I don’t know if the hype affected my appreciation for this book, but I wanted to love this one more. It had everything I could ever want in a book—a queer-normative society, BIPOC characters, sapphic romance, fae, elves, magic, war—but the writing style was all about telling, not showing, and the dialogue was clunky. The story was intriguing but I wasn’t excited to read about it due to the writing style. I absolutely LOVED Lettle!

This was extremely fun! It was easy to read with entertaining characters, a cool world, and a great sister relationship. Also, I adored the animal companion parts. I thought the romance was fine, if a little rushed, but there are other aspects of the plot too and I really enjoyed those. Can’t wait for the next one!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Faebound by Saara El-Arifi is an excellent start to what I think will be an incredible series! This is a fantasy story told in dual points of view between two sisters- Yeeran, a colonel in the Elven army who can wield drum battle magic and Lettle, a diviner who uses the deaths of magical creatures called obeah to tell the future.

Yeeran is exiled from the Elven lands after disobeying orders and getting soldiers killed. Yeeran asks a loyal captain of hers, Rayan, to watch out for her sister as she is exiled but Lettle instead follows her sister into exile with Rayan tagging along to protect her.

As they try to hunt a huge obeah so that Yeeran may return with honor to the Elven lands, the group is captured by the fae. The fae were previously thought to be extinct and the group is thrust into their mysterious world.

I really enjoyed this book! The amount of diverse, queer representation is phenomenal! I thought the world building was also excellent- really immersive, but not overwhelming. Of the two sisters, I definitely enjoyed Yeeran’s chapters more, but I liked having the switch of points of view as it really allows the reader to see what’s happening from different perspectives. I will definitely be reading the sequel when it comes out!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I love reading fantasy novels based on folklore and mythology from other places in the world besides Europe. Faebound is an African based fantasy with mythology mixed in.

Faebound is told from the POV’s of Elven sisters Yeeran, a warrior, and Lettle, a diviner. Neither agree with the other’s life choices, but they love each other fiercely and support each other despite their differences.

You enter Faebound with Yeeran’s POV and listen to her doubts and eagerness to prove herself as the Waning Tribe’s youngest colonel. Salawa, her lover, tries to encourage her by telling her she deserves the role. There is something in the way Salawa speaks that she seems important, but you just aren’t sure how important she really is. The next morning, Yeeran’s eagerness to prove herself worthy of the role of colonel, causes her to make a detrimental mistake. You then find out how important Salawa really is in the aftermath of her mistake. She is granted a fate worse than death, exile, at the hand of her lover.

Lettle’s POV really starts as she’s watching her sister be carted away, while screaming and fighting for the freedom of one of the Waning Tribe’s most loved officers. She sets off on a mission, determined to rescue Yeeran and bring her home. Lettle is met with an unlikely companion, Rayan, her sister’s capitan. Together they trek through the Crescent Tribe’s land, track Yeeran, and they all find themselves captured by the Fae. People who had supposedly disappeared millenia before.

Once they’ve been captured, you enter a world that should be perfect, and it would be if you weren’t trapped there. You read a story of impossible magic, enemies to lovers, death, tragedy, betrayal in unlikely places, and so much more.

There is representation of different types of disabilities, sapphic love, lgbtqia+ peoples who just were, and even dementia. This was such a beautiful world and I loved immersing myself amongst the characters, the story, the magic, and the culture and traditions. Not to mention the cliffhanger at the end will hopefully make you want book two as badly as I want book two.

A well written novel but overall it's a pretty underwhelming story. I was just not feeling the story, it left me wanting so much more. I think that the writing was done well but overall this is just another fantasy novel that follows the usual tropes.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I think my main feedback for this book is I wish it was in first person POV versus third person. I feel like the characters lacked more emotion and development being third person versus first. I also have no idea was obeah are supposed to look like still.

The author built a beautiful magic system and world-building. I also like the connections faebound have with the obeah.

I really liked this one. Yeeran is taken by the Fae for killing one of them, although she couldn't possibly have known the consequences of her actions because they didn't know the Fae existed! Her sister Lettle goes after her, of course, and Rayan the soldier goes as well. Thrust into a hostile, hidden Fae world they must all figure out how best to survive. I loved the magic system here, and also how there were bonds made between Yeeran, Lettle, and Rayan with their Fae "comrades". It was great to see them learn and discover themselves in the face of prophecy. So many unexpected turns!

Not sure exactly how I want to rate this book & might change it as a star rating doesn't capture everything that was or was not successful. On one hand, the world building is really interesting, detailed, and intricately crafted. The characters feel distinct and recognizable. Cannot emphasize enough how much I am looking forward to seeing parts of this world come together in the rest of the series. I really liked that Lettle and Yeeran as sisters still see their tribe and the war so differently from each other, which added a lot to their clashes over other things—divination, Salawa, etc.

On the other hand, my problem with this book is that I wanted more. As as avid romance reader, I think the romances in this book (which I really liked, to be clear) needed way more development. As a lover of court intrigue fantasy, I wish the excitement and tension of the scheming and politics in last act had run throughout. The things that had been planted throughout the story to result in that exciting last act weren’t enough, and were too few and too obvious and the result was that the pace felt too slow. While I enjoyed learning about the world during act II, I kept thinking like, the clues aren’t warranting this much time, so maybe we could fill the time with more relationship development? But that too was stilted.

Part of my frustration might just be a writing style/person taste issue. The narration was quite explicit about the emotions of our close third pov characters Yeeran and Lettle. Which is fine, it doesn't have to be a puzzle or anything, but if you want the psychic distance to be small, then it has to feel small. And somehow even though I was told exactly how they were feeling and what they were thinking, I didn’t feel close to them. The narration was too matter of fact about everything.

The third act was the strongest and made me much more excited about everything to the point where I think I am quite likely to continue with the series but the middle lagged in a way that was a bit frustrating.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
This was an interesting read! The story is a little slow paced, but I very much enjoyed the history of the elves, fae, and humans. The sisterly bond between Yeeran and Lettle is one for the ages; their struggles only making them stronger. And the political strife, with a war raging on for so long, was both gripping and heartbreaking. Overall, I did enjoy this book!

A Forever War. Three Gods Asase, Ewia, and Bosome. Fae, Elves, and Humans are destined to live together peacefully. After powers are distributed to each. Elves are the only ones who remain. Two sisters were imprisoned by a political war. When Yeeran a colonel for the Waning Army is exiled. Prophecies are fulfilled and faerytales come true.

This book started very slow in the beginning, but after Yeeran is exiled the book picks up very quickly. The author does a great job of explaining the world-building and explaining the history of how the war came to be. I loved the representation throughout the book such as LGBTQ and it's rare to find fantasy books that have BIPOC female main characters. There was betrayal, murder, found family, and forbidden romance. I do agree with other reviewers that there were parts where the timing was off for certain situations. But I think overall the author did a great job of tying everything together at the end. I can't wait for the next book in the series and I'd highly recommend it.

I found Faebound to be an engaging and original story. I enjoyed the world building that links the Fae, Elves and humans and the magic system that tied characters to a companion. The dum magic was also well developed and has it's own twist. This was intriguing as the political system opens up yet more twists that kept me guessing and complicating the plot and all of the relationships. I thought this fantasy was compelling and will certainly be looking for the next book in this series.

"Faebound" immersed me in a captivating fantasy world, skillfully blending mythology, war, and deep relationships among elven tribes and Fae. Saara El-Arifi's storytelling shines , framing the narrative with amazing elements like the harsh landscape shaped by war, intricate character dynamics, and a well-paced buildup of tension and mystery. The book introduces a diverse cast, each with their own struggles and strengths.

The novel's strength lies in its rich world-building, exploring an underground fae city and seamlessly including myths that come to life. The magic system involving obeahs, animal companions, and the consequences of their over-hunting add layers to the narrative. However, it's crucial to note that early chapters include detailed descriptions of hunting and killing, which may not be suitable for everyone.

The story follows Yeeran, a warrior facing exile, her diviner sister Lettle, and Captain Rayan. Their encounter with the long-lost Fae leads to intricate political dynamics, mysteries, and a growing tension between different races. The exploration of sisterhood, evident in the relationship between Yeeran and Lettle, is a standout aspect, portraying their love and loyalty amidst challenges.

The romantic elements, especially the tension between Lettle and Rayan, contribute to the romance of the book.
Thank you Saara El-Arifi and Netgalley for allowing to read this amazing book!

This book was such a fun and amazing read I loved every second of it and couldn't put it down! Such a good story

A fun and inventive magical world that is somehow familiar yet different than what is out there now. I thought that the characters were well rounded and the plot was very engaging. Overall I think where it shined most for me is with the magic system and the creation myths with the world, any time that was brought up I was tuned in.

Faebound was packed full of adventure and plot twists. Although I did predict one of the plot twists quite early on in the book, there were many that surprised me.

This book did what I think all great fantasy aims to do - create a parallel with real world issues. There was lots of thoughtful commentary on war, inequality and prejudice.

I also loved that this was diverse and sapphic fantasy. This was a compelling adventure laced with important lessons about seeing other perspectives and questioning the ideologies you are raised with.

I really enjoyed the magic system, the lore and *everything* about the obeahs.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and RandomHouse for providing me with an ARC of this book!

(This review was posted on my bookstagram on 1/29/2024. Link to page below).

I was excited to see that I was approved for the ARC of Faebound! I got the email on the pub day and couldn’t wait to start reading it. Much thanks to @delreybooks and @netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Faebound, and I’m happy to report that I am excited to read the sequel! Faebound was my first El-Arifi read. The magic systems she created were unique, and I really liked the world building with the lore of the bat, water, and wheat, and with the fae, humans, and elves.

Faebound is ultimately a story about fate, trying to escape war cycles (the sisters are a warrior and a diviner), and sisterhood. Yeeran and Lettle are opposites in so many ways, and I’m interested to see how their differences will lead them in paths that will converge in the future.

I hadn’t read anything quite like Faebound before. I think I described it as The Priory of the Orange Tree meets Fourth Wing (only to the extent that certain people can communicate mind-to-mind with a bonded animal). There are no gender rules, and the characters and world are diverse.

The main reasons why this wasn’t a 5 star read for me were that, while the characters were in their thirties (hooray for that!!!), some of the dialogue came off juvenile and more like a younger protagonist. The writing, and consequently the book, felt more NA than adult. A particular plot point was predictable, but there was one I didn’t see coming! The romantic relationships felt a little rushed, but I hope they may be more developed in the next two books.

Overall, I’m very happy I read Faebound and would recommend it!!

Yeeran makes a deadly mistake on her first day as a colonel in the elven army, getting herself exiled. Lettle (her sister) and Rayan (her friend from the army) go into the woods after her. The three of them encounter a group of fae, thought to be extinct, and get captured.

It’s dual POV, switching between the two sisters. It’s firmly fantasy, with a teeny tiny romance subplot for both sisters, towards the end.

This took a minute to get going. The first 10% is Yeeran’s mistake and exile, followed by another 10% of Lettle and Rayan walking through the woods to find Yeeran. Overall, it didn't really get going until about 40% in. There’s a lot of lore being established early on.

As prophesies begin to come together, the story gets interesting. I stayed up for hours reading once I reached the second half. I’m super interested to see what happens in book 2.

Thank you to the author, publisher, & NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

First 5-star read of 2024! Fantastic book. I found the story to be fast paced and engaging, the characters were interesting and well juxtaposed, and the ending certainly has me anticipating a second book. Overall, I found the writing beautiful, the plot fascinating, and the growth of El-Arifi rewarding. This will be a spoiler-free review! Details below.

Plot:
The storyline begins the second the writing does. You're following the story of Yeeran and Lettle, two sister elves exploring an unknown land as Yeeran enters exile. The action is near constant with new events occurring almost every chapter. I found it hard to put the book down, constantly wanting to know what was going to happen next and telling myself "just one more" long after my bedtime. Perhaps the most impressive feat of the plotline is the double plot-twist occurring at the climax of the book. While I had my suspicions about one, I was truly surprised (and went "AHHHHH!!!") at the other one. I was excited by the constant rise and fall of hope presented in the plot as new challenges continued to arise and were overcome, some more than others. It's been a while since I was gripped by a book from the very beginning, thus earning Faebound and El-Arifi my first 5-star rating of the year.

Characters:
Character development in this story was well done for a first book. While all of the main characters experienced a broadening of their knowledge and understanding of the world, some took to it better than others. With characters who are all starkly different, often grating against each other regardless of how much love they share, the reader gets to experience multiple perspectives on the events of the plot as the story goes on. You find yourself sympathetic for, and irritated with, all of the characters for different reasons, which in turn allows you to understand their actions or the reactions of others. While many first books in a series struggle to demonstrate substantial character development before the second book, El-Arifi does a great job of making the characters flexible from the beginning, though their core characteristics are firm and consistent the whole way.

World building, setting, and magic system:
I found the world of Faebound quite fascinating. Not so different from our own, but different enough to keep the reader curious, Faebound explores different roles within a society, as well as different peoples within a greater world, and the conflicts that arise amongst them. The descriptions are beautiful and vivid, allowing the reader to envision the characters' experiences with clarity. The magic system was also incredibly interesting, with details and explanations emerging progressively throughout the book. This allowed readers to learn alongside the main characters, but never left the reader wondering how it all fit together or whether they were missing something. I was extremely satisfied by the explanations and depictions of the world's magic, which remedies the only complaints I had about The Final Strife, another first book in an El-Arifi fantasy series. You can see the growth in El-Arifi as an author, and it is quite pleasing to witness in real time.

Simply captivating. I loved this story from the first chapters. I am drawn to stories that involve sisters and this one did not disappoint. The dual POV was easily distinguishable and the sister stories while different, intertwined beautifully. There were so many parts that I did not see coming. This story had a little bit of everything, romance, betrayal, mystery and magic. The anticipation for the book was well worth it. And that ending? Let's just say the only thing I am mad about is that I have read this book right when it came out which means that I have to wait even longer for to find out what happens in book 2.

Yeren was the youngest colonel in the army before being exiled from the elvish lands. Alongside her younger sister and Captain Rayan, Yeren accidentally kills a fae prince - a people they thought faerytale.

Like her other series, El-Arifi uses the fantasy element to explore fluidity of gender and incorporate free sexuality seamlessly within her story and world.
Furthermore, we have aged up protagonists - around 30 years old! Rejoice!
In this sense, it reminded me of N K Jemisin.

”We must let the wind of change ease our flight, not hinder it.”

The magic system explanations never fully satisfied me, but the gist is: Yeren fights with drumfire that required intention to draw on magic. Lettle is a diviner, speaking prophecies by detaching from one’s mind.

Sadly, my favourite parts are also huge spoilers, so I’m leaving this review purposefully vague. Just know it’s filled with rich world-building and if you like talking animal companions - you will love this.

There’s passionate romance bordering between love and hate, deadly prophecies, poison, secrets, and royalty!