Reviews

Faebound by Saara El-Arifi

dani_1405's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

4.75

Oh boy where do I start? I haven't been this down bad for a group of characters in a long time. Every single one of the like main four (the ones that form relationships in this book) are so crazy attractive. After the description of their outfits at the first fae event I was sold. In terms of plot, I really liked that we had a book with elves and fae and humans because I feel like you usually only get 2 of the 3. The way that Lettle's divination and prophecies and her interpretation of them are used as clues and red herrings was incredibly smart.

The reveal of Rayan being the son of the fae's brother was crazy and I did not see that coming, the cousin however I had bad feelings about, but Rayan becoming king? Crazy but so cool. The enemies to lovers tension between Yeeran and Furi was electric and had me feeling every kind of way.

This was a very well balanced romantasy as I definitely felt like it was a pretty good 50/50 split and didn't focus too much on one or the other. Both of the romances did feel slightly rushed, especially considering this is going to be a series, but I loved the relationships all the same.

jadorelecafe's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.0

katieandkiri's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful 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

4.5

allisoninfictionland's review against another edition

adventurous fast-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? No

2.0

lgordon006's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

sarahbinari's review against another edition

adventurous medium-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

3.5

Okay I really enjoyed this book- the sisterhood got me 😭 the world building & the magic system was also very cool & well done. However I think that I’m the middle of the book there just wasn’t enough at stake & things were pretty predictable throughout. Lastly I think all of the romance / relationships moved too fast 
ALAS I will be readying the second book when it’s out & still had a lot of fun readinf this & really appreciated the diversity & reading about elves & fae in a Afro/Arab lens 

cd777's review against another edition

3.0

While I did really enjoy this, I feel that the ideas and aesthetic of the book, were better than the actual execution. The characterizations felt a bit off, and the romances had me suspending my disbelief when characters admitted their love for one another. The character progression felt rushed, and sometimes even forced. I really liked the world building, but wanted more from it. The last 1/4 of the story was propulsive and I was excited to see what would happened. Some twists I saw and were hinted at, some were obvious, and some were more curveballs. This book is not perfect, but it is fun, and I’m looking forward to reading the next books. Also gotta love a book with fae AND elves

dtsuji92's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad 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

4.0

nataliebonetti's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense slow-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

4.0

_hellz_bellz_'s review against another edition

adventurous reflective 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

4.0

Faebound by Sara El-Arifi is a truly beautiful book that captivated me with its rich lore and intricate world-building. The depth of the mythos and the vividly crafted environment drew me in from the very beginning. It was an enjoyable read, immersing me in a world of magic and mystery. However, I did find that the writing could have flowed more smoothly at times; certain passages felt somewhat clunky and disrupted the narrative's overall rhythm. Despite this minor issue, the book's enchanting story and well-developed characters made it a worthwhile read. I look forward to seeing how Sara El-Arifi's writing evolves in her future works.