Wow! I went into this blind and it blew me away. I read it in one train journey - devoured it!!
I love the plot, two elven sisters outcast from their lives and thrown into a new world of fae. One that tests their loyalties, to their race, friends, family and lovers at every turn. I love this concept as it really tests and demonstrates who you are and what you're made of.
The lore was well thought out and executed, and was very thorough. The plot itself - immaculate and page turning. Twists and tension thoughout to keep you invested.
And it's LGBTQ as well, with various relationships that come in different shapes and forms.
Honestly, it's a magical read, one of my favourites of this year! I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy.

The only downside - this was an arc so now I have to wait even longer for the next one

I've been waiting since I heard about this book, for it to go on NetGalley, hoping I would be accepted!
Once I was I started it instantly. This book is everything I hoped and more. I loved Saara El-Arifi's other books and I loved those,. Faebound has everything I loved from those books, plus even more. Such a magical beautifully written read. And oh my god I want an Obeah of my own. One of the best books I've read this year!

Thank you to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for providing me an eARC to review!

This is probably my fault - I don't really enjoy the romantasy genre and I have also dnf'd El-Arifi's previous work. I was intrigued at the beginning, but I could see the story that was emerging wasn't really what I was hoping for.

It's nice to see queer and gender diverse representation in a romantasy book, and the world itself was really interesting. I just wasn't connecting to the characters, though, and couldn't help but feel that at its core this was the same sort of story I've read and disliked many times before. I know a lot of people will love this, but sadly I just don't think I'm the right audience. The characters - while described as being around 30 - do still read a bit on the young side which I also didn't love.

I want to say it's almost like an adult, more diverse version of Cruel Prince but with a heavier focus on romance - Yeeran was very Jude-coded and Lettle was kind of giving Taryn vibes (not in a bad way though).

I devoured this book in 24 hours. The world building and magic system was incredibly unique, and all of the twists and turns kept me constantly guessing. This book was fast paced and full of tension (sexual and otherwise), but sometimes felt a little rushed. Despite the pacing, I still think this is a solid fantasy read and am excited to see what else fate has in store for this world.