I was lucky enough to receive an e-arc copy. I was really excited for this book, and it lived up to the hype. I really loved the enemies to lovers and the inclusivity. I did feel that the story was lacking in some parts and the writing was a little weak in spots, but it still very much held my interest throughout. There’s so many twists and turns in the story and some I figured out quite early on, but others went in the complete opposite direction than I thought they would and I love when an author/story is able to execute that! I will definitely be reading this whole series!

I really loved the concepts here. Fae, divination, freaking crystals! It all should work for me. While I did enjoy this story, the writing didn’t work as well for me. There were times it felt YA, and other times read as a romance. I didn’t resonate with the characters I think I was supposed to and at times I found things fairly predictable. I enjoyed the commentary on class, race, generational trauma, capitalism and climate change. It made for a nuanced and clever story. I’m also a sucker for multiple POVs and anything mythical animals. All in all I did enjoy the story and commentary and am looking forward to the rest of this trilogy.

**I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review**

Faebound is a fantasy romance with unique magic, interesting creatures, and spicy relationships. It is written from two points of view: Yeeran and Lettle, two sisters who care for each other deeply but with very different lives, one being a warrior and the other reading the fates.

Yeeran, Lettle, and Rayan are three elves who find themselves tangled up in the world of Fae, a world that they once thought didn’t exist, after Yeeran finds herself exiled from the Elven lands. Viewed as outsiders, their life among the Fae is filled with challenges, danger, mistrust and romance? The longer the spend among the Fae, the more their hearts become torn between remaining and helping the Fae or returning to their homeland to help the Elves.

This book is easy to read, it has a decent pace throughout the story line, an interesting plot and mostly likeable characters. I didn’t feel connected to most of the characters through the beginning half of the book but felt more drawn to them towards the end. I also had a hard time becoming invested in the romance. Lettle…not my favorite, she is a little immature for the age she is supposed to portray and her temper seemed a little over the top sometimes (for my tastes). There were several parts of the plot that were predictable but I won’t complain too much about that because my heart remained in my chest. The story line is good, I really liked the concept of this book, the magic system is unique and enjoyable.

This is not a top read for me personally, but a solid book and I look forward to the next book in the series. Did I mention that we have a bit of a cliffhanger at the end? Because, we do!

This book was my latest 5-star read. The book started slow and took me a bit to get into it, but after about page 50, I was completely hooked! The world-building and magic system in this book was amazing, you could tell that the author poured her all into these aspects and did not just throw it together. The world-building was woven within the story making sure it did not feel forced upon the reader. This method made me feel like I was discovering the information with the characters. From the history of the Forever War to the starving child soldiers, to the hunting of the Obeah in order to wield magic, the author paints a vivid world around the reader. The Gods that governed this world were very unique and interesting, I enjoyed reading the small excerpts about them within the book to assist in the world-building. I loved the concept of the binding between the Fae and the Obeah- making them one with each other and gaining the knowledge of their likeliness to the other creatures in the story. From these discoveries, it pains you to recall the killing of the Obeah by the unknowing elves, as they were taking two innocent lives with their naivety. The characters were all very relatable and endearing. From the beginning, the author shows you multiple sides to each character making any betrayals or deceptions that much harder to stomach. The bond that Yeeran and Lettle shared helped to navigate me through their challenges and the struggles they faced. It was easy to imagine myself in these characters’ shoes and ask myself the question would I act any differently? The romance element of this story was very well done, I enjoyed the dual relationships that were flowering throughout the book and that neither of these detracted from or over consumed the main plot. The romance was worked into the book seamlessly and the intimate moments were not unfitting with the author’s beautiful writing as they too were enchanting. The representation and diversity in this book was outstanding, I thought the details of the characters were flawless as they were multifaceted and not identical to each other showing how realistic these characters were for a Fantasy. Lastly, the foreshadowing in this book was perfect! I caught myself thinking ahead of what I thought would occur and I did guess on a couple, but a few others had me thoroughly shocked! I loved trying to work out these little mysteries in my head and thinking back on scenes where I had my suspicions to help aid in my theories. Overall, I was thrilled to read this book, a first from this author for me, and definitely not the last! Thank you for the ARC, I am truly honored to be able to share in this author’s work!

I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK. This story has the most unique world building/magic system I have ever read. The info dump doesn’t bog you down. It has a little bit of everything for everyone. Sapphic romance. Slow burn. Twists and turns. HIGHLY recommend this book.

Faebound is the latest book from Saara El-Arifi and the start of a new world and saga. Although the setting and characters are new, El-Arifi’s style of amazing world building and wonderful character development is seen throughout. There is not quite as much world lore built in as I would enjoy, but I expect that will come with a second book.

The three main characters of Yeeran, Rayan, and Little provide a wide variety of personality and pov for the plot and other characters to work around. The addition of the obeah also makes for an together different angle that adds both humor and depth to the story.

One thing to note for those who may approach this book after enjoying El-Afrifi’s other ones, is that the spice level is considerably higher here. Definitely an adult only book in my eyes, albeit a tasteful one, but just be aware of that content.

Overall a great story and one I look forward to continuing with in the future. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me this wonderful read.

Wow oh wow. I enjoyed Faebound so much.

Faebound is story that follows the POVs of two elven sisters- Yeeran who is the Colonel from the Waning tribe and Lettle who is a Diviner. During her first assignment in her new position- Yeeran makes a fatal mistake that leads to her to be exiled from the Waning Lands. Her sister, Lettle with the help of Yeeran's General/friend,Rayan leave the Elven Lands to find Yeeran. After reuniting they encounter Fae whom they believed were no more and cross into the Fae world. There they plot to escape the Fae world however as they learn the Fae world and make new discoveries they begin to question what they should do.

This story has everything- beautiful world building, jaw dropping twists, animal companions, and of course romance. I enjoyed the character development of both sisters. The last 25% of this book I was. in awe- each plot twist or new discovery had me feeling all different types of emotions (it was so good).

I will be waiting for the second book and cant wait to read it.

Okay, so, a definite hit or miss for me. The world building was wonderful, I always like fantastical battle stories. The parallel of Yeeran with Salawa and Yeeran with Salawa? Great! But wow did the characters move on from events either really quickly (Yeeran with her so called lover) or not quick enough (Furi with her anger). Somehow things happened but also I felt that nothing happened as well? A mix of variety of fantastical YA elements that I wish we had more time with but a fun read nonetheless!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.*

This is a new to me author, but one of my favorite things in the world is books about fae. So imagine my excitement when I found this book and saw the cover. I absolutely needed to have it.

You will get so much out of this book. There is family drama, trauma, chronic pain rep, all sorts of LGBTQIA+ rep, enemies to lovers, fae, elves, magic, prophecies, and so so much more.

Since I picked this book up to when I finished it to probably months from now, I will be thinking about it. I will be waiting for the next one (very impatiently). I’m hoping this book gets the attention it deserves because I neeeeed fan art asap of the Obeahs.

The world building in the book felt effortless. Some books I struggle to get into because the world building is so daunting, but it felt like I just absorbed this world. It helped that I was learning about it along with the characters.

The characters in the book are all likable, in my opinion. They can be messy and make mistakes, but they all truly have such big hearts; they all think they are doing the right thing for their people. Some may go about it the wrong way, or lack the proper knowledge to make good decisions, but I can’t fault either side for that.

You follow the pov of two sisters, Yeeran and Lettle. Yeeran is a soldier and her sister can’t understand her devotion to protecting their people, which is unfortunate because Lettle has that same passion for divination. The sisters do not always see eye to eye but their love for each other is endless.

There are two relationships in this book that you will immediately root for once that initial spark is there. It’s kind of a slow burn, but they both eventually get there. I love them both so much and I can’t wait to see where their stories take them as the trilogy progresses.

If you’re a sucker for fae and elves like I am, you’re going to fall in love with this book. There’s so much potential for the rest of the story.

I can honestly say that this book will be in my top books of 2024. I loved every second of it. The world-building alone was amazing, and I truly felt immersed in the atmosphere of this book. I couldn't put it down. Yeeran is strong-headed, passionate, and loyal. Lettle is what I would consider a classic little sister. She loves to educate herself and is extremely curious and although she is small and has what others would consider weaknesses, she is the strongest person in this book and fights for those she loves. Don't even get me started on Rayan! He might just be a top contender for the book Boyfriend of the Year. He’s a strong, stoic, beautiful man who protects the woman he loves while still letting her be independent and herself. Protectiveness in romance often becomes possessive but it is done perfectly in this book, and I might just be in love. I cannot end my review before talking about Furi she is a character that you love to hate and hate to love, and I love her. Every single character in this book was given so much thought and I love them so much. Please whatever you do in 2024 let at least one of those things be reading this book. It is a masterpiece starting from the worldbuilding to the characters and the romance, OH MY GOSH THE ROMANCE! Saara El-Arifi is an incredible author, and I am just in Awe.

The world building took me a little bit to wrap my head around, but once I had the lay of the land, and understood the history and mythology, it really picked up the pace. I definitely felt invested in the MCs early on and loved that this is a tale of two sisters.

I think the magic system and how the world is set up is really unique and I found that to be really refreshing, in particular how the Fae and Elves differ, but also intertwine.

I loved the connection the Fae have with the obeah and seeing not just Yeeran’s transformation in discovering what faebound is, but Rayan and Lettle, as well.

I found myself really cheering for not just Yeeran and Lettle, but Rayan and Furi and Pila and even Golan!

I’ll definitely be looking forward to the next installment in this story.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this ARC!

First, I want to thank Random House for ARC copy of Faebound! Second, holy crap. Lol I had so much fun with this. The magic system in this book is so unique. There’s some blood magic, elemental magic, divination, and really really interesting lore woven all through this. The cast if characters incredibly diverse. I feel like I did guess both of the “plot twists” fairly early in the reading, but overall I had a really good time. I’m looking forward to continuing the series!

I didn't even know I had it in me to care about elves and faeries, but oh my God!!

Faebound is a wonderfully written, completely enrapturing romantasy centered around loyalty, war, secrets, and love. I absolutely adored the African and Arab world, queernormativity, and drum magic—all of these are things I'm not used to reading. Saara El-Arifi masterfully folded these elements into a story that I will hold close to me, and I cannot wait for the completion of this trilogy, let alone the next book!

In the beginning of time, there were elves, fae, and humans; now, the elves believe they are the only ones who remain. Yeeran, a newly made colonel, kills a faerie prince unbeknownst to her and is thrust into a faerie underworld where tensions grow daily. Yeeran's sister, Lettle, is a diviner with the gift of sight, and the narrative goes back and forth between Lettle and Yeeran in a way that isn't draining or exhausting by the end. I also loved Pila, Yeeran's animal companion, and found their rapport to provide comedic relief in areas that needed it. I adored the fluidity of the characters and thought the sapphic romance and hetero romance were written equally well. If you are looking for a fantasy novel that is action-packed and seeped in war, this isn't that—those things are the backdrop, but I feel like the rest of the trilogy will expand upon the war.

I honestly don't want to say more and risk spoiling the book, but I will say that because I am new to reading fantasy novels, I found some parts difficult to follow. For example, I still don't quite understand drum magic, and El-Arifi explained it well (it is also explained in a glossary at the end), so I figure it is simply my ignorance. I feel like this novel sets up for the two following novels really well.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey, and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 ⭐️s
2 🌶️s
Pub Date: 1/23/24

I am so thoroughly surprised, but I did not like this book. I’m a die-hard fan of El-Safiri despite this only being her third book, because the The Ending Fire trilogy has been absolutely brilliant so far. I had very high expectations for Faebound and perhaps those expectations played a part in my disappointment, but I do want to say that it’s less that the book isn’t what I wanted and more that I can see the vision and I know this author could have executed it so much better than she did here. I’m just baffled as to what happened.
The first half or so of Faebound is exquisite. The world-building is fresh and intricate. The characters were very driven and active. The plot was pacey, propulsive. Every new reveal seemed filled with so much potential.
I’m not sure why, but the second half seemed to lack all of that to me. Suddenly, Yeeran and Lettle stopped being compelling and became characters I didn’t want to spend time with, because frankly all they did was justify the elves slaughtering the fae via ignorance while planning to maybe do a little more slaughter so they could go back home. And I wanted to be sympathetic to them because they’re captives, but it was hard when I couldn’t understand the appeal of their war-driven society or the grim lives they left behind.
I think, despite all those qualities in the first half, some more development of these characters and their background was needed, because there comes a point in the book where motivations for everything—from the characters’ wants to the two main romances—feel flimsy and hollow, and at that point the story started to lose me.
I’m still going to inhale the last book of the other trilogy as soon as it comes out, though.

Such an excellent story! The world-building was rich and immersive—I loved the Lore and how it was inspired by Afro/Arab culture.

There were a lot of genius and well-crafted details that absolutely delighted me and felt completely novel. I also really enjoyed the representation and diversity in the characters and their relationships & identities. The story of sisterhood was touching and the animal companions captured my heart!

I will say that at times, it felt more like a YA book with spice scenes. And the pacing could’ve been plotted more evenly to let some plot points (like the romance storylines and character dilemmas and progression) unfold more naturally. And to let us, as readers, settle into some of those big reveal scenes. Letting us linger in those turning points would’ve really heightened the stakes and emotional impact of those scenes.

But overall, I devoured this book and already can’t wait for the next installment. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this eARC in exchange of an honest review.

This is the first work that I have ready by El-Arifi and I am grateful for the eARC through NetGalley-

It took me roughly 25% of the book to feel invested, but from there the story held my attention and I looked forward to continuing the story. I appreciated the LGBTQ+ characters without making it a plot point (which for some reason is hard to do), the diversity of the characters and the age of the characters (thank you for not having teen main characters!).

I had a hard time the chapters being named after characters, but the chapters were not in first person- I found this confusing at times. Additionally, there were many instances where the description provided felt off and prose was clunky. The world. building felt new and one plot point I did not predict and even though I despise an immediate enemies to lovers troupe I would recommend this book to someone looking for a quick escape.

I look forward to the sequel-

Thank you for the opportunity to read Faebound early I literally squeeled in excitement and it absolutely lived up to my hopes from the cover and description. I now need to read all of the authors previous books while waiting for the second in what's hopefully a new series.

Received an Advanced Reader Copy from Random House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Faebound, a new fantasy release with elves, a magic system that is fresh and new, and of course, Fae; needs to be added to your TBR, as it will easily be one of the most talked about fantasy releases of 2024. Faebound follows a cast of characters that are easy to connect with from page one. We follow two points of view; Yeeran, a colonel working with her tribe to put an end to the Forever War, and her sister, Lettle, a diviner who reads into prophecy as it guides her through the events that take place throughout the story that impacts her relationships. The many other characters in this book that we are also introduced to such as Rayan, Furi, etc; add so much personality to the story and world that the author is delicately constructing.

Let’s talk about the world. If you are someone who likes a unique magic system as well as a world and story with influences from African lore, this is for you. One of my favorite things about this book is the lore surrounding different animals, plants, and other living beings in this world. This added an original touch to this new fantasy. It is also to mention that when reading, I could infer this author took a very delicate approach to building this world up, and the world building took place as we went along with the story instead of dropping it all at once.

Do you like romance? Another reason to pick this book up. This book contains both a sapphic and heteronormative relationship with our cast of characters. The romance worked well in this book in reinforcing central plot lines to the story arc.

Overall, this book was an amazing read and had me wanting more by the end. I will be highly anticipating the next installment.

I remember somewhat liking The Final Strife when I read it back in 2022 but not enough to continue reading the series. (Don't ask me anything about it. I don't remember a lick of it.) When I saw that El-Arifi had a new fantasy series, I thought I'd give the author another shot.

A missed shot, if anything.

Before I go about my misgivings, I must say I did like the first 20% or so. The worldbuilding held a l0t of promise, and the casual LGBTQ+ rep was really done really well. I also was beginning to like Yeenan, all because the narrative made it clear she gave the wealth she earned as a soldier back to her impoverished people, which is a character trait that really endeared me to her.

Unfortunately, things started going down hill once the story rooted in the fae and their city. The plot starts to meander and drag as it focuses on Yeenan and Lettle's budding romances, neither of which have the chemistry needed to make me care about them at all. It didn't help the prose was awkward and robotic, making the characters less like people and more like walking, talking cardboard.

The worldbuilding also takes a nosedive. There are so many exposition dumps about fae stuff. It's because our leads know nothing of the fae, having previously believed they were extinct, but that still doesn't make it any less tedious and mind-numbing. It goes on and on til the last third or so when the plot finally decides to come back. I swear I almost fell asleep with how boring the middle chuck of the book was.

Overall, this was just not for me. The ending wasn't engaging my curiosity enough t continue the series, so I think I'll be stopping here.

Faebound follows two sisters who are exiled from their elf community. They discover a group of Fae living deep in the woods after believing that the Fae had completely disappeared. I wanted to love this book but ultimately it was hard for me to get through. I just found the characters unlikeable and flat. I do think that this book is well written. I am hoping to re-read this book via audiobook when it comes out because I am hoping that it will come across better in another format.