Here’s the thing. I wanted to love this book. But, well, I didn’t quite. If you didn’t like the writing in Fourth Wing though, but you like the dragons talking part, I would say you should give this book a try. Especially since this is a fantasy book with a queernorm society. Also, I want to be clear, this book is a fantasy book. I went into this book with the expectation that it was a romantasy and… I’m so sorry, but I disagree. Although, in all fairness, I’m also not sure I fully understand the world enough to say that the fantasy stands on it’s own well enough to really work as just a fantasy either. Honestly, the more I think about this book the less I like it, which is really upsetting because I wanted to love it. Ultimately, I think I’m prepared to give it book two in the hopes that the sequel will even out some of my issues with this one and I’ll come to be extremely attached to these characters. Here’s hoping!

I had high hopes for this book after absolutely devouring Saara El-Arifi's The Final Strife. I was not disappointed. I loved the classic fantasy elements, including elves and fae, as well as the fun twists in the mythology. The main romantic relationships were the weakest part for me and their interactions didn't feel quite age appropriate. However, I absolutely adored the animal companions that share a psychic link with their chosen person and all their mental interactions. I do recommend this one, especially if you liked the Ending Fire trilogy and want a fun, twisty novel with lots of lore. I'm excited to continue with the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and DelRey for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this new book by one of my favorite authors. The world building, which is one of my favorite aspects in her other trilogy was done well here. I enjoyed the characters, story, and animal companion. I am definitely looking forward to more from this world. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read an early copy.

This was my first book by Saara El-Arifi, and she has me hooked. I can't wait to get into her backlog and read more.

What I loved:
-The characters were so well fleshed out and I enjoyed getting to know them and their motivations.
-The world was creative and the magic system was so interesting. I felt fully immersed in the world because the descriptions created such a vivid picture.

What I didn't love:
-Everything felt a little too tropey. The enemies to lovers didn't have enough angst for my taste. They really did o from enemies to lovers with not much else happening in between.

Overall, I found this to be very engaging and can't wait to read the next installment!

TW/CW: Sex, murder, death, violence

REVIEW: I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and Del Rey books and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Faebound is the first in a series of fantasy novels by Saara El-Arifi, author of the Final Strife trilogy. It follows the two sisters Yeeran and Lettle, who because of a mistake on the battlefield find themselves in exile outside of any land they have ever known. It is then that they run across a people that they were unaware still existed, and who turn their lives and beliefs upside down.

This is an excellent book. Having read the first two books in The Final Strife, I wasn’t surprised by this at all, but I think that this book might even be better than those. I love El-Arifi’s world building, which really does create a whole new culture in your mind as you read. I love the casual way she treats LGBTQIA+ relationships, like they are healthy and normal (the way they SHOULD be portrayed). I love the fact that her characters are mainly black and brown, because there isn’t nearly enough of that in fantasy. Although the vast majority of this book takes place in a small physical space, that doesn’t make it any less interesting or exciting, which I think takes a lot of skill.

I am very much looking forward to reading El-Arifi’s future books – of which I hope there are many – and I highly recommend this book!

At the moment this is a DNF. I do not have a connection with the two sisters and the plot is very predictable with this first twenty percent. This was a very anticipated release so at the moment I am disappointment. But, I know I will come back to this in the future.

thank you to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for

"Faebound" by Saara El-Arifi is a fantasy novel that takes readers on a journey through the mystical world of elves and fae. While the book holds promise with its intriguing premise, it unfortunately falls short in several aspects, leaving readers with mixed feelings.

From the start, the storyline captivates with the tale of Yeeran, an elf facing exile due to a grave error. Alongside her sister Lettle and friend Rayan, they embark on a journey that leads them to the legendary fae court. Despite the anticipation surrounding this encounter, the slow pacing of the narrative becomes evident, with significant lore and mythology introduced before the plot truly unfolds.

While some readers appreciate the intricate world-building and lush descriptions of the fae realm, others find themselves longing for more immediate tension and depth in the storytelling. The romance elements, in particular, receive mixed reviews, with some feeling that they are rushed and lacking in development. Additionally, the predictability of certain plot twists leaves little room for surprise, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the reading experience.

Despite these flaws, there are redeeming qualities to be found in "Faebound." The characters, particularly Yeeran and Lettle, are compelling and evoke empathy from readers. Their courage and determination drive the narrative forward, keeping readers invested in their journey despite its shortcomings.

In conclusion, "Faebound" presents a promising start to a fantasy series but ultimately struggles to fully realize its potential. While some readers may find enjoyment in its imaginative world and engaging characters, others may be left wanting more from its execution. Nonetheless, there remains curiosity and anticipation for what the future holds in store for Yeeran and her companions in subsequent installments.

Fantasy setting, sapphic enemies to lovers, disability representation, and a female BIPOC author! What more could we ask for? This book was a great start to a story and I can't wait for the rest of the trilogy!

This was very different. I was promised a political fantasy with spice and to be one of the better adult fantasies of the year. Unfortunately, this wasn't it for me. The elves read as whiny and I really struggled to get past that. Some of the plot felt thrown in there to make things easier, and the characters did not have compelling relationships with one another. This could have been really amazing, and it just fell short for me. I so desperately wanted to love this story and was so hyped for it, but at points I had to force myself to keep reading.

Absolutely incredible. It ticked all my boxes!

- a queer normative world
- sapphic romance
- fae, elves, and humans
- bonded magical animals
- adventure and secrets

What a great start to this trilogy! I already can’t wait for book two and I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author!

First of all, thank you so much for this arc. I really enjoyed the read, and I stuck through until the end. I really enjoyed the Sapphic characters, and the magic system was unique enough to set it apart. I gave this 4, because I did feel like the dialogue fell a bit flat in accordance with the beautiful world building. I did like the main twist a lot, I actually didn’t expect it which is rare for me. I will likely buy a copy of this when it’s available.

I found this book to be a little slow in the beginning, but picked up a lot as I got into it. The world building was great and the characters were very diverse. I really enjoyed reading this book and will be continuing with the series when released.

Two sisters, Yeeran and Lettle, are living in the harsh times of the Forever War where humans and Fae have long thought died off and the remaining elves are at war with each other. Yeeran is a colonel in the army and has only known war. Lettle is aspiring to be the next leader of the diviners and spends her days trying to read the future. Yeeran makes a fatal mistake and is exiled and two end up kidnapped and taken to the land of the previously thought dead Fae.

What to expect:
- LGBTQ+ rep: Sapphic! FF and FM plus a lot of gender fluidity. 🌈
- Disability rep
- Rivals to Lovers 🗡️❤️
- Twists and Turns: This book really surprised me. I saw some of the plot twists but then was totally taken by surprise by others.
- Magic, prophecies, fae, and elves! Drum magic which is a magic system I’ve never seen before. 🥁
- Spice: open door - a few brief and euphemistic scenes. 🌶️
- Note TWs: graphic animal death

I really enjoyed this book, and I’m excited for the sequel. I’ll also be checking out Saara’s other books.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for providing an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Whew! After 26 days, I finally finished! My feelings about the book are mixed because while the world, magic system, and plot were intriguing and original, the writing didn't quite match up. There was SO much potential here but the prose lacked a natural flow which made it difficult to stay engaged and hindered my overall enjoyment. So long story short, loved the idea and diversity of the characters but wished it were executed differently. I’m undecided if I’ll continue the trilogy - I guess I’ll see what my mood says whenever the next one is published. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this electronic advanced review copy.

Faebound hooked me from the first chapter, and this ended up being quite a quick read for me, especially as someone who typically takes a long time to finish fantasy novels.

What I enjoyed:
- Diverse character representation
- The setting of Mosima; I could truly picture the landscape, and the underground world that El-Arifi imagined was so vibrant and beautifully described
- The relationships between the characters, especially the complicated sister relationship between Yeeran & Lettle
- The different systems of magic

What would have made this book even better:
- The end of the novel felt a little rushed to me. I appreciate that this was structured to be the first in a series, and I was completely okay with the loose ends and questions that we were left with at the end of the book. But I still felt like so many hugely significant events happened in a very short period of time, and we don't really get to see the characters process these events.
- I would have loved to have seen the obeah play a more prominent role in the book. I don't want to say much more, as I don't want to provide any spoilers, but I will just say that this was one particular area where I was really hoping for *more*.

I'm very much looking forward to the next installment in the series. Thank you to NetGalley for my digital ARC.

when I say I really wanted to like this, I mean I've been waiting for an interesting, original, and well written fantasy story of a while. fantasy has been one of my fave genres for years and while I enjoy the classics, I'm also always on the lookout for a story that feels new and quirky and maybe even a little weird - think Iron Widow, Cruel Prince, The City We Became.

when Faebound came across my radar I had really high hopes for this story with its interesting sounding magic system, enticing blurbs, and very cute cover but I was ultimately left feeling pretty underwhelmed. the world building is a little lacking, the characters feel a bit one dimensional, and the dialogue is awkward at best. I came away feeling like this was a book that needed maybe one more round of edits.

I've seen this a lot recently with publishers trying to jump on the quickly changing trends of booktok and it's really disappointing, especially after hearing so many good thing about Saara El-Arifi's first series. But then again maybe I just went in with my expectations way too high.

A really great fantasy read. I was hooked almost immediatley and read this so quickly. I had really high hopes for this book so it was really exciting to see that it met my expectations. Would love to read more from this author and I would recommend this to anyone who's on the fence about reading it,

***3.5 Stars***

Overall,
I liked the overall idea of this book, the themes and world are very interesting. Unfortunately, the pacing is off, and the character development is lack luster. The two main characters are sisters who have a strained but loving relationship. Their love interests are the things that are a bit difficult to digest. Neither of the relationships feel real or fleshed out enough. Very insta-love. I love Saara El-Arifi's other series, and I will likely give the second book a chance for that choice alone.

Cover,
The cover is beautiful and for that alone it gets an extra star.

The world building in this book was just gorgeous and I really did enjoy every aspect of it. I felt very connected to all the characters and I’m excited to read more from this author because the writing was just so refreshing and easy to read.

Faebound is an easy to devour book that has a little bit of everything thrown into it! Elves, Fae, Humans, war, a complex magic system, Gods, politics, etc. I will say, in some capacity it was overwhelming to cram into one book. I wish we spent more time learning about the relationships between the people and the world rather than jumping right into two different romantic relationships.

What I enjoyed most was the sisterhood between Yeeran and Lettle. Growing up with an older sister myself I really felt their relationship was authentic and relatable. I loved the twist at the end and I enjoyed how true Yeeran is to herself and her mission. I also loved Lettle’s growth in this book & how she learns to trust her feelings & her gut.

I am hoping in book 2 we dive deeper into the complexities that are driving the war & how that then affects the characters relationships amongst each other. I also hope we get to see more of the magic systems at play here because they are truly so unique - I was obsessed with the Obeahs. I have high hopes & expectations for the rest of this trilogy because book 1 was simply a gorgeous introduction to this story!!