Saara is a master storyteller. I love the way she weaves a fantastical tale, we continue to follow our sister fmcs as they fight for survival and love. There were several journeys of dodging peril through alliances and some battle too. I am certainly intrigued for book 3 now. Let’s go!

If you enjoyed book 1 then you'll enjoy book 2. I thought both were just ok. Plot should be more interesting than it is.

I love this series, and this second book was one of my most highly anticipated this year, so I was thrilled to get an ARC! It did not disappoint. Start with Faebound!

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The second book in the Faebound series was not dissapointing. The politics were interesting and the romance was very enjoyable. I loved the introduction of the new character.

I actually liked this one even more than the first book, which is surprising since second books usually don’t live up to the hype. I’m still obsessed with the concept of Obeah, this world’s magical creatures are so unique. Move over dragons. And that plot twist at the end? Brilliant.

The mix of assassination plots, political tension, class struggles, and betrayals kept things interesting, plus there’s a good balance with the romance sub plots. They’re a little spicy to appeal to those who enjoy that- but it doesn’t take over the story, just enough to keep things fun. Here for the LGBTQ+ representation too.

I do wish the magic system was shown more, and some plot points were predictable, but they still worked well and didn’t ruin the flow. A lot of the story is told through dialogue, and I think more description could have added a bit more depth, but overall, I really enjoyed it. I love this world and think about it often, Can’t wait for the next one.

We start the second installment of the Faebound Trilogy exactly where we left off. Yeeran has left the fae realm to warn Salewa and her Waning tribe of the fae involvement in the war. Will she be accepted back or is she putting herself and her obeah, Pila in mortal danger? Lettle and Rayan are enjoying their new found love while also navigating their new roles, Rayan as kind of the fae and Lettle as the royal seer. Can their love survive Lettle’s prophecy and the political threats to both of them?

I love this world and I love this story, it’s that easy! The characters are well thought out and have such a life brought to them. The world building continues to be extraordinary! I can picture every little thing that is described as I’m introduced to it. The pacing is 90% perfect. There were just two scenes that felt rushed and the story suffered a bit from it. Overall, I loved this book just like the first. My only complaint is that it did suffer a little from the second book slump, but really not much. I can’t wait for the next one!

Thank you NetGalley and DelRey for this ARC!

This second installment in the Faebound trilogy, while highlighting Saara El-Arifi’s unique ability to craft rich and evocative worlds and settings with complex, flawed, and diverse characters, struggled to maintain the same forward momentum and character development of Faebound.

Cursebound finds our FMCs, Yerevan and Lettle both navigating a new world as consorts of the King and Queen. Nettle seeks to find answers to the fae’s imprisonment while avoiding assassination at the hands of a new revolutionary group intent to destroy the court and Yeeran…well, as usual, Yeeran’s intentions are good and her execution is REAL BAD when she attempts to negotiate with her ex-lover and leader of the Elven Lands.

I think this series may have been better served as a duology rather than a trilogy as the storyline in this narrative felt more tangential with the overarching plot progressing very little through the course of the book. There also seemed to be less character growth in this book with our MCs acting in naive and nonsensical ways at times, when they should know better by now. Yeeran's trip back to the Elven lands infuriated me, not only because of her naivete, but also because what should have culminated in a huge turning point in the story was so rushed, with the conflict resolved so quickly that it literally made the 5ish chapters before that completely irrelevant.

We did get a new POV, Alder, which I enjoyed getting to know and found myself intrigued about his backstory most of all. We got to see some growth of existing side characters as well and this, along with how much I LOVE the queernorm world and diversity of character and how generally fast-paced the story was, really kept me going.

This wasnt a bad book, and I LOVE Saara El-Arifi and the worlds she creates, it just felt more like a “stop-over” than a continuation of the series as a whole. I will definitely be continuing the series though and have high hopes for the last installment.

I want to say thank you so very much to netgalley for the chance to read and review this book!
I remember reading the 1st (faebound) and absolutely getting sucked into the world! Faebound was one of my top reads in 2024!

Cursebound definitely lived up to my expectations in continuing the series. We slowly unraveled answers to questions that we were left with in the 1st, while uncoverin more. I feel like we got to see lettle and yeeran develop while they were apart and grow as characters, and find themselves a bit more. We were also introduced to new characters (i enjoyed the nomads and how they went about life and believed in things, looking at things with an open mind).
This book was a rollercoaster of ups and downs, and was steady paced i would say. I loved it so much, and i cannot wait for the next one! (yeeran is still my favorite character)

Thank you SO SO SO much to Del Rey for this e-ARC of Cursebound in exchange for an honest review. I felt OKAY about Faebound but I really wanted to attribute that to my general disposition and not so much to the book itself. So I was genuinely SO glad that Cursebound was a much better reading experience than Faebound. I found it to be a strong sequel and that the author had a much better grasp on her world in this book versus the first one and the world really felt like it was coming together. I'm not sure if this is a duology, trilogy, or even a saga, but I'm excited for what may or may not come next.

This was a really solid sequel to a great series. I really enjoyed the first book and the second book was mesmerizing as well!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this ARC e-copy of Cursebound by Saara El-Arifi.

Having loved and recommended Faebound to everyone I know, I was ecstatic to be invited to read and review its sequel, Cursebound. This was my most highly anticipated read of 2025, so let’s get into it!

Cursebound picks up exactly where Faebound left off, with the Elven sisters Yeeran and Lettle continuing their quest to undo the curse of the fae. As Yeeran returns to her former home and lover to warn them of their enemy tribes’s new fae alliance, Lettle is left alone—the only elf—in Mosima, where new threats are rising up against the crown. Meanwhile, a Nomad with no memory of his past also enters the fray…

This was a sensible continuation of the Faebound trilogy, a sequel that sets up the series for an explosive finale. There were plenty of plot twists and revelations, but what I enjoyed most in Cursebound were the new characters. I liked Alder especially, and thought he fit into the story and group dynamic quite well. His romantic plotline delivered exactly what the trilogy had been missing thus far in a more wholesome couple that fall in love despite the dire circumstances around them.

I also found the recap at the beginning of the book, from Lettle’s perspective, extremely helpful.

As with the first book, I simply couldn’t put this down. I loved revisiting the magical land of Mosima, and I can’t wait to do it again when the third book in the Faebound trilogy releases, though the world and its characters will surely be sorely missed.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ - GREAT

CW: fantasy violence, NSFW content, character deaths

I was super excited for this sequel to Faebound. I'm super glad I was given the opportunity to read this ahead of its release.

I was happy to rejoin Yeeran and Lettle back in the Fae world as consorts to the new King and Queen. However, Yeeran leaves this new world to warn her ex lover/friends and family of their opposing forces working with the Fae with no hope of them winning against their powers. This ofc backfires in a way as she is then held captive by the elves and is made to lead them back to the Fae.

We also meet a new group of characters known as Nomads. We meet Alder who becomes important later in the story and in fact leads right to the plot twist at the end!

There were a lot of twists and turns and I do feel that Yeeran can be a bit angsty in her execution of her feelings but hopefully she'll learn as time progresses.

Anyway I don't want to give too much away. I thoroughly enjoyed being in the world Saara created and will be glad to return to it for Book 3 even though that's going to be a while away!

Thank you to Del Rey for considering me for an Arc of Cursebound! The review below reflects my own thoughts and is not influenced by others.


Cursebound is book two of three beginning with Faebound. Cursebound picks up right at the conclusion of Book 1 and continues from there. I do think you must read Faebound first before picking up Cursebound. You will almost certainly feel lost if you skip Book 1. However, this story featured a recap of Faebound in the prologue via journal entry from a protagonist. I loved that addition, since I didn’t need to RE-read Book 1 to pick up this one.

Setting: extremely vivid. The narration allowed me to create the vision of the world, vegetation, people so clearly.


Characters: although some of the decisions the characters made were infuriating, it was very true to the spirit of each character. Additionally, I did enjoy that the characters involved were older (late 20s - 30s and older). I’ve become a bit exhausted by picking up “adult” novels with protagonists fresh out of high school.

Truthfully, I’m not too keen on any of the… humanoids?
I much prefer the obeah, and their role in the story. The fae/elves don’t act like anyone I’ve ever known. Their dialogue and actions just left me feeling a lack of connection to them. So, when the stakes rise, I don’t have much emotional bond with them.


Plot: early in the story, in my notes, I had predicted who the antagonist was, and the cause of the conflict. Coming to that conclusion so early became a bit annoying, as I wanted to skip ahead to find where my theories were confirmed.

There was something that caught me entirely by surprise. Although odd, it was definitely an unique path to take and sets it apart from other comps in the genre. Interesting enough that I will definitely be picking up the next book.

Romances: my favorite relationship by far was the one that was introduced in this book. I wish that we had spent a bit more time exploring that couple’s dynamic, but I imagine that may happen in the next installment of this series. By comparison, all of the other romances felt lukewarm at best.

Mood: mysterious, lots of questions being uncovered. Tense as there was threat of assassins.


Overall enjoyment: I quite enjoyed the story overall. In fact I finished most of the book in one sitting. I felt the compulsion to “just keep reading, how does this end?!”


Themes:
I really enjoyed the discussion of bridging the gap between the elite and the lower class (lightless). I think it showed that there is a nuanced discussion to be had, and that it is not a simple black and white situation.

Another topic was the conversation surrounding the power of privilege, specifically of something, like choice. In particular, choice regarding the fae being unable to enter or exit the fae barrier, which is only granted by the royal family. It’s a privilege that is often overlooked, and this explores that really well.

Overall:
I absolutely enjoyed the story overall. In fact I finished most of the book in one sitting. I felt the compulsion to “just keep reading, how does this end?!”

i recommend this series for those who are looking for a fresh take on the “fae”, and political dynamics between species.

content warnings: death, pain, gore, murder, lying, violence, animal violence, and more.


Rating is 3.5, but rounding up to 4 for GoodReads purposes.

Full disclosure, I wasn’t an overwhelming fan of the first book but I did find it interesting enough to want to continue the story. I still love the beautiful scenery and descriptions of this book and find the magic system and world very intriguing. I did think most of the romantic relationships were deeper and more flushed out in this book and felt less insta-love or unnecessary as they did in the initial installment. The new characters introduced in this book were a fun addition to the story. I also thought Saara El-Arifi did a great job furthering the world building in this book.

This book suffered from many of the same problems I found in the first. The dual POV was sometimes difficult to follow and even redundant at times getting similar information from the same scenes from multiple characters. I also continued to find the plot twists incredibly obvious. While I don’t like to find things out after the main characters do, I also find it annoying when everything is obvious to me as a reader well before the characters figure it out. There was also very little true struggle for any problems the characters faced. I didn’t feel like the plot of this book truly moved the plot of the trilogy forward as a whole.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC.

This book was a great sequel to “faebound”. In this we follow Lettle as she’s trying alongside Rayan to decipher his father’s research. And Yeeran as she journeys to the elven lands to advise her old ruler against the dangers that the Crescent population was about to unleash on them.
Personally I still don’t particularly like Yeeran as I find her selfish in every single move that she took in this book. Lettle had an okay storyline that kept me quite intrigued especially when it intertwined with Alder’s one. Furi let me down in this, she was my favorite character in book one, but in this one she was no where to be found. I thought that this was quite a fast paced story considering it’s the middle book in the series. And it was quite useful to set up a plot for book three.
Overall even if I had some issues with this book, I really enjoyed my time reading it.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

For those who read and enjoyed book 1, this will work well. It felt like a solid follow-up for the sisters' stories, keeping the style and flow. The book opens with heavy exposition to remind us of "the last time on," so a recent re-read wasn't a requirement.

This isn't the right fit for our libraries, as we really focus on books that work well as standalones/jump-in points of a series. It felt like it relied too much on book 1 knowledge. But I think those who enjoyed book 1 will enjoy this one.

Thank you to Del Ray and NetGalley for the ARC.

5/5

What I admire most about Saara El-Arifi is her ability to leave you spellbound with her writing and bereft upon finishing her stories. I have been chasing that magic since I first read her debut, The Final Strife, and her romantasy series Faebound took this captivating recipe and soared to new heights. Capturing that classic romantasy feel in a fantasy world burdened by generational cycles and war, El-Arifi infused an underlying depth to fae fantasy I had long been yearning for. Including queer and disabled characters fighting for their futures and finding love, and it's clear why Faebound was one of my favorite debuts of the past year. As prophecies come to light and the history of two distinct peoples is unburied, Cursebound ushers in a new path for Saara El-Arifi’s Faebound series. Characters and loves are ripped apart as the freedom of the Fae and Elven Lands is contested. Building to yet another shocking twist (seriously how is she so good at these), Cursebound is a superb fantasy sequel. Its unique way of laying the groundwork is sure to reveal something all the more astonishing in the final act of this series. From her blazing Ending Fire trilogy to Faebound, Saara El-Arifi is an exceptional talent. I’ll gladly wander through any book she writes and Cursebound is just the latest in what will no doubt be regarded as one of her best fantasy series.

My full length review is now up on my blog

First and foremost, this series is SO diverse, I just love the inclusivity in it.

Unfortunately (entirely personal preference), I wasn’t the biggest fan. I felt like I couldn’t connect to the characters.
The story line is great but I think maybe this writing style just isn’t for me.

Really appreciated the opportunity to give this book a fair go with the ARC and hope others enjoy it!

Was lucky enough to be given the arc by NetGalley! All thoughts and opinions are my own:

I absolutely adored faebound when it read it last year. It was one of those books you can’t stop thinking about after you finish it, and this one was even better than faebound. The atmosphere is still wonderful to dive into, a perfect escape from reality, and the characters—from the past book along with the new—are loveable. My favorite part of the book was a new character, Alder, and I loved seeing everyone kind of have their own plot points and adventures. Gonna be sad when the final book of the trilogy comes out, this world is so fun to be in!

Saara El-Arifi wil always have my heart! Her second book for this series just keeps getting better and better! I can’t recommend this series enough!