Y’all. This book. I fell in love with this book, these characters, and this world.

For me, this fantasy world is one of my top favorites right now. From the Obeah, to the Fates, to some of the epic twists in the last half of the book, it was truly a fun, engaging, exciting read. I wanted to be immersed in this world and now I cannot wait to read more!

I will opt for only 4 stars here for the sole purpose that I think some of the writing with the love stories was a little bit shallow. I think there could have been some more depth to the relationships. I also think there were a few predictable twists, but I didn’t think it necessarily ruined the book by any means. Just made you start thinking about what would happen after that.

Overall, loved this book, will be reading the second and recommending to those who love fantasy as well :)

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey – Random House for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions presented in this review are mine alone.

I have decided I would like to start each review with author appreciation. Writing a novel, whether it’s the first or the fiftieth is an accomplishment – I congratulate and thank this author for bringing their story out of their mind and onto the page.
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Faebound
by Saara El-Arifi
⭐⭐⭐
🌶🌶🌶
This story seemed to have many elements I enjoy: a fantasy world with an interesting magic system, fae, queer romance, prophecies, bonding with majestic magical creatures. Unfortunately, the execution just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I didn’t hate it. It was just…*shrug* okay.

We are set in a world built by three gods who each create a race of beings – Humans, Fae, and Elves. Legend says the Fae killed off all humans, save one, who then cursed the Fae to banishment under the earth and they are never seen again. No one knows what happened to the one remaining human. Only Elves remain.

The story mainly follows Yeeran, an Elven warrior who has recently been promoted to Colonel. She dedicated her life to the Waning Army – one of four Eleven territories (Waxing, Crescent, Eclipse, and Waning). The Elves have been engaged in the “Forever War,” fighting for access to untapped mines of a valuable crystal called Fraedia. This precious resource holds properties of the sun and just a small amount could be used to end hunger and poverty for Yeeran’s people.

Following the events of her first day as Colonel, Yeeran finds herself exiled from Elven lands. She is followed by her younger sister, Lettle, a diviner, and a devoted Captain, Rayan. They soon find themselves captured by Fae. They are taken back to the underground Fae realm, Mosima, where the rest of the story unfolds.

Mosima is a beautiful paradise, nothing like you would expect considering it’s underground. In fact, the Fae land and the magical creatures- the Obeah – who play a key role in the plot, were by far the most interesting aspects of the story for me. I enjoyed the lore, but the description of legends and history made the upcoming events somewhat predictable.

I also didn’t really connect with either Yeeran or Lettle (both given POVs). At first, I seemed to engage more with Lettle, but her reactions to prophecies that were ridiculously obvious ended up being annoying. As a diviner she admits prophecies don’t always mean what you immediately think they do, but then she jumps right into her assumptions, which ends up making her seem pretty obtuse. I did like Rayan and I am curious to see how his character develops in book two. Yeeran became more interesting once Pila, an Obeah, entered the picture. I adored Pila’s commentary. We all could use a Pila in our lives. More Pila please.

As for the spice: I’m all for a good romantasy and enemies-to-lovers plot line, but I just didn’t feel the sparks here. Spicy scenes are best when there has been effective sexual tension. Here it was a bit lackluster. I think it should have been drawn out longer. Just when sexual tension starts to build, they’re suddenly full-on into the action. Make them work before getting to the chili peppers!

There were one or two big reveals I didn’t predict but most I saw coming a mile away. At the end, we’re left hanging with one piece of prophecy and I’m pretty sure I know where it’s headed but I hope it will go somewhere unexpected.

Though this didn’t quite hit the mark for me it did hold my attention until the end. There are good bones here and I do want to find out what happens in book two. My hope is that book one ends up being the world-building, background/foundation that develops into a captivating epic fantasy…with more Pila. Always more Pila.

Sometimes you stumble on a gem. This book will wrap you up in its fantasy and keep you thinking about it long after. The characters are like your friends and family. You will find yourself rooting and hollering across the room for them! Don’t think too hard about it, buy it. You don’t want to miss out on this adventure.

This was a solid Fantasy book, and a solid Sapphic Fantasy.
I am not sure I would categorize it as a Romantasy though, even though there was some romance portions.

In this book there are three Gods, and those three gods had three children, Fae, Elves, and Humans.
"All shall perish lest all three thrive."

This book had all the elements of books I've been seeing lately. There are elements of choosing your own gender, freedom of sexuality, with the Fae you can have multiple sexual partner, and you don't even have to raise your own children, there are animal soul bonds, drum fire, divination, prophesies and there is a forever war among the Elves that had a lot of political classism elements to it. Two Tribes who seem to be fighting over resources and just the fact that they've always been at war they will never stop being at war. Oh and most importantly there are sisters, who would do anything for each other.

When it came to the love interests, I wasn't really sold on either one of them, they felt rushed and didn't feel solid to me. I wasn't rooting for them if that makes sense.

The book was fun to read, but around the middle, it got a little bit drawn out.

-Characters-
Yeeran the older sister was a solider inside and out, but I felt like she should have been smarter in some parts of the book, rather than fawning over someone. This is my only critic of that portion.
Leetle the younger sister who has learned the power of Divination. I liked her a little more than the older sister but again I felt like she should have been focusing more on her situation rather than trying to not love someone.
These are things that I have to put on the back burner of my review though because this is a romance/fantasy.
Pila however has my heart for ever and ever. She was so cute and I loved her so much.
Golan reminded me heavily of China from the hunger games, I am going to assume that is who this character was based on, and if it's not I will be REALLY surprised.

One other minor issue, is I saw some of the things coming from a mile away and I wanted some more surprise plot twists. I wanted the prophesies to be a little less obvious as well.

The world building wasn't exhausting which I appreciate more than I can express, while it wasn't extensive, I got enough of it to understand what's happening and why.

I will be reading the next book, and I am glad I read this one, it was enjoyable. I'm not going to say it was the best book of the year, but it was good.

Thank you Net Galley for the Arc Approval.

Faebound by Saara El-Arifi
2.5/5 ⭐️⭐️💫

Im actually very sad that I did not love this book as much as I wanted to. The ideas were brilliant but I was left with some level of disappointment.

Let me start by sharing the things I enjoyed about the book:

The magical ending of the book was exactly what I was hoping for. The romance was an integral part of the story without becoming the entire plot. Additionally, the world was unique, and the magical elements were easy to grasp. The diversity of the characters was a highlight: including people of color, nonbinary, and LGBTQ+ characters. There were also very strong female characters were scattered throughout the book

However, there were some things that I found difficult:

Some of the characters were frustratingly difficult, and their challenging demeanor didn't add much to the plot. Some of them were so dense it was annoying. The pacing of the book was inconsistent throughout. Some spots were so slow I wanted to put the book down and others were so exciting it kept me going. The world-building was scattered and missed the mark on capturing the full beauty of the world. These things made the book pretty unenjoyable to me but I do think the right person would love this.

If the author had added a solid 200-300 pages to focus on the characters, magic, and background of the fae, human, and elvish war, the book would have been much better. Although the ending was predictable, it was enjoyable. While I struggled with the book's first 70%, I'm glad I powered through for the ending.

I recommend Faebound to those who are not familiar with fantasy novels. It's more romantic fantasy, and some people love that! This may be a case where it just wasn’t for me but would absolutely be a top read for someone else. I think this storyline has some serious potential. I understand why this is a highly anticipated book and I hope that the next book in the series picks up with the same pace and excitement as the ending.

This was give to me as an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book!

idk i wish i liked this a lot more than i did, the lore and fantasy was good but it was just kinda underwhelming? i took a break in between to read fanfiction and that’s kinda what helped me realize i wasn’t enjoying the book as much as i thought i was. the sapphic relationship was great tho! also i felt like the characters acted a lot younger than what they were? like when i realized they’re thirty i was kinda confused cus they act as though they’re in their early 20s.

Thank you Random House Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

If you’re looking for a romantasy that diversifies your shelf this is it. A fantasy inspired by African mythology with an incredibly unique magic system. Sapphic romance and gender fluid representation. A world with three gods and three people; fae, elves and humans. A forever war that will continue until all three can unite. Our FMC is an elf, a colonel in the Forever War who has grown up in a world where fae and human have been eradicated. Rival clans of elves continue in a war for power and land. This book starts off strong as a war based fantasy and quickly transports the reader into the unknown world where our main characters discover that their world is much larger than it seemed and that their history may be richer than they realize. Multiple magic types; drum magic, divination, sun magic, and talking bonded magical animal companions. Absolutely loved this story and cannot wait for the continuation of this series.

Set in a world where there once lived Fae, Elves, and Humans, you follow 2 sisters who think that only Elves remain. Locked in a Forever War with different Elven Tribes, you follow Yeeran, a colonel in the Waning Tribe's Army, and her sister Lettle, a diviner training to lead all diviners, as their destined are interrupted. First by becoming outcasts and then by stumbling into Fae which they believed no longer existed. As they navigate life with the Fae, we begin to understand the flaws in both Elvish and Fae societies. The story starts off slow but builds into a crescendo of action and adventure. While some of the plot twists are very foreshadowed, there are still some that will take you by surprise. At the end of the day, the rush of adventure is the reason to read this story as well as the exploration of the Fae and their Obeah companions. Add a dash of romance and heap of familial affection and this becomes a 2024 fantasy must read. I have high hopes for the next book in the series.

I just want to have a little preface on my review. I want you to know that I really like the ideas and the themes that Saara El-Arifi was going for. Like the world is really fleshed out and Mosima was such an amazing background for most of the plot. And the whole the environment reacts to the rulers thing was so cool. There are so many things that happened that were exciting and all the secrets were awesome. All tge characters were really fleshed out and I could really feel their differences. However with all of that I still felt like this story could have had something more or different. The book has some pacing problems. Usually people say that they love really fast paced books but this one felt like it was sprinting to the end. I would have loved to actually feel like Mosima was real but it felt really empty. I felt like the Fae and their Obeah were not even there. Like this is literally all of the Fae people in one place, and yet we don't interact with hardly any of them. I'm just saying this would have been my favorite book to read this year but it just didn't really reach that. Still was a fun and quick read and really helped me escape reality.

Saara El-Arifi NEVER DISAPPOINTS!

If you loved The Final Strife, you'll definitely love this book! If you haven't read The Final Strife... read it after you read Faebound!

I cannot wait to see how the story picks up in the next book!! 😩😩

I enjoyed the overall concept/plot of this book and the aspects included but it definitely fell short. I do feel like it was far too predictable. I liked the characters as individuals, but when it came to their romantic relationships it felt like there was no chemistry due to “insta love”. I honestly feel like this should have been edited more carefully. There were so many dropped hints that gave the book away I was bored before the halfway mark. The chemistry between characters could have been built up through more dialogue and character action. The obeah were by far the best part of Faebound.
Aspects I liked:
Multiple POVs
POC characters (Afro/Arab inspired)
LGBTQ relationships and gender fluidity
Disability representation
Drum magic
Elves and Fae
Political intrigue

“Faebound" swept me into an enchanting world, earning a solid 4.5/5 stars in my book. This fast-paced, captivating read provided the perfect pick-me-up, with outstanding world-building that immersed me in the fae's seductive court. Yeeran and Lettle, the elven sisters, became characters I adored, especially appreciating Lettle's strength despite initial perceptions.

The representation of physical differences touched me personally, resonating with my own experiences. The love interests were well-crafted, complementing the female main characters seamlessly. The twists and turns, coupled with suspense, kept me eagerly turning pages, and the rich lore and mythical creatures added depth to the narrative.

I foresee "Faebound" becoming a bestseller upon its January 23rd release.
A big thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House-Ballantine publishing for a copy of this ARC – a delightful exchange for an honest review.

Don't miss out on this magical journey, mark your calendars!

I just finished this book and can not wait for the next one to come out! It was a slow start at the beginning but it definitely picks up and got interesting. An emeny to lovers and the plot was good with some twists you didn't see coming. I definitely recommend!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for generously providing an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I'd give this a solid 3.5 stars but will round up to give props for the normalization of queer characters, a main character with a disability, and having a wide range of diversity. I enjoyed the premise of this book and thought it was a good series opener. There's a lot of world building, and it's a bit slow at times. Many of the plot twists were predictable but a few of them I didn't see coming. I'll be interested to see how the story progresses as the series continues.

This book was absolutely AMAZING. It was heart wrenching, funny, bloody, and adventurous. I fell in love with each of the main characters and truly felt like I was there with them. There were so many twists and turns that the book never felt boring or stuck. Captivating, amazing. I can’t wait for book two!

I could have really enjoyed the story, but the author was far too focused on left wing narratives to allow it to feel as though it was flowing naturally. Of all of the characters in the book, there was only one couple, 2 total people, who were not portrayed as LGBTQ+. This book was obviously set up for a sequel, but sadly I would not read it.

The author does have talent, but if they want to reach a wide audience, will have to refocus.

I enjoyed this one. I know it has been very hyped out, and if I'm being honest, probably over-hyped, but I did like it. I think some of the twists were fairly predictable, but overall I enjoyed the characters. I just wanted MORE from them. It seemed to go from hmmm, maybe straight to BAM LOVE and not a lot of in between. I wanted more of those moments to build up to the relationships, see them actually get to know each other.

I liked the magic system and the world with the three gods a lot, and I will definitely be picking up book 2 when it releases.

This review will be posted on Goodreads on January 20th, 2024--the review has been linked! I will also be posting a TikTok recommending the book as it was ABSOLUTELY amazing!

Every time I sat down to read this book, I was immediately immersed in the story. The writing style of El-Arifi is absolutely gorgeous and captivating. Though there were many characters and different plot points, I never felt overwhelmed or confused by the writing. The way that she captures the different internal strifes of the characters is wonderfully executed and I am definitely going to check out more of her writing in the future.

This story is a journey of its characters as the navigate the situations they're put in even when it feels like the world is against them. This book perfectly captures the way the character's minds try to solve or rationalize the horrible things the world is constantly throw at them. The way this book executes relationships--both platonic and romantic--is superb. The somewhat strained familial yet supportive dynamic of Lettle and Yeeran is one that I feel many will relate to. They can sometimes tease each a. bit harshly other or maybe take things too far, but in the end, they both are always there to support and raise each other up. The romantic relationships between Yeeran and Furi, and Lettle and Rayan are wonderfully executed as well. They each have their own respective strifes that keep them apart, but by the end their relationships are beautiful to read if not bittersweet in the case of Yeeran and Furi.

This books representation of marginalized groups is also completely astounding. The cast overtly contains a myriad of people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community, and it is done exceptionally. El-Arifi wonderfully captured the essence of these characters without stereotyping them or simply mentioning these traits in passing as is unfortunately common. Each character's identity was integral to their being, and it was beyond enjoyable to see!

Overall, I would say that anyone looking for a diverse story with an absolutely wonderful fantasy world and plot should definitely pick up Faebound by Saara El-Arifi.

thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

faebound is the first in an upcoming trilogy about two sisters lettle and yeeran. yeeran is a warrior in the elven army who ends up exiled after a mistake, causing lettle to go on a journey to find her. because of this, they encounter the lost fae lands — known to be gone for years.

i really enjoyed this book! the sister relationship between the main characters was very raw and real. going through their discoveries into the fae court was really interesting. i like the concept of a world turned upside down fantasy novel, so this checked all my boxes. and the romance was top tier — enemies to lovers and friends to lovers. culminating with the grand reveal at the end, i think the next two books are going to be so addicting as well! it set the scene nicely.

the only difficulty i had was getting into the world building. i have this issue with every fantasy book, but just keeping track of new names and the world can be hard the first 20%. once i got into the world building more, i definitely really enjoyed it.

Saara El-Arifi's "Faebound" is an excellent introduction to adult fantasy, offering an enchanting blend of accessible storytelling and intricate worldbuilding. It's easy to grasp yet brimming with enchantment. El-Arifi crafted a story that's both familiar and fantastically unique.

The sibling dynamics and character distinctions are one of the hightlights of this book. Each character leaps off the page with individuality, adding layers to the narrative. However, due to the multiple POVs, a lot of the information learned by one is then repeated in the next POV to bring the rest of the characters up to speed.

"Faebound" deserves applause for its rich tapestry of characters that reflect a diverse and inclusive world. The author seamlessly weaves in characters with disabilities, representing the often underrepresented, and gives them meaningful roles within the narrative. The inclusion of various gender identities and queer characters adds depth and authenticity to the story, breaking away from traditional norms.

Now, about the romance – the romantic elements didn't quite hit the mark for me and felt too fast to fall for me. However, even without a connection to the romances, "Faebound" paves the way for a promising series. While the pacing was slow, the last 25% amped up the excitement, leaving me eager for more.

Though somewhat predictable, the prophecies added an intriguing layer to the story. The Fae world was a magical spectacle brought to life by El-Arifi's descriptive prowess. And let's not forget the animal companions – the unsung heroes injecting humor and personality into the tale, often stealing the spotlight.

In the end, "Faebound" is a journey worth taking. Despite the romantic tune not quite hitting the right notes for me, the symphony of worldbuilding, magic, and captivating characters makes it a fantastic introduction to a promising series. So, if you're dipping your toes into adult fantasy, consider this your enchanted invitation.