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amandab0514's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
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? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Xenophobia, Violence, Sexual content, and Murder
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and Animal death
linnybear's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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
2.0
If someone told me it’s a debut I’d believe them 💀 Completely subjectively speaking, it’s not a well written book, in any possible way. The author definitely fell into a trap of excessive tropification of romantasy and in my opinion it negatively affected the story making it incredibly cliché and predictable. You DO NOT give the reader ‘one bedroom trope’ in chapter 9 while barely establishing any kind of romantic relationship between characters, you DO NOT introduce the new enemy to make the mc swoon over the curves of their body a minute later making the reader go ‘ah so we have enemy to lovers’ (despite said mc apparently still loving her ex partner!). These can be your favorite tropes and I’m not here to judge that but the tropes also exist for a reason and they have their own place and time. This is something that over time made me irritated and yet it doesn’t get better as you progress through the story.
Talking about the storyline, it is so predictable almost from the start and the clues are constantly given away by the author in a form of prophecies. No matter the situation the stakes felt very low making it unengaging and instead we are forced to focus on characters’ internal struggles and romantic affairs, yet… This book has possibly the worst developed (or rather undeveloped) relationships I’ve ever encountered which is somewhat connected to incredibly flat, almost robotic characters. There is no logic in their actions, there is no thought (given their ages and previous positions in the elven society it’s absolutely bizarre), there is no depth, or growth, or complexity. Instead we are left with lots of angst, lust and cringy dialogue. Possibly the biggest red flag in all of this was the normalization of dishonesty, infidelity and abuse making some, if not all, relationships (including those between family members) really toxic as these issues are never properly addressed and resolved.
The only positive aspect of this series so far would be the world building. Don’t get me wrong, it is still severely lacking but I found some of the ideas (like the existence of three races made by three different gods or the fae curse) really interesting and worth expanding. I wish it was enough for me to read the book two once it’s out but I don’t think it’s truly worth my time.
Talking about the storyline, it is so predictable almost from the start and the clues are constantly given away by the author in a form of prophecies. No matter the situation the stakes felt very low making it unengaging and instead we are forced to focus on characters’ internal struggles and romantic affairs, yet… This book has possibly the worst developed (or rather undeveloped) relationships I’ve ever encountered which is somewhat connected to incredibly flat, almost robotic characters. There is no logic in their actions, there is no thought (given their ages and previous positions in the elven society it’s absolutely bizarre), there is no depth, or growth, or complexity. Instead we are left with lots of angst, lust and cringy dialogue. Possibly the biggest red flag in all of this was the normalization of dishonesty, infidelity and abuse making some, if not all, relationships (including those between family members) really toxic as these issues are never properly addressed and resolved.
The only positive aspect of this series so far would be the world building. Don’t get me wrong, it is still severely lacking but I found some of the ideas (like the existence of three races made by three different gods or the fae curse) really interesting and worth expanding. I wish it was enough for me to read the book two once it’s out but I don’t think it’s truly worth my time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Animal death, Racism, War, Murder, and Genocide
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: 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
ginzengtea's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.5
It took a while for the story to get going as this is the first book in a trilogy and had a lot of world building but all the characters have so much weight to them and it just became much more of an interesting story.
I can’t wait to read the rest of it
I can’t wait to read the rest of it
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Racism, Ableism, and Classism
maregred's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.5
Faebound was ultimately very disappointing to me. I’ve heard such good things about the author’s first trilogy (which is still on my TBR!) but Faebound didn’t work for me. I think it was originally advertised as an epic fantasy, but it is romantasy. That is no hate to romantasy, I was just expecting something different.
As a romantasy, it does the job. The romance for both couples was very insta-love, including the “enemies to lovers” one. For those playing the trope game though, there is a queer “who did this to you?” Which is quite excellent.
I found the pacing uneven; the first 50% was a slog and the last 50% jammed packed. I also felt the writing read more YA than adult, which the book is advertised as. The characters also act very young, though they are all late 20s and early 30s (there is some in story explanation for this but it was hard for me to translate still).
However, the world was so interesting! El-Arifi really said “why choose?” And wrote a whole world with Elves, Humans, AND Fae. I liked the mythology behind the races as well. I also really liked how she showed the dark realities of war and what that means for how people are raised during a neverending one.
I also loved the sheer amount of diverse characters. A+ no notes.
I received this copy through NetGalley for an honest review.
I received this copy through NetGalley for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Animal death, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
Minor: Death of parent, Grief, and Pregnancy
bookboxbabe's review
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
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
chelsea_nailpolishlover's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️
From start to finish I was enthralled. I couldn’t put this book down.
From the care shown to not only gender and sexuality, but to race, and disability. This book had it all. The struggles of political and moral discourse. The discrimination against those who are different. The devastation brought on by war. The struggles of what is right and what is just. The author did an amazing job. It was absolutely fantastic.
This book was very war focused, with a few different love stories between multiple POV’s. I really enjoyed having the multiple view points. The way they intertwined with each other between the timeline of events was beautifully done.
My favorite character was Lettle. She was treated like a child, she was put down, but she was so incredibly strong. She showed everyone what she was made of. I love her character so much.
If you loved fourth wing and the banter with the characters and their dragon familiars then you’ll loveeeeee this book!
I did personally struggle with one of the TW’s, the malnutrition and starvation aspect that was brought up multiple times during the book. As someone who was starved and malnourished to the point of almost dying it brought up a lot of emotions for me, that I thought I had worked through. There was a particular moment in the book about half way through that hit me hard. I don’t know if the author has ever had to also go through a situation where they were starved and malnourished but they wrote like they knew exactly what someone who’s been through that would say and feel. It didn’t feel mocking, it didn’t feel like it was an after thought. The emotions that were expressed while discussing those things were present. And accurate.
As hard as it was for me emotionally I hope it puts into perspective for some people who have never been through something like that, that they can imagine the difficulties and trauma it causes someone. How often that trauma pops up. And how words about food, and eating can affect the people around you without you even realizing it.
A mix of Tropes, and TW’s just to name a few -
found family, enemies to lovers, familiars, murder, death, war, starvation/malnourishment, friends to lovers, WW, MM, MW, disability representation, discrimination, gore, animal death, descriptive language of desecration of animal remains, hunting, confinement.
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️
From start to finish I was enthralled. I couldn’t put this book down.
From the care shown to not only gender and sexuality, but to race, and disability. This book had it all. The struggles of political and moral discourse. The discrimination against those who are different. The devastation brought on by war. The struggles of what is right and what is just. The author did an amazing job. It was absolutely fantastic.
This book was very war focused, with a few different love stories between multiple POV’s. I really enjoyed having the multiple view points. The way they intertwined with each other between the timeline of events was beautifully done.
My favorite character was Lettle. She was treated like a child, she was put down, but she was so incredibly strong. She showed everyone what she was made of. I love her character so much.
If you loved fourth wing and the banter with the characters and their dragon familiars then you’ll loveeeeee this book!
I did personally struggle with one of the TW’s, the malnutrition and starvation aspect that was brought up multiple times during the book. As someone who was starved and malnourished to the point of almost dying it brought up a lot of emotions for me, that I thought I had worked through. There was a particular moment in the book about half way through that hit me hard. I don’t know if the author has ever had to also go through a situation where they were starved and malnourished but they wrote like they knew exactly what someone who’s been through that would say and feel. It didn’t feel mocking, it didn’t feel like it was an after thought. The emotions that were expressed while discussing those things were present. And accurate.
As hard as it was for me emotionally I hope it puts into perspective for some people who have never been through something like that, that they can imagine the difficulties and trauma it causes someone. How often that trauma pops up. And how words about food, and eating can affect the people around you without you even realizing it.
A mix of Tropes, and TW’s just to name a few -
found family, enemies to lovers, familiars, murder, death, war, starvation/malnourishment, friends to lovers, WW, MM, MW, disability representation, discrimination, gore, animal death, descriptive language of desecration of animal remains, hunting, confinement.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Chronic illness, Violence, Child death, Alcoholism, War, Confinement, Animal cruelty, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Gore, Death, Colonisation, Bullying, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Murder, Genocide, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Classism, and Animal death
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
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