okay so. this is a 3.5 through and through.

as an anticipated release of mine, this does not quite hit the mark i wished it would. it's engaging, i am invested in the characters, and i love the world and find it compelling, but the sinew connecting everything together was weak.

the pacing is slow and there isn't a very immediate sense of tension because the conflict constantly fluctuates. this is the sort of book where you just sit there and collect a lot of information before the revelations in the third act, and i wish the narrative would lean into that slow pace rather than attempt to make things more pressing than they are. by the third act, you do have a bit of a multi revelation showdown vine boom sound effect after vine boom sound effect. personally, i would have liked to be given more information as the narrative continued so we could feel tensions rise throughout the novel. (for girlies who have read it, basically, we needed a rayan pov). instead, they seem artificially constructed, both the tension preceding the revelations and the revelations themselves (to the audience). dramatic irony could have slayed mayhaps.

i also am not a huge fan of the romance. it feels a little sudden for both of the main characters, personally speaking. i'm very picky with my romance though. i also wish we see a larger scope of the world (not really in breadth, but in depth)

while the actual events of the plot seem stagnant, the steady drip of information about the world and magic system is compelling and kept me turning the page. i cannot stress enough how much i wish we got more of it. some of the conflicts resolved at the end of the book are a bit of a letdown and some had me gagged, but truly this is giving "first in a series" so it is more about the setup of future events than the events in this book themselves. which is fine by me.

i do enjoy following the characters. yeeran and lettle are my girls. you can't help but wish for them to succeed, and their courage and ambition are the driving force of the novel by far. i can't say too much without spoiling the book, but them and their immediate relationships are great. they do seem young for their age, but i'm guessing that since elves live to be like 150, then they're actually younger developmentally than a human would be? if that makes sense. i hope it does.

i'm interested in the sequel and i don't want to make a promise that i can't keep, but i am leaning toward reading it when it comes out.

I really thought that I was going to love this book, but it unfortunately fell short for me. The magic system and world are ratger unique and interesting, however I didn’t feel like either was fully explored to its full potential.

Along the same lines, I found that all of the characters were quite flat and one-dimensional which was probably the most disappointing part of the book for me. The dialogue also seemed very unnatural and robotic, and it was quite difficult to get past while reading. I unfortunately found myself not really caring about any of the characters, so it became quite difficult to become invested in the story.

I did really enjoy the author’s detailed descriptions of the world and setting. She really painted a vivid and beautiful world through her storytelling. I just wish that the story had not been so predictable and that the characters were more dynamic.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

I didn’t know if this would live up to the bar set in The Ending Fire trilogy but wow this was so so good!! I don’t know how El-Arifi creates such rich, unique worlds, but hot damn.

I loved so many aspects of this book: the magic system, queer-normativity, the African and Arab influence, the sapphic romances, the obeah, and the different races of elf, human, and fae.

The story immediately pulled me in and I finished in one sitting. I already want the next book. And though the ending felt very similar to The Final Strife, I enjoyed the rest so much that I didn’t even mind bc it clearly works!!

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the arc!

Fantasy. creative worldbuilding, lore, many mysteries, and a few romances. Faebound is checking all the boxes and was a refreshing read! El-Arifi created this new world with interesting people and lore, but also wasn't afraid to take chances with throwing some spins in the story. I loved how El-Afrifi did not get stuck in world creation- Especially with a new series that needs the foundation elements but always slows down a story; this didn't happen here. Normally I do not love too much romance in my fantasy, but I wanted more. I'm excited to see where this story leads with the prophecy elements, that felt the most refreshing to me.

My review will be posted on instagram (amarvelingbrew) on 1/22/24. Thank you for the arc!

Told from the perspective of two elf sisters who become trapped in the land of the fae, Faebound, follows these sisters on a journey that will test their loyalty to both each other and their homeland. Leetle and Yeeran will have their core beliefs tested as they are each forced to decide what it means to love and be loved.

This book had me hooked from the very beginning. There’s court politics, strong FMC’s, unique magic, great world building, found family, magical creatures, and enemies to lovers. I particularly loved the portrayal of Leetle and Yeeran’s sibling relationship, it felt very honest and relatable. There were a few points throughout the book where the plot was predictable but I don’t feel like it took away from my enjoyment of the story. Even when I knew what was going to happen, I still found myself wanting to keep reading because El-Arifi delivers this story in such an engrossing way. I think this is a must read for fantasy lovers!

Faebound has my heart! The covers are some of the most gorgeous I've ever seen! From the very beginning the story drew me in. We follow the story of two sister and a captain. Yeren the eldest sister has just become the youngest colonel in the Waning army before she was exiled at the hands of her lover. Her youngest sister Lettle hears of the news and flees after the last of her family. Along with Lettle follows Rayan, a captain under Yeren, follows behind Lettle as they both feel guilt of what's happened to Yeren. When reunited they face a group they once thought extinct. In their capture we get to experience the lore and culture of the Elves, Fae, and Humans.

Love and loyalties were tested though there was an understanding within them that truly made it hard to dislike anyone in the story. They are all just fighting for the freedom and wellbeing of their people, even if they go about it the wrong way.

The magic system was extremely unique. With Yeren who fights by drumfire that requires intention to wield. Her sister Lettle who is a diviner, that can voice prophecies. We also learn of how magic works amongst the different races.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I especially loved that it was a black sapphic romantasy and extremely queernormative. I'm so excited to see how their stories will continue in the next book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for gifting me an ARC of Faebound!

What a wonderful book! Faebound is one of the best fantasies I have read in a while. In my opinion, this is what romantasy should be. El-Arifi wove a beautiful and intricate world together with such dynamic characters, and I became invested in them immediately. I cannot wait to see what the rest of the series brings.

Thank you to netgalley for giving me an early copy!

First and foremost, I liked that the characters were in their 30s. The plot was unique and i loved how african culture and folklore/mythology was woven into the story. The folklore was added in a way that was easy to follow and understand, especially as someone who isn't necessarily familiar with the stories. "We are all tyrants" was such a good line, I really loved the inclusion of it because it showed that many times even if the characters believe they are in the right and doing things for the right reasons, they are still in a position of power and willing to do whatever it takes so that the odds go in their favors. For me as a reader I didn't necessarily feel like the romance between Yeeran and Furi feel as intense as it was being portrayed, I know they're supposed to be enemies to lovers but even when they became "lovers" and whispered love to each other it didn't feel like they actually meant it. Overall it was a really enjoyable book and I can't wait to see more from this author!

This book should 100% be on the list of “must read” fantasy books for this year. I actually felt like this book was a breath of fresh air in the fantasy world. The cultural influence that the author infused into the story really made a difference in not getting lost in the heaps of fae stories that have been coming out lately.

The world building was sprinkled throughout the entire book as the story and characters progressed, making it a lot easier to swallow. The detail the author put in to describing each setting was amazing. Mosima was described so in depth and sounds so beautiful, it’s on my list of “fictional places I wish I could visit.” 😩

I absolutely loved that the characters were in their mid 20’s and 30’s. They were all greatly fleshed out characters that you quickly attached to for one reason or another. Not to mention, there was a great amount of lgbtqia+ representation that was presented beautifully.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

This was one of my most anticipated releases this year and it did not disappoint. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I was constantly on edge because El-Arifi is so good at plot twists. The world building is great and I can't wait to see how that continues to develop, especially as we learn more about the relationship between elves and faeries, as the series progresses. This is a great addition to the romantasy genre, between the main relationships in the book. I also really enjoyed the relationship between the sisters, Yeeran and Lettle.

As this is the first in a trilogy, I'm really looking forward to seeing where the story leads.

I love this author, but I was honestly just not into this book. Part of that is the book is from two sisters points of view, and I couldn’t stand the younger sister. There was just something so annoying and grating about her personality. I think I would have liked this book without her being the focus of half the book, but it is what it is.

4 stars!

This is my first book by Saara El-Arifi and it most definitely will not be my last. I thought the world that she created was lush, interesting, and engaging. I loved how diverse the world was racially, sexually, and also through gender, and I appreciated how it was just a built-in part of the world. I've never read a fantasy book that mixed fae and elves so that was unique, and I think this was a great entry into a new series.

Where I think this wasn't extremely perfect for me was in two aspects: the predictability and the romance. I felt like this was marketed to me as a fantasy romance and I felt like all of the romance was super insta lovey and with specifically Lettle's relationship I'm not sure I ever understood what caused her and her relationship interest to start liking each other. Additionally, with the plot almost all of the twists I saw coming and there was nothing super surprising that shocked me.

That being said, I will definitely be reading the next book and I'm excited to see where else we go in this world!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you netgalley for gifting this arc for reviewing purpose's. This was such an awesome fantasy filled with amazing magic systems and easy to understand. There’s amazing world building that I was able to picture perfectly!! There is also some spice!!! I can’t wait for book 2 to come out to see where the story goes!!!

Thank you Random House and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was great, but I’ll admit it took me a little to get into.

I love war stories, especially in fantasy, but the frustrating thing about following a main character who is a soldier is their unwavering loyalty, drive and purpose. They have such huge blinders on that it makes me wanna scream sometimes.

In saying that, Yeeran was a fantastic main character. She felt things so deeply, so keenly, and that passion was intoxicating to read. Even moreso when some of it transferred to Furi. I LOVED the progression of hers and Furi’s relationship and the way they could both understand and acknowledge the way they felt for each other while also understanding and acknowledging the way they felt didn’t change their duty or their purpose.

I also freaking adored Yeeran’s bond with Pila, too. Pila may actually be my favourite character. The little sassy remarks, the animal instinct combined with human thoughts and feelings, the deep bond they shared. It just made me so happy.

Lettle and Rayan were great characters, too. Their romance was a lot quicker and, on the surface, less complicated, but I’m so interested to see what happens with them next, especially with Lettle’s prophecy looming.

A lot of the foreshadowing in this felt a little too heavy handed, meaning nothing in the plot really took me by surprise when it felt like it was supposed to, but I still enjoyed the overall plot nonetheless, and I’m very keen to see what happens in the next book.

4.5/5 stars

Faebound is an enchanting story about a Warrior exiled from her home and her diviner sister who follows her sister into an unknown world. When the sisters discover the fairytales they hear of Fae and humans are true when they find themselves captured by fae and everything they knew about the world changes.

Can I just say I want an obeah? If you love the connection between dragons and riders or animals and fae, humans, elves then you will love the book.

Faebound had great pacing keeping readers on their toes. I loved the lgbtq+ representation and the gender fluidity of characters in the book. I did wish the book spent more time developing the characters. Sometimes the lack of depth of different characters from early on in the book made it hard to empathize and connect with characters. In addition, the book was sometimes very predictable for me even though the characters didn’t catch on until much later. That being said I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

I can’t wait until the next book to see where fate takes the characters. There is still so much adventure, political intrigue, romance and, I fear, heartbreak to be had in the world of Faebound.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review.

Faebound brings us an enchanting world which long ago had the humans, the fae, and the elves living in a constant state of battle and bloodlust against one another. Over time, this led to the extinction of the humans and the disappearance of the fae, leaving only the elves behind and the memory of history to fade away into fable and myth.

I was quite intrigued by the premise of this story, especially because popular fantasy nowadays tends to include only fae and humans and I was eager to see another mythical race added into the mix. I think Saara did an incredible job fleshing out the similarities and differences between the three races, making each of their roles in the story quite relevant and important rather than just adding a new species for the sake of being new or different. This was well done!

Another aspect of Faebound that I LOVED was the gender fluidity of all the characters. It was so fun to read about and I loved being able to envision a society where people’s gender identity and preferences were just a natural part of life with no judgement or awkwardness. And the fact that it wasn’t just one token gender fluid character? *Chef’s kiss. It was by far my favorite part of Faebound!

I did have a few takeaway notes I wanted to share, highlighting the not-so-great aspects of this read.

- The pacing and the flow of the story was odd at times. In part one, events started happening so fast that I wasn’t given a chance to care about the characters before things started changing drastically. So as a character’s career and life is being ruined, I found I just didn’t care. It took me a good 50% of the book to become emotionally invested in the characters, and even then they felt hollow to me.
- Yeeran was just a h*rny gal, it seemed she couldn’t think of anything besides the beauty of her lovers.
- Tropey for the sake of being tropey. We get a one bed scene super early on between characters that had no real chemistry. It felt forced and unnatural and a bit cringey, and I felt it was added early just to draw in mainstream trope lovers. (Not that a one bed trope is bad, they can be REAL GOOD, it just wasn’t great timing or execution in this case).
- Characters that have logic? Nonexistent.
- The prophecies were quite obvious, and left me frustrated that the characters were unable to figure them out sooner. They are supposed to be incredibly intelligent military leaders! It seemed an insult to their (alleged) intelligence.
- There were a myriad of phrases and words used in the story that pulled me out of the reading haze/illusion rather abruptly. Like modern phrasing or references to things that just did not make sense in this world, or that these characters really should not know about. It was jarring to be engrossed in the story then to be pulled out of it by the writing in those instances.
- Marketed as Adult (I believe?), reads like a YA.

Overall, I really wanted to love this book and it had some real potential, but it ended up falling a bit flat for me.

Publication date: 1/23/2024

Thank you netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Faebound immediately caught my attention. It was a immersive and intricate story while still being fast-paced. I enjoyed the lore and the characters so much. Feels like just the beginning of a really exciting, and maybe devastating?, story.

Admittedly, I have a hard time getting into fantasy books. Perhaps I get too impatient with the details to appreciate how they lend to the world.

This book was no different to start. Much of the beginning 50-70% of the book was world and character building. You are introduced to three races - elves, humans, and fae - who are prophesied that all three shall perish lest all three survive.

Yeeran and Lettle are our main elf focuses, two sisters brought up during the Endless War. Yeeran has chosen to take up the fight like her mother while Lettle has chosen to be a diviner. Yeeran makes choices that get her exiled from her elven tribe and imprisoned by the fae, believed to have long died our from the world.

The action picks up a bit when Yeeran, Lettle, and Lettle's Captain Rayan are brought to Mosima where the fae live including their two queens, Queen Vyce's daughter Furi, and many others. Many events transpire as the eleves are immersed in this whole new world, finding more of themselves than they ever thought possible.

I was surprised by many of the twists as the book built in suspense. And at the end, despite the slow speed for me to get into it, I absolutely loved the story and can't wait to read more about the events unfolding and the relationships between the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and author Saara El-Arifi for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Faebound is the wonderfully cozy fantasy novel everyone needs to read this year! This book has a slower paced start but picks up immensely around the 20% mark. After that I couldn't put the book down. The writing style was clear and easy to read, flowing but not overwrought.
The main characters, Yeeran and Lettle, were endearing and showed very different perspectives on the fantasy world. This was made even more effective as the story is told in dual POV from both of the sisters. Their love for each other despite being so different was an endearing quality to the story and made me invested in the characters right away.

The lore in this book was complex and very well thought out. I loved the inclusion of the folk stories at the beginning of the sections of the book. The world itself was very inclusive and featured trans, nonbinary, POC, and disabled characters. It was so refreshing to read a book where all these characters are understood. In addition, this book features relationship structures of all kinds. It was especially great to see a sapphic relationship at the center as this is often underrepresented in books. The world overall feels like a place that you would want to live in forever but also has so much tension that builds throughout the book, and the magic system is unique and complex. If you love political tension, sisterly affection, and fantasy animals this world is for you!

Overall, this book is one of the best fantasy books that I have read in a long time and I cannot wait to see what the series has in store!

This one just didn't do it for me. The idea was really intriguing and the world building was a huge plus. I was really drawn in from just the first two pages. That being said, everything else felt rather bland.

The characters were pretty flat and hard to connect to, it was a bit predictable, and there seemed to be some pacing issues especially in the first halfish of the book.

It 100% was not an poor reading experience, but for me it was just fine. A lot of people LOVE this. I think if it was more of an intro into fantasy/romantasy it would be much more enjoyable.