Faebound is an epic fantasy with elves, fae, curses and an endless war.

I absolutely loved this epic fantasy. It has all the hallmarks of every brilliant epic fantasy story. Faebound is epic fantasy revitalised and brought into the twenty-first century, expanding it with a world, mythology, and characters that are not West European.

The world is so rich in this book. There are the war-wracked lands of the elves, the forests that are like wastes on the outside, and then the underground city of the fae. As a reader you can just tell how much thought went into the world-building, how life could adapt and thrive with magic.

I also loved the myths at the part openings, bringing the mythology of the world to life. There was a real feeling of oral tradition in them, like these were tales that had been spoken again and again, the phrases worn smooth with familiarity, rather than simply words typed on the page (in the hands of a skilled narrator, these part openings could be stunning.)

This was one of my first five star reads of 2024, and I am SO glad it lived up to the hype. Even from the first chapter, I was hooked. The characters were likable, their relationships felt real rather than forced, and the magic system (drums) had me swooning.

It only got better from there as the story itself unfolded. Adventure, intrigue, and tough choices. A beautifully crafted world and an emotional experience for the reader. I will definitely be buying this one to add to my physical bookshelf.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. The opinions here are my own.

Saara El-Arifi writes so beautifully. I feel as if I am there. There is elves, fae, and romance, what more could you ask for? This will be a must read book for fantasy lovers of 2024 so go ahead and add to your list!

I was lucky enough to receive an complimentary review copy from the publisher via NetGalley and ask to provide an honest review. Thank you to Del Rey, Saara El-Arifi & NetGalley for giving me access to this audiobook. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

I’m really not sure how I feel about this book as a whole after finishing it. Did I think the book as whole was good? No. Was the overall plot okay? Possibly.

You could say that there was the potential for this to be a great book. Some will argue that it is! This book was a very cut and dry, here are the tropes, type of presentation. It included the one bed, lovers to enemies, enemies to lovers, fated/star crossed lovers, found family, and very inclusive gender typed characters. And the two main characters? Oh, man. Their thoughts and actions were painful – both immature and awkward from beginning to end. Dialogue and the “tension” between characters? Rough. Forced. Much of this book is quite predictable if this is your type of genre and have read a lot of books. There really isn’t a lot to keep you on your toes. Without knowing much that this was labeled as #1 in Goodreads until after I started reading this, I could tell by a third of the way in that this was not a standalone, and that this would be drawn out.

I can understand the hype, and I can understand why this would be a popular book. Though I am forever grateful to Netgalley and Del Rey publishers and I fully support BIPOC authors, this is not a book I enjoyed as a whole. Parts of this book felt incomplete and lacking. I did thoroughly enjoyed the world building, myths and magic that were told and explained in the story. Though I do not think I would read the next book/s.

3.5 rounded up!

I thought the first half of this book flew by. It slowed down in the middle but picked up again by the end. I will say the main two characters points of view started to annoy me at some points. However, I loved how unique this world and magic system was. I also thought there was a lot of twists and turns that kept me engaged. Overall, not a favorite but worth the read if you love fantasy and romance!

I was soo intrigued by the world and lore of this book. After a bit of a rough start, I even ended up liking all the characters. My main complaint just has to be that the romances were unfortunately all too fast for me to really buy in, but I'm still excited to read the next book.

i wish i liked this a whole lot more seeing as it’s about fae and elves but the plot left a lot to be desired. the pacing was off and there was some romance but that also felt out of place, i could have done without it.

imo there wasn’t enough going on in the beginning and i struggled to get through it. and there was also too much at the end that could have easily been spread out more throughout the book. i liked it enough though that i’ll continue with the series to find out what happens next.

bonus points for a beautiful cover ¨̮

! I absolutely loved it. The world and magic system was so unique compared to other things I have read and that was the first thing that pulled me in. It opens with a description of the gods and the tale of how the world we are reading about came to be and it immediately left me wanting more. There is so much LGBTQ+ representation in this story that felt so natural and beautiful. The characters are all so different and yet so likeable in their own ways- you really come to root for all of them. The relationships explored are complicated and real while also being completely magical in their own right. I found myself so excited about what was going to happen next I had a hard time putting it down (which was rough considering I started reading it right before I went on vacation). Somehow in my excitement about this book I did miss that it was the first of a series and so I was surprised when it ended on a (sort of) cliffhanger. I still have so many questions but am happy to get to prolong my journey with these characters that I have come to love.

*ARC received from Netgalley, very thankful for the opportunity to review this book and all thoughts presented are my own*

I don’t really know where to start because I enjoyed the story once I felt like it really began. The beginning was slow to me however the ending felt fast. I’m happy I stuck through the beginning because I really fell in love with characters like Pila, Lettle and the seer. However, I also disliked some characters and their own track mindset (…Yeeran). I really enjoyed the characters and the magic, I just wished the story moved faster. Everything was essentially revealed at the end, and while I understand cliff hangers I felt like alot of stuff was foreshadowed/ could’ve been given earlier to move the story a bit quicker. My honest rating is at 3.8 stars but I rounded to a 4 because this story definitely isn’t a 3

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

I'm somewhat new to Saara El-Arifi; I read maybe the first few chapters of The Final Strife on audiobook before putting it down. Not because of the content, I think mostly because of the format because if it's anything like Faebound, I'm sure I would enjoy it just as much if not more.

In Faebound, we follow two Elven sisters who are opposites in almost every way, which we as readers can immediately see. However, their loyalty to each other leads them on a journey of exile together, where they discover the long-lost land of the fae.

This story is unique, combining the lore of fae and elves--historically which have not existed in the same world--with drum magic and African influence. The story is intriguing and the world-building is solid; our characters are complex and nuanced (there are points where I'm not sure who's the good/bad guys). But while I enjoyed the plot, something might’ve been off with the pacing because the ending somehow revealed so much while also being anticlimactic. The writing style (emphasis on certain words, heavy-handed foreshadowing) made it all very predictable for me (aside from perhaps the final twist at the end).

Overall I like this a lot, definitely recommend to fantasy lovers, and will continue the series to see how it all plays out!

A huge thank you to Random House/Del Rey and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.


"Faebound" by Saara El-Arifi has undoubtedly become my favorite read of 2024, and we're only 2 weeks into the year, capturing my heart from the very beginning. Every element of this book, from the intricately crafted world-building to the well-developed characters, and the delightful romantic subplots, contributed to an immersive and thoroughly enjoyable experience.

One aspect that was particularly enjoyable was the clever use of foreshadowing, leading to exciting twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. Saara's skill in incorporating this narrative technique added layers of depth to the story, making each revelation all the more satisfying.

Moreover, the inclusion of one of my all-time favorite tropes – animal companions – was executed brilliantly, enhancing my overall enjoyment. The companions in "Faebound" were not only endearing but also played integral roles in the narrative, elevating the story to new heights.

As the first installment in a new fantasy series, "Faebound" has set a high standard for what's to come. I am eagerly anticipating the continuation of this captivating journey, ready to delve further into this enchanting world crafted by Saara, who as easily become one of my must-read authors.

This was a solid 4 star read for me. I didn't totally jive with Lettle's POV chapters and I felt like something was missing with the obeah. Like it felt like Pila was almost just a prop charcter? I definitely hope we get more insight into the obeah as a whole and how the bounds work in book 2. The world was interesting as well. I really liked the underground world setting and how it was connected with the Fae magic.

I will say this is also one of those weird reading experience where I had a 4 star experience reading it but I don't actually think the book itself was a 4 star book if I start thinking too much about it at all. The two things listed above were the main two things that actually impacted my enjoyment level but there were other things in it that I think weren't necessarily done super great. There were two relationships in this book. One of them was okay, I read it to be mainly a physical one but very purposefully done that way so I think it was fine. If the author had intended it to be more romantic they definitely missed the mark though. The other romance I was actually super into at first when the seeds of it started to be dropped. But then at some point in the middle it lost me. Like they just decided they were in love but then they spent so little time together?? So I wasn't buying the female character's side because we didn't see much interaction at all in her POV? I needed the male characters's POV because I definitely wasn't getting that he was into her through the POVs we got so having his thoughts could have helped.

The idea of the drum magic seems cool as well and it's something I'm hoping we get to see more fleshed out in the next book.

So despite definitely having negatives I do still stand by my 4 star rating because I genuinely had a great time reading it. I blew through it because I just couldn't put it down. Definitely excited for the sequel and this has heightened the interest I already had in reading El-Arifi's other series

I’m giving this a 2.5 rounded down for now, but I may change it after letting my feelings simmer on low heat for a while. The premise (and cover, I’ll admit) really interested me so I’m sad that I didn’t enjoy it.

I’m sure some people will love this, but it really did not work for me. I wasn’t a fan of the writing; it was very stilted. All the scenes felt very rushed, not necessarily because the pacing was bad, but more so because of the writing style.

The plot could’ve been really interesting, but I felt like it wasn’t explored with much depth and the majority of the book focused on the romance. I wish we learned more about the political aspect of things. The twists were also very predictable, and the foreshadowing glaringly obvious.

The highlight of this book is definitely Pila. She’s so cute and funny and I love her so much. I didn’t connect with any of the other characters, but I loved every scene with her.

Do read this if you like Fourth Wing, fae, and enemies to lovers romances

Don’t read this if you’re not big on romance or smut, and you physically cringe when people growl in books

(thank you to Netgalley for the arc!)

This book has everything us Romantasy lovers want in a book! Fae, Elves, enemies to lovers, animals that communicate telepathically, and a cool magic system!

It was a bit slow in parts of the book which is why it didn’t receive 5 stars from me. The last 100 pages or so of the book absolutely captivated me and drew me into the story! I cannot wait to continue this trilogy and find out what happens next!

I AM NOT WELL. like i am frothing at the mouth right now.

this is one of the best fantasy books i have read lately. it has everything i want when i dive into a fantasy world: action, magic, political intrigue, found family, romance, and of course, magical races

i genuinely gasped at every single twist and reveal that this book had. these characters gripped my heart and to see them be betrayed and thrown through the ringer hurt my fragile heart. in the best way.

the romance in the book is so swoons too. like i wanted these characters to just get together before they even touched hands. the pining was too much!!

lastly, this world is so thoughtfully fleshed out and you can actually feel the world come alive on the pages. i felt like i was in mosima with these characters. it’s so rare that i find a book with such a well thought out and structured fantasy world. it takes great skill to do that, which this author very clearly has.

thank you for writing this. also, i need the next book now.

Unfortunately, Faebound fell flat for me. I was highly anticipating this book and was stoked to receive an arc, so I'm really bummed that it missed the mark in my opinion and was overall rather boring. I will say though that the last four chapters started to get more exciting, which leaves me hopeful for the rest of the trilogy.

The pacing of the book was inconsistent and choppy. There would be chapters worth of nothing happening, and then something significant would come and go so quickly, I questioned if I had misread it. The world building was confusing, because personally I felt like it needed more detail. I expected to learn more about the world and magic system as the book progressed. The magic system was explained more, but the world building was much too vague. The incorporation of prophecies really took away from the storyline, in my opinion, because they were so obvious what they meant, that it was unrealistic how long it took the characters to understand them. At one point towards the end, Yeeran finally realized something about the magic system/put together a piece from the beginning of the story that was so obvious from the beginning that I was actually shocked that this was supposed to be a substantial discovery. I also found the character connections to be rather odd. They would go from hating each other or barely connecting straight to "I love them. They have my whole heart." This happened for multiple characters. I felt like the relationship connections, both platonic and romantic, needed more building and substance. I barely connected with or felt attached to any of the characters.

I hate how negative this review is and I really do not want to trash this book. It's not a bad book at all, it's more so that I have read other books by Saara El-Arifi that were phenomenal and beautifully written, and this one did not live up to that at all. Maybe that is unfair to compare her works to each other, but I definitely will be continuing the series in hopes that this was simply a first book slump to get through before the action really starts.

My end of review optimism is that this book does have potential. The magic system is unique, the characters are diverse, and this trilogy really could be great, so here's to hoping that comes true.

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

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC of Faebound.

I think perhaps there are a lot of spoiler parts in this book that I’m trying to avoid.
The book is great. It has what I like in my fantasy books. Elves, faes, love, royalty, magic and talking animals.
It does have a lot of world building as well which seems to be a big thing at the moment.
It perhaps was just a little too YA for me. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. The concept is amazing and I hope that the next few books are better and that it perhaps was just too much info at once for me.
It was a little repetitive with the dual point of views since you did kind of find out the same information in the different chapters.

You follow Yeeran, an exiled elf. Her sister Lettle and friend Rayan join and they get captured by Fae, who are supposed to be extinct. I enjoyed the beginning how she described how the world was built and how everything was made. I also love how the fae land was described. I could really picture it. I will still read the next books in this series.

5 stars! Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the ARC of this book. I loved it. I already want more...loved the storyline and the characters were well developed. This book has it all; magic, fae, elves, other mystical creatures, found family, LGBTQ+, murder, romance, some spice too. I really enjoyed this read and look forward to more of this story because I love a good fantasy book. Definitely recommend it if you are into fantasy/fae stories.

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pros: gender diversity that doesn't feel forced, sapphic romance, cool animal bonds/familiars.
When I read this description, I was intrigued by the idea of elves being thrust into a fae world, with the promise of a more diverse and non-Western approach to world building. I like how the myths of the world are interpersed in the story, telling the tale of three gods and the being they created - elves, fae, and humans. I also liked the unique way of using magic that is introduced early on (using 'drumfire') and the introduction of sentient beings like the obeah (horned feline-like creatures). The society is genderqueer, with specific references to being non-binary and gender fluidity in ways that don't feel overly forced, but instead are just describing the people.

Cons: lack of world-building, anachronisms, stilted and clumsy dialogue, awkward writing

Lack of worlding building: After the intial few chapters, the world building fell really flat. The idea of these three types of beings, who were constantly at war with each other until one prevailed had so much potential for commentary on war-mongering and the consequences of such violence. Instead, we are presented with characters who are so entrenched in war that even as circumstances change, so much of the goal is to "get back home so I can solve this war". In the story, we quickly learn that the fae are not actually extinct as assumed, but have been locked away by magic and we are introduced to this literally underground commune-type place. Except despite the fae not supposed to be able to leave, some can leave and they also have a fully functioning military (who are they fighting?) The politics behind the way the races and tribes interact is so simplified that is becomes illogical, with no nuance that makes political schemes intriguing.

Anachronisms: related to world building, I found some of the dialogue and writing to be jarring. For example, this is supposed to be a magical world, somewhat similar to ours (not a lot of real detail in terms of maps or descriptors), with magical creatures like the obeah. However, at one point, an obeah references a platypus in conversation. It's meant to bring like a humorous moment, but instead I'm stuck thinking - this magical world has platypus? How would either of these characters know what that is? Is this supposed to be a version of our world?

Clumsy dialogue and relationships: this story tries so hard to force these romantic tropes (particularly enemies to lovers) and I don't think it is successful. There is absolutely no burn or relationship building, slow or otherwise, with characters instead just sort of insta-love and lusting for each other (like, we get it, everyone is beautiful, but is that all there is?). The characters are supposed to be adults who have lived through war and trauma, but they read as much younger and less experienced.

Clunky writing: frequency typo and seeming missing punctuation aside, I found the writing really stilted and awkward. For example, instead of integrating desriptors into the action, it is also separated with a lot of "Her dress was blah blah. Her skin was golden. " type writing (not actual quotes).

I feel like the story had a lot of potential, but overall was a let down for me.

it is always so exciting when you devour a new book so quickly!

feabound was everything i needed in a romance fantasy and more— it has elves, fae, mythical creatures, and a unique magic system. the story follows two sisters after being taken captive by fae that live in an underground city. it shares dual povs and both characters find love (one being sapphic and one hetero). both stories are exciting and equally entertaining.

taken place in a mystical unground world you will experience many beautiful scenes, and explore a multitude of emotions and connections to these characters. i have never read anything like this before, i am so pleased with its originality.

this is a great example of phenomenal world building, storytelling, and THE way to set up an incredible series.

looking forward to the rest of the series!