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sauvageloup's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
I want to give this higher but it just didnt quite grab me in.
pros:
- loved the descriptions and worldbuilding, esp. with Mosima, outfits, landscapes and the fae creatures. Really beautiful and vivid.
- the plot twists were interesting and (mostly) surprising and kept you on your toes! especially liked Yerran getting Pila the obeah
- I liked the depth of the characters, with Yeeran not believing in prophercy like Lettle does and it being a sticking point even as they love each other, and Yeeran's relationships with Salawa and Furi.
- the side characters, like Komi, Golan, the prince, Furi and Rayan (kind of) were all interesting and explored, and all came into play.
- also enjoyed how different the characters were and their voices, with Lettle being impulsive and lighthearted compared to serious Yeeran. and the obeah's voices were brilliantly done, funny and sweet and a bit alien too.
- the start was gripping and you really feel for lettle, yeeran and everyone in the war. its emotive and worrying for the characters when everything goes to shit for them!
- I also liked that this was more adult and didnt shy from the violence of war and death and adult relationships (quite in contrast to the prev YA fantasy bk I read).
READ).
- It also felt like a new spin on tropes like fae, curses, prophecy, etc.
cons:
- mostly, I just didn't get very gripped overall. I picked it up and put it down and wasn't especially compelled. I cant really say why, maybe the stakes were lower mid and later in the book?
- too many characters a bit. I forgot who people were, incl. the prince and sode characters, Hosta and the guy Yeeran killed.
- some of the plot twists were a bit obvious, or they felt like they were trying to shock but didnt manage it. I didnt feel much about the queen dying bc we'd already had like 500 elves die bc of yeeran and the fae prince and the prophercy made it seem like it was just *shrug* inevitable
- wasnt super keen on te actual prophercy bits either. loved lettle's character and how she interacted with prophercy but I'm not one to rly enjoy foregone conclusions/tragedies so a bit blah if Rayan does die like in the prophercy. also thought Rayan would push more about Lettle's completely random toing and froing without explanation??
- also thought Furi and Yeeran moved a bit fast.
but overall, I did enjoy this! esp the feel of originality, the diverse (incl. nb) characters, and the worldbuilding, and I would like to know what happens in the next book.
pros:
- loved the descriptions and worldbuilding, esp. with Mosima, outfits, landscapes and the fae creatures. Really beautiful and vivid.
- the plot twists were interesting and (mostly) surprising and kept you on your toes!
- I liked the depth of the characters, with Yeeran not believing in prophercy like Lettle does and it being a sticking point even as they love each other, and Yeeran's relationships
- the side characters, like Komi, Golan, the prince, Furi and Rayan (kind of) were all interesting and explored, and all came into play.
- also enjoyed how different the characters were and their voices, with Lettle being impulsive and lighthearted compared to serious Yeeran. and the obeah's voices were brilliantly done, funny and sweet and a bit alien too.
- the start was gripping and you really feel for lettle, yeeran and everyone in the war. its emotive and worrying for the characters when everything goes to shit for them!
- I also liked that this was more adult and didnt shy from the violence of war and death and adult relationships (quite in contrast to the prev YA fantasy bk I read).
READ).
- It also felt like a new spin on tropes like fae, curses, prophecy, etc.
cons:
- mostly, I just didn't get very gripped overall. I picked it up and put it down and wasn't especially compelled. I cant really say why, maybe the stakes were lower mid and later in the book?
- too many characters a bit. I forgot who people were, incl. the prince and sode characters, Hosta and the guy Yeeran killed.
- some of the plot twists were a bit obvious, or they felt like they were trying to shock but didnt manage it. I didnt feel much about
- wasnt super keen on te actual prophercy bits either. loved lettle's character and how she interacted with prophercy but I'm not one to rly enjoy foregone conclusions/tragedies so a bit blah if
- also thought Furi and Yeeran moved a bit fast.
but overall, I did enjoy this! esp the feel of originality, the diverse (incl. nb) characters, and the worldbuilding, and I would like to know what happens in the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
bookishoptimist's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.5
This is a wonderful twist on the 'Fae' trope. I am trying to read more diverse books/authors (as a white woman) and since fantasy is one of my favorite genres, this totally hit the mark for me! I'm only disappointe that the next book isn't out until next year.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, and War
sara_reads_and_wines's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
3.75
I wanted to love this one more, I really did. But when I got to the halfway point and I was still feeling lackluster about the storyline, I knew this one just wasn't going to be one for me. While I did finish reading, I am not sure I will continue the series. I just don't think I am invested enough in the storyline.
✨️Minor spoilers below? ✨️
While I enjoyed both sister's POV's, it seemed disjointed having two dueling plotlines. I also thought the premonitions were a little obvious. It also hurt to know how the drums were made.
I did love the queer character representation, how the sisters always stuck up for each other, and everything about Pila! I also loved the budding romances between characters and hope the ones I am still rooting for them to all be happy!
✨️Minor spoilers below? ✨️
I did love the queer character representation, how the sisters always stuck up for each other, and everything about Pila! I also loved the budding romances between characters and hope the ones I am still rooting for them to all be happy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
merrnew's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
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? Yes
3.25
The lore and the world are interesting concepts but the execution was not great for me. The writing overall felt a little sloppy and I was disappointed that the descriptions of everything felt flat. The characters were extremely unlovable to me. They either didn't have a personality or were really annoying. I also didn't feel like the love stories were organic - they felt very forced.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Violence and War
abby_can_read's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
3.0
📱
I enjoyed this book. It kept me entertained. I liked the worldbuilding. I felt this book did more telling than showing.
I enjoyed this book. It kept me entertained. I liked the worldbuilding. I felt this book did more telling than showing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Sexual content, and War
Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Grief, Abandonment, and Alcohol
saucy_bookdragon's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
You ever read a generic and poorly written YA fantasy written post ACOTAR? (no shade at YA fantasy as a whole, shade at bad YA fantasy) That's what Faebound read like, despite not being YA.
A romantasy with writing heavy on exposition and overusing strange metaphors that don't work and romances that lack chemistry against a flimsy fantasy world and plot that have some interesting elements (such as being faebound, the importance of divination, and the lore behind the fantasy races) but all ends up poorly executed.
A romantasy with writing heavy on exposition and overusing strange metaphors that don't work and romances that lack chemistry against a flimsy fantasy world and plot that have some interesting elements (such as being faebound, the importance of divination, and the lore behind the fantasy races) but all ends up poorly executed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: War
bek_p87's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.25
A very interesting fantasy with an easy to follow mythology, a few twists and turns, romance, spice, and excellent queer and disabled representation. Can't wait to read the next instalment!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Murder, and War
Moderate: Animal death and Death of parent
lucyduller's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Xenophobia, Dementia, Grief, and Murder
distilledreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-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
4.0
I love the world Saara El-Arifi has created in Faebound with the dynamic of fae, elves, and (once upon a time) humans. It is a queernormative fantasy, which I am absolutely adoring at the moment. There are F/F, F/M, and M/M relationships mentioned on page as well as nonbinary characters. Again, I just loved the world El-Arifi created and the mythology of creation with the three gods each representing a different race and bestowing a “power.”
Strangely, despite falling in love with the world, I can’t pinpoint if there is a single character that I love as much. I enjoyed the characters, but I didn’t quite fall in love with any of them. Also, while I love the queer rep, none of the romantic partnerships had me in a chokehold, not even the enemies-to-lovers one. I will take a moment to appreciate El-Arifi’s depiction of siblings though. Even though our sibling protagonists are older (early-30s and late-20s), they still bicker like children. It is a dynamic I’ve seen with my own siblings at times, where we can revert back to the same arguments we had at 8 and 12, even though we are now much older.
As well, at times the foreshadowing in Faebound felt quite heavy. For every twist and turn, the groundwork has been put in place already on the page, so there were no surprise twists for me, but that didn’t make me like the book any less. Overall, the premise and world-building sunk its teeth into me with Faebound and I am eagerly anticipating the next installment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Sexual content, Slavery, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
florecita_lectora's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Confinement
Moderate: Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and War
Minor: Death of parent and Abandonment