For this review, I should be clear that I only read this 50% of the way through before deciding to put it down. I can definitely see other people enjoying this book, but for me, the plot was too predictable and I didn’t believe or feel any connects between the characters. We follow two sisters - one a colonel who was exiled after disobeying an order, and one a diviner whose prediction had a part in her sister’s insubordination. Without going into spoilers, we soon learn that everything they thought they knew about the world was wrong and that fairytales are actually real. From the beginning I felt that I was one or two steps ahead of the plot and that when each new character was introduced, it was easy to see what their role would be. I would still recommend that lovers of fantasy give this book a try, but we were 50% of the way through and our protagonist was getting literal history lessons (my least favorite way to world build in a story!) so I decided this simply wasn’t my style. Perhaps one day I will try again but for the first book in a series, I wasn’t hooked. Thanks for the opportunity!

4.25 stars!!

This book has everything: a sister dynamic that is full of love AND resentment, bonds with magical creatures that can speak in your head, some really sick magic systems, honestly an incredible amount of diversity in the characters, not just one love story (including true true enemies to lovers), and so many prophecies you better hope you keep up!!

I knew that I was in on this book from the first page, with the first breakdown of the lore of the world Saara El-Arifi has created in the story of the wheat, the bat, and the water. And then I knew I was in again almost immediately after, when we learned that our elven main characters can control magic THROUGH DRUMS. I could tell you so many times I knew I was in on this book, but the >100 highlights/notes I left as I was reading could tell a story on its own about how invested I was in these characters, their journeys, and trying to make sense of what will be coming throughout this whole trilogy!!

In this book, we get POVs of two elven sisters, Colonel Yeeran and Diviner Lettle, who have to leave their lands and find themselves unexpectedly taken into the world of the supposedly died-off fae. Through political intrigue, prophecies, and a lot of fighting, the sisters uncover truths about the world they think they know and the world they are coming to know as they start making plans for their own futures. I cannot WAIT to see what comes next in this series, and with some foreshadowing I may have picked up on, I think I may have a few ideas!!!

Thank you so much to Saara El-Arifi, Random House, and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review. Look out for Faebound when it comes out on January 23rd- this is going to be a great series, I can already tell!!

3.5
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House publishing for giving me an ARC of this to read. I really enjoyed the innovative world building, magic system and deeply complex characters in this story. This is a very unique fantasy world unlike many others I’ve experienced. Where this book faltered a bit was the pacing and propulsion of the plot. At times I felt like not much was happening and the characters weren’t really working towards anything. I will most likely read the next book and overall think it’s a solid read!

4.25⭐️

This book was a breath of fresh air! I was immediately captivated by the unique world and eager to discover more about it alongside Yeeran and Lettle. What especially stood out to me was the diversity in this book, something that the fantasy genre as a whole is lacking, yet Saara El-Arifi tackled with ease. I found the writing captivating and the world enchanting yet mysterious. I loved the characters in this book, especially some of the side characters, but I would have loved to see more growth in those relationships between them.

Overall, this was such a beautiful book and I will be pushing it on everyone I know because it’s THAT GOOD. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for the digital arc! All opinions held in this review are my own.

Fae bound gives reads everything and more. Enemies to Lovers? Check. Sapphic and queer characters and storylines? Check. Romance? Check. And most importantly a theme that draw me in was Black characters put into a fantasy world. The only drawbacks of the story is pacing and wording. But, I am looking forward to the sequel.

First, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! Overall, I really enjoyed this story, but it was too predictable. The world building was done well and was not overwhelming while reading. The different lands were described beautifully and really drew you in. The different characters were well thought out and truly played off each other’s strengths (and weaknesses). I also really loved the multiple POVs and the diversity that was incorporated into the story. It did not feel like the author was throwing in diverse characters to check off a box. We need more BIPOC and sapphic fantasy!! However, it is hard to imagine that important military leaders were unable to interpret Lettle’s readings. If you can solve a riddle, you were able to catch almost every twist, which took a lot of fun out of reading. In addition, so many events unfolded in the last few chapters that some of the events felt like they lost their shock value. I really enjoyed this story, and it was very nice that it was completed in less than 400 pages. I would change the level of predictability but I am excited for the rest of the series! I am hoping for some more court politics in future releases.

I had very high anticipations for this book. I have had my eye on it for months and was very excited when I received the arc.

I did unfortunately have to DNF this one, I contemplated on continuing but I struggled too much.

The story felt flat to me, I didn't feel any connections to the characters or storyline. I've not read this author before but I do own a few of her books.

This one just didn't hit the mark for me.

I really believe there is something for everyone in this book. From the very beginning, I was intrigued by the characters and the magic system. The author built such an intricate and complex world, right down to the languages that the characters were speaking, but did so in a way that felt digestible and easy to follow. And the diversity!!! This is by far one of the most diverse fantasies I have read, and all of the representation was beautifully done.

The plot unfolded organically, the pacing was great, and I loved the little clues and reveals that the author dropped throughout that kept me turning the pages. I do feel this aspect may make this one predictable for some, but if you are like me and just go *along for the ride* when you read, I feel this will be a twisty, can't-put-down read for you! I was entertained throughout the entire book, and I also loved the strong animal/character relationships - I’m a sucker for prominent animal side characters.

All that said, I do feel something was missing for me in terms of the overall character development and emotion I felt while reading. I enjoyed the characters, but I never felt overly attached to them. I also felt that towards the end, some of the major plot points felt a little anticlimactic or glossed over. I needed a little more action, which also may have added to the overall lack of strong emotion I felt while reading. These reasons were ultimately why this is 4 star read versus a 5 star read for me.

This is absolutely still worth the read to me, and I cannot wait to see where the series goes with the next book!

Wow wow wow this book will definitely be in my top 10 reads of 2024 and we aren’t even one month in✨

LGBTQ+ Rep, disability Rep, POC main characters✨

The map is stunning✨

I was hooked from the prologue and was crying by chapter 1✨

Pila is my whole heart and I’m so glad they didn’t separate at the end of the book ✨

The double enemy’s to lovers in this was outstanding✨

First time reading about drum magic, such a unique magic system✨

Definitely should have been paying closer attention to the prophecy’s that little mentioned at the beginning 😂✨

ONE BED AT THE INN✨💖

Amazing spice and the tension made I so much better✨

This book had a really interesting world that the author has created. It is very different from other books about fae, but some of the magic system and powers did not seem as creative as the world they were in. I had a hard time getting into this book at times because the character development was lacking. They weren’t very likeable to me and even by the end, I found their decisions at times to be very immature. I do think that the second book has a good setup to continue the story, but I hope there is more character development to understand their motives better as their stories continue.

An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my thoughts.

Publication: January 23, 2024

Rating: 2.5 stars

I'm so bummed that I didn't enjoy this book more and thankfully it seems like I may be the outlier. I loved the plot, the characters and all the diverse representations. The biggest thing that killed me for this was the way the story was written. The writing style lacked any "showing" depth. There was one scene where Rayan tells Yeeran that he has never seen her so mad. I had no idea that there was that level of anger.

Overall, definitely a book worth trying for yourself, however, I struggled with the lack of showing within the writing.

Faebound is a highly anticipated adult fantasy that comes out January 2024.

This story follows two Elven sisters - Yeeran and Lettle - in a world where Elves, Fae, and humans once existed, but only the Elven remain. The impossible happens when sisters become imprisoned by the long lost fae court.

This is a fast-paced fantasy with a diverse cast of characters. Faebound includes a sapphic romance, dual pov (both sisters), unique magic system, lovable magical creatures, and is inclusive of all types of people.

I feel like while it is an adult fantasy, the writing had somewhat of a YA style and was a quick read with some interesting twists.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for the digital arc. All opinions are my own.

What a fun and captivating romantasy to start the new year with. This sapphic story really brought it with its own creation story, history, and political intrigue. I can’t wait to see what happens next. If you are nursing a book slump, pick this one up and be ready to wish the next book comes soon.

This book was EVERYTHING!

An absolute powerhouse and mesmerizing fantasy to kick off what I am sure will be an incredible trilogy. In this world, there are three species: Humans, Fae, and Elves. Fae and humans are extinct, and the Elves are the only remaining species, divided into tribes and locked for centuries in the Forever War. Our two protagonists are Lettle and Yeeran, Elven sisters who are seeking their paths to power, hoping to bring peace to their people. The sisters are fierce, powerful, and intelligent, and all around the FMC's that you LOVE to see and can't help but root for.

There is something so magical about following where this story leads you so I highly recommend going in blind - the twists and secrets were beautifully incorporated and brilliant. The world building, magic system, and creativity of this novel blew me away. The fantasy, and overall, romantasy genre, in many ways has become almost algorithmic in its approach and can feel redundant, and this book was anything but formulaic, and instead felt completely fresh and unique in almost every way.

A few highlights for me that make this a standout fantasy novel and one of the best fantasy books I've read: Afro/Arab world and characters, queer-normativity, women leaders/warriors/rulers, the pace, sapphic romance, slow-burn romance, unique magic system, and did I mention already, how GOOD the world-building is. *Chef's kiss.*

My only critique would be I would have loved a touch more character development for our central characters before the plot really heated up. But alas, we trust in the trilogy process and hopefully will get to dive deeper into the main characters in the books to come.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC. This book was a joy to read. Now excuse me while I tell everyone to read this book asap!

I want to start off by giving a big thank you to @netgalley and random House publishing group for giving me the opportunity to read this arc!

Fae, elves, and humans, three gods. A world at war and who is going to stop it. This book throws you into a world at war, along with love, betrayal, and magic.

I loved all the characters, lettle, yeeran, rayan, furi being some of the main characters. In this book your really get to discover who they are and start to like and dislike based on the story. I found the begging a bit hard to get into being thrown right into a romance, I was trying to grasp what was really going on. The world building I found was more descriptive when it came to the fae lands, I wanted to know more about the lands of the other tribes.

I had a love hate relationship with yeeran and furi...but so did they😂

Overall I gave this a 4 star read as I really enjoyed it. The more I read the more I became attached...now I'm looking forward to the second book in this story!!

When I saw this book being promoted, the person mentioned that it would be THE fantasy book of 2024. After reading, ohmygoodness, I 100% agree!

This book was a breath of fresh air when it comes to a fantasy romance. The way the plot was the absolute main focus and didn’t stray its course when relationships were devolving or perhaps breaking apart was stellar. The world building was perfect, and I really really love that the fantasy and the romance each did not take away from each other. This book really details the gross and disgusting things about war and how the many people cast their judgement upon others simply because they are on the opposite side.

The way the author captured how the war ravaged on for so long, and how it has destroyed so much was devastating. The elven have continued fighting for so long, even after they believed the fae and humans to be gone. I found myself sympathizing with the elven and the fae, because each had their own suffering (with so much misunderstanding in the present between them).

Yeeran was a badass character who was faced with many hard decisions, when all she wanted was to fight for peace and to keep her sister safe. I loved her development and who she fell for in the end, but my heart broke when she made the final decision at the end of the book (please I need a second).

Little was absolutely my favorite character, especially when her personality and stubbornness shown through. She never lost sight of what she wanted and also what she wanted to avoid. She sought out GROWTH in a world that was destined to continuously bring her down (especially when they ended up with the fae.) this book highlighted so much prejudice against the elven, but Lettie continued on. I loved her character development, especially toward the end when she finally got what she wanted from a certain character.

I will add that I would love just a bit more depth into the important side characters that have been woven into the main characters story.

The scars of their life had fused them together.

Wow, for being a 400ish page, it took me a long time to finish this book. My initial reaction is that I liked it AND I am not sure I am excited for the rest of the series.

Plot- 3.5/5🔆
Spice- 1ish/5🌶️
Romance-0/5💗

Ok, so first of all, Pila is my favorite character. She is the only one who has REAL TALK. Puts people in their place. The rest of the characters felt pretty complex. I went from liking them to being annoyed pretty quickly. They are older characters which I love, but unfortunately they all act young. One in particular loves to throw tantrums, yes we are looking at you Lettle. No one is ever on the same page with each other, and it felt like all the characters were bumping off of each other the entire time, like a pin ball game. I love chemistry and banter, and I think I felt like it was missing that.

The plot is intense. There feels like a lot of details are provided, which is why I felt like this was a slower read. I really thought I had the whole story figured out but the last 20 % of the book was one plot twist after another. That was a pleasant surprise.

Lastly, I can't mentally picture drumfire without giggling. Thinking of Yeeran tippy tapping her fingers to try and kill someone is just silly. It feels like that cannot be a serious tool for war. But anyways..

This book has great representation of people with disability and LGBTQ+. I would say this book is way more fantasy than romance. In fact the "romance" in the book seemed to be just an accidental thing that happens, rather than a plot point.

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

So I wanted to love this book, but I ended up just liking it.

There are problems that I have the world building that had me wanting to give up for the first 30% of the book (how can there be 1000 years of war? What economy could withstand this? No one explains why the resource is needed.) These are things that still haunt me after completing the book.

I felt like I was part of Mystery Incorporated because many of the prophecies and clues woven throughout the story seemed so obvious that when things are revealed everyone should be able to know who is under the mask at the end of the story.

These issues aside, I found myself invested enough to enjoy things as they unraveled. The characters are likable enough, if a little single minded. Anything with animal companions will pull on my heartstrings, and the Obeah did that for me.

Overall, I can see this being a very enjoyable new fantasy series. The politics, sapphic rivals to lovers, the magic system will be very satisfying for the right person.

Genuinely one of the best fantasy books I’ve read in maybe two years. It was immersive but easy to follow. I fell in love with Yeeran and Lettle and even Rayan. I learned to love other characters as the plot grew (don’t want to put any spoilers of who) the world building was unique and so cool and the drum magic was a great addition! I am gutted I have to wait for book 2 because this one isn’t even out yet 😭 I can not wait to devour this entire series (and get physical copies to put on my shelf)

I loved the Final Strife by El-Arifi, so I knew I'd love this book, even if it's a little outside my usual genre of choice. Even for a romantasy, I enjoyed this book so much! The characters were well fleshed out, unique, all with great representation for LGBTQIA+ communities. I liked not knowing who the villain was because multiple people were suspicious. The twist at the end was a great way to end the book. I'll keep an eye out for the next one.