DNF at 40%. This was really well written and the magic system was unique but unfortunately just not for me.

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

I love epic, classic fantasy. While this isn't a quest book, it does have all the hallmarks of epic fantasy. Think THE TWO TOWERS (the first half anyway, with the exploration of new lands, not the endless wandering of Frodo and Sam!) 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. A lot of thought went into that underground city, how life could adapt and thrive there with magic. It's the sort of place that would be very fun to visit, full of wondrous sights.

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.)

While the two sisters have their own romantic dramas, this is first and foremost a tale of sisterhood. Yeeran and Lettle have their past and tensions, but the do love each other (I would argue one more selflessly than the other!) Half of the trouble they get into after exile is because of this - Lettle following her sister, Yeeran leveraging her new status to protect her sister. I love seeing sisterhood at the forefront of books.

The epilogue hints at some curse breaking in the next book. I really hope that means we get a knowledge quest (I do love quests!) Either way, I am excited to read what comes next.

I absolutely adored Faebound, it read like a perfect fantasy! It’s full of rich and beautiful world-building amongst the backdrop of a raging war. The unique magic system is well explained with absolutely no information dumping. I have to mention pacing, this was is something of a marvel as it just kept building fluidly throughout. I loved ALL the characters and their relationships, especially the way the siblings interacted. The animal companions in this book are unmatched, there’s use of wit and otherworldliness about them! There is also plenty of romance for those who enjoy that aspect - this is possibly more geared towards younger adults, although there is spice. I think the book could have been without the spice all together and I would still rate it five stars for the plot, characters and world. Move over Fourth Wing, I don’t need a dragon, I need an Obeah! Thank you to the NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

𝗙𝗔𝗘𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗
—𝘀𝗮𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗲𝗹-𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶 | 𝟰.𝟮𝟱🌟

“𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵. 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭.”

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
✨Fantasy romance
✨Drum magic
✨Queer rep
✨Prophecies
✨Strong sister bond
✨Military subplots
✨Elves and Fae
✨Enemies to lovers

𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆:
Yeeran is a celebrated colonel in the elven Forever War whilst her sister, Lettle, is struggling to make a living by divining futures. Both work towards a better tomorrow in different ways yet their bond is strong, so strong that when Yeeran is exiled, Lettle, and Yeeran’s Captain, Rayan, follow her into exile and together they discover a forgotten past.

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
“𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘦. 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘸, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳,
𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳,
𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦.
𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦.”

This author is an autobuy for me and just like her Ending Fire series, Saara el-Arifi’s writing continues to remain as immersive and as captivating as ever amongst some seriously enchanting world building.

This book focuses on the two sisters, Yeeran and Lettle, and they are both fundamentally flawed but easy to root for. I much preferred Lettle to Yeeran, I felt that sometimes the sisterly bond felt a little one sided and that Lettle would go further to save Yeeran than Yeeran would go for Lettle. I’m really looking forward to seeing how the characters progress over this new fantasy series.

I have to admit that most twists were obvious, so it was a bit frustrating that the characters didn’t work stuff out until towards the end when the reader has known it for so long.

But overall this is a romance-heavy fantasy with amazing queer rep that defies heteronormativity and a new world which is rife with war, devastatingly beautiful, and has rising stakes. I really look forward to the sequel.

𝗞𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵 | 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗵 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘆

A lush and intriguing world filled with magic and mysteries, I could not put this down! SE-A effortlessly slips between the narrative of two likeable MCs and has woven together a fantastic start to what I'm sure will be a great trilogy!

One of my absolute anticipated book of 2024 and with reason.
Once again Saara stunned me with the world building and the story.
Whilst there is more romance than in The Final Stride (which I live for), she still manage this perfect balance between plot, romance and character development, which makes this book perfect for every fantasy fan.
Now onto waiting at least a whole year before I get to see Yeeran again.
This is gonna be long.

Saara El-Arifi is a masterful storyteller. Set in a queernormative world, Faebound’s magic system is immersive and easy to understand. I was able to easily picture the world and understand the characters and their motives. I care deeply about each of the main characters and I cannot wait to read more from this world!!

In war torn lands where Elves, Fae and Humans once all lived two waring elf tribes fight to claim the lands for themselves.

Faebound follows two sisters, Yeeran a battle sworn commander in an eleven army and Lettle who can see the future when the gods deem it so.

GUYS THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD! We have all the makings of an awesome compelling fantasy read

💕mutual pining
😍he falls first
🦌animal companions
💋 sapphic love
✨magic and mystery

What more can you want?! This is my first book by this author (I went in with high expectations though as I have only EVER heard good things) and daaaaamn I’m going to hit up their previous books asap.

I need book 2 this very second. The wait will kill me

Thanks so much to the publisher & NetGalley for the ARC this was a joy to read!

4.5⭐️

'Faebound' has a gorgeous cover, an interesting setting and magic system, but just wasn't aware that this is primarily a romantasy. So it's fine to read, but not for me.

Faebound has a really unique magic system and some of the most creative world building that I’ve read in a while. The story is very distinctive and unlike a lot of the fantasy romance novels published recently.

The reason why I am rating this 4 stars rather than 5 is because I felt a little bit mislead by the blurb. The romance is a much bigger focus of the book than I was expecting and hoping for. Also, I felt that the story and characters came across as a bit young feeling. I would argue that without the spice, this could’ve easily been a YA which is not how it is being advertised.

Overall, I did really enjoy this book and have ordered a special edition to display proudly on my shelves! I expect this book to be a big hit with readers in 2024.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC.

This book was incredible. The writing gripped me from the beginning. With a pace that isn't too fast or slow.
We learn enough of the world to understand what is going on but leaves enough to be explored later.
With some twists towards the end that I didn't see coming I'm left wanting more from this world and characters.

Fast paced and beautifully written, with so so many incredibly creative ideas and great worldbuilding. Recommended for the romantasy addicts for sure!

Thank you to netgalley and HarperCollins UK for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating:2/5
What i expected to be an epic fantasy turned out to be a mediocre romantasy with little depth. This just didn't work for me, unfortunately. Fans of ACOTAR and other romantasy books will certainly enjoy this.

Right from page 1, Faebound plunges the reader into the fray of battle and moves at a very fast pace. The book jumped from one scene to another so fast that it was difficult to feel the stakes. The characters felt like cardboard cutouts and were very immature. 28 year old Lettle was more immature than some of the YA protagonists I've read. The prophecies in this world are a little too straightforward, and everything felt awfully predictable. It was very easy to work out most of the plot twists, and while that's not necessarily a bad thing, the way they were revealed was quite underwhelming. The worldbuilding was creative but not explored enough. It really annoyed me to see the characters constantly being horny, even in life threatening situations. The diverse representation was quite excellent, I'll give it that. Pila was the only character I liked... she's a great animal companion! Unfortunately, besides the romance, the story is too...dull. There's not much substance to the story. It starts fast paced and ends in a rushed way, but the middle is uneventful.

I really, really wanted to like this and believe it has potential, so I'll be checking out the next book. I'm just not a fan of romantasy, especially when the book is so hyperfocused on the romance that everything else fades into the background.If you're an epic fantasy reader and, like me, need higher stakes and detailed worldbuilding, this probably won't work for you. However, I'd recommend this to romantasy fans and expect it to find an audience among them upon release.

Faebound is a beautiful fantasy novel full of rich world building and brilliant twists. Just as I thought I knew what this book was about, a massive surprise turned everything on its head. I didn't read, or at least didn't remember reading, the blurb and I'm actually quite glad because it meant I went in knowing very little.

Faebound is a great first book for this new trilogy. It sets the scene well and establishes the history of this world shared by humans, elves and fae, whilst still having a satisfying conclusion of its own. I am intrigued about what happens next and will definitely read on in the series.

Recommended for fans of high fantasy.

Approaching this novel without any preconceived notions, given it's my first from this author, turned out to be a delightful experience. The fantasy journey takes place in a captivating realm that held my interest throughout. I would recommend it, especially if you enjoyed ACOTAR and Fourth Wing. I firmly believe that this book will stand out as one of the best in 2024. The skillful inclusion of LGBTQ representation was a notable aspect.

A special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing the review copy!

4,5 stars!!

I came into Faebound with little expectations, as this is my first by the author, and I was blown away. With popular Fae titles like A Court of Thorns and Roses and The Cruel Prince dominating the romantic fantasy genre, I won't be surprised if Saara El-Arifi's upcoming novel, Faebound, is all over the internet when it releases. Unlike those novels, Faebound offers readers a fresh reading experience with plenty of diversity (and is written by an author of color.)

Faebound features a main sapphic romance and a diverse cast of characters. The magic system in Faebound is unique, exciting, and unlike anything I've read before. You'll get lost in these pages from the very first page. I loved learning about the politics and the lore and was never bored. I absolutely love books exploring sisterhood, and it was no different here. Faebound should be on the bookshelves of every fantasy reader, especially if you love fantasies with strong romantic elements. I highly recommend Faebound and would love to read more by El-Arifi in the future.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This review will be posted on my platforms closer to release date.

A great fantasy adventure in a well thought out world, rich with magical creatures, fated mates, eternal war and prophecy. If you are a fan of books like ACOTAR, Fourth Wing and Gilded then this one is a must for you.

I have to say that this is my fav read of 2023, the characters really drew you in, the plot and sun plots kept you gripped. A fantasy lovers dream book

A great fantasy adventure in a well thought out world, rich with magical creatures, fated mates, eternal war and prophecy. If you are a fan of books like ACOTAR, Fourth Wing and Gilded then this one is a must for you.

I particularly enjoyed the intriguing elvish magic system and the laying of ancient lore in this first book. I’m sure the seeds have been sewn for gripping twists and turns down the line. The sisters make great main characters to follow, I cannot wait to see how their relationship to each other is affected by the events at the end of Faebound. It’s certainly a series I shall be following in the future.

Get this if you want sapphic enemies to lovers (yes please), fated MF mates, cunning prophecies and a truly magical setting.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harper Collins for a review copy of this book!

Where to start with this jewel of a book, I absolutely loved it! following two sisters who uncover the mythical fae court and find themselves getting drawn into the magical world of the fae.

The book follows Yeeran a warrior in the elven army who has known nothing but violence her whole life. Her sister, Lettle, is trying to make a living as a diviner, seeking prophecies of a better future. When Yeeran makes a fatal mistake on her first day as colonel of the elven army she is exiled and Lettle, along with one of Yereen's soldiers decide to follow her there they encounter the impossible: the dangerous and alluring fae court.

I loved all the characters, and the romance sub-plots were really well realised, and I believed the love stories so completely. The characters were so multi-faceted, and you couldn't help but route for them. The magic system was intriguing and had great foundations which I hope continues to be explored throughout the series. The world-building is also exquisite. I really loved the fluidity of gender in this book and would love to see more of this in fantasy.

I admit, I was convinced that this was the author's debut book but instead I find that she has written others before and they are books that I definitely need to catch up on.

I requested Faebound mainly because of the cover, I mean, look at it. Isn't it beautiful! I definitely think so.
Let's talk about its content now!
I didn't mind the story at all, I found it engaging and captivating.
However, I admit that some parts I would have avoided, it drowns out the story by creating the "boring areas."
In the comp it is an eventful and magical story.
If you are a fae lover, this book is for you.