Faebound" by Saara El-Arifi is a spellbinding fantasy novel that transports readers to a world filled with magic, intrigue, and danger. From its captivating world-building to its richly developed characters, this book is a delightful journey into the realm of the fae.

At the heart of "Faebound" is its protagonist, a young woman named Yeeran. Yeeran's journey from an ordinary life to one filled with extraordinary challenges is both compelling and relatable. As she discovers her connection to the fae and learns to navigate the treacherous politics of their world, readers are drawn along on an adventure that is as thrilling as it is enchanting.

One of the book's greatest strengths is its immersive world-building. El-Arifi has crafted a vivid and detailed setting that feels both magical and authentic. From the sprawling forests of the fae realm to the bustling streets of the human world, every location is brought to life with vivid descriptions and richly imagined details.

Overall, "Faebound" is a must-read for fans of fantasy fiction. Saara El-Arifi has crafted a captivating tale that will transport readers to a world of magic and wonder. While it is not perfect, the world building was captivating and I will read the sequel.

Very torn on this book. The world building was lovely in concept but fleshed out in ways that made it fall flat in some aspects. I liked the concepts in the book but also never got fully invested in the characters.

Saara El-Arifidoes it again, crafting a rich fantasy world that is able to address systemic issues in complex, nuanced ways. Yeeran is an elven warrior who made one tiny mistake. Lettle is a diviner who refuses to let her sister leave her again. So when Yeeran is exiled from the warring world of elves and finds herself dragged into a land straight out of myth and legend, Lettle too finds herself in the heart of a fae culture that is supposed to be long dead..
I love how this story handles the themes of the brutality of war and poverty, the mystical allure of utopia hiding still more bigotry, and the strange loyalty we often feel to the things that have harmed us. I love the characters and the world-building and the magic system. I could probably have been okay if it wasn't so much of a romantasy, but that's no fault of the book. I did love at least some parts of the
plot, even when the twists are telegraphed quite clearly so nothing is truly surprising. This book will be for you if you are into badass women, animal companions, and misinterpreted prophecies.

There were a lot of things I liked about Faebound:

- The world-building and overall plot of the story. It felt like a unique take on fae, elves and humans. I liked the backstory/lore with the gods. This felt like it could be an epic story
- The gender identity and sexual orientation inclusion. This felt fresh in a way that I haven’t read in really any other story. Both were fluid in a way that was discussed as more of an afterthought, with decisions being made based on the relationships and people themselves. I’m probably not explaining this well, but a lot of stories feel like throwing in inclusion just for inclusions sake.
-Bonded animals always.
-Yeeran and Furi’s relationship development. I like both characters a lot independently and together with their history on two sides of this war/divide. All stars burn brightest in the night.


There were a few things I didn’t like:
-Something about third person POV always has me struggling to relate.
-Lettle and Rayna’s relationship moved way too fast for me. They fell in love almost instantly, over really nothing but thinking the other was attractive.
-I liked the Elves proclivity for seeing, but all of Lettle’s visions felt extremely predictable. I guessed all of the visions before they happened.


Overall 3.5-4 stars. I will definitely continue reading the series as future books are released.

ooh i so wanted to like this but i just could not get into this book.

the premise is pretty promising and at first i liked it, but as we got deeper into the plot i started to lose connection with it. i'm not the biggest fan of the writing; maybe the non-arc writing was better but i felt like the writing was unpolished in a sense; the sentences were short and stilted and the flow of dialogue was choppy. the world-building was also confusing and at the end of the book i found myself puzzled by the different people and their roles and the world around them, such as the two queens and the inheritance. i really think this world had so much potential but it was left unexplored. i also felt like the romances were badly built up and underwhelming. the characters were kind of bland and i honestly wasn't that invested in them.the side characters in particular were hard to be interested in because they were just one-note. i'm not gonna lie tho the ending surprised me.

it was promising! i was hooked at first! i just think it didn't have enough focus on the background and the actual driving forces of the plot, and the robotic writing and underdeveloped characters and romance caused me to really lose my interest in this book. i give this 2.5 stars rounded up.

thank you to random house and netgalley for the arc.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Queernormative fantasy? Afro-Arab inspired world? Drum magic? I am sold!
I really enjoyed this book, although the romance plotlines felt a little forced and uninspired. I really enjoyed the world building (a must for me), and the hidden fae culture. I will say that the two sisters Yeeren and Lettle felt a little more immature than expected, and disappointed me a tad as I was excited to read a fantasy novel with actual adults as the main characters. In spite of their ages and some of the heavier topics in this novel it did at times feel more YA-ish. That being said, this is a great and unique voice among fantasy that I am super excited to see more from in the future!

First and foremost, I will read anything that Saara El-Arifi writes. The Ending Fire trilogy has my heart, so best believe I was excited to pick this up. Here are some random thoughts that I feel like adequately explains my feelings about this story.

- I was immediately immersed in the world, in the dark and bleak but extremely realistic portrayal of a war over resources that truly will never be won. I honestly wanted more of the Elven world, and I'm really excited to go back there in the next book.

- The queer normative/ gender fluidity of this world is some of the best that I've ever read. It didn't feel forced or like it was just shoved in there so that the author can slap LGBTQ in the description which I feel like happens a lot. She genuinely built a world where it felt normal for characters to be free of all related constraints, and I loved. We do get some sapphic romance, and I enjoyed the spice even though I wasn't totally convinced by the actual relationship.

- For some reason, while I was reading this I got similar vibes to Avatar (not the Airbender but the James Cameron movie). I think it has to do with the idea of outsiders (our MCs) coming into a world that they don't understand and having to learn a whole new set of customs and values. The elves remind me of humans, with their agenda and infatuation with resources. The fae remind me of the Na'vi, the way they interact with nature, their values and the soul bonding with animals thing. It's one of my favorite movies so I was loving all of this lol.

- My only real critique, and what kept this from being 5 stars for me was that I went into this under the understanding that it was adult romantasy. And I found that while reading, I wasn't staying for the romance. They both felt a little insta-lusty, I don't feel like they were developed enough for me to be convinced that they actually liked each other. When I hear romantasy, I fully expect some "kicking my feet" moments, and I didn't get any of those. For my personal tastes, more world building and plot development to create a well-rounded fantasy with a romance subplot would have made this absolutely perfect.

This is my first Saara El-Arifi book, and needless to say that I absolutely need to read MORE. I love that the characters weren't in their teens but rather of an older age, and I especially LOVED the diversity in the story. i need the sequel ASAP!!!!

Loved it! the worldbuilding and characters are great! the romance felt a bit lackluster in comparision of everything else going on with the book but overall it was a hit, very haunting and the prose is great

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book had so much potential based on its concept—a rich fantasy world inspired by African and Arabic mythology, boasting unique magic systems, LGBTQ+ rep, and disability rep—but the lackluster quality of writing was a massive letdown. The book starts off fairly strong, introducing intriguing characters in a vibrant fantasy world full of cool magic (using the sound waves from drumbeats like arrows? so dope!), but it starts going downhill after a few chapters and the momentum never picks back up again. It was Pocahontas or Avatar in a different (blander) font. The characters are all one-dimensional and have no meaningful growth from beginning to end, and some were downright unlikeable (29-year-old Lettle read like a petulant teenager and I had a hard time empathizing with her in particular). The pacing of the plot is all over the place; major events are few and far between, while interpersonal interactions are rushed and stilted. In terms of prose, there was a lot of “telling” vs. “showing,” and as a reader I felt like I was spoonfed so much information that I had no reason to remain interested in the characters or their circumstances.

This is the first book in an upcoming trilogy, but it was such a slog to get through that I don’t know if I can bring myself to continue the series. Fascinating concept, disappointing execution.

This book was just okay for me. I felt a little bit of letdown and it was not as exciting as I had hoped and seen some other people say. One of the biggest downfalls for me was the predictability of it. Most of the twists I could see coming.

The journal at the end of the book seemed to have so much more development in characters in those few pages compared to the whole rest of the book. But I did enjoy the world itself and world building, it was a very redeeming thing and I LOVE some world building. Also loved the diversity in this book- big plus for that!!

I heard so much about this title, I couldn’t wait to dive in. I absolutely loved the relationship between Yeeran and Lettle. Two sisters that would do anything to protect each other. You get to read from both of their perspectives in Faebound. This book has it all! The forever war, the conflict between elves and fae, magic, divination, murder, and of course romance… including an enemies to lovers trope. Saara El-Arifi did a great job at bringing these worlds to life on the pages, I truly felt like I was there in the middle of it all. I recommend adding this book to the top of your TBR and find out what it means to be Faebound.

I first want to thank the publishing company and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Overall with this book, I was very disappointed. I don’t know if it was the fact that I went in with extremely high expectations because I read this book after reading Iron Flame. So please take that into consideration. This book was hard for me to get into when it came to the characters as well as the romance. I will probably give it another try but this is where I am at with it right now.

Books with Fae are my passion! I couldn’t wait for this book to come out !

This book was good. Though I found it hard in some places to push through. I kept waiting for something to grab me and hold me hostage, yearning to turn the page. But I feel like it gave a good setup and solid world building for the next book. I am hopeful that I’ll get what I need from that. The writing was easy to follow and I felt I got a great understanding of everything that was happening. Character growth and reader attachment is a little slow. But I still enjoyed it. I like this different take on the Fae, humans and elves! That is what will also keep me coming back.

This one of those book series that you just have to get into and I feel like the payoff will be worth it. If it’s not i’ll just curl up in a hole and have a moment to myself.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had a hard time deciding how to rate this book. On the one hand, I really enjoyed the world and magic system, but I wasn't very interested in the plot. I also didn't really like both of the romances in this book. It was very insta-love for one of the couples, and the other one went from enemies to lovers quite quickly. I would have liked to see some more of the transition from enemies to lovers (to possible enemies again). The ending of this book was a bit of a surprise for me and I am interested to see where the story is going.

The rest of this review will contain some spoilers for the book.

As I mentioned earlier, I really loved the the world and magic system. I feel like we don't have enough elves in books, so it was nice to see! I also loved how the magic system worked, and how it is slightly different between elves, fae, and humans. The bond the characters have with their obeah is great and I'm hoping we see more of that. It would be nice to see why Pila bonded with Yeeran in a later volume as well. Why haven't other obeah bonded with other elves? Unless Yeeran has some fae blood like Rayan, which would allow them to bond? Rayan being one of the next rulers was a bit of a shock to me, but I really liked it and am interested to see what will happen in the coming volumes! I kind of felt bad for Lettle, seeing as she is the only one of the three who hasn't bonded with another obeah, but her friendship with Golan is really heartwarming as they seem really close and I am glad they have each other.

I genuinely enjoyed this read. A very well thought out world, endearing characters, unique magic systems. My only small irk was pacing, but that often comes down to personal preferences! I'd suggest this to all of my fantasy friends.

I just don't think this author is for me. She has a long drawn out style where I find myself struggling to pay attention from early on. And her books never pick up in excitement for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. El-Arifi’s novel features a world rich with African-inspired fantasy that breaks heterosexual norms. While I wanted to see more, the main action is reserved for the last half of the book— and likely the later parts of this trilogy.

⇢➤ Plot: Told through two sisters POVs, Faebound unravels a world where humans and Fae have been extinct for millenia. Only the elves remain. The elves are split by war and tribe, desperate to reclaim land and mineral resources. Yeeran is an upper military commander. When a miscalculation in the war effort causes Yeeran to be exiled, her sister Lettle follows shortly after, desperate to find her. The two must face the harsh wilderness of the elven lands-- and whatever else lies outside their borders.

⇢➤ Pros: Sapphic elf woman, let me give you your roses immediately. Yeeran’s character arc was my favorite part of the book. El-Arifi takes an elven warrior, hardened by war and childhood memories of starvation, and throws her into a new world where she must reconcile her past with her future. The softer parts of her are slowly revealed as time goes on. (Listen I’m a Nesta girl. I can’t help it.)

The last half of the book is packed with twists I didn’t see coming. Side characters that appear to have little importance come back in big ways. The author does a great job tying together loose strings while keeping the reader guessing.

There is trans representation, non-binary representation, and multiple same-sex relationships. Even removed from our world, El-Arifi tackles socioeconomic issues while highlighting the absurdity of war over resources, the necessity of food as an individual right, and newfound respect towards new cultures. She handled these issues very well and I enjoyed the overall world.

Also: Pila <3

⇢➤ Cons: The slow plot and slower pacing makes the first half of this book an uphill fight. The world-building is so well done, but it takes until 70% in to see any of it pay out. I was expecting a full-scale military fantasy. Instead, this is a survival story with political intrigue, largely focused on the two experiences of the sisters and their relationship. Which isn’t necessarily bad— if the pace could keep up with the expectations of high fantasy.

And this is high fantasy. I wouldn’t categorize it as romantasy. While there is romance in it, it takes a backseat to the complex world and mythology. I found myself not caring as much about Lettle, Ryan, or Salawa. I hope future books will expand on the war and action introduced in the first couple chapters.

⇢➤ Recommended for fans of: Hannah Kaner

~thank you netgalley & publisher for the advanced reader copy~

unfortunately this one was a miss for me. I’ve tried picking this book up multiple times and I just can’t get into it. In theory this book sounded right up my alley, but the execution did not.

It all felt very flat, and I wasn’t invested. maybe it’s the writing style or the story but it was hard to get into. overall I hope others enjoy this more than I did and maybe I’ll come back to the rest of the series if I hear good things :(

This book is fine. Good, even. Not fantastic, or showshopping, but a pretty good book. Fun way to spend a couple of days, then never think about again. I wish I could provide a more in depth review, but I really don’t have much to say on this particular case. There’s an audience that will love this. I found it fine.