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adventurous
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked the plot, character, and setting, but I disliked the different povs because they weren't alligned on a timeline, so the reader knew what was going to happen because one character realized that, but has to re-live it for the other character.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, War
Minor: Bullying, Confinement, Hate crime, Classism
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The writing style was a little simplistic, the characters very YA even though they are mid-twenties. The magic system of the world wasn't really explained until 50% through the book and even then it was basically "just there and they used it." There are romantic interests but the chemistry really wasn't there. The reasoning for the war was explained but not well. Overall it was an ok story, but I wouldn't read it again, I'm glad I didn't buy it (library), and probably won't finish the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i’m gonna be honest and say. i’m a dumbass. i got an ARC to the sequel and hadn’t read this. so. here i am. tail in between my legs because i am stupid. and um. i dont think i would’ve picked this up otherwise. but i am defo excited to read the sequel!
i’ll be honest and say there were A Lot of elements of this i did not like. the plot twists were set up well, but they all came back to back to back i felt like i was getting whiplash from how much tea was being spilt. which is insane because before all 75 different plot twists were revealed, there was no plot. no tension. half the story is just lettle and yeeran being little horndogs, and the other half was worldbuilding. i’m not mad at the worldbuilding, lowkey learning about the elven lands & the life of the fae was FUNNNN. but idk i kind of feel like the focus was instead of the romance when a beautiful plot exploring the lives of the fae was Right There. but otherwise nothing really happens. like it took until 35% deep in this book for anything interesting to happen, and like 70% for the climax, and then that was resolved in like 4 pages 🧍
also with the plot twists… this is going to sound so fucking mean but most of them felt like something i’d read in fanfiction. something someone would write about their self-insert. like it was giving “hi im Y/N and actually im an elf and a fae and im a human and actually i am the most beautiful luxurious person and i have so many lovers because i am perfect”. do you get me?
the characters… oh the characters. i’m going to be honest and say i really only liked pila. she is my baby girl. other than that i only really cared for yeeran’s story because i knew she was a sapphic baddie. other than that she was alright, and only really pila warmed me up even the slightest towards yeeran. lettle was intriguing, but her plot annoyed me most of the time, and the same goes for rayan. i liked lettle a bit more than rayan tho cuz she is a fellow disabled baddie. furi was interesting but she felt very surface level in her depth. and everyone else is irrelevant and/or uninteresting.
so what did i like about this book? i don’t really know. i did enjoy the romance and the world building. i liked how some of the plot twists were nicely set up, even if they were cringe imo.
i think this book had a lot of potential. i think i am just a hater because i couldn’t bond to any main character and plot elements kept breaking my immersion because i found them corny.
oh well, let’s hope i like the sequel more!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Torture, Medical content, Grief, War
Minor: Alcohol
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, War
Minor: Chronic illness, Confinement, Xenophobia
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
I’m pleasantly surprised!!
I absolutely adored this beautiful world! The connections between the characters, especially Yeeran and Lettle really warmed my heart. I also really enjoy a world that’s so casually queer and matriarchal. It felt so nice to read a book where the danger is something other than violence against women or non straight people.
The story telling was a little clunky at times, with certain portions becoming difficult to understand what was going on exactly or how things were being said. The first third and final third of the book were REALLY captivating for me. The middle third was a bit slow and therefore, a large portion of the book felt like set up for future plot and the main plot of the series didn’t come about until the final few chapters of the book. I also wasn’t ENTIRELY convinced on how we got from point A to point B of our romances but I genuinely liked the dynamic between our couples so that wasn’t really an issue for me.
So far I’m excited!! Can’t wait for book 2!!
I absolutely adored this beautiful world! The connections between the characters, especially Yeeran and Lettle really warmed my heart. I also really enjoy a world that’s so casually queer and matriarchal. It felt so nice to read a book where the danger is something other than violence against women or non straight people.
The story telling was a little clunky at times, with certain portions becoming difficult to understand what was going on exactly or how things were being said. The first third and final third of the book were REALLY captivating for me. The middle third was a bit slow and therefore, a large portion of the book felt like set up for future plot and the main plot of the series didn’t come about until the final few chapters of the book. I also wasn’t ENTIRELY convinced on how we got from point A to point B of our romances but I genuinely liked the dynamic between our couples so that wasn’t really an issue for me.
So far I’m excited!! Can’t wait for book 2!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief, War
Moderate: Sexual content, Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A queernormative world with a really cool magic system? Yes please. I really loved the characters in this, my only issue was the pacing was a bit uneven.
I would die to protect Pila and if anything happens to them I will riot.
I would die to protect Pila and if anything happens to them I will riot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was an enjoyable read. Although I struggled with the first half I ended up being immersed and and flying through the second half. I grew to enjoy our characters and the world building.
This book had a take on fae that I ended up enjoying in contrast to a lot of books (and especially other "romantasy" books) that include them, and I really enjoyed the fact that the world included non-binary genders and was queer normative.
I wasn't greatly engaged with the plot until the end, however, and nearly dropped this book in the first half. Though I am glad I pulled through in the end.
This book had a take on fae that I ended up enjoying in contrast to a lot of books (and especially other "romantasy" books) that include them, and I really enjoyed the fact that the world included non-binary genders and was queer normative.
I wasn't greatly engaged with the plot until the end, however, and nearly dropped this book in the first half. Though I am glad I pulled through in the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Sexual content, Violence, War
Moderate: Death, Medical content
Minor: Toxic relationship
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Spice: 2/5 🌶️
*spice ratings are relative to similar books in the same genre*
Tropes & themes: tale of two sisters, sapphic romance, enemies to lovers, slow burn, unique magic system, lore & legend, magical animal companions, war-torn world, warrior FMC & mystic FMC, star-crossed lovers, elves & fae, queer normative world
Spoiler-Free Summary:
Yeeran was born a warrior, but on the day of her greatest achievement, she loses it all. Now banished from the Elven territory of Waning, she must find her glory elsewhere in order to gain her place back in the army fighting the Forever War. When Lettle learns of her sister’s fate, she resolves to leave their war-torn territory behind and follow. With the help of some folks along the way, the sisters’ paths will converge on top of a secret so great, it will change the very world.
Thoughts:
This. Book. Is. Fantastic. Easily one of the best fantasy books I’ve read in the past two years. I swear at least once a month, I kick myself for leaving a book so log on my TBR, but I’m not sure I’ve ever been so mad at myself.
First and foremost, the world the author has painted is incredible. Built upon rich lore, legends, and magic, the world of Fae and Elves is dangerous, whimsical, and brilliant. I am deeply obsessed with the magic system, and cannot stop obsessing over the characters themselves. And the magical creature companions? Perfection.
Let me let you in on a little secret…I typically hate sister stories. Like, loathe them entirely. But THESE sisters? I will die for them your honor. I love Yeeran and Lettle. I love that they’re different and have opposing, yet complimentary, strengths. The side characters are incredibly interesting and well fleshed out, and I’m attached, so they’d better be okay in book two, lmao.
The romance is definitely not the main objective for this book, but I still deeply enjoyed both of the sisters’ journey to love.
Lastly, the queer normative world was EVERYTHING! So refreshing!!
If you love stories like The Empyrean series, or When The Moon Hatched, you will adore this. And even I can admit that Faebound is even more approachable than those, lmao.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Animal death
I really enjoyed this. I loved our main girls and Rayan, their found family was so sweet. I really liked the magic system and world building. The plot was so fast paced, it was really engaging in that way but I do think it could have taken a little more time to sit with the emotions of things that were happening. But all around I had a wonderful time and I’m already stressed about how long it’s going to be before the third one is published. I just know she’s gonna leave me on some crazy cliffhanger at the end of #2. 😅
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Murder, War