We Hunt the Flame

Moral struggles are at the heart of the protagonists’ character development in We Hunt the Flame. Both Zafira and Nasir face dilemmas that initially stem from opposite moral stances, but their parallel trajectories hint at their upcoming relationship. When their objectives finally align, Zafira and Nasir are able to reconcile their identities as the Hunter and the Prince of Death with their morality.

When Nasir is introduced, he believes he is beyond redemption because of his role as a hashashin (assassin): “At some point, his heart had ceased to register the monstrosity of his deeds, and it had nothing to do with the darkness tainting the lands” (20). However, Nasir doesn’t kill out of cruelty, even stating that “if he were truly his father’s son, he would have basked in [his victims’] fear, but [...] it only sickened him” (41). He kills to gain his father’s approval, willing to “become a monster without bounds” (99) despite the toll this takes on his sense of self. Because he believes “darkness is [his] destiny” (v, 339, 379, 423), Nasir resents but ultimately accepts people’s fear of him. The only person he’s ever bonded with is Kulsum, a servant who became his lover, and whom the Sultan punished as a result.