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levesc17's review
adventurous
dark
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? No
5.0
Amazing book! I’m new to this author and thrilled to have some other books to dive into while I wait for the second one in this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Death of parent and Death
mo_elcius's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Feabound is my first read from this author, and I have to say it did not disappoint. I'm so glad I was able to pick this up, and with the added bonus that my local library ordered some copies.
Below are some of the thoughts I had while reading it.
The Map:
I love me a read with some visuals. At the beginning of the book, there is a map of the land the Elven tribes reside on. There is so much detail to the surrounding border of the map. The border of the map alone had me hooked because there were so many symbols and I wanted to know more about their significance.
The Lore:
The Story of the Wheat, the Bat, and the Water.
In the beginning, there were three Gods... El-Arifi created a genesis story for the world of Feabound and it was really interesting. They gave me, "Mind, Body, and Soul". There is much emphasis in this story about the importance of knowing your history, your lineage, and that we are all connected in some way.
The Sisters:
Yeeran and Lettle remind me so much of my sisters and me. They are fiercely protective of each other and often get on each other's nerves. The sisters have different paths in response to the conflict taking place. To me, they often don't see the other side of things. They can't see themselves in the other's shoes, so to speak. Each believes their way can bring about the peace, abundance, and security their tribe needs. I'm looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops because there is much healing and understanding needed in their relationship.
The Conflict:
It's tragic how the conflict in the book has ruined so many lives. The resources they are fighting over can help so many of the Elven, including those not of the Waning Tribe. The first few chapters shed such a grime, but realistic light, on the ravages a war can have on children and the echos it leaves for those in the future.
The Obeah:
Can we get a larger picture? I'd like to confirm my mental image of them. I love the personality of one of the main Obeahs.
The Fea and their World:
The synopsis stated that they would be seductive... I didn't get that vibe, but it wasn't a bad thing. I appreciate that the Fae, and Elven peoples, are so diverse in their coloring, and characteristics and judgment-free in how they decide to present themselves. The relationships that developed were unexpected, but sweet and smoldering. I wanna read more! At the same time though, there is a particular relationship that I hope doesn't end in heartbreak.
Overall, great read. This is my third five-star read for the year of 2024. Ms. El-Arifi, I'm looking forward to more!
Check out my Booktube promo of the book: https://youtu.be/zXfZbt-5z3A
Below are some of the thoughts I had while reading it.
The Map:
I love me a read with some visuals. At the beginning of the book, there is a map of the land the Elven tribes reside on. There is so much detail to the surrounding border of the map. The border of the map alone had me hooked because there were so many symbols and I wanted to know more about their significance.
The Lore:
The Story of the Wheat, the Bat, and the Water.
In the beginning, there were three Gods... El-Arifi created a genesis story for the world of Feabound and it was really interesting. They gave me, "Mind, Body, and Soul". There is much emphasis in this story about the importance of knowing your history, your lineage, and that we are all connected in some way.
The Sisters:
Yeeran and Lettle remind me so much of my sisters and me. They are fiercely protective of each other and often get on each other's nerves. The sisters have different paths in response to the conflict taking place. To me, they often don't see the other side of things. They can't see themselves in the other's shoes, so to speak. Each believes their way can bring about the peace, abundance, and security their tribe needs. I'm looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops because there is much healing and understanding needed in their relationship.
The Conflict:
It's tragic how the conflict in the book has ruined so many lives. The resources they are fighting over can help so many of the Elven, including those not of the Waning Tribe. The first few chapters shed such a grime, but realistic light, on the ravages a war can have on children and the echos it leaves for those in the future.
The Obeah:
Can we get a larger picture? I'd like to confirm my mental image of them. I love the personality of one of the main Obeahs.
The Fea and their World:
The synopsis stated that they would be seductive... I didn't get that vibe, but it wasn't a bad thing. I appreciate that the Fae, and Elven peoples, are so diverse in their coloring, and characteristics and judgment-free in how they decide to present themselves. The relationships that developed were unexpected, but sweet and smoldering. I wanna read more! At the same time though, there is a particular relationship that I hope doesn't end in heartbreak.
Overall, great read. This is my third five-star read for the year of 2024. Ms. El-Arifi, I'm looking forward to more!
Check out my Booktube promo of the book: https://youtu.be/zXfZbt-5z3A
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, and War
tetrootz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Suicide, Blood, War, Body horror, Animal death, Stalking, Medical trauma, Gore, Death of parent, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Murder, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Cursing, Confinement, Torture, Slavery, Death, and Alcohol
booksdogsandcoffee's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
An immersive fae fantasy romance drenched in beautiful lore and politics that keeps you engaged at every turn!
I could not put Faebound down, and this has absolutely become one of my top reads of the year already. El-Arifi really out did herself with this one.
The lore, the disability representation, the romance, THE SISTER RELATIONSHIP! I cannot and will not stop gushing about how fantastic this book is.
I could not put Faebound down, and this has absolutely become one of my top reads of the year already. El-Arifi really out did herself with this one.
The lore, the disability representation, the romance, THE SISTER RELATIONSHIP! I cannot and will not stop gushing about how fantastic this book is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Murder, Death, War, and Violence
missindyrose's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Animal death, and War
cozyscones's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Sexual content, Violence, Animal death, and Confinement
Moderate: Death and Murder
barda's review
adventurous
tense
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? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Sexual content
Moderate: War, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Animal death, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol and Gore
fairyollie's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
it is so rare to find a book with a main character who is not just disabled, but disabled and sexy, and strong, and smart. i love the diversity of the characters and the world in Faebound, how gender, sexuality, and disability all were natural facets of life (as they should be). such a beautiful book, with stunning world-building, rich lore, and intriguing, complex characters. cannot wait for the rest in the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Xenophobia, Animal death, Death, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, and War
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Dementia, and Grief
bookish_hollyx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Violence, Death of parent, Blood, Gore, Murder, Death, and War
the_lesbrarian's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Faebound follows the complex bond between two sisters: a devoted war general and a haunted seer. When one is exiled from their tribe trying to fulfill a prophecy, both find themselves trapped in the realm of fae that the world lost to fable. Within, they find themselves questioning the truths of the homeland they have been fighting for.
The diversity of the characters is well-written and normalized. Most characters are black, as the setting is West-African inspired. Several of the main and major characters are queer, one of the major characters is trans, and many characters throughout the novel have disabilities.
This novel has the elements of a sapphic “romantasy,” and spends a lot more time with the romance than most other sapphic books in this sphere. If you’re looking for a Sarah J. Maas level split of fantasy and romance, but much more diverse and sapphic, this is the closest you will get from major publishing houses right now.
While this book suffered from some minor pacing issues— the middle third dragged a bit and a lot happened in the last quarter that I wish had been given more pages to be explored— those problems are easy to overlook for all of the beauty that the rest of the novel had to offer. A unique magic system, true diversity of characters, and an adult sapphic romance make Faebound a fun new read this winter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Animal death, and War
Moderate: Grief and Death
Minor: Alcohol