3.5 ish? I mostly had fun reading this, it is well paced in the beginning and I am an absolute sucker for an animal companion. It pretty seamlessly incorporates gender diverse characters and a disabled protagonist, and I enjoyed the strong sister relationship. I just think it overall lacks some depth. I'm hard pressed to tell you what differentiates an elf from a fae (especially when you take in the Lightless), and I felt absolutely nothing towards any of the romances. The magic systems were pretty basic (this is probably a pro for some!) and it didn't feel fantastical enough. I guess I actually do like it when SFF writers come up for wild names for basic shit. I do want to read more black/African inspired fantasy though and might check out the Ending Fire Trilogy, which people seem to like.

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for this arc. I am a huge fan of Saara, and I knew this was going to be a great read. I don’t even know how to put into words how much I enjoyed this book. My favorite character was Pila. Her deadpan one liners made my cheeks hurt from laughing. I did love the added touch of us being able to see the journal and its contents at the end.

Yeeran going back home to get Salawa to write a peace treaty of sorts is not going to go over well, especially since Yeeran is in love with Furi (I pray they end up together). Rayan turned out to be the biggest surprise aside of Nerad’s and Komi’s treachery. Everything about Rayan was shocking from Yeeran killing his father who was Furi’s brother and Sahar’s son, to now being crowned king and is half fae like Yeeran. Something I love in Saara’s writing is how she can do a one two punch with secrets and revelations. It’s the damndest thing.

I am absolutely looking forward to the next installment of this trilogy.

Faebound was such a fun ride! I was sucked into the story almost immediately and love this easy to understand fantasy world!!

Thank you NetGalley and Publishers!
I have nothing but praise for this book! I knew once it was announced that I was going to love it and I was not disappointed.

This story has Magic, war, romance, betrayal, mystery and just about everything you could ever wish for in a fantasy novel. I think the author did a good job world building and describing details about the characters. I found myself able to see what an Oheh looked like in my head thanks to the descriptions given. I also really loved the magic drum wielding Yeeran, as a drummer I thought this was super cool! I am very excited for more of this series and will be telling all of my friends about this book!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this amazing opportunity for this ARC.If I didn’t think Saara would be an auto buy author before this would’ve made it happened. The story and the characters have been fleshed out yet I know she will write something that we didn’t know what was possible. Yeeran and Lettie are fierce and kind in one package and I love these sisters will all my heart even if they’re flaws. Each character has their flaws and they don’t try to hide it. I can’t wait to see what this story holds as the trilogy continues.

If I could give this book 6 stars I would. I loved every character Lettle being my favorite. I the desert setting and then this underground utopia that was a prison for so many. The romance between Furi and Yeeran was tangible with real enemies to lovers feels. Finally, Rayan the fates chose the best person for the job. Though the death of Komi was justified it hurt greatly because we had come to know and love him.

so many emotions.

These characters were so nuanced, real, and lovable. The sister bond was heartwarming. Love seeing a Black cast of characters, different gender expressions, queer and trans characters, and a sapphic romance from one of the main characters. The magic system is unique and the way you learn about it is interesting and holds your attention. The plot is fast paced and action packed. While I loved the twists and turns I did see all but one of them coming. I love being able to point to some tiny detail chapters back and say omg look! That’s the little hint of foreshadowing that we got. The hints in this story were very obvious to me, so I figured things out way before the characters did. Still had a great time and can’t wait for the next book!

Faebound was a strong start to 2024. Saara El-Arifi had me hooked from that short 2 page prologue..."In the beginning there were three gods."

Pros:
The world building and the lore is done spectacularly well
Interesting premise overall, didn't feel like a repeat in any way
Female lead characters were interesting and layered
Gender fluid characters
Animal companion!

Cons:
Sometimes it felt like a little too much world building at the cost of more plot driving writing
Didn't feel the emotional connection between the love interests as strongly as I would have liked
Easy easy easy prophecies

Overall well worth the read and would recommend. Utterly enchanting and wholly it's own thing.

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

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️

From start to finish I was enthralled. I couldn’t put this book down.

From the care shown to not only gender and sexuality, but to race, and disability. This book had it all. The struggles of political and moral discourse. The discrimination against those who are different. The devastation brought on by war. The struggles of what is right and what is just. The author did an amazing job. It was absolutely fantastic.

This book was very war focused, with a few different love stories between multiple POV’s. I really enjoyed having the multiple view points. The way they intertwined with each other between the timeline of events was beautifully done.

My favorite character was Lettle. She was treated like a child, she was put down, but she was so incredibly strong. She showed everyone what she was made of. I love her character so much.

If you loved fourth wing and the banter with the characters and their dragon familiars then you’ll loveeeeee this book!


I did personally struggle with one of the TW’s, the malnutrition and starvation aspect that was brought up multiple times during the book. As someone who was starved and malnourished to the point of almost dying it brought up a lot of emotions for me, that I thought I had worked through. There was a particular moment in the book about half way through that hit me hard. I don’t know if the author has ever had to also go through a situation where they were starved and malnourished but they wrote like they knew exactly what someone who’s been through that would say and feel. It didn’t feel mocking, it didn’t feel like it was an after thought. The emotions that were expressed while discussing those things were present. And accurate.

As hard as it was for me emotionally I hope it puts into perspective for some people who have never been through something like that, that they can imagine the difficulties and trauma it causes someone. How often that trauma pops up. And how words about food, and eating can affect the people around you without you even realizing it.


A mix of Tropes, and TW’s just to name a few -
found family, enemies to lovers, familiars, murder, death, war, starvation/malnourishment, friends to lovers, WW, MM, MW, disability representation, discrimination, gore, animal death, descriptive language of desecration of animal remains, hunting, confinement.

I was so very excited about this book. Maybe I wasn’t in the right mood or maybe I was actually just disappointed. It promised everything I love: fae, elves, rivals to lovers, sapphic romance.
I had the highest of hopes but when I realized it took me 4 days to get only 33% into the book and I was struggling to maintain the motivation to consistently read it, I realized it just might not be for me.

I DO still have my pre-order of the Waterstones edition and I feel like if I’m in a different mood I might like this better. I enjoyed the storyline while I was reading, but I think it was just too slow paced for my liking.

This started a little slow for me due to the world building but quickly picked up and took me into the world of elves and fae. The bond between Yerran and Lettle stretches and grows with each choice they make as they struggle to reconcile the versions of themselves before Mosima and after. The book ends with several unanswered questions that makes you wish you could just keep turning the pages to discover. Looking forward to reading the next one!

This is a very enjoyable fantasy book, I fell in love with the characters and friendships. The premise of this book is super interesting and I loved the world building and the way the world was presented from the first page. I loved that this book was about two sisters with such different personalities, it made the story so compelling for me. I would say this is a great introductory book into adult fantasy as the magic system and storyline aren't overwhelming or confusing. Theres not a ton of characters to keep track of and the main plotlines are fairly straightforward. I will definitely be checking out the other series by this author as I loved the writing style and inclusive feel of her writing. My only complaint was it was a bit instalovey which isn't a trope I typically enjoy so the romances (there are 2) while they were cute I was never fully invested in them. I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series and seeing some fanart of all the characters and creatures!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, Del Rey for granting me access to the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you random house for the chance to read this arc. I know its the beginning of 2024 but when I say that I believe this book will be in the top 3 books I read in 2024, I truly believe that. The politics, world building, dialogue, different lands, the plot, just everything was perfect. I was hooked from page one. I was never bored. This is my first 5-star book of the year and I'm so excited to read the rest of this series. Also, I loved this book so much that I want to own the physical copy. Cause the cover is so pretty and the story is so beautiful. Everyone needs to read this. Ill have my tik tok review posted sometime tomorrow and will link it to this review. The enemies to lovers is true enemies to lovers.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this eARC in exchange for a review.

This book was great! It is a romantasy at its core and I think going into the book knowing that will help with the reading. I am a sucker for unique creatures and Faebound has no shortage of them! This book brings war, enemies to lovers, and elves/fae into one delectable read! One thing I wish was different was the repeating my of information between the POVs of Lettle and Yeeran. Sometimes I feel like I was reading the same thing for multiple chapters, which is why it is a 4/5 for me. Would recommend!!

I wasn’t entirely too sure about the book when I first started reading it but I absolutely loved it! So many twists that I wasn‘t expecting to happen. It was definitely nice to have a book that centered around an elf becoming bound to a fae instead of a fae just getting powers. I already want to read the next book!

Let me start out by saying that while I did enjoy this book, I can understand why people won't. It is definitely more of a fantasy romance than El-Arifi's other works. I loved the queernormative world and that the characters were older compared to being in their late teens/early twenties. While the plot reveals and prophecies were predictable, I still found myself shocked by what was happening. I do wish we could've explored the world and magic system a bit more but hopefully that will happen in the next book. Maybe some other POVs as well? And also, how does one go about obtaining an obeah? Because I love Pila.


** Thank you NetGalley for an ARC copy **

Stunning! I had such a good time and love a diverse fantasy with easy-to-follow worldbuilding. I was able to listen to the audiobook alongside reading the ebook via PRH Audio & Bahni Turpin did a fantastic job of the narration.

I thoroughly enjoyed the mythology that the author has created for the world of Faebound. It is evident that a lot of detailed thought has been put into it, and it adds depth to the story.

However, one aspect that didn't resonate with me was the objective writing style. The lack of emotional depth made it difficult for me to connect with the characters. Even the chemistry between Lettle and Rayan or Yeeran and Luri felt more factual than emotional. Initially, I wasn't even aware that Yeeran and Luri would become love interests due to the lack of connection between the characters.

On a positive note, I found the obeah to be fascinating creatures. The way they were described evoked a sense of beauty and majesty. I particularly appreciated their connection with the fae and the significance they held in their society.

The story itself is filled with intriguing twists and captivating mythology. However, I found the writing style to be rather flat, which diminished my overall reading experience.

Considering all these factors, I don't think I will continue with the next book in the series. Although the story was interesting, the writing didn't leave me yearning for more.

Yeeran Teila is the youngest colonel promoted in the Waning Army, battling in the Forever War in order to mine the magical crystal Fraedia, all in hopes to feed the starving citizens of the Elven Lands. Yeeran’s younger sister Lettle is practicing magical prophecies - divinations - giving her sister the prophecy causing a fatal mistake for her regiment, Yeeran is exiled from all Elven Lands. When she kills a magical creature, the sisters’ lives will change forever.

I liked the concept of this book so much but the execution just wasn’t there. This was a rough draft. The writing was monotone and robotic, very matter of fact, we are being told everything without much showing. Many scenes and conversations seem to wrap up immediately. There is no depth or development to the characters and the world building is sadly very minimal.

I appreciated the queer and diverse representation, I think this book was marketed as romantasy, but neither romance was believable due to the style of writing and lack of character development, you didn’t care that much about these characters.

The magical elements and the Obeah creatures were unique but not explored like I had hoped. Ultimately this book was missing intrigue, mystery, that important story structure, and overall the epic-ness suggested in the synopsis. Even though more action happens in the third part of the book than in the first two.

Few plot choices bothered me or didn’t make much sense. This is an adult novel, Yeeran is 34 and Lettle 28 - both women are written much younger and immature. Yeeran makes two of the biggest offenses, where many people die, but gets away with a slap on the wrist each time. Seemingly without any remorse the whole thing is swept away, it left me feeling odd throughout the remainder of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Ray for an early copy to review.

4.5⭐️ Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the e-ARC. I absolutely loved this booked! Following two sisters Yeeran & Lettle as war drives them into the Faerie land where they learn about their family history, about what it means to be Faebound and how magic works. They find love, experience tragedy, make new friends and enemies,grow into new roles, repeat old patterns and ultimately have to decide their next steps after all they’ve learned and gained.

This book comes with a unique magic system, fae-creature bonding, and a diverse crowd of characters- including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabilities.

I fell in love with the characters, the place, and 100% plan to read the rest of the trilogy when the other books come out!