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adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Faebound hooked me from the first chapter, and this ended up being quite a quick read for me, especially as someone who typically takes a long time to finish fantasy novels.
What I appreciated:
- Diverse character representation
- The setting of Mosima; I could truly picture the landscape, and the underground world that El-Arifi imagined was so vibrant and beautifully described.
- The relationships between the characters, especially the complicated sister relationship between Yeeran & Lettle
- The different systems of magic
What would have made this book even better:
- The end of the novel felt a little rushed to me. I appreciate that this was structured to be the first in a series, and I was completely okay with the loose ends and questions that we were left with at the end of the book. But I still felt like so many hugely significant events happened in a very short period of time, and we don't really get to see the characters process these events.
- I would have loved to have seen the obeah play a more prominent role in the book. I don't want to say much more, as I don't want to provide any spoilers, but I will just say that this was one particular area where I was really hoping for *more*.
I'm very much looking forward to the next installment in the series. Thank you to NetGalley for my digital ARC.
What I appreciated:
- Diverse character representation
- The setting of Mosima; I could truly picture the landscape, and the underground world that El-Arifi imagined was so vibrant and beautifully described.
- The relationships between the characters, especially the complicated sister relationship between Yeeran & Lettle
- The different systems of magic
What would have made this book even better:
- The end of the novel felt a little rushed to me. I appreciate that this was structured to be the first in a series, and I was completely okay with the loose ends and questions that we were left with at the end of the book. But I still felt like so many hugely significant events happened in a very short period of time, and we don't really get to see the characters process these events.
- I would have loved to have seen the obeah play a more prominent role in the book. I don't want to say much more, as I don't want to provide any spoilers, but I will just say that this was one particular area where I was really hoping for *more*.
I'm very much looking forward to the next installment in the series. Thank you to NetGalley for my digital ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Murder, War, Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content, Dementia
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
TL;DR: A woman discovers a new path forward when she can no longer serve in her nation’s army. Her sister and friend join her in exile to bring her back when they are captured by a group thought to be fairy tales.
I love how they handled the relationships. The way they respected the established relationship at the beginning and the new relationships were respectful and realistic. The relationships weren't one size fits all either. While the main characters didn't necessarily indulge in multiple partners, there was no judgement on those who did. The society built was accepting of all relationships including the ones around gender. "Like many elves, Motogo's gender was as flexible as the weather..."
There were a couple things I guessed before they happened, but it’s better that way in my opinion so it doesn’t feel like it’s coming out of nowhere. There were one or two things that surprised me as well.
The way the book handled war was also powerful. It put the politicians at the center and I respect that. People forget why wars are fought and this was a stark reminder. It didn’t shy away from classism either. All in all, I thought it was a fantastic book.
I love how they handled the relationships. The way they respected the established relationship at the beginning and the new relationships were respectful and realistic. The relationships weren't one size fits all either. While the main characters didn't necessarily indulge in multiple partners, there was no judgement on those who did. The society built was accepting of all relationships including the ones around gender. "Like many elves, Motogo's gender was as flexible as the weather..."
There were a couple things I guessed before they happened, but it’s better that way in my opinion so it doesn’t feel like it’s coming out of nowhere. There were one or two things that surprised me as well.
The way the book handled war was also powerful. It put the politicians at the center and I respect that. People forget why wars are fought and this was a stark reminder. It didn’t shy away from classism either. All in all, I thought it was a fantastic book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, War, Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Genocide, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Death of parent
Minor: Slavery, Trafficking, Kidnapping
Racial Slurs: the fae referred to those unbound as "lightless" as a condition
Slavery/Kidnapping/Trafficking: refers to child soldiers that could be found or sold into service by family members
Classism: refers to the way the fae treat those unbound
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’ve been looking forward to this book and it delivered in many ways: incredibly fast paced, lovable characters, and an engaging storyline. While I enjoyed my overall experience I do have a few detractors: for me, the plot felt INCREDIBLY predictable. I guessed almost EVERY major plot point well before it happened, so if you’re looking to be surprised this may not be the one for you. In addition the writing felt very simple compared to the authors other work. Which I don’t think is necessarily a bad thing, and made for a very easy read, but wasn’t quite what I was expecting. There is also an enemies to lovers troupe here, as well as borderline insta love , but if that’s something you don’t mind then read on!
For me, it was an overall enjoyable experience, and I look forward to the next installment!
For me, it was an overall enjoyable experience, and I look forward to the next installment!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Dementia
Minor: Child abuse