A review by the_lesbrarian
Faebound by Saara El-Arifi

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. 
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