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becann's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Overall an amazing read! Incredibly well written and truly draws you into the world. Lots of twists and turns keep you engaged throughout the book.
There were a few moments that left me a bit confused by the authors choices, but those moments were overshadowed by how interesting and thought provoking the rest of the book is.
There were a few moments that left me a bit confused by the authors choices, but those moments were overshadowed by how interesting and thought provoking the rest of the book is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Animal death
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, War, Animal cruelty, and Violence
ofbooksandechos's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Murder, and War
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, Medical content, Classism, and Blood
Minor: Police brutality, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Other CWs: Fictional racism, death of a family member, fictional confinement, starvation, poverty, references to Kwarshiorkor in children, mention of child soldiersceredonia's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.25
That was a fantastic start to a series. Lots of imagination, great character building, lots of world building but it all worked. The writing was a bit simplistic, and the timeline felt rushed. The sapphic love was well done, and the nonbinary and disabled aspects were also handled well. I would have actually enjoyed it being longer. Definitely looking forward to more!
Also, Pila is adorable. Her and Andara from FW would be good friends.
Also, Pila is adorable. Her and Andara from FW would be good friends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, Murder, Animal death, Chronic illness, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
maresuju's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Animal death, and Violence
Moderate: Xenophobia, Sexual content, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Minor: Confinement, Death of parent, and Grief
writerres27's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
5.0
First 5-star read of 2024! Fantastic book. I found the story to be fast paced and engaging, the characters were interesting and well juxtaposed, and the ending certainly has me anticipating a second book. Overall, I found the writing beautiful, the plot fascinating, and the growth of El-Arifi rewarding. This will be a spoiler-free review! Details below.
Plot:
The storyline begins the second the writing does. You're following the story of Yeeran and Lettle, two sister elves exploring an unknown land as Yeeran enters exile. The action is near constant with new events occurring almost every chapter. I found it hard to put the book down, constantly wanting to know what was going to happen next and telling myself "just one more" long after my bedtime. Perhaps the most impressive feat of the plotline is the double plot-twist occurring at the climax of the book. While I had my suspicions about one, I was truly surprised (and went "AHHHHH!!!") at the other one. I was excited by the constant rise and fall of hope presented in the plot as new challenges continued to arise and were overcome, some more than others. It's been a while since I was gripped by a book from the very beginning, thus earning Faebound and El-Arifi my first 5-star rating of the year.
Characters:
Character development in this story was well done for a first book. While all of the main characters experienced a broadening of their knowledge and understanding of the world, some took to it better than others. With characters who are all starkly different, often grating against each other regardless of how much love they share, the reader gets to experience multiple perspectives on the events of the plot as the story goes on. You find yourself sympathetic for, and irritated with, all of the characters for different reasons, which in turn allows you to understand their actions or the reactions of others. While many first books in a series struggle to demonstrate substantial character development before the second book, El-Arifi does a great job of making the characters flexible from the beginning, though their core characteristics are firm and consistent the whole way.
World building, setting, and magic system:
I found the world of Faebound quite fascinating. Not so different from our own, but different enough to keep the reader curious, Faebound explores different roles within a society, as well as different peoples within a greater world, and the conflicts that arise amongst them. The descriptions are beautiful and vivid, allowing the reader to envision the characters' experiences with clarity. The magic system was also incredibly interesting, with details and explanations emerging progressively throughout the book. This allowed readers to learn alongside the main characters, but never left the reader wondering how it all fit together or whether they were missing something. I was extremely satisfied by the explanations and depictions of the world's magic, which remedies the only complaints I had about The Final Strife, another first book in an El-Arifi fantasy series. You can see the growth in El-Arifi as an author, and it is quite pleasing to witness in real time.
Plot:
The storyline begins the second the writing does. You're following the story of Yeeran and Lettle, two sister elves exploring an unknown land as Yeeran enters exile. The action is near constant with new events occurring almost every chapter. I found it hard to put the book down, constantly wanting to know what was going to happen next and telling myself "just one more" long after my bedtime. Perhaps the most impressive feat of the plotline is the double plot-twist occurring at the climax of the book. While I had my suspicions about one, I was truly surprised (and went "AHHHHH!!!") at the other one. I was excited by the constant rise and fall of hope presented in the plot as new challenges continued to arise and were overcome, some more than others. It's been a while since I was gripped by a book from the very beginning, thus earning Faebound and El-Arifi my first 5-star rating of the year.
Characters:
Character development in this story was well done for a first book. While all of the main characters experienced a broadening of their knowledge and understanding of the world, some took to it better than others. With characters who are all starkly different, often grating against each other regardless of how much love they share, the reader gets to experience multiple perspectives on the events of the plot as the story goes on. You find yourself sympathetic for, and irritated with, all of the characters for different reasons, which in turn allows you to understand their actions or the reactions of others. While many first books in a series struggle to demonstrate substantial character development before the second book, El-Arifi does a great job of making the characters flexible from the beginning, though their core characteristics are firm and consistent the whole way.
World building, setting, and magic system:
I found the world of Faebound quite fascinating. Not so different from our own, but different enough to keep the reader curious, Faebound explores different roles within a society, as well as different peoples within a greater world, and the conflicts that arise amongst them. The descriptions are beautiful and vivid, allowing the reader to envision the characters' experiences with clarity. The magic system was also incredibly interesting, with details and explanations emerging progressively throughout the book. This allowed readers to learn alongside the main characters, but never left the reader wondering how it all fit together or whether they were missing something. I was extremely satisfied by the explanations and depictions of the world's magic, which remedies the only complaints I had about The Final Strife, another first book in an El-Arifi fantasy series. You can see the growth in El-Arifi as an author, and it is quite pleasing to witness in real time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, War, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Bullying, Animal death, Hate crime, Medical content, Child abuse, Murder, and Abandonment
maregred's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Faebound was ultimately very disappointing to me. I’ve heard such good things about the author’s first trilogy (which is still on my TBR!) but Faebound didn’t work for me. I think it was originally advertised as an epic fantasy, but it is romantasy. That is no hate to romantasy, I was just expecting something different.
As a romantasy, it does the job. The romance for both couples was very insta-love, including the “enemies to lovers” one. For those playing the trope game though, there is a queer “who did this to you?” Which is quite excellent.
I found the pacing uneven; the first 50% was a slog and the last 50% jammed packed. I also felt the writing read more YA than adult, which the book is advertised as. The characters also act very young, though they are all late 20s and early 30s (there is some in story explanation for this but it was hard for me to translate still).
However, the world was so interesting! El-Arifi really said “why choose?” And wrote a whole world with Elves, Humans, AND Fae. I liked the mythology behind the races as well. I also really liked how she showed the dark realities of war and what that means for how people are raised during a neverending one.
I also loved the sheer amount of diverse characters. A+ no notes.
I received this copy through NetGalley for an honest review.
I received this copy through NetGalley for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Animal death, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
Minor: Death of parent, Grief, and Pregnancy
tardisbookcat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I loved the potential of the world building but wasn’t aware this was more romantasy. I hope that the next book has less spice and more lore, more on par with Battle Drum.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, War, Death, Genocide, and Violence
Minor: Confinement and Colonisation
Started a bit slowly but after the first few chapters I wasn’t able to put it down.moonlitreading_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“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 book was something I was looking forward to reading and I was really happy when I got approved for an ARC. Elves, fae, magic, mythical creatures, diversity, and sapphic romance. Who wouldn’t be excited to read something with all those elements?? I especially loved the POC and the LGBTQIA+ representation; I think Saara El-Arifi did a good job in that area.
Unfortunately, the rest of the book has left me disappointed. The prologue and the first few chapters of the book sparked my interest that made me think I was about to go on an epic journey (I didn’t). The worldbuilding itself wasn’t bad but it felt lacking. Some of the twists were obvious, especially the ones from prophecies, and this is coming from someone who is pretty bad at guessing them. As for the romance, I did not care for any of the romantic relationships. It felt forced like they were there just for the sake of having romance in the book.
Thank you HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Murder, War, and Death
tatyana_'s review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Yeeran is a decorated general in a war that has consumed the Elven lands for generations. She and Lettle, her younger sister and aspiring diviner, have lived through the horrors the war has ravaged their people from a very young age. When Yeeran makes a critical mistake and is exiled, Lettle and Rayan, her trusted commander, follow her. Together they become entangled in the Fae court. The only thing is that the Fae were thought to have died ages ago with humans. With this discovery, the future of both Elves and Fae is at stake.
While I enjoyed reading this book, I was expecting a lot more and I have had trouble making a review that properly reflects that. Given that Yeeran is a decorated general, I expected her to be more strategic and decisive, but she was often distracted and made mistakes. She was also very naive about the war she was very active in despite her insight, experiences, and warnings from others. With Lettle being an apprentice to the top diviner, I hoped she would be more active in interpreting prophecies. Instead, I found the prophecies predictable and was left underwhelmed when the characters were shocked during the reveal. I also wished for more development within the platonic and romantic relationships between the characters. I especially felt that I was told more than I was shown their feelings.
The history of the world, the cultures of Elves and Fae, and African and Arab influences were fascinating in this book. The world-building is done throughout the book, and I found it had a nice balance of providing information without being overbearing or removing all the story's mystery. Nonetheless, it ended with a lot of unanswered questions that I expect us to learn more about as the series moves forward. All that being said I do plan to continue with this series and am interested in how the story unfolds with the next installments.
While I enjoyed reading this book, I was expecting a lot more and I have had trouble making a review that properly reflects that. Given that Yeeran is a decorated general, I expected her to be more strategic and decisive, but she was often distracted and made mistakes. She was also very naive about the war she was very active in despite her insight, experiences, and warnings from others. With Lettle being an apprentice to the top diviner, I hoped she would be more active in interpreting prophecies. Instead, I found the prophecies predictable and was left underwhelmed when the characters were shocked during the reveal. I also wished for more development within the platonic and romantic relationships between the characters. I especially felt that I was told more than I was shown their feelings.
The history of the world, the cultures of Elves and Fae, and African and Arab influences were fascinating in this book. The world-building is done throughout the book, and I found it had a nice balance of providing information without being overbearing or removing all the story's mystery. Nonetheless, it ended with a lot of unanswered questions that I expect us to learn more about as the series moves forward. All that being said I do plan to continue with this series and am interested in how the story unfolds with the next installments.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
Minor: Death of parent and Death
caprivoyant's review against another edition
My favorite fantasy authors are those who weave parallels between real and fiction—who use fantasy and magic as a way to reflect back the best (or the worst) of our own world—and, in doing so, give us the chance to examine the kind of world we're creating here on Earth.
And let me tell you: this book weaves threads between reality and fantasy like it's making a friggin’ tapestry. 🧶
Lemme illustrate just one: The elves are locked in a war. Underground, beneath the fighting, is a fuel source—one that could power everyone’s homes for decades to come. They call the fighting “the Forever War” saying: "...where there is value, there is power, and where there is power, violence will always be."
There was so much I adored about this book: the sibling love, the queer-normativity, the strong, disabled MC, the (to me) gender-euphoric way humans were described [“From the seeds of the Earth, Asase created humans. Sprigs became bones and flowers sprouted smiles.”]...
If I *had* to critique anything, it would be that the romance parts weren't super convincing for me? But I also understand that (1) I'm ace and romance storylines often just don't hit for me the way it does for most people and (2) there are 2 whole more books in the works that I'm sure will develop those storylines further.
Even with that small critique that might just be a me-problem, though, I think the coolest thing about this book is that it's bigger than the sum of its parts.
Truly, it feels like the beginning of a love letter to what our real world could become: how we might all be able to find liberation/freedom together. I can’t wait to see how we get there in real life AND in later books in the series.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to add everything else Saara El-Arifi has ever written to my TBR.
And let me tell you: this book weaves threads between reality and fantasy like it's making a friggin’ tapestry. 🧶
Lemme illustrate just one: The elves are locked in a war. Underground, beneath the fighting, is a fuel source—one that could power everyone’s homes for decades to come. They call the fighting “the Forever War” saying: "...where there is value, there is power, and where there is power, violence will always be."
There was so much I adored about this book: the sibling love, the queer-normativity, the strong, disabled MC, the (to me) gender-euphoric way humans were described [“From the seeds of the Earth, Asase created humans. Sprigs became bones and flowers sprouted smiles.”]...
If I *had* to critique anything, it would be that the romance parts weren't super convincing for me? But I also understand that (1) I'm ace and romance storylines often just don't hit for me the way it does for most people and (2) there are 2 whole more books in the works that I'm sure will develop those storylines further.
Even with that small critique that might just be a me-problem, though, I think the coolest thing about this book is that it's bigger than the sum of its parts.
Truly, it feels like the beginning of a love letter to what our real world could become: how we might all be able to find liberation/freedom together. I can’t wait to see how we get there in real life AND in later books in the series.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to add everything else Saara El-Arifi has ever written to my TBR.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death, Grief, Death of parent, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail