Saara El-Arifi
Tuesday 30th May 2023
Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath, York Street, Bath, Somerset BA1 1NG
7pm
7.30pm
The Final Strife was Saara El-Arifi's debut novel, the first part of a trilogy inspired by Ghanaian folklore and Arabian myths.
With a DNA profile that lights up like a satellite photograph of earth, Saara's heritage is intrinsically linked to the themes she explores in her writing.
She was raised in the Middle East until her formative years, when her family swapped the Abu Dhabi desert for the English Peak District hills. This change of climate had a significant impact on her growth-not physically, she's nearly 6ft-and she learned what it was to be Black in a white world.
El-Arifi knew she was a storyteller from the moment she told her first lie. Though her stories have developed beyond the ramblings of a child, she still appreciates the thrill of a well-told tale.
Now, she joins us for the sequel in the Sunday Times bestselling series, The Battle Drum.
Murder. Secrets. Sacrifice.
Anoor is the first blue-blooded ruler of the Wardens' Empire. But when she is accused of a murder she didn't commit, her reign is thrown into turmoil. She must solve the mystery and clear her name without the support of her beloved, Sylah.
Sylah braves new lands to find a solution for the hurricane that threatens to destroy her home. But in finding answers, she must make a decision, does she sacrifice her old life in order to raise up her sword once more?
Hassa's web of secrets grows ever thicker as she finds herself on a trail of crimes in the city. Her searching uncovers the extent of the atrocities of the empire's past and present. Now, she must guard both her heart and her land. The three women find their answers, but they're not the answers they wanted.
The drumbeat of change thrums throughout the world. And it sings a song of war.
"Epic in scope, its worldbuilding as intricate as filigree. The Final Strife sings of rebellion, love, and the courage it takes to stand up to tyranny, following three women whose journeys will keep you gripped to the last." ~Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange Tree