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cozyscones's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Sexual content, Violence, and War
Moderate: Death and Murder
barda's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gore and Alcohol
fairyollie's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, Xenophobia, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
bookish_hollyx's review against another edition
3.5
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and War
the_lesbrarian's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Death and Grief
Minor: Alcohol
becann's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Animal death and Sexual content
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Violence, Death of parent, and War
ofbooksandechos's review
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Murder, and War
Moderate: Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Toxic relationship, Police brutality, and Grief
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
- 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
Also, Pila is adorable. Her and Andara from FW would be good friends.
Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Violence, Murder, and War
Moderate: Sexual content
maresuju's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Grief, and Death of parent
writerres27's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Hate crime, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment