Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

3 stars

I think the plot of this story was so intriguing but the execution fell flat. The pacing of this book made me start to skip certain parts because most of the time not much is happening. I didn't feel any connection to the characters and felt as if they were one-dimensional.

Stories of the gods and elvish prophecies drive this book.

We follow the stories of Yeeran, an elvish colonel, and Lettle, her diviner sister, This begins as a very military fantasy, as we follow Yeeran through her first day as colonel of the Waning army during the Forever War. She's given a prophecy by her sister, and in following it, she gets herself exiled.

Not wanting to be apart from her, Lettle and Yeeran's captain Rayan follow her into exile. What they don't expect is to encounter fae, who are just a part of their fairytales as far as most elves are concerned. They're then drawn into the fae world and their lives are turned upside down.

I did enjoy this book. The unique world building, the different magic system, and the different worlds and cultures was very interesting. I just wish everything had been explored a little more.

I also really love the diverse cast of characters, the normalization of queer characters and different sexualities and viewpoints of relationships, and the representation of characters with disabilities that weren't limited by those things. The hetero and sapphic romances were a breath of fresh air, though often felt more lust driven than deeper.

The story was rather slow in some parts, and that took me out of the book quite a bit. I really feel like the author was setting up for the next book in the series, and I hope that all this setup really shines through in the next book. I'm not sure if there were supposed to be big twists in this story, but to me it was all rather obvious how the prophesies would play out and how other events came to be.

Overall, I'm very happy that I read this, and loved a lot of the elements. It just missed the mark for me in being a truly amazing book. I have full confidence though, that it will find it's perfect readers out there.

A sapphic fantasy, with an engaging magical system and likable characters. I love how it begins with a battle gone south, and the sister duo now thrown into the world of fae. A beautiful beginning to a series that presents potential to be a new favorite. I enjoyed that it was in a dual point of view, and how you could clearly tell the different voices of the characters rather than them blending together. I am a sucker for a new take on not just fantasy worlds, but also how such interesting world backgrounds and connections between the groups of people.
Thank you NetGalley and author Saara El-Arifi for allowing me to read an advanced copy for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book so much. I don't know if it's too early in the year, considering it's only January, but I'd have to say that this book might be my favorite of the year. This book has been living rent free in my head since I read it. Even though I was given the book as an ARC, I have already bought it physically. Definitely enjoying the world building, gave me Lord of the Rings vibes with it's own mythology and world. Giving it its own mythology kind of gives a unique view at the characters you don’t normally get to see. I really loved the diverse array of characters and their strengths, but also flaws. Beautiful story. Couldn’t put it down. Absolutely lovely.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

When it comes to fantasy books that involve Fae or Fairies it is a very big hit or miss and it takes the write kind of author to pull off a story that involves them. And for it has always been Holly Black that has big at the top, which is why she is known as the queen of fairies. Now that I have read Faebound Saara El-Arifi is giving Holly Black a run for her money because oh my god was this good!

I am so glad this is not a standalone and there will be more books because I need more of this world. Now is this anything out of the ordinary? Something original? the short answer is no. But sometimes a story is about how its told rather than what is told so I will say Faebound will not be for everyone.

The world building was average but since it is going to be a series there is still plenty of world building to do. The characters were the best part. The story follows Yeeran, an elf who is exiled and along with her is her sister, Lettle, and her friend Rayan. They find themselves being a captive amongst the Fae who are a species that was supposed to have died out long ago. And that is pretty the books plot and things start happening around 100 pages so you will have to be patient.

I am fully invested in the series and will be reading the following books.

I am amazed with this world and the angles of self reflection Yeeran, Lettle and Furi go through. I always get a book slump but faebound? Baby I was on a Rollercoaster. I never knew I needed dual love stories between two sisters POV's. The magic of the crowned Fae couple are part of the earth and animal life with magic was done so well. The plot and twists were not subtle but it was still very enjoyable.

Themes:
Sapphic
Endless war between elf tribes
Slow burn x2!
Animal companions
Prophesies and seers
Enemies to lovers
Disability rep
Trans rep

Thank you to NetGalley for the gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am now a huge fan of Saara El-Arifi! This book has everything you could want from a fantasy book - great world building, complex and unique character and a captivating storyline. I was able to finish it in just a few sittings. look forward to more from this author!

I was immersed in the story right from the start. The world building was vivid and imaginative and really gave you a greats sense of the environment and the individuals within it.

There was strong character growth that stunted at times, but in a way that showed such a realistic entwinement of characters, displaying their flaws and strengths.

I cannot wait for the character art of the Obeah to start coming in because they are the creatures of imagination. Just enough detail that you are intrinsically enthralled in their beauty but enough is left up to the imagination that not only will you sound crazy if you try and explain them in public, but the frame to paint the picture inside of is gorgeous to begin with.

5 out of 5 ⭐️
9 out of 10 ⭐️

*would be 10 if it had a translation guide because I want to experience the lyrics of the language as intended. Guess I need to get the audiobook then 💁🏻‍♀️)

𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺 • 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺 • 𝘋𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘖𝘝
𝘈𝘙𝘊 • 𝘗𝘶𝘣 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘦 23 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘺 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

War stories have become increasingly popular within the romantasy sub-genre. Faebound combines this and other familiar fantasy tropes with unique elements in a a fun, easily consumable package. There will be:
✨ 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 (𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴)
✨ 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴
✨ 𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 (𝘥𝘳𝘶𝘮 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤)
✨ 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘴 (𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴)
✨ 𝘧𝘢𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵
✨ 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘰𝘧 & 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦
✨ 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳
✨ 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦
✨ 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴

I appreciated that the book was written in a queer and disability-normative, gender-fluid, and racially-ambiguous way. Instead of riding dragons or horses, here we ride obeahs and camels. And of course, there's going to be a journey across realms and a very fancy map in the endpapers worth ogling.

What did not work as well for me in this story was the writing. It felt simplistic relative to other high fantasy (or even romantasy) adult novels. I would say this leaned YA (dialogue, descriptions, mostly fade to black, predictable storyline, complexity of magic). I would like the characters and relationships to have been developed in greater depth also.

There were some great one liners, moments of reflection, and a few surprise twists! I definitely will sign up to read volume 2.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 @𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 @𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘙𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

This book is a delightful blend of war, fae, elves, mystery, politics, romance, and sisterhood, striking a good balance among these elements. The world-building, especially with elves and fae as rivals, is incredibly well done, introducing a concept that feels fresh and adds to the book's allure. The lore is captivating, and I found myself deeply invested in it.

The fantasy presented is diverse and exciting! The plot revolves around a hidden kingdom rich in ancient history, drum and nature magic, and the struggle for escape. While the initial military fantasy tone in the first 10% didn't resonate with me, the story takes a significant turn once Yeeran leaves the clan. The narrative is filled with twists, turns, assassinations, and double-crossings that, while not entirely surprising, are still appreciated. The ending brings things full circle in many aspects while leaving room for the sequel.

The craftsmanship behind the world-building and lore is, and the gradual revelation of details throughout the story avoid overwhelming the reader with information. The characters, mainly in their late 20s to mid-30s, are well fleshed out. Yeeran and Lettle, the main POVs, showcase a relatable sisterly relationship. The side characters are also interesting, providing depth to the overall narrative. While the characters may act rashly at times, it's understandable, given the high stakes. The book's pacing drags occasionally, and the ending, while revealing, feels a bit rushed and predictable. Nevertheless, this unique fantasy book offers an enjoyable experience, and I'm curious to see what unfolds in the sequel.

Magic. Creatures. Tons of angst and tension. A marvelous concoction that’s sure to thrill you as you explore this multifaceted world full of unique characters and world building.

First, the inclusivity, equality and BIPOC rep made me beyond over the moon. However when it came down to the world building, it did come off a little slower than. i would have liked to see.

When it came down to the plotline, it did also drag just a little. Instead of being a little shook over the twists and turns, the foreshadowing took some of the surprise out of it by being almost too heavy. The characters also suffered a little as a result of the plots pace being off kilter.

I feel like some of the inner monologue was more of a juvenile age, and some of the relationships simply felt rushed, or honestly… as if that person did not matter to the character in question.

Overall I did still enjoy the book, and while I dont think it held up to the expectations I had from all the hype, I was still able to melt into the story itself for what it was.

AHHHHHH!!!!! I loved every part of this, from the magical creatures to the angst to the tension. I appreciated the facets to every character and how and why each of them made the decisions they did. I can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was so excited when I saw that I got the arc for this book from NetGalley !! This was such a fun read !! Really enjoyed the world building and the characters. I do feel like parts were definitely rushed and the book could have been much longer, but overall it was still a fun ride and I’m excited to see where the rest of the trilogy goes.

If I didn’t commit to write a review for this, I would have stopped reading after one chapter. This was a rough one. The writing didn’t seem to flow at all and the characters confused me. The main character had a problem with her lover because they couldn’t agree on whether or not child soldiers were okay? And they were together for 15 years? I feel like there was a vague hint of a story but it felt like notes I would take when I was coming up with world-building before I was able to flesh it all out. I had a rough time with this one.

Tik tok burned me. I kept seeing this was “the fantasy book of 2024” and I’m thinking now that was clever marketing instead of sincere reviews.

I received this book from net galley on exchange for a review.

Faebound 3.75⭐️ 3🌶️

Fantasy
🏳️‍🌈 Main Characters
Older fmc’s
Dual POV
BIPOC
War
Unique Magic System
Sister story
Disability rep
Animal familiars
🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ normative societies


The magic system was very interesting, I really loved the familiars the fae have. So many good quotes come from Pila, who is a familiar, innocently with true intention.

I found the worldbuilding to be a little slow. The foreshadowing was very heavy, so I wasn’t thrown for a loop when the big twists came.

The plot really dragged. I wish that there was a little bit more angst than just someone refusing to interact with the other and calling it romantic tension. The cast of main characters are all 28 and older, but the inner monologues are very juvenile. It made it harder for me to read, I think.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the Advanced eReader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this arc in exchange for my honest review.

From the first page I was captivated by the setting, the characters, description of their appearances and the inclusivity. It was beautifully written and unique. I enjoyed that they equality of the characters was done in a way that did not feel forced. Rather, it flowed with ease as a part of the story.

For the storyline itself, it started as more of a military fantasy but then switched over to more of a romance.
Overall, the story had great a great premise and what could be a potentially great trilogy. However, about 25% into the book I felt that the characters lost my attention. I enjoyed the sibling relationship but as separate people they could have been much more. I did not particularly enjoy Yeeran describing her initial love interest but then so easily moved on with the prior still in her thoughts. The relationship between Nettle and Rayan felt rushed and they could have had better chemistry. I also felt that the prophecies Nettle had throughout the story gave away too much of how it would end.
I did love the interactions between the characters and the Obeah. It added a fun quality to the premise.

Overall, the story is good and I am in hopes that it is a good starter to a potentially great storyline in its sequels.
I would recommend this to those who are looking for a unique set of characters set in a beautiful world.

I adored world-building and the magic system. The cast of characters was so diverse and I absolutely loved the animal characters, especially Obeah.
The story has love, family relationship/loss, war, murder mystery, so many great elements!
So many things left with open ending, that I can't wait for a second book!
4.25/5

This wholly unique story about humans, fae, and elves captured me from first page to last page. The writing style is truly unique and original in use. The characters are flawed, rich, bold, interesting, and unexpected. I cannot wait for the next book in this series because the first book is quite the page turner. Until next time Happy Reading!

I would like to thank Del Rey for this ARC via Netgalley.

I'm almost mad that I read this, because the wait for the next book is going to be so long.

The elves think the humans and fae are gone, and the fight a never ending war amongst themselves. When Yeeran is exiled, her sister goes after her. In the wilderness they stumble into trouble that will lead them to the truths they didn't know they needed.

Things I liked:
-the multiple romances MF and FF
-I didn't get that new fantasy world confusion, it all just clicked for me with this
-inclusion of many different kinds of people and relationships, and everyone was just normal
-pov of 2 sisters
-animal companions
-strong women characters

Things that were less great:
-some things were predictable, but then again some things weren't and I was a bit shocked at one point
-I'm not sure I understand the magic system, but maybe I missed/forgot something, or we could go more in depth in the next books.

I'm very excited to see how the characters and story develop in the next two books and only wish I didn't have to wait to read more.

5 stars=I almost called in sick to work to finish this and I can see myself reading again.

5/5 stars

Faebound is a riveting, exhilarating read that compels you to fully engross yourself within its grasp from the first page to the last.

I devoured this in one setting, and I can confidently say this will be in the top fantasy category for 2024. Every character you meet on the page instantly has you wanting to learn more about them. Saara El-Arifi has a way with words-- there were so many quotes that stuck with me throughout my reading journey.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the dual POVs. I tend to prefer one lead over the other, but Yeeran and Lettle are such compelling characters that I was fully invested in their respective journeys. (And I can't wait to see what happens next!)

The representation, lore, and world-building are written so well. This was such a refreshing read that I can't gush over it enough. Also, the animal companions were such a wonderful surprise... I want them all!

I'm counting down the days until the next installment and can’t wait to re-immerse myself in this world.

*Thank you to the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC. This is my unbiased opinion and is given with free will. *