This was everything I wanted and more.

I had seen the synopsis for 'Faebound' months back, and it initially didn't strike my interest. However, after continually seeing it pop up and learning a bit more about it, I decided I'd give it a go.

We get a sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance, some amazing mythical creatures (Pila has my heart), incredible worldbuilding and lore, and some truly great twists. One of my favorite side characters was Golan, who reminded me a bit of Cinna from 'The Hunger Games' series but BETTER. The character development as a whole was *chef's kiss* and I am already highly anticipating the sequel to see how they all fare as the story progresses.

Saara El-Arifi has cemented herself as a new favorite author, and I will absolutely be purchasing my own copy of 'Faebound' later this month!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

I have been eagerly awaiting this book and so happy to get it as an ARC. I really enjoyed it has so many great elements no matter what you enjoy in fantasy - fae, elves, gods, romance (both queer and mf.) I found the magic system to be really interesting and unique and as usual Saara El-Arifi writing was beautiful and engaging. I think this will be one of the big fantasy books of 2024. I do think I prefer the plot in the The Final Strife but that is 100% preference and should not be taken as a negative.

It is about damn time we get some Black fae/elves in fantasy, and I’m so glad that Saara El-Arifi was the one to write it. Her writing style was, as always, beautiful and immersive, and this novel was such an enjoyable read.

This novel didn’t have the same depth or layers as The Final Strife, which was a little disappointing to me, as that’s what I was expecting. However, I don’t think this is a bad thing, particularly because I think this may be a less-intimidating novel for newer fantasy readers for that reason. Additionally, I do think we will be seeing more complexity in the sequels, which I am highly anticipating.

Sitting somewhere between epic fantasy and romantasy, this book has something for everyone, making it is a must-read for fantasy readers of all kinds. AKA: preorder it now, and read it ASAP. (Releases 1/18/23)

Read for: elves, fae, gods, and animal companions; unexpected twists and turns; murder-mysteries; training; enemies to lovers

Good to know: queer rep in a queernormative world with a *little* spice || TW: grief, prejudice,

4.5 stars!

This was so much fun!! It was very easy to read and follow along with. I really enjoyed putting the pieces of the story together alongside the characters, even if it was a bit predictable at times. I can't wait to see where the rest of the trilogy goes from here!!

This has to be THE fantasy book of 2024. This book was completely unputdownable, drawing me in and making me invested off the bat. It was incredibly well paced with seamless world building, diverse characters, and an interesting magic system. The set up of the world involving fae was completely different than any other fae centered fantasy novel I’ve read. This is a must read.

This didn't break the mold by any means- but still I will be continuing. It was fun, the characters were compelling, and more importantly I'm very interested and invested in where this world building can go and the lore that's building. And honestly that says a lot about the quality of writing since that's taken a major back set in a lot of the big hit romance fantasy books that have been released as of late. It has great representation, and the romance didn't take over the fact that we have a real fantasy driven plot at the center which is a win to me!

Faebound was a fascinating read from start to finish. It is told in 3rd person dual POV from our main characters Lettle and Yeeran. I really enjoyed the way that Saara El-Arifi approached the narration as you came to love both our main characters and got to experience things through their eyes. Events did sometime repeat themselves as a result, but I found it fleshed out the story more than hindered it.

The world dynamics and magic were set up well and continued to be built upon as the story progressed. A lot of major plot points were dropped towards the end of the book - and some of them I was able to predict ahead of time - but it is a great set up for the rest of the series to come. You definitely come to love these characters and I cannot wait to read what is in store for them next.

Faebound is unapologetically queer - it is not used as a plot point or a focus of struggle - it just is. It was wonderful to experience. I'd recommend this to any romantasy fan.

Rated 4 stars. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC ebook.