"Is there any line that you will not cross for our freedom?"

GENRE: Fantasy with Retelling & Moroccan Mythology Folklore
RATING: 4.75/5
FORMAT: Arc (eBook & physical)

Review:
Historical Fantasy and Retellings/Mythologies as a sub-genres are one of my favourites and when you mix them together, I always know I'm going to end up loving it. In the case of Aicha here, this is a Moroccan Folklore written by an OwnVoice author and it was beautiful to see a representation of my own culture in Fantasy books.

I think the author did an amazing work of building up to that climax in the story. Perhaps it isn't the way most people would prefer in stories (which is completely valid) but to me, it was written in a way that slowly showed us all the various points that Aicha and her family are fighting for. It built the stakes and showed what life was under occupation. It showed what happens when your country is taken over by colonisation and their attempt of erasing your culture. It's the culmination of years of grief, loss and anger coming through Aicha.

You get to see Aicha in her community, with Rachid and see their love blossom in a way that it could when you're fighting for so many things. You could see Aicha and her sister, Samira, as you feel their loss after losing their mother. You see Aicha caring for her father, her friends and the community overall. And most importantly? You see Aicha's internal struggle against her rage and the monster inside her.

Essentially, Soraya Bouazzaoui wrote a story in which we get to see Moroccan culture represented through food, setting and other elements. We get to see it's beauty and what people would do to preserve their home and get it back. It shows the cost of being part of a rebellion and what everyone gives up to win against colonial powers in their own homes. It's a story of Atay, Meloui and beautiful Moroccan settings that reminds me of being in there with family, years later where we reap the reward of those who have fought before us.

Before I end this review, I do want to point out that after discussing the book with other readers who have read it, I will say that I did enjoy the narrative style in here personally but there's been a lot of discussion as to whether the rage is being told as opposed to being shown. Overall, this may not work for you if you prefer action packed stories or stories in which there is more "telling" as opposed to "showing". I think this can be very subjective, as to me, I felt we could feel Aicha's Anger and the Feminine Rage in the way she was allowed to. Aicha lives in a time where she wasn't able to express this rage and had to hide it in smaller, defiant actions or keep it entirely internal. I did feel that the way her rage was reflected throughout the story was fitting for the entire thing. I always love discussing books with others and it was interesting to see how we all interpreted the book!

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy! I can't wait to read more from the author in the future.