The gorgeous cover immediately caught my eye, and the description really sold me.

When Yeeran is exiled from her home, she, her sister, & a friend discover the city of the lost fae, & the answers to the Forever War that has raged between the elves.

This was fun, but definitely not what I was expecting. I was expecting a sweeping epic fantasy . And this just turned out to be a lot more romance focused than I particularly enjoy.

The characters were really interesting, and diverse. I loved the sibling relationship between Yeeran and Lettle. That difficulty of an older sibling only ever seeing the younger as they were and not as they are is something that I really understood. My biggest issue was how quickly both romances developed. We don't get nearly enough to see why Lettle falls in love with her partner, and Yeeran's romance feels flat. These are both personal issues, and something that might be addressed as this is only the beginning of a trilogy.

The world building was grand, and I loved the interesting magic systems between the three races. It rarely felt like an info dump as we learned more about the world, and when we were getting large amounts of inofrmation, it was because a character also needed to know it. The role prophecy played in both the world and the plot was interesting, and I wish it was explored more.

In the end, there's a lot of to like here, and while I did enjoy it, I know that there is an audience out there that will be way more into this than I was.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I really wanted to like this book. It started off well, I enjoyed the world building pace and the fact that it didn't overwhelm you with details and characters. The pace, however, skyrocketed and Lettle's search for her sister which in all honestly could have been a third of the book happened within a few chapters leaving it very anti climatic. From there everything was just very predictable, and the development of the characters was left wanting. The two main sisters, Lettle and Yeeran, were a disappointment and I found the supporting characters a lot more likeable. Lettle needed some softness, I love a good, strong, sassy, take not sh*t character but they can't be all thorns. Yeeran just need more, I found it very hard to connect and root for her. The dynamics of this world were still very intriguing and really has a lot of potential. There were nuggets of plot that drew me back in but then the ending was just cluttered like the author was just trying to shove them in there when a sprinkling throughout the book may have fared better. I think I may have enjoyed this more if I hadn't been excited about the potential of this book before reading, since I was, I just ended up being disappointed. Seeing the creativity of the author though I am interested reading some of her other books.

Overall rating: 4.25 stars

Read this book if you’re interested in strong FMCs, sisterly bonds, multiple POVs, mystical creatures, magical wars, and romance subplots with fun tropes (fated lovers and forced proximity, hello!).

I really enjoyed this book - the story journey was reminiscent of Priory of the Orange Tree for me, which makes sense since Samantha Shannon endorsed this book as well!

Faebound immerses readers into a world that was once inhabited by Elves, Faes, and Humans. At the start of the story, it is believed that only Elves remain, and the Elven Lands are divided into four quadrants, each with their own tribe: Waxing, Crescent, Eclipse, and Waning. The tribes are engaged in a Forever War, which is just as it sounds - a really long-lasting war.

The story follows Yeeran, the youngest colonel to ever be appointed in the Waning Army. Shortly after her promotion, Yeeran is delivered a reading from her younger sister, Lettle, who practices divination. The prophecy reads that Yeeran will seek glory in the East, so at first available opportunity, Yeeran guides her troops in that direction.

Unfortunately, following the prophecy at face value becomes a huge mistake, which leads to Yeeran being exiled. Lettle and Rayan (a dedicated friend and captain from the army) follow Yeeran into exile, where they all ultimately get captured by “once extinct” Fae, and chaos ensues.

Saara El-Arifi takes readers on a beautifully written journey with her descriptive writing style. I personally loved the personification of feelings, weather, etc. which greatly contributed to the magical world building.

There were some points that were a bit slower through the middle of the book, but I found this held my attention throughout.

This book was JUST released on 1/26/24 and will be the start of a new series. Can’t wait to read what comes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team at Random House for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I had a good time reading this book. I love the MC Yeeran, who is a badass Elf that gets banished from her homeland and ends up with her sister and friend in the land of the Fae. The world building in this book is really good, with a really unique magic system that includes magic drums?! Yes please! The author does a great job describing the scenes in beautiful detail and makes it easy to believe this world is real. It kept my attention and was easy to keep reading. I loved the bipoc and lgbtqia representation of the book. I just wish it wasn't quite so predictable and I wish the characters had more depth. Overall I would recommend it to any lover of Fae, Elves, Fantasy etc.
Thank you @netgalley and @Delrey for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“And where there is value, there is power, and where there is power, violence will always brew.”

And where there is fae, elves and magical creatures, there is me. I cannot put into words how much I loved this book and how captivated I was. What made this book so digestible in my opinion, is that it was world building for myself AND the characters. Yeeran and Lettle were new to Fae lands, and their learning and understanding of it played into the reader’s ability to also develop an image of how this land and world worked. I didn’t feel lost or confused at all.
I liked how each sister had their own unique plot line as well. They intertwined perfectly and it didn’t feel like I was rereading the same information over and over.
I won’t lie, I was waiting for the drama and the big event, however it makes perfect sense after reading it as to why I had to wait so long. The ending too?? I need book two like tomorrow thank you.

5 Stars
I love love love it! Saara El-Arifi has spun a tale of all tales. There are elves and Fae, enemies to lovers, LGBTQ representation, bonded creatures called Obeah, an amazing world, and some really cool Magic. I mean what else could you want. I totally did not see any twists coming and can't wait until the next book is released.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing group for opportunity to read this book.

Faebound was an excellent start to a series and kept me interested the entire time. I was really intrigued by the world and the magic within it. There is some romance and that’s not often what I look for, but it was done well and also didn’t solely rely on it for the plot or the characters. There’s plenty other stuff going on here that it’s worth checking out even if you’re not big into romance.

Note: arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for honest reviews

DNF at 49%

The premise of this book was a good, but the execution was not. There were some parts of the world building that lacked logic for me which undermined the conflicts between the various groups. Since I couldn't get invested in the conflicts happening, it made it hard to care about the characters dealing with the conflicts and to root for them. Also, the actions and dialogue didn't feel like it matched the ages of the characters. In this case, they seemed younger than they actually were which was suppose to be late 20's to early 30's.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for this eARC.

My favorite fantasy authors are those who weave parallels between real and fiction—who use fantasy and magic as a way to reflect back the best (or the worst) of our own world—and, in doing so, give us the chance to examine the kind of world we're creating here on Earth.

And let me tell you: this book weaves threads between reality and fantasy like it's making a friggin’ tapestry. 🧶

Lemme illustrate just one: The elves are locked in a war. Underground, beneath the fighting, is a fuel source—one that could power everyone’s homes for decades to come. They call the fighting “the Forever War” saying: "...where there is value, there is power, and where there is power, violence will always be."

There was so much I adored about this book: the sibling love, the queernormativity, the strong, disabled MC, the (to me) gender-euphoric way humans were described [“From the seeds of the Earth, Asase created humans. Sprigs became bones and flowers sprouted smiles.”]...

If I *had* to critique anything, it would be that the romance parts weren't super convincing for me? But I also understand that (1) I'm ace and romance just doesn't hit for me the way it does for most people and (2) there are 2 whole more books in the works that I'm sure will develop those storylines further.

Even with that small critique that might just be a me-problem, though, I think the coolest thing about this book is that it's bigger than the sum of its parts.

Truly, it feels like the beginning of a love letter to what our real world could become: how we might all be able to find liberation/freedom together. I can’t wait to see how we get there in real life AND in later books in the series.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to add everything else Saara El-Arifi has ever written to my TBR.

Faebound by Saara El-Arifi was such a fantastic start to a new fantasy series and I cannot wait to see what comes next. I was hooked right from the start and every time I had to put this down, I was counting the seconds until I could return to it. It's a very well-written story with characters that feel very real. It was entertaining, romantic and left me in suspense. I cannot wait to continue to this series and see what El-Arifi has to offer in the future!

Faebound is a beautiful and electrifying ode to folk and faelore expanding on the once thought to be horrific and murderous fae. Saara El-Arifi creates a world that is stunningly magical, full of pain and love.

The contrast of war and softness is balanced beautifully within these pages. The first 25% of the book is a purposeful build to the deepness of the novel, entrancing the reader with the myths and stories to aid in the understanding of the severity of worlds uniting (especially for Yeeran and Pila, and in a completely different way for Yeeran and Furi).

I absolutely love the use and characterization of ‘obeah’ in Faebound. El-Afiri has brought a voice and soul to the magic-filled healing traditions of the Caribbean islands. The intimate, yet unique, use of an avatar-like familiar is heartwrenchingly beautiful.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for allowing me early access to an unfinished digital copy of Faebound! This review is entirely my own thoughts and opinions based on an unfinished digital ARC.
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Faebound is a fantasy tale about two sisters and their world. I say "and their world" because this tale is not just about Yeeran and Lettle, it is also about their world and its hidden truths, the truths that hide in their myths and long lost legends. It's a great read, easy to get sucked into and easy to follow. A great read for both fantasy veterans and new readers alike.

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OVERALL: 4.5🌟
STORY: 4🌟
WRITING: 4🌟
CHARACTERS: 5🌟
ENJOYMENT: 10/10🌟

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STORY:
Overall, this is a fantastic story. I greatly love when authors play on the idea that there's seeds of truth within mythology, and Faebound plays into that. We think we know everything there is to know about the world of Faebound, at least through Lettle and Yeeran's eyes, but as the story progresses, we discover alongside the sisters that myths may be closer to truths than they realize. It's fantastically plotted.

While I do wish the prophecies were a little less easy to figure out, I did still enjoy how important they are to the plot of the story and how entrenched in all the character's lives they are. They are also beautifully written, especially the one about the Fae's curse.
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WRITING:
This is my first time reading Saara El-Arifi's writing and I have to say, I'm a fan. Especially in regards to ensuring this tale is one full of diversity and representation. And the way its approached is nothing short of perfection. Everything, from gender identity to sexual orientation to the color of one's skin, is completely normalized within this book. There's no room given to question. This is how it is and that's that. I love it.

The author uses a gorgeous descriptive prose that keeps the world vibrant and alive in the reader's mind. It flows incredibly well and matches the tone and overall atmosphere of the story well. They're incredibly talented and I look forward to reading more of Saara El-Arifi's works.
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CHARACTERS:
If there's anything that stands out the most to me about this book, it's the characters. They are excellently written and portrayed. Not a hair was out of character and their interactions were joys to witness. Every fight, every banter, every flirt. Loved them all.

Yeeran - All Yeeran knows is battle and war. and boy does she make that her entire personality. Even when the truth is spitting her in the face, she bitterly struggles to hold on to the one constant in her life—The Forever War. I definitely felt a love-hate relationship with her over this, but I feel that was the author's point. Yeeran developed a bit over the course of this story, but I think her full arc is going to hit hard in the next upcoming books.

Lettle - Lettle feels more like a dreamer, compared to her sister. She's a student of divination and she clings tight to that as its something she's FINALLY good at, something I can completely relate to. Without her ability to divine, she's like a ship lost at sea as she struggles with learning to allow her prophecies to come to fruition instead of constantly fighting them. Compared to her sister, Lettle definitely had a larger growth arc which led me to feeling more connected with her. Sure her argumentative nature irked me sometimes, but she's got a solid head on her shoulders and despite being a dreamer, she's very much more in tuned with reality than her sister is.

Side characters - There really wasn't a supporting character that I didn't love. Pilla (Yeeran's animal companion) is a friggen hoot. The love interests were fantastically written and complimented their respective sister incredibly well. There really wasn't any character I didn't like.
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ENJOYMENT:
I LOVE a good fantasy romance, but sometimes they start to feel really redundant. THIS ONE HOWEVER. *chef's kiss* breath of fresh air. Its a fantastic take on the romantic fantasy and I struggled to put it down. I highly highly recommend this book! (I've already texted my sister that she needs to pick this book up)

Faebound is beautifully written. The world building was fantastic, and each of the characters was complex. The relationships between the characters were well developed, and truly sucked me into the story. Yeeran and Lettle were so different, but I could feel how much they loved one another. The foreshadowing was done perfectly so you could see several different options for what might happen without it giving the whole plot away. I will be checking out Sara’s other books because if they are anything like Faebound I know I will love them!

To be a book about Fae, it is completely different than any I have read. Such a unique story. I was drawn in immediately.
The characters are unique. Many different minorities are represented, which is such a wonderful thing. The story at times was predictable, but interesting nonetheless. There were a few twists I did not see coming. This was a quick read, and I couldn't put it down. Very beautifully written. My only disappointment is that it ends without being resolved. I am guessing this means there will be another. While I would love to read more from this world, I enjoy the completion of a storyline more. Oh well, I'll be patiently waiting for more!
I had a really hard time deciding between 4 and 5 stars. We can call it 4.5

A romantasy with pov of 2 sisters, sapphic, diverse bodies, diverse genders and enemies to lovers?!
I ate this book up, I loved that the sister relationship was one that I would actually believe sisters have. They go through fights, wars, exile, uncertainty together and as a sister myself can very much identify with that.
And the romance plots were so fun, it didn’t overtake the general story which I appreciate. I love me some enemies to lovers and had never read a sapphic one.
Overall, I really liked this book and will definitely read any upcoming books in the series!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for the ARC. 🫶🏼

The story in Faebound follows two elven sisters, Yeeran, a colonel of the Waning tribe, and Lettle, a diviner. As described in the summary, a fatal mistake causes Yeeran to be exiled from the elven lands and determined to stick with the only family she has left, Lettle follows. From there they stumble into the dangerous hands of the fae and the story’s complicated branches begin to grow.

The story covers so much ground in fantasy with prophecies, and magic systems and war politics and fae politics, ancient lore and of course, some romance. I really enjoyed the relationships in this book, even when I didn’t. I mean that I felt with the characters their emotions, Lettle’s jealousy, Yeeran’s longing for a lover that cast her out while fighting growing feelings for another, all while caring and worrying about their people they left behind and the new people that surround them…and the complicated bond of sisters who love each other fiercely but can but heads with all their differences. I also really liked the Obeah, because who wouldn’t want to be connected to a magical beast? Where can I get one of my own?

Over the course of the book I connected with Lettle and Yeeran though I struggled at first to connect with Yeeran in the beginning. The dutiful warrior is not a character type I relate to very well and I found myself much more comfortable with the grumpy and untrusting Lettle. I often found myself frustrated with Yeeran’s longing for Salawa. Every time I heard that name I wanted to smack her! But Yeeran really grew on me once her eyes began to open up to the truths around her.

I am looking forward to the next book after everything that happened in this one. I want to learn more about their world and this magic and how all the discoveries from this book are going to play out into the next. How long will I have to wait?

Beginning of this book was 4 stars, end 3 stars, so I rounded up. I really enjoyed the beginning - interesting worldbuilding and characters. I flew through the beginning. But halfway I felt like we lost some of the characters depth, especially when we went moved more towards the romantic plots. Yeeran starts as such a strong character, but by the end she just seems to revolve around her love interests. I liked Lettle's story more. Quite twisty through and enjoyed the quick moving plot. Overall I am interested in more from this author, but probably wouldn't continue the series.

Also from a medical background, the whole 'collapsed lung' scene really bugged me. (petty)

I know it’s early but I already cannot wait for the next one! Faebound was beautifully written and well thought out. The representation the book showcased was wonderfully done. The characters were fully fleshed out. Finally a fantasy where the main characters are not 17-19 years old! The world building took my breath away, Mosima sounds beautiful. I loved Pila!!! This needs to go to the top of everyone’s list, Faebound is truly a must read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Faebound follows two exiled elf sisters who find themselves hesitantly welcomed into the fae court, where secrets and conflict rage.

This was a really fun fantasy read! It was twisty, it was intriguing. The world was just the right amount of complicated. I particularly enjoyed the time we spent with each of the lead characters, getting to know them individually. I wasn't wholly convinced that these characters were in their thirties -- so much of the general vibe of this read felt more New Adult than staunchly adult. Even so, I found myself enjoying the ride, waiting with bated breath to find out how things would turn out in the end. I definitely am excited for the rest of the trilogy!

Another thing I loved about this book is the way that El-Arifi deals with gender and sexuality, which is to say that these characters are not treated as odd, as outcasts, or othered at all on the basis of their gender or sexuality. Instead, in this world, they just are, and it was beautiful and fun to read about them and to watch them tackle other obstacles. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how certain romances develop throughout the remainder of the trilogy as well, since this book saw so much early beginnings and not very much in terms of rich, developed, long-term relationships.

In all, this was a really solid fantasy read, and I look forward to more.

Faebound! What a gorgeous title and a very high fantasy book, i did like it i wasnt obsessed with the book, it did feel like an info dump at times but that could be something you really like, 2 povs with 2 different adventures this may be the it book for you!