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bookishmillennial's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
This was an entertaining addition to the new adult, queernormative fantasy world!
I felt that this was clearly setting up the rest of the series, because the rotating third-person limited POVs of sisters Yeeran and Lettle felt quite character-driven, helping readers get to know the fae courts just as they did. The world building felt easy to follow and because of that, I’d recommend this to someone who is new to fantasy and wants to try the genre on for size!
The buildup towards Furi and Yeeran was a lot of fun; it will assuredly be catnip for the enemies-to-lovers honeys! 🤗 The ending will have readers wondering if their love can conquer everything else going on (the Forever War, their individual quests and goals, the unrelenting betrayal going on inside the fae court walls).
I was less invested in Lettle’s POV which is so fascinating to me because I am typically not a pew-pew-pew war girly, pulled to soldiers and trained fighters like Yeeran. I *usually* prefer to get to know characters like Lettle, who want to become diviners in having visions of the future and wielding this for good! However, Lettle’s POVs and relationships left me wanting. The big reveal about Lettle and Yeeran’s father at the end though? Give me more of that! Whew!
Much of the edge-of-your-seat action happens towards the end of the book, which makes sense because El-Arifi is building up anticipation for the next book! I’m excited to see where this series goes!
steam rating: 2/5 — give me more face sitting, that was fun! kthxbye 🤭
This was an entertaining addition to the new adult, queernormative fantasy world!
I felt that this was clearly setting up the rest of the series, because the rotating third-person limited POVs of sisters Yeeran and Lettle felt quite character-driven, helping readers get to know the fae courts just as they did. The world building felt easy to follow and because of that, I’d recommend this to someone who is new to fantasy and wants to try the genre on for size!
The buildup towards Furi and Yeeran was a lot of fun; it will assuredly be catnip for the enemies-to-lovers honeys! 🤗 The ending will have readers wondering if their love can conquer everything else going on (the Forever War, their individual quests and goals, the unrelenting betrayal going on inside the fae court walls).
I was less invested in Lettle’s POV which is so fascinating to me because I am typically not a pew-pew-pew war girly, pulled to soldiers and trained fighters like Yeeran. I *usually* prefer to get to know characters like Lettle, who want to become diviners in having visions of the future and wielding this for good! However, Lettle’s POVs and relationships left me wanting. The big reveal about Lettle and Yeeran’s father at the end though? Give me more of that! Whew!
Much of the edge-of-your-seat action happens towards the end of the book, which makes sense because El-Arifi is building up anticipation for the next book! I’m excited to see where this series goes!
steam rating: 2/5 — give me more face sitting, that was fun! kthxbye 🤭
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Murder, Grief, War, Sexual content, Death, and Violence
bookboxbabe's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-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
5.0
*thank you netgalley and the publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
I AM NOT WELL. like i am frothing at the mouth right now.
this is one of the best fantasy books i have read lately. it has everything i want when i dive into a fantasy world: action, magic, political intrigue, found family, romance, and of course, magical races
i genuinely gasped at every single twist and reveal that this book had. these characters gripped my heart and to see them be betrayed and thrown through the ringer hurt my fragile heart. in the best way.
the romance in the book is so swoons too. like i wanted these characters to just get together before they even touched hands. the pining was too much!!
lastly, this world is so thoughtfully fleshed out and you can actually feel the world come alive on the pages. i felt like i was in mosima with these characters. it’s so rare that i find a book with such a well thought out and structured fantasy world. it takes great skill to do that, which this author very clearly has.
thank you for writing this. also, i need the next book now.
I AM NOT WELL. like i am frothing at the mouth right now.
this is one of the best fantasy books i have read lately. it has everything i want when i dive into a fantasy world: action, magic, political intrigue, found family, romance, and of course, magical races
i genuinely gasped at every single twist and reveal that this book had. these characters gripped my heart and to see them be betrayed and thrown through the ringer hurt my fragile heart. in the best way.
the romance in the book is so swoons too. like i wanted these characters to just get together before they even touched hands. the pining was too much!!
lastly, this world is so thoughtfully fleshed out and you can actually feel the world come alive on the pages. i felt like i was in mosima with these characters. it’s so rare that i find a book with such a well thought out and structured fantasy world. it takes great skill to do that, which this author very clearly has.
thank you for writing this. also, i need the next book now.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Violence, Sexual content, Racism, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief, War, and Alcohol
megplikestoread's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.25
Great LGBTQIA+ representation, diverse cast, interesting plot, great twists
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
madlyreading's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Animal death, and Racism
teaand_tomes's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
I thoroughly enjoyed the mythology that the author has created for the world of Faebound. It is evident that a lot of detailed thought has been put into it, and it adds depth to the story.
However, one aspect that didn't resonate with me was the objective writing style. The lack of emotional depth made it difficult for me to connect with the characters. Even the chemistry between Lettle and Rayan or Yeeran and Luri felt more factual than emotional. Initially, I wasn't even aware that Yeeran and Luri would become love interests due to the lack of connection between the characters.
On a positive note, I found the obeah to be fascinating creatures. The way they were described evoked a sense of beauty and majesty. I particularly appreciated their connection with the fae and the significance they held in their society.
The story itself is filled with intriguing twists and captivating mythology. However, I found the writing style to be rather flat, which diminished my overall reading experience.
Considering all these factors, I don't think I will continue with the next book in the series. Although the story was interesting, the writing didn't leave me yearning for more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Sexual content and Racism
cadence99's review against another edition
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
3.0
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: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Grief, Murder, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and War
Moderate: Dementia
Minor: Child abuse
queenmackenzie's review against another edition
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? Yes
3.75
Faebound tells of the Folk like I’ve never encountered them. This was my first Saara El-Arifi book, and I greatly enjoyed her storytelling skills; the way the story is framed by mythology, the landscape rendered harsh by war, the relationships that make and break the characters, the build up of tension and mystery… it’s all blended together to make for a very compelling read! As the blurb says, the story begins in one of the elven tribes, with the warrior Yeeran being the youngest Colonel in the army of the Waning tribe and ready to win a victory for her chieftain and lover Salawa. Her sister Lettle, meanwhile, despises the war and is a diviner hoping to rise in their ranks, but she drops everything when an error on the battlefield leads to Yeeran’s exile. Following the sisters is also Rayan, who served as Captain under Yeeran and feels responsible for her fate.
Yeeran is sure that if she can only bring back the skin of an obeah large enough, that Salawa will forgive her and bring her back into the fold, and this is her quest when she inadvertently stumbles upon a group of Fae, believed to have been lost for centuries. The obeah are a fascinating element to the story, as they are creatures of magic and so when their skin is used to fashion a drum, the wielder of that drum can create magic and the elves use these as weapons on the battlefield. However, this has lead to the over-hunting of the obeah, and Yeeran and her friends soon discover that the animals are precious to the Fae. As a warning: the early chapters have quite a few mentions and descriptions of the hunting and killing of obeah, so if you don’t like animal deaths this may not be for you.
Enraged by Yeeran’s killing of a great obeah, the fae drag her, Lettle, and Rayan to Mosima, their city beneath the earth to await punishment, because Yeeran has unknowingly killed a prince of the fae who was linked to the obeah and his sister, Furi, is the one to capture the elves. Thus begins the main story, as the three elves explore Mosima and become dangerously close to this race of people thought for centuries to have been lost. And the fae are indeed lost to the world, trapped beneath the earth by a curse uttered by the last of the humans, able only to leave for a little at a time, and only when one of the royal family is present. This confinement has led to differing views and strategies within the fae court, and the elves’ arrival only fans the fire as more people start dying and mysteries come to a head. In the midst of all this, there is a tension of a different kind: the growing attraction between Lettle and Rayan, who she believes she is fated to kill, and between Yeeran and Furi, who both despise and gravitate towards each other.
This book definitely falls in the ‘romantasy’ camp, so if a few more explicit scenes and a focus on romantic tension is not your ideal, then this one might not be for you. I enjoyed this element of the story, especially Lettle and Rayan’s scenes, but I couldn’t quite get on board with Furi and Yeeran; I love the enemies-to-lovers trope as much as the next gal, but I thought that ‘I accidentally killed your brother and now you hate me’-to-lovers was a bit of a stretch. Furi is a magnificent character, and I think my main problem is that I didn’t find Yeeran very likeable and so I don’t think she deserves the fae’s love! All she can think of for most of the book is the elves’ war and getting back to it, never really questioning their endless fighting or listening to her sister’s comments about the Chieftain Salawa. I suspect that she has more character development to undertake…
Overall, though, this was well plotted and well paced, and I enjoyed that all the little hints and mysteries that I noticed along the way come back towards the end in a satisfying way. I’m not sure if I’m interested enough to pick up the next book when it comes out, but I did race through this one and I’m glad I got the chance to read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Animal death
Moderate: Sexual content and Murder
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