The story didn't follow the format that I expected. While I liked the premise that was offered in the story, the world building was a little sluggish. The story could have used a little more tension.

I really tried with this one, just because there were so many who hyped this book up. I tried to see what it was that they loved. I just couldn't. It's been a year of me picking it up and putting it down. So I'm calling it with that. DNF @20%. It's just too boring. It wasn't keeping my attention at all and just couldn't get invested in the characters

Good start to a fantasy series. I will definitely be reading the next one. Absolutely loved these characters!!

The premise had potential, but the story just didn’t pull me in. No matter how many times I tried to pick it up again, I couldn’t stay engaged. The plot didn’t have enough grip to keep me interested, and the characters didn’t leave much of an impression. In the end, I found myself bored and unable to finish it. Maybe I’ll give it another try in the future, but for now, it simply didn’t work for me.

I only just started this book but I’m not going to continue. I’m very much a romantasy reader and this feels like a regular fiction. It just isn’t for me.
I appreciate getting the arc. Thank you.

I agree with most of the reviews on this book. Defiantly had promise but just wasn’t executed well. Felt a bit rushed for all that needed to be accomplished in the world building.

i loved the permise of this book so much but i think some things had personally fell flat for me. i thought the pacing was odd and i couldn't personally connect with any of the characters

3.5☆
Faebound to start with has an absolutely beautiful cover, and that’s what lures you into this title. And the world building in this story is equally as beautiful, my only issues happen to be with pacing & characters.
The characters felt super lackluster, and I couldn’t feel myself connecting with any of them, and honestly they almost felt annoying in their actions at time. The most interesting character was the Obeah to me and truly the world building and my curiosity for how the story would continue is what kept me reading.
The issue with the pacing was, it felt fine at the start, a little slow but was fine and by the end got super fast and almost felt like it was rushed. And that sucked for me because it throws you off a ton.
I’m sure with the second book the characters will develop more, and I’ll be more interested in them because not always are characters intriguing in first books and that’s okay!
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have so many editions of this book because they were pretty and I was like "everyone is hyping this I am sure I will love it!"

But here I am.

I think if I didn't have the expectations I went in with and just read it as like a quirky fantasy, I might have really enjoyed it, but it was like it was supposed to be serious, but it's just weird. The romance was not it for me, and the world building wasn't enough (or there too much) to salvage it for me. There's so many questions I have and none of them were answered despite seeing this to the end to try and find them out.

The prose is also both flowery but doesn't always make sense or sound coherent.

I REALLY wanted to love this, I just don't think it's for me.

I ended up DNFing this story for no particular reason other than I lost interest. The plot had a lot of potential and I may try coming back to this title in the future depending on how the second book performs.

as I received this arc I had seen other people talking about what they thought about this book and it turned me off from wanting to read it as well, because they were people I trusted for book recommendations.

I loved this fresh new take on fae with an African twist! This reminded me of Avatar in a lot of ways—one of my favorite movies—so I was enchanted and swept away by this magical world. I'm very much looking forward to the next installment!

Faebound had such a great premise. It unfortunately fell a little short on world building and plot for me. It read slightly more ya then adult. I know this was just the first book and I look forward to more from the author. I hope to see more development and emotion in the next!

I was really excited for this one. The hype had really built it up for me. But, it fell a bit flat for me. The romance was too cringe for me to enjoy, and I think my expectations for the fantasy storyline were too high. Not bad...just not one I will be continuing.

I wish I could’ve finished it before the ARC license expired. I wanted to enjoy it more, but I’ll give the sequel a go!

Saara El-Arifi is becoming a quick favorite of mine and Faebound is no exception. Excellent characters, development. magic and lore, but I will say the plot was a little all over the place for my attention span. I enjoyed the Fae lore and world-building, El-Arifi did an amazing job as usual in those regards. I'll definitely read the follow up to see where the story goes!

a book with an excellent premise, well developed characters, an intriguing storyline, and enough intrigue to captivate nearly any audience. saara el-arifi is quickly becoming a must read author for myself. thank you so much netgalley — 4/5 stars!

El-Arifi's world-building is commendable, introducing readers to a queer-norm environment rich with unique magical lore and mythologies. The dynamic between the two sisters adds depth to the narrative, highlighting their contrasting paths and the strength of their bond. The novel leans heavily into the romantic fantasy genre, which may not align with all readers' expectations, especially those anticipating a more epic or dark fantasy experience. Additionally, while the world-building is intricate, the pacing and character development at times feel uneven, potentially affecting overall engagement.

This was a fun read. I loved the world-building, but I didn't really connect with the characters. I'm not sure if I will continue with the series.

Ah I wanted to love this book so much it hurts. I mean the afro/arab world and the drum magic both sound so intriguing but sadly the plot was a mess, the characters thought process, especially when it came to the romantic relationships we completely devoid of logic, which made it hard to believe in their abilities to make any good decisions at all. Who is lusting over someone else surrounded by corpses and on the brink of being brutally killed by said someone?!

Frankly the plot could have been saved if the romance was completely taken out because it made up for too many eye rolls and frustration so root for anyone. Ah maybe not because the world building was also severely lacking -- felt stuck in a blurry fishbowl unable to get much clarity around.

I hold hope that maybe the next book will focus and emphasize the good part of the story,.. it's still possible to redeem the story and this world.