight. I never get bored of Moreno-Garcia’s writing.

Next

I also have an eARC of Hannah Capin’s new novel, Foul is Fair, which is out this month, so I should get to it asap. I’m hoping I’ll be in the mood for another thriller after Untamed Shore, and I believe this YA thriller is inspired by Macbeth so I’m very excited to check it out.

What are you reading right now?