In this captivating read, the author masterfully weaves a narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking. Through a blend of richly developed characters and a meticulously crafted plot, the book offers a unique exploration of its central themes, inviting readers to immerse themselves in the story's depth and complexity. The narrative is paced perfectly, balancing moments of intense action with thoughtful reflection, ensuring that readers are hooked from the first page to the last. The author's ability to evoke emotion and create a vivid, immersive world is truly remarkable, making this book a must-read for anyone looking for an exceptional literary experience.

Beyond its compelling storyline, the book stands out for its insightful commentary on the human condition, weaving philosophical questions into the fabric of its narrative. The author's skillful use of language not only enriches the text but also elevates the reader's experience, offering new perspectives on familiar themes. Whether it's the intricate dynamics of relationships, the exploration of identity, or the confrontation with ethical dilemmas, this book tackles complex issues with sensitivity and intelligence. It's a testament to the power of storytelling to illuminate the nuances of life, making it a valuable addition to any book lover's collection. Regardless of genre, this is a work that resonates on multiple levels, affirming the enduring impact of well-crafted literature.

This books was beautifully written and enthralling. I found myself sucked into this world that the author created, wanting to continue and learn about the characters we’ve met. I found the enemies to lovers aspect of this story to be well done!
The only criticism I have is that the pacing at the beginning was a little slow, but when this story popped off it really went from zero to a hundred. I cannot wait to see where it goes next!

Saara is growing so beautifully as an author- her words are beautiful on the page, that this 400 page fae warrior book felt like 100. A beautiful story, with an intriguing epilogue- 10/10 from me!


Thank you NetGalley for an arc in exchange for a review.

Fae bound is out now!

I enjoyed this book a lot. This book has a diverse cast of characters and an interesting plot line. I liked the dual perspectives of this book and the different twists and turns in the story. Another thing I appreciated about this book was the romance and the character development.
There was a portion in the middle when not much was happening and it was a little boring, but the ending made up for it and I am excited for the next book in this series.

A lot of people will love the book Faebound, but I didn't quite connect with it. The world building with the elves, fae, and humans started out very interesting, and the characters were great. The characters acted a bit young for their age at times and the book felt more appropriate for YA readers (if the sex scenes were taken out). The romances felt a little forced and dialog sometimes a bit robotic. However the ending was intriguing and made me want to check out the rest of the trilogy when it comes out. Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC to review!

4.5⭐️

I absolutely adored this refreshing, magical, harrowing tale, about 2 elven sisters traversing the mysterious & captivating world of the Fae.

At the heart of the story, is the relationship between two sisters. Yeeran is a colonel in the army, and after making a terrible strategic mistake, she is exiled by her superior from the elven lands. Lettle is a diviner, who weaves prophecies to earn coin. When her sister is exiled, Nettle, along with Yeeran’s army captain, embark on a quest to find her.

When the trio is ultimately captured by the Fae, whom they believed extinct, they are forced to rethink everything they thought they knew about their history, their world, and their magic.

The story is filled with twists and turns, excitement, adventure, and all of the high fantasy feels. The writing was beautiful and engaging, the magic system was truly unique and absolutely brilliant. The romance was swoon worthy, and filled with angst and longing. There was a pinch of tastefully written spice, just enough to satisfy the reader, without having it overtake the story.

The real heart of this book is the love between the two sisters- it’s the driving force behind the story, and the emotional component that sets this epic high fantasy apart from others in this genre.

The author truly reached through the pages and pulled me in to this unique and wondrous world.

✨Elves, Fae & Humans
✨Unique magic system
✨Epic battles
✨LQBTQ+ rep
✨Enemies to lovers
✨Found Family

First, thank you for an ARC copy.

I enjoyed this dual-narrator, world-building tale with both elves & fae (and humans once upon a time). It reminded me of ACoRaT (#1) in its writing style. The diverse characters were well thought out and their personalities showed throughout the book in their actions & dialogue. Although I figured out some of the twists early on, there were others that kept me surprised. The romance was okay - I didn't feel as much build up between the couplings. But it didn't distract from the story and maybe they will develop more in the next book.

I look forward to the sequel.

Absolutely devoured this book. I loved the world building, and it wasn’t too overwhelming to follow. I got lost in this world and didn’t want the book to end. I will definitely be recommending this to all my book loving friends!

I didn’t hate it but I also didn’t love it and it honestly took me so long read it because I just could not get into it it was super slow and Lettle was so annoying she was so childish I completely hated that. The ending ended in a cliffhanger but why Yeeran should have just stayed like how can she not know that Salawa was just fighting for power that she didn’t care for her people. Instead of realizing it she went to go give her the information she gathered of the fae and still hoped she wouldn’t see Furi on the other side of the battlefield fighting back for her lands. She should have just stayed she loved Furi and she should just have stayed and caught for their land but coming up with a way to possible not kill the actual innocents.

Loved this book! The diversity, the magic, the romance this book had it all! I need the next book now!

I enjoyed this book, but it took me a bit to get into it. I felt the first half was a little slow and the characters predictable, but I enjoyed the interesting fantasy elements like the Obeah. I liked the diversity in this book, too. I wish there was more attention paid to the character development and really fleshing out their emotions. I like to sit with character's emotions in books and I felt like they were rushed past in this book. The second half of the book did pick up and there were some story twists that I wasn't expecting which was nice. I think now that the world and characters are established, a second book would hook me in more and be more captivating. I am interested to learn what happens next in this story.

A fresh take on fae fantasy romance with unique magic and rich worldbuilding, Faebound was a gripping story of power that will have you captivated from the early pages. It has themes of war, magic, prophecy, secrets, battle, fae court, elves, family and sisterhood. If you enjoyed Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas, or The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart then you’ll enjoy Faebound.

I loved it and can't wait for the next book! Thank you so much to the Random House Publishing Group & Netgalley for the advance copy.

Very interesting world building and characters. It was an intriguing start to a trilogy.

When Yeeran, the youngest elven commander in the history of the forever wars. Her sister Lettle joins her in isolation. They are thrust into the realm of Mossima, an underground fae city. Now it’s a war of survival.

The most anticipated fantasy book of 2024!

Alright, take my review with a grain of salt. This will be some reader’s favorite book of the year. For other readers, like me, it will miss the mark a little. Let me explain!

I have not read any previous books from this author, and those books are still on my TBR. For me, the premise and cover enticed me to pick this book up.

This book hits all the right marks: good writing, great atmosphere, and a unique enticing world. The issue for me came in with the romance. Like other reviewers, I felt it was a bit cheesy and conflicted with some plot points. I also couldn’t get attached to the characters, and truthfully I don’t know why. Maybe it was the feeling that I’ve read their personalities in so many other books. I don’t know, you may disagree.

Overall I think this book will do well and find its perfect audience. I still recommend reading it for that reason. Give it a try, see if you’ll like it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for this ARC.

This is my pleas for the ACOTAR girlies to pick up this book about sapphic, black fae!! There are not enough sapphic or BIPOC fantasy romance stories out there, so consider this a lil nudge to diversify your reading…with a book that’s already up your alley.

In a world that is constantly at war, Yeeran, our main character, has just been promoted to Colonel of her elven tribe and, after a grave mistake on her very first day, she’s been exiled by the ruler and her lover as a disgrace. Her little sister and diviner, Lettle, goes off into the desert after her, with Yeeran’s second in command, Rayan, in tow, determined to bring her home - not knowing that Yeeran’s schemed up a way to get herself out of exile. Yeeran’s hare-brained plan ends up backfiring and they are forced to contend with myths and legacies long believed to be false or dormant.

With curses and prophesies and drum magic abound, I especially loved that Yeeran was forced to confront her own willful blindness and the role she plays in perpetuating military propaganda. The writing construction was a little clunky at times and plot sometimes predictable, but the character building, multi-POVs and the messaging around the consequences of war and colonization – and how that leads to compounded generational trauma – had me glued to every page. On top of it all, I adored how queer-normative and disability normative the story was, which is refreshing for a fantasy book. FAEBOUND was a story about sisterhood and prophesy and has a little sprinkle of an enemies-to-lovers plotline as well. I can’t wait to see how the story continues in book 2!

Special thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for sharing this digital reviewer’s copy with me in exchange for my honest reviews.

I really enjoyed this book, I have not read from the author before but I found this book so easy to get into and invested it. I can’t wait to learn more about the world in the next two books and I hope we get to see more perspectives!

Really wish I could give half stars on here. 3.5 stars.
The ending definitely made it worth the read. It had a few twists that I wasn't expecting and absolutely love the magic system El-Arifi has created here. Drum magic i so unique and something I never imagined plus the Obeh is just chefs kiss.
It does take some time for the book to pick up. A lot of world building in the beginning. I enjoyed the sister relationship but they did get on my nerves some times. Definitely "Queernormative" like the Author mentioned in her review so if that's not your cup of tea I wouldn't pick it up. There's some spicy scenes sprinkled in towards the end and I was definitely cheering for Furi and Yeeran when it finally happened and don't even get me started on Lettle and Rayan! I think the character development could have been a bit better. I had a hard time connecting with the characters for majority of the book and really immersing myself in the world and I think that may have played a big role in why it took me so long to read.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing book for allowing me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

‘Cursed to endure, cursed to survive. All shall perish lest all three survive.’

There was once a world with three gods and three people: the Elves, the Fae, and the Humans. Only the Elven remain.

Yeeran, youngest colonel in the army, finds herself exiled from the elvish lands. Her younger sister, Lettle, and her former army Captain Rayan follow. They find themselves in an unprecedented situation as they try to hunt a rare and elusive obeah. The three are captured and imprisoned by the Fae - taken to an underground kingdom that should only exist in fairytales. As Yeeran and Lettle navigate the politics of the fae court in order to plan their escape, they find other obstacles in their path - secrets, seduction, conflicting desires.

Despite seeing many mixed reviews regarding this book, I found it highly enjoyable. The fantasy world building was well done, full of mythical lore and history. The author includes a lot of representation in this book from physical differences to LGBTQUIA+ characters and relationships, which flow seamlessly. I really liked the bonding of the obeah and the mind-link with their person. It added a fun element and a different perspective to the story as things unfolded.

The pacing felt a bit off to me as things progress quickly at both the beginning and the end. The start of the book read like a military fantasy, but that changes significantly once Yeeran is exiled. When they are captured by the fae, the storyline slows down to focus on the myth and lore, but once again picks up and is full of twist and turns, and some very predictable prophecies. I would have liked more relationship development between our main love interests, but overall the characters are interesting and likable.

If you’re looking for a unique, diverse fantasy - don’t hesitate to pick this up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballentine, Del Rey for a free digital copy of this book. This is my honest review. Publication date: January 23, 2024.

Some things done really well is the world building, the magic system, and the diversity of the characters. Unfortunately, I felt like the plot and introduction dragged in the beginning, but some aspects were too rushed at the same time. I’m personally not a fan of “instant love” tropes. While there are diverse characters, these are supposed to be older characters…they seemed immature at times. This might have just been an issue with writing style. I also found the prophesies to be quite predictable. The ending of the book did redeem the slow start slightly.

I had to DNF at at 10%. I don't like the characters or the dialogue at all. It will definitely hook people in but this book is just not for me.