What do you think?
Rate this book
Faebound #1
Faebound
ŷ Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Romantasy (2024)Yeeran is a warrior in the elven army and has known nothing but violence her whole life. Her sister, Lettle, is trying to make a living as a diviner, seeking prophecies of a better future.
When a fatal mistake leads to Yeeran’s exile from the Elven lands, they are both forced into the terrifying wilderness beyond their borders. There they encounter the the fae court.
The fae haven’t been seen for a millennium. But now Yeeran and Lettle are thrust into their seductive world � torn between their loyalty to each other, their elven homeland, and their hearts. . .
When a fatal mistake leads to Yeeran’s exile from the Elven lands, they are both forced into the terrifying wilderness beyond their borders. There they encounter the the fae court.
The fae haven’t been seen for a millennium. But now Yeeran and Lettle are thrust into their seductive world � torn between their loyalty to each other, their elven homeland, and their hearts. . .
397 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 23, 2024
2,421 people are currently reading
148k people want to read
About the author
Saara El-Arifi
12books2,756followersSaara El-Arifi is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Ending Fire Trilogy
and the Faebound Trilogy.
El-Arifi knew she was a storyteller from the moment she told her first lie. Over the years, she has perfected her tall tales into epic ones. She has lived in many countries, had many jobs, and owned many more cats. After a decade of working in marketing and communications, she returned to academia to complete a master’s degree in African studies alongside her writing career. She currently resides in London as a full-time procrastinator.
and the Faebound Trilogy.
El-Arifi knew she was a storyteller from the moment she told her first lie. Over the years, she has perfected her tall tales into epic ones. She has lived in many countries, had many jobs, and owned many more cats. After a decade of working in marketing and communications, she returned to academia to complete a master’s degree in African studies alongside her writing career. She currently resides in London as a full-time procrastinator.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,201 reviews
October 12, 2023
My yearly check in on goodreads to rate myself because I think sometimes I forget to be proud of me. I did it, I wrote another book!
Faebound is book one in a new trilogy. Expect:
🧝🏿♀� Elves and fae
🪘Drum magic
🌶️rivals to lovers
🇬🇭🇸🇩afro/arab world
🏳️č🌈qܱԴǰپٲ
<3
Faebound is book one in a new trilogy. Expect:
🧝🏿♀� Elves and fae
🪘Drum magic
🌶️rivals to lovers
🇬🇭🇸🇩afro/arab world
🏳️č🌈qܱԴǰپٲ
<3
April 9, 2025
Listen, Faebound was not it. If you’re looking for some alleged adult fantasy that goes hard on stilted and clunky writing, that throws logic out the door in favor of convenience, and that contains some of the worst romance writing I have ever endured, by all means, this might be for you.
Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe I’m just a hater. But if I were standing over some fresh corpses and people were accusing me of murder or conspiracy or something of the like, I wouldn’t keep calm and realize that I am, in fact, in love with this dude standing across from me. No. That would be absurd. But:
“[She] looked to [him]. He held a hand over a wound in his arm. A wound he had got from trying to save her. How she loved him. The realization was not timely.�
AND THEN SHE SMILES. She's trying to have her "I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love me" moment except GIRL WHAT THE FUCK YOU ARE AT A CRIME SCENE. People are actively trying to be mad at her for murdery things but she's over here like :) Listen, I love a good psychopath character as much as the next person, but this was supposed to be a Very Serious Adult Fantasy Book. And who even says, “The realization was not timely.� WHO SAYS THAT??
The dialogue was so robotic and odd. The world-building was severely lacking. The characters are always hiding behind this excuse that they didn’t know, even if they should have because they’re supposed to be smart (military leaders!) and draw logical conclusions from the information provided or gleaned. But no. Unless someone literally explains something to them, they claim to not have known, and therefore, not be at fault for their shitty actions. GAWD.
And the romance? I think I blacked out from how cringey it was.
I could go on and on, but I think you all get the point. The worst part is that I own two gorgeous copies of this book. TWO.
Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe I’m just a hater. But if I were standing over some fresh corpses and people were accusing me of murder or conspiracy or something of the like, I wouldn’t keep calm and realize that I am, in fact, in love with this dude standing across from me. No. That would be absurd. But:
“[She] looked to [him]. He held a hand over a wound in his arm. A wound he had got from trying to save her. How she loved him. The realization was not timely.�
AND THEN SHE SMILES. She's trying to have her "I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love me" moment except GIRL WHAT THE FUCK YOU ARE AT A CRIME SCENE. People are actively trying to be mad at her for murdery things but she's over here like :) Listen, I love a good psychopath character as much as the next person, but this was supposed to be a Very Serious Adult Fantasy Book. And who even says, “The realization was not timely.� WHO SAYS THAT??
The dialogue was so robotic and odd. The world-building was severely lacking. The characters are always hiding behind this excuse that they didn’t know, even if they should have because they’re supposed to be smart (military leaders!) and draw logical conclusions from the information provided or gleaned. But no. Unless someone literally explains something to them, they claim to not have known, and therefore, not be at fault for their shitty actions. GAWD.
And the romance? I think I blacked out from how cringey it was.
I could go on and on, but I think you all get the point. The worst part is that I own two gorgeous copies of this book. TWO.
January 27, 2024
take notes because this is going to be THE fantasy book of 2024 people!!!!
legitimately one of the best initial books in a series i’ve read in ages. the twists??? the magic?? sapphics fighting and then kissing???
read my full review
thank you to del rey for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review
legitimately one of the best initial books in a series i’ve read in ages. the twists??? the magic?? sapphics fighting and then kissing???
read my full review
thank you to del rey for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review
January 10, 2025
Ale pozytywne zaskoczenie!!
November 4, 2024
it’s tough when you love a book but don’t enjoy the romance 😭 not sure how to rate this one
January 18, 2024
AKA, the book that was so bad it gave me an actual headache.
I hate this so incredibly much that I’m kind of wondering if everyone who enjoyed it is okay. Or if there’s something wrong with my copy and I didn’t read the same book everyone else did. The Final Strife was a book I didn’t finish because I didn’t get along with the writing, but I didn’t think it was bad, just not a good fit for me. Nothing personal, we part as friends, etc.
This is bad.
I’m sorry, her breathing WHAT?!
The opening pages are quite beautiful, but terrible phrasing, poor writing rhythm, and abysmal worldbuilding start making themselves known almost immediately. The so-called Endless War is being fought on a single battlefield (what kind of war has just one battlefield???) which lies above rich mines of the all-important fraedia crystal. (If no one’s mined them because the land above them is a battlefield, how does anyone even know they’re there???)
Now: these crystals are so valuable because they emit light and heat, and can be used for growing plants instead of sunlight. We’re beaten over the head with how these crystals are desperately needed to combat the poverty and starvation afflicting the Elven Lands. But…this makes no fucking sense. In an icy or underground world, sure, you’d need crystals like these. Or a world with no sun. But none of that applies here! In which case, hi, why do we care about these crystals? They won’t help with starvation; for that you need food. Is there a famine? Is there no more land available for agriculture? Has some kind of blight struck your crops? How will glowy crystals help people??? No fucking clue.
Why can’t they grow their own food with just sunlight? YOU NEED TO EXPLAIN THIS.
Given that the elves are Black and they ride camels (someone needs to tell this author that camels don’t have hooves, by the way) I thought we were in some kind of desert-inspired setting. But only after Yeeran’s exile do we learn that we’re in a rainforest??? Why are we only learning that this late??? Still, a rainforest setting would be great � rainforests aren’t just beautiful, they’re also something I don’t see often in fantasy and was excited to get. Except that the environment is never described � the characters never have to deal with humidity, insects are barely mentioned, we have no idea what the local flora and fauna are like. I had no idea what to picture.
Pretty much everything is like this � undescribed, and therefore bland. There are four elven tribes, but nothing distinguishes them from each other, and honestly other than being accepting of nonbinary folx and having mostly turned away from divination and/or religion, I know nothing about any elven culture. They don’t seem to have one. What do they eat? Wear? What kinds of industry or crafts do they have? What are their views on sex, family, the afterlife? We know they have gold and silver coins; what’s their currency called? No idea. Nothing. What distinguishes them from the humans or fae? As far as I can tell, nothing except that humans have round ears and fae have wings.
The younger sister, Lettle (seriously, you named the little sister ‘little�?) is at least aware that the war is fucked up and the elven leaders are just using it to get rich, but Yeeran’s naïveté just blew my mind. Not to mention, for someone just raised to Colonel, she is, militarily speaking, a fucking idiot. I wanted to scream at how stupid she was! Who the hell put her in charge on a battlefield, and why did they do it? Once she’s exiled, she becomes obsessed with hunting down a magical animal to buy her way back home, out of her exile � even though the only time anyone has bought their way back from exile was with a huge amount of fraedia crystals, not magic animal skins, so why does she think this will work?
Then the cringey dialogue with the insta-lust. CAN WE JUST NOT, FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODS.
Ah, yes. Because Strong WomenTM get so unreasonable when they get hit with feels. Except this isn’t even slightly feels, it’s just plain ‘ol lust. WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE IF IT HAD BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED. Just call it lust! Let your characters be attracted to each other and have fun without calling it a romance. There’s nothing wrong with that! But calling it love~ when your characters are just obsessing over the other person’s body parts � ARGH.
YOU DIDN’T TELL HIM HOW MANY ARE TOO MANY.
More than anything, it was the bad writing that just killed me. Horrifically awkward phrasing, too much assuming that synonyms are interchangeable (‘grin� and ‘smile� are synonyms, but if you mean one then the other is WRONG), and hi, you are writing way too many poems/songs without, apparently, any awareness that rhymes in particular need a set pattern of syllables. IF YOU BREAK THE PATTERN YOUR STUPID RHYME IS LIKE A FORK ON A BLACKBOARD, HOW CAN YOU NOT HEAR IT YOURSELF??? The creation myth that acted like a prologue was lovely; the tales of the last human we get later are atrociously bad. I don’t know what the hell was going on here.
Who writes like this? Or here, when Yeeran’s reflecting on how she doesn’t want to retire from the military, it’s phrased thusly;
That’s just incorrect. That’s not a proper sentence. That’s not how anyone would ever phrase that. Where was the editor? Did the editor just assume that because El-Arifi’s previous trilogy did well there was no need to edit her new one??? Because honestly, that’s the only way this makes any sense to me.
This next part isn’t bad writing, I just think it’s horrible: the divination and battle-magic of the elves come from slaughtering magical creatures called obeah, and thanks, I hate this. These creatures get more intelligent the older they get, but their magic also gets stronger, so their skins and fur etc are more valuable then. So, just to be clear, you’re murdering intelligent beings. We have a scene where Lettle kills and cuts open an obeah cub for prophecy � a prophecy which does not answer her question and is just needlessly mysterious, which I feel makes the cub’s death even more tragic. And you want me to like this character? No. It’s wrong, and it’s disgusting, and I suspect at some point the sisters are going to discover the obeah are actually sapients and it will be a Big Deal but I still hate everything about this.
Please consider Faebound defenestrated from my home. With prejudice.
I hate this so incredibly much that I’m kind of wondering if everyone who enjoyed it is okay. Or if there’s something wrong with my copy and I didn’t read the same book everyone else did. The Final Strife was a book I didn’t finish because I didn’t get along with the writing, but I didn’t think it was bad, just not a good fit for me. Nothing personal, we part as friends, etc.
This is bad.
Salawa’s breathing elongated as she fell into a deep slumber.
I’m sorry, her breathing WHAT?!
The opening pages are quite beautiful, but terrible phrasing, poor writing rhythm, and abysmal worldbuilding start making themselves known almost immediately. The so-called Endless War is being fought on a single battlefield (what kind of war has just one battlefield???) which lies above rich mines of the all-important fraedia crystal. (If no one’s mined them because the land above them is a battlefield, how does anyone even know they’re there???)
Now: these crystals are so valuable because they emit light and heat, and can be used for growing plants instead of sunlight. We’re beaten over the head with how these crystals are desperately needed to combat the poverty and starvation afflicting the Elven Lands. But…this makes no fucking sense. In an icy or underground world, sure, you’d need crystals like these. Or a world with no sun. But none of that applies here! In which case, hi, why do we care about these crystals? They won’t help with starvation; for that you need food. Is there a famine? Is there no more land available for agriculture? Has some kind of blight struck your crops? How will glowy crystals help people??? No fucking clue.
One crystal would be sufficient for a household to grow their own food and warm their homes for a year, maybe more.
Why can’t they grow their own food with just sunlight? YOU NEED TO EXPLAIN THIS.
Given that the elves are Black and they ride camels (someone needs to tell this author that camels don’t have hooves, by the way) I thought we were in some kind of desert-inspired setting. But only after Yeeran’s exile do we learn that we’re in a rainforest??? Why are we only learning that this late??? Still, a rainforest setting would be great � rainforests aren’t just beautiful, they’re also something I don’t see often in fantasy and was excited to get. Except that the environment is never described � the characters never have to deal with humidity, insects are barely mentioned, we have no idea what the local flora and fauna are like. I had no idea what to picture.
Pretty much everything is like this � undescribed, and therefore bland. There are four elven tribes, but nothing distinguishes them from each other, and honestly other than being accepting of nonbinary folx and having mostly turned away from divination and/or religion, I know nothing about any elven culture. They don’t seem to have one. What do they eat? Wear? What kinds of industry or crafts do they have? What are their views on sex, family, the afterlife? We know they have gold and silver coins; what’s their currency called? No idea. Nothing. What distinguishes them from the humans or fae? As far as I can tell, nothing except that humans have round ears and fae have wings.
The younger sister, Lettle (seriously, you named the little sister ‘little�?) is at least aware that the war is fucked up and the elven leaders are just using it to get rich, but Yeeran’s naïveté just blew my mind. Not to mention, for someone just raised to Colonel, she is, militarily speaking, a fucking idiot. I wanted to scream at how stupid she was! Who the hell put her in charge on a battlefield, and why did they do it? Once she’s exiled, she becomes obsessed with hunting down a magical animal to buy her way back home, out of her exile � even though the only time anyone has bought their way back from exile was with a huge amount of fraedia crystals, not magic animal skins, so why does she think this will work?
Then the cringey dialogue with the insta-lust. CAN WE JUST NOT, FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODS.
‘Don’t burn it this time.�
He didn’t contradict her that he hadn’t burned any of the meals thus far.
Ah, yes. Because Strong WomenTM get so unreasonable when they get hit with feels. Except this isn’t even slightly feels, it’s just plain ‘ol lust. WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE IF IT HAD BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED. Just call it lust! Let your characters be attracted to each other and have fun without calling it a romance. There’s nothing wrong with that! But calling it love~ when your characters are just obsessing over the other person’s body parts � ARGH.
‘These extras are in case you need them later, but don’t take too many. It can be lethal.�
YOU DIDN’T TELL HIM HOW MANY ARE TOO MANY.
More than anything, it was the bad writing that just killed me. Horrifically awkward phrasing, too much assuming that synonyms are interchangeable (‘grin� and ‘smile� are synonyms, but if you mean one then the other is WRONG), and hi, you are writing way too many poems/songs without, apparently, any awareness that rhymes in particular need a set pattern of syllables. IF YOU BREAK THE PATTERN YOUR STUPID RHYME IS LIKE A FORK ON A BLACKBOARD, HOW CAN YOU NOT HEAR IT YOURSELF??? The creation myth that acted like a prologue was lovely; the tales of the last human we get later are atrociously bad. I don’t know what the hell was going on here.
The camel sprang quickly to standing
Who writes like this? Or here, when Yeeran’s reflecting on how she doesn’t want to retire from the military, it’s phrased thusly;
Yeeran couldn’t imagine not wanting to stop combat.
That’s just incorrect. That’s not a proper sentence. That’s not how anyone would ever phrase that. Where was the editor? Did the editor just assume that because El-Arifi’s previous trilogy did well there was no need to edit her new one??? Because honestly, that’s the only way this makes any sense to me.
This next part isn’t bad writing, I just think it’s horrible: the divination and battle-magic of the elves come from slaughtering magical creatures called obeah, and thanks, I hate this. These creatures get more intelligent the older they get, but their magic also gets stronger, so their skins and fur etc are more valuable then. So, just to be clear, you’re murdering intelligent beings. We have a scene where Lettle kills and cuts open an obeah cub for prophecy � a prophecy which does not answer her question and is just needlessly mysterious, which I feel makes the cub’s death even more tragic. And you want me to like this character? No. It’s wrong, and it’s disgusting, and I suspect at some point the sisters are going to discover the obeah are actually sapients and it will be a Big Deal but I still hate everything about this.
Please consider Faebound defenestrated from my home. With prejudice.
February 13, 2024
this is such a hard book to rate and review, because i truly loved so much of it. the characters, the set up, the setting, the messages and themes, even the writing was so perfect for me. But the plot of this? oh, friends, i was just unable to be captivated by it. i really found myself a bit bored while reading, and while waiting for these things i loved to make a plot that i equally loved, but sadly it just never happened.
this is a story about two elven sisters, one blessed with battle and one blessed with prophecy, and their journey discovering that the fae are real when they are banished from their elven homeland. we get to see the underground world of the fae, their bonded animal companions, a really cool tree of souls, and the different magic they are able to harness. And then a murder mystery plotline also comes about while these sisters are trying to survive and learn a history that has been hidden from them.
again, there was so much good in this. It truly breaks my heart to give this a three star. And i promise i will read more from this author in the future.
trigger + content warnings: battle, war, blood, children soldiers, talk of selling children / human trafficking, slavery, illness, a lot of talk of loss of a parent in past, graphic animal deaths also involving skinning, violence, gore, torture, captivity, brief hospital setting, murder, and death.
| | | | |
this is a story about two elven sisters, one blessed with battle and one blessed with prophecy, and their journey discovering that the fae are real when they are banished from their elven homeland. we get to see the underground world of the fae, their bonded animal companions, a really cool tree of souls, and the different magic they are able to harness. And then a murder mystery plotline also comes about while these sisters are trying to survive and learn a history that has been hidden from them.
again, there was so much good in this. It truly breaks my heart to give this a three star. And i promise i will read more from this author in the future.
trigger + content warnings: battle, war, blood, children soldiers, talk of selling children / human trafficking, slavery, illness, a lot of talk of loss of a parent in past, graphic animal deaths also involving skinning, violence, gore, torture, captivity, brief hospital setting, murder, and death.
| | | | |
March 16, 2024
“You are the fire of my heart, and the beat of my drum. I am yours under moonlight. Until the rhythm sings no more.�
This book was great! This was an enchanting and fascinating fantasy about the cost the power, family, finding your true love, and courage. Faebound follows Yeeran, a warrior and her sister Lettle, a diviner as they find the Fae court. They find shocking discoveries, uncover a new world full of betrayal.
"My heart is yours, always"
I became transported into this enchanting world from the very first page. The plot was really intriguing and the pacing was perfect. The world building was excellent, I enjoyed learning about the Elven tribes and customs as well as the Fae history, and language. The idea of bounding with an animal and being able to communicate with them was so unique. Using drums and elements (trees, wind, soil, etc.) to enhance magic was very interesting. There were several plot twists and betrayals that kept me on the edge of my seat. The author was able to weave in the history of the magical world seamlessly with the current time. The writing was descriptive and immersive, I found myself experiencing the events and the emotions that the characters did. I appreciated how diverse and inclusive this book is, the author includes characters with disabilities, all skin colors, gender identities and sexual orientation. The ending was so exciting and shocking! I can't wait to read the next book!
The characters are well crafted and relatable. I love Yeeran she is fierce, strong, independent, resilient, hardworking and caring. Yeeran's character development was excellent, I enjoyed watching her as she found love and made discoveries about herself. I also love Lettle, she is brave, resilient, strong, tenacious, hot headed, caring, and would do anything for her sister. I can relate to Lettle because similar to her I'm very close to my sister and I would do anything for her. Lettle's character development was great, she found confidence in herself and was able to trust others. There were a few times I was frustrated with the decisions that Lettle made, made up for it. but she I'm in love with Rayan, he is brave, strong, compassionate, caring, and loyal. I loved how he showed his soft side to Lettle and he is so swoon worthy. I really liked Furi, she is complex character, loyal, protective, and brave. The chemistry and tension between Lettle and Rayan was amazing! The slow-burn was well done and I liked that their relationship progressed over time. There were several scenes between them that made me smile and blush. I also thought the chemistry between Furi and Yeeran was great, and I enjoyed how their relationship evolved from enemies to lovers.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves excellent world building, great characters and awesome chemistry between the main characters.
This book was great! This was an enchanting and fascinating fantasy about the cost the power, family, finding your true love, and courage. Faebound follows Yeeran, a warrior and her sister Lettle, a diviner as they find the Fae court. They find shocking discoveries, uncover a new world full of betrayal.
"My heart is yours, always"
I became transported into this enchanting world from the very first page. The plot was really intriguing and the pacing was perfect. The world building was excellent, I enjoyed learning about the Elven tribes and customs as well as the Fae history, and language. The idea of bounding with an animal and being able to communicate with them was so unique. Using drums and elements (trees, wind, soil, etc.) to enhance magic was very interesting. There were several plot twists and betrayals that kept me on the edge of my seat. The author was able to weave in the history of the magical world seamlessly with the current time. The writing was descriptive and immersive, I found myself experiencing the events and the emotions that the characters did. I appreciated how diverse and inclusive this book is, the author includes characters with disabilities, all skin colors, gender identities and sexual orientation. The ending was so exciting and shocking! I can't wait to read the next book!
The characters are well crafted and relatable. I love Yeeran she is fierce, strong, independent, resilient, hardworking and caring. Yeeran's character development was excellent, I enjoyed watching her as she found love and made discoveries about herself. I also love Lettle, she is brave, resilient, strong, tenacious, hot headed, caring, and would do anything for her sister. I can relate to Lettle because similar to her I'm very close to my sister and I would do anything for her. Lettle's character development was great, she found confidence in herself and was able to trust others. There were a few times I was frustrated with the decisions that Lettle made, made up for it. but she I'm in love with Rayan, he is brave, strong, compassionate, caring, and loyal. I loved how he showed his soft side to Lettle and he is so swoon worthy. I really liked Furi, she is complex character, loyal, protective, and brave. The chemistry and tension between Lettle and Rayan was amazing! The slow-burn was well done and I liked that their relationship progressed over time. There were several scenes between them that made me smile and blush. I also thought the chemistry between Furi and Yeeran was great, and I enjoyed how their relationship evolved from enemies to lovers.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves excellent world building, great characters and awesome chemistry between the main characters.
February 20, 2024
This book was everything I wanted it to be. Tying a story of both elves and fae, we see Yeeran and Lettle delve into a world unfamiliar to their own, forced to reframe their entire world narrative in the process. It was fascinating learning alongside them, and their feelings/thoughts seemed so authentic for the situations they were forced into. Their sisterly dynamic was fiercely protective but also one of sibling annoyance, and it was easy to become invested in their story. With various romances explored (F/M and Sapphic) and the stakes ever-changing, this story had me turning the pages effortlessly. I can’t wait to see where the rest of the series goes!
November 20, 2023
3/5
Thank you HarperCollins UK for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, this book really missed the mark for me. I didn't enjoy it half as much as I've enjoyed El-Arifi's other works. I found the premise for the worldbuilding interesting, but throughout the book found that it wasn't explored in any significant way and even that lost my interest. I think what my fatal error was was thinking this was an epic fantasy like The Ending Fire trilogy, or a military fantasy like you might predict from the opening chapters. This book, to me, reads more as a romantasy and that's sadly not a subgenre that I enjoy as much.
I found a lot of the plot quite bland as not much seemed to happen for the vast majority of the story and I also found it all quite obvious. The problem with incorporating prophecies into your plot is that you need to make sure it's either a dreadful, looming thing that everyone understands and fears or, if you want it to be shocking, you must make sure the wording of it is subtle enough for a clever twist. Unfortunately, the prophecies in this book yielded their answers fairly easily. Therefore, when the twist revealed itself, I couldn't help but be annoyed that I knew this information hundreds of pages before.
This was a problem I encountered throughout most of the book. Everything was too obvious. It became predictable and stale under the light of such blatancy. Not only did the plot beats not hit because of this but the romances didn't either because I could see everything coming from a mile away.
This is quite a critical review and I do apologise for being so negative, I much prefer raving about books I love. I think what made this so disappointing was that I know Saara El-Arifi can write with much more nuance and intricacy. I'm not even as much of a fan of The Ending Fire trilogy as others are, however that series is a much better show of skill. It confuses me that these series are written by the same author.
Perhaps this all stems from my lack of interest in romantasy as a genre, perhaps not. I just vehemently dislike when everything is dropped for the sake of a romantic plotline, it rids the rest of the story of any substance. The world in this book felt more like a backdrop for these relationships than an actual world teeming with life. The plot, too, felt very simple and forgotten about for a lot of the story in order to focus on the character relationships. Don't get me wrong, I love character-driven stories, but this book didn't show meaningful choices or changes in the characters enough for me to connect with them. Everything felt like an afterthought to the romances, as if only there to facilitate that aspect of the story.
When I read The Final Strife, the first book in El-Arifi's other series, I didn't fully connect with it, however I could admire what was being done and what it was clearly setting up for in the next book (which I enjoyed a lot more). With this book, there weren't even those aspects for me to admire or sit in anticipation for. Honestly, a lot of this book felt unnecessary.
I'm being quite negative, but that's sadly been my experience reading this book. It's been such a disappointment for me, but I do hope others enjoy it more. Sorry everyone!
Thank you HarperCollins UK for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, this book really missed the mark for me. I didn't enjoy it half as much as I've enjoyed El-Arifi's other works. I found the premise for the worldbuilding interesting, but throughout the book found that it wasn't explored in any significant way and even that lost my interest. I think what my fatal error was was thinking this was an epic fantasy like The Ending Fire trilogy, or a military fantasy like you might predict from the opening chapters. This book, to me, reads more as a romantasy and that's sadly not a subgenre that I enjoy as much.
I found a lot of the plot quite bland as not much seemed to happen for the vast majority of the story and I also found it all quite obvious. The problem with incorporating prophecies into your plot is that you need to make sure it's either a dreadful, looming thing that everyone understands and fears or, if you want it to be shocking, you must make sure the wording of it is subtle enough for a clever twist. Unfortunately, the prophecies in this book yielded their answers fairly easily. Therefore, when the twist revealed itself, I couldn't help but be annoyed that I knew this information hundreds of pages before.
This was a problem I encountered throughout most of the book. Everything was too obvious. It became predictable and stale under the light of such blatancy. Not only did the plot beats not hit because of this but the romances didn't either because I could see everything coming from a mile away.
This is quite a critical review and I do apologise for being so negative, I much prefer raving about books I love. I think what made this so disappointing was that I know Saara El-Arifi can write with much more nuance and intricacy. I'm not even as much of a fan of The Ending Fire trilogy as others are, however that series is a much better show of skill. It confuses me that these series are written by the same author.
Perhaps this all stems from my lack of interest in romantasy as a genre, perhaps not. I just vehemently dislike when everything is dropped for the sake of a romantic plotline, it rids the rest of the story of any substance. The world in this book felt more like a backdrop for these relationships than an actual world teeming with life. The plot, too, felt very simple and forgotten about for a lot of the story in order to focus on the character relationships. Don't get me wrong, I love character-driven stories, but this book didn't show meaningful choices or changes in the characters enough for me to connect with them. Everything felt like an afterthought to the romances, as if only there to facilitate that aspect of the story.
When I read The Final Strife, the first book in El-Arifi's other series, I didn't fully connect with it, however I could admire what was being done and what it was clearly setting up for in the next book (which I enjoyed a lot more). With this book, there weren't even those aspects for me to admire or sit in anticipation for. Honestly, a lot of this book felt unnecessary.
I'm being quite negative, but that's sadly been my experience reading this book. It's been such a disappointment for me, but I do hope others enjoy it more. Sorry everyone!
April 1, 2024
|
Rating: 2 stars
Cover: 🌟🌟🌟
This design nicely captures the fantasy genre of the story and aspects of the world, but it portrays little else about the story and I do not find it captivating.
Writing: 🌟🌟
Even with a considerable amount of world-building information and several interesting concepts, the fantasy world seemed underdeveloped and shallow. I also struggled with the awkward writing style that told more than it showed and dragged down the narrative with information dumps about the world and characters.
“We must let the wind of change ease our flight, not hinder it.�
Storyline: 🌟🌟
The slow, character-driven storyline is centred on the thin internal struggles and romantic angst of the main characters. Besides, despite some dire situations, the stakes always felt low and the events were predictable, making the storyline very simple and unengaging.
Main character(s): 🌟🌟
I found the sisters Yeeran and Lettle painfully one-dimensional, as they only had one or two defining traits and no character arc. Their words and actions also made them seem very immature, despite all we told to portray them as kind and fierce leads.
“our ignorance made victims of us�
Secondary characters: 🌟🌟
Like Yeeran and Lettle, the few secondary characters seemed one-dimensional and unremarkable. Apart from their contributions to the storyline, none experienced any growth or complexity, so they all failed to make a strong impression on me.
Romance: 🌟
The two romantic connections relied on so many tropes that they seemed forced and lacked convincing chemistry. There was also little depth to these connections, and I constantly cringed at the strong feelings that developed from nothing but lust.
“Love and hate are oil and water, separate but similar, and sometimes they swirl together, making it difficult to tell one from the other.�
Narration & Audio: 🌟🌟🌟
While I enjoyed the narration by Bahni Turpin, her performance only made the characters seem even more childish and annoying. The little vocal variety and some weird inflexions also made this audiobook less engaging.
In the end, I cannot believe that this book was written by the same author who wrote one of my favourite reads from last year - The Final Strife. The simple storyline, flat characters and forced romance left me feeling bored and uninvested throughout. Those who liked this may also enjoy Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman, which is a similar romantasy read.
Rating: 2 stars
Cover: 🌟🌟🌟
This design nicely captures the fantasy genre of the story and aspects of the world, but it portrays little else about the story and I do not find it captivating.
Writing: 🌟🌟
Even with a considerable amount of world-building information and several interesting concepts, the fantasy world seemed underdeveloped and shallow. I also struggled with the awkward writing style that told more than it showed and dragged down the narrative with information dumps about the world and characters.
“We must let the wind of change ease our flight, not hinder it.�
Storyline: 🌟🌟
The slow, character-driven storyline is centred on the thin internal struggles and romantic angst of the main characters. Besides, despite some dire situations, the stakes always felt low and the events were predictable, making the storyline very simple and unengaging.
Main character(s): 🌟🌟
I found the sisters Yeeran and Lettle painfully one-dimensional, as they only had one or two defining traits and no character arc. Their words and actions also made them seem very immature, despite all we told to portray them as kind and fierce leads.
“our ignorance made victims of us�
Secondary characters: 🌟🌟
Like Yeeran and Lettle, the few secondary characters seemed one-dimensional and unremarkable. Apart from their contributions to the storyline, none experienced any growth or complexity, so they all failed to make a strong impression on me.
Romance: 🌟
The two romantic connections relied on so many tropes that they seemed forced and lacked convincing chemistry. There was also little depth to these connections, and I constantly cringed at the strong feelings that developed from nothing but lust.
“Love and hate are oil and water, separate but similar, and sometimes they swirl together, making it difficult to tell one from the other.�
Narration & Audio: 🌟🌟🌟
While I enjoyed the narration by Bahni Turpin, her performance only made the characters seem even more childish and annoying. The little vocal variety and some weird inflexions also made this audiobook less engaging.
In the end, I cannot believe that this book was written by the same author who wrote one of my favourite reads from last year - The Final Strife. The simple storyline, flat characters and forced romance left me feeling bored and uninvested throughout. Those who liked this may also enjoy Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman, which is a similar romantasy read.
October 9, 2024
Respectfully, I hated this. Nothing about this book worked for me. Magic drums that shoot people? Make it make sense. An Obeah? Still not sure what the heck one looks like� silver eyes and a tuft of fur on its back? Sounds ghastly. They are fighting an endless war because??? Because they all think they’re better than each other? To make sunlight or something somehow? Literally no clue what the stakes were here and it seemed like they weren’t really sure either.
The characters were flat and uninteresting at best and many were down right unlikeable. I HATED Lettle. What a hot headed selfish brat. She read like a 15 year old but I think she was meant to be in her late 20s. The romances gave nothing. Lettle and Rayan in particular had zero chemistry and the majority of their interactions were just her being a brat while he repeated her name over and over. She must be really hot because she has no other redeeming qualities.
The strangest part was that the author chose to end the book by transferring so much power to a male character. I felt like she spent the entire book trying to cultivate “strong� female characters and then majorly diminished them all with one singular event. As a reader I wasn’t unhappy with that particular turn of events, but it seemed like it ran counter to what the author was trying to accomplish. If you want my honest opinion, I think this book was unfairly boosted because it featured diverse characters. It was not even remotely deserving of the hype that preceded it.
This is of course only my opinion. Feel free to subject yourself to this book if you are like me and you must decide for yourself. 😅
The characters were flat and uninteresting at best and many were down right unlikeable. I HATED Lettle. What a hot headed selfish brat. She read like a 15 year old but I think she was meant to be in her late 20s. The romances gave nothing. Lettle and Rayan in particular had zero chemistry and the majority of their interactions were just her being a brat while he repeated her name over and over. She must be really hot because she has no other redeeming qualities.
The strangest part was that the author chose to end the book by transferring so much power to a male character. I felt like she spent the entire book trying to cultivate “strong� female characters and then majorly diminished them all with one singular event. As a reader I wasn’t unhappy with that particular turn of events, but it seemed like it ran counter to what the author was trying to accomplish. If you want my honest opinion, I think this book was unfairly boosted because it featured diverse characters. It was not even remotely deserving of the hype that preceded it.
This is of course only my opinion. Feel free to subject yourself to this book if you are like me and you must decide for yourself. 😅
April 8, 2024
There is not enough Black authored romantasy, and there is not enough Sapphic romantasy. I'm thrilled to see this book going out into the world. And I really, really want it to find a place with readers who will love it.
Unfortunately, I wasn't that reader.
I want to be clear that when I break down why this book didn't really work for me, it's only in order to help it find its audience. I have a ton of respect for Saara El-Arifi and I do believe this has the ingredients to be a really successful book - I know a lot of my friends will enjoy it, and I'm looking forward to seeing them read it!
Because I think that a lot of my problems came down to misplaced expectations, let's run through what you can and cannot expect to find in this book.
Do NOT expect:
-An action-oriented or military fantasy. The initial chapters really read like the setup to a military fantasy, but it quickly does a 180. This is a very, very slow story; it's not nearly as exciting, intricate, or action-packed as the Ending Fire trilogy. I'd actually say this entire book basically just reads as setup for the sequel.
-Court politics. The blurb tells us two elven sisters are "thrust into the seductive world" of the Fae court, and I just really expected a lot of politicking, drama, etc. That is not the vibe. The politics happen almost entirely on the fringes of this book.
-Swoony romance with any sort of depth. I don't even remember the last time I cared so little about a love interest. There's very little character work, very few moments of meaningful connection. This is an "everybody's just hot" kind of romance through and through.
-Atmospheric scene-setting or pretty prose. The writing is plain and contemporary (also a bit choppy and strangely punctuated, in my opinion.)
DO expect:
-Saara El-Arifi's signature style of weaving clever social commentary into every layer of her worldbuilding.
-A refreshing queernorm setting featuring multiple queer and trans characters, as well as multiple disabled characters.
-A rich, African-inspired fantasy world which incorporates elements of mythology that distinguish it from typical Fae stories.
-Secrets and plot twists.
-Magical warrior ladies kissing but also trying to kill each other.
Ultimately, I definitely don't think this is a bad book, and I wouldn't say that I disliked it. I just wanted more from basically every element of it. Interesting pieces of worldbuilding are set up but never fully explored; the romance arcs feel like they happen just because they're supposed to, not because the characters have much depth or anything in common with one another; the politics are just a tease here and there and we never get to really sink into them. I also often found myself frustrated when characters didn't ask extremely obvious questions or misinterpreted extremely obvious prophecies. This tendency ran throughout the entire story and made the resulting drama feel contrived/predictable and cheapened the plot twists by making them easily guessable to the point where I couldn't suspend my disbelief that the characters hadn't figured things out.
I enjoyed both Yeeran and Lettle as protagonists, and I liked the multiple magic systems in play, between divination, drumbeat magic, and fae magic. The story also left off in such an interesting place that I might actually read the sequel to find out what happens - I just wish I didn't feel like I just read a 370 page prologue.
Unfortunately, I wasn't that reader.
I want to be clear that when I break down why this book didn't really work for me, it's only in order to help it find its audience. I have a ton of respect for Saara El-Arifi and I do believe this has the ingredients to be a really successful book - I know a lot of my friends will enjoy it, and I'm looking forward to seeing them read it!
Because I think that a lot of my problems came down to misplaced expectations, let's run through what you can and cannot expect to find in this book.
Do NOT expect:
-An action-oriented or military fantasy. The initial chapters really read like the setup to a military fantasy, but it quickly does a 180. This is a very, very slow story; it's not nearly as exciting, intricate, or action-packed as the Ending Fire trilogy. I'd actually say this entire book basically just reads as setup for the sequel.
-Court politics. The blurb tells us two elven sisters are "thrust into the seductive world" of the Fae court, and I just really expected a lot of politicking, drama, etc. That is not the vibe. The politics happen almost entirely on the fringes of this book.
-Swoony romance with any sort of depth. I don't even remember the last time I cared so little about a love interest. There's very little character work, very few moments of meaningful connection. This is an "everybody's just hot" kind of romance through and through.
-Atmospheric scene-setting or pretty prose. The writing is plain and contemporary (also a bit choppy and strangely punctuated, in my opinion.)
DO expect:
-Saara El-Arifi's signature style of weaving clever social commentary into every layer of her worldbuilding.
-A refreshing queernorm setting featuring multiple queer and trans characters, as well as multiple disabled characters.
-A rich, African-inspired fantasy world which incorporates elements of mythology that distinguish it from typical Fae stories.
-Secrets and plot twists.
-Magical warrior ladies kissing but also trying to kill each other.
Ultimately, I definitely don't think this is a bad book, and I wouldn't say that I disliked it. I just wanted more from basically every element of it. Interesting pieces of worldbuilding are set up but never fully explored; the romance arcs feel like they happen just because they're supposed to, not because the characters have much depth or anything in common with one another; the politics are just a tease here and there and we never get to really sink into them. I also often found myself frustrated when characters didn't ask extremely obvious questions or misinterpreted extremely obvious prophecies. This tendency ran throughout the entire story and made the resulting drama feel contrived/predictable and cheapened the plot twists by making them easily guessable to the point where I couldn't suspend my disbelief that the characters hadn't figured things out.
I enjoyed both Yeeran and Lettle as protagonists, and I liked the multiple magic systems in play, between divination, drumbeat magic, and fae magic. The story also left off in such an interesting place that I might actually read the sequel to find out what happens - I just wish I didn't feel like I just read a 370 page prologue.
January 21, 2024
idk i wish i liked this a lot more than i did, the lore and fantasy was good but it was just kinda underwhelming? i took a break in between to read fanfiction and that’s kinda what helped me realize i wasn’t enjoying the book as much as i thought i was. the sapphic relationship was great tho! also i felt like the characters acted a lot younger than what they were? like when i realized they’re thirty i was kinda confused cus they act as though they’re in their early 20s.
January 9, 2024
what a start to the new year!
full written review to come <3
full tiktok review:
full written review to come <3
full tiktok review:
January 2, 2024
Ridiculously predictable, but I really loved the setting and the lore.
The story focuses mostly on Yeeran, an elf who finds herself exiled. Along for the ride are her sister, Lettle, and friend Rayan. They soon find themselves captive amongst fae - a species that was supposed to have died out long ago.
Now that's pretty much the blurb, but it takes a good 100 or so pages for that to happen, which is a decent chunk of a story that's only 370-odd pages long. It sets up a lot of lore and mythology and secrets and that's part of what contributes to it being so predictable. The story goes out of it's way to tell us about these mysterious things and emphasise behaviours that will clearly affect the story later.
There's also instant love and attraction and you can see where things are going miles in advance. I wasn't here for the romance so could easily have done without it.
Still, when they find themselves in the fae land, I was equally captive. I loved the way the place was described, and how big a role nature had to play. The setting is beautiful, wonderous and exotic and even though it was easy to see where the story planned to go, I was happy reading along and letting it play out.
The ending felt a little heavy, with reveal after reveal and not a lot of sense to some of it. There were some secrets I hadn't caught, but those were a little ridiculous, too. I liked that there were still things that surprised me but it seems to have set things up a little strangely for the sequel.
That being said, I do feel rather invested, now. I would have preferred less of the hot and heavy sex scenes, but aside from that it was an intriguing story and I'm curious about the history of this world. I'll keep an eye out for the sequel.
With thanks to Harper Collins for an ARC
The story focuses mostly on Yeeran, an elf who finds herself exiled. Along for the ride are her sister, Lettle, and friend Rayan. They soon find themselves captive amongst fae - a species that was supposed to have died out long ago.
Now that's pretty much the blurb, but it takes a good 100 or so pages for that to happen, which is a decent chunk of a story that's only 370-odd pages long. It sets up a lot of lore and mythology and secrets and that's part of what contributes to it being so predictable. The story goes out of it's way to tell us about these mysterious things and emphasise behaviours that will clearly affect the story later.
There's also instant love and attraction and you can see where things are going miles in advance. I wasn't here for the romance so could easily have done without it.
Still, when they find themselves in the fae land, I was equally captive. I loved the way the place was described, and how big a role nature had to play. The setting is beautiful, wonderous and exotic and even though it was easy to see where the story planned to go, I was happy reading along and letting it play out.
The ending felt a little heavy, with reveal after reveal and not a lot of sense to some of it. There were some secrets I hadn't caught, but those were a little ridiculous, too. I liked that there were still things that surprised me but it seems to have set things up a little strangely for the sequel.
That being said, I do feel rather invested, now. I would have preferred less of the hot and heavy sex scenes, but aside from that it was an intriguing story and I'm curious about the history of this world. I'll keep an eye out for the sequel.
With thanks to Harper Collins for an ARC
January 27, 2024
7.00 on CAWPILE
August 6, 2024
DNF @ 51%
My review can be summed up in a few points :
📍 No world building
📍 The romance was extremely lacking
📍 The magic system was not explained. How can they kill people with drums? I’m so confused
📍 « ‘No!� she shouted at her memories of her father, sending a flock of birds to flight » oh, okay??? So are we shouting no out loud at our own thoughts now?
📍 So convenient
📍 The characters were all over 28yo but their behaviour made it feel like they were 16
📍 That’s on me but it made me sad to read about people hunting creatures that looked like cats with horns? Idk I didn’t want to read about that. Leave the flying kitties alone.
My review can be summed up in a few points :
📍 No world building
📍 The romance was extremely lacking
📍 The magic system was not explained. How can they kill people with drums? I’m so confused
📍 « ‘No!� she shouted at her memories of her father, sending a flock of birds to flight » oh, okay??? So are we shouting no out loud at our own thoughts now?
📍 So convenient
📍 The characters were all over 28yo but their behaviour made it feel like they were 16
📍 That’s on me but it made me sad to read about people hunting creatures that looked like cats with horns? Idk I didn’t want to read about that. Leave the flying kitties alone.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
June 12, 2024DNF'ing at 35%...I don't know what it is about the story, but something is missing for me. I just got myself out of a reading slump and I cannot afford to go back into one! :/ really bummed about not loving this but I do not have time for books that are just fine.
Read
February 22, 2024DNF @ about 56%. This author is not for me.
February 2, 2024
I swear publishers just give writers a checklist now for fantasy novels and if they mark off every box it'll go mass-produced viral without fail. I'm so over it.
This book was SO disappointing. I've seen it everywhere since release and well before with RAVINGGGG reviews so I was so excited to finally jump into it. Now I wish I had just stayed within my excitement and never bothered.
Faebound reads as if siri read an entire book to you. The writing is SO robotic I found myself zoning out continually. The characters have 0 depth, I had to keep going back to the start of chapters to remind myself who I was even reading about.
This book is 100% tell, don't show. And to spoil your OWN book by a ✨️prophecy✨️ that is told within the first 3rd of the book is MIND BOGGLING to me. I don't think I've ever read a book that was so predictable bc the author literally just tells you the plot (if you can even call it that). Had it been told shady, and thick with mystery and wonder it would've been SO much better. But alas, we couldn't be so lucky.
The romance was written so clunky and forced. Enemies to lovers WHERE ?? "I hate her but man she's hot" is so lame and lazy. Like you're prisoner to these magical and supposed fairytale fae and you just....don't care? You're busy watching your trainer/enemies lips and body? And then every single time it's "and I then thought of my ex". Y A W N. I firmly believe she should've nixed the romance plotlines entirely and actually written a halfway decent adult fantasy like it's advertised as.
I really implore these fantasy authors to PLEASE flesh out your lore. Enrich and deepen your relationships. SHOW US the story instead of using a "i have a question"//she asked a question scapegoat. And please, please stop with these robotic, clunky af half-assed books bc I'm becoming SUCH a salty reader over it 😭😭
This book was SO disappointing. I've seen it everywhere since release and well before with RAVINGGGG reviews so I was so excited to finally jump into it. Now I wish I had just stayed within my excitement and never bothered.
Faebound reads as if siri read an entire book to you. The writing is SO robotic I found myself zoning out continually. The characters have 0 depth, I had to keep going back to the start of chapters to remind myself who I was even reading about.
This book is 100% tell, don't show. And to spoil your OWN book by a ✨️prophecy✨️ that is told within the first 3rd of the book is MIND BOGGLING to me. I don't think I've ever read a book that was so predictable bc the author literally just tells you the plot (if you can even call it that). Had it been told shady, and thick with mystery and wonder it would've been SO much better. But alas, we couldn't be so lucky.
The romance was written so clunky and forced. Enemies to lovers WHERE ?? "I hate her but man she's hot" is so lame and lazy. Like you're prisoner to these magical and supposed fairytale fae and you just....don't care? You're busy watching your trainer/enemies lips and body? And then every single time it's "and I then thought of my ex". Y A W N. I firmly believe she should've nixed the romance plotlines entirely and actually written a halfway decent adult fantasy like it's advertised as.
I really implore these fantasy authors to PLEASE flesh out your lore. Enrich and deepen your relationships. SHOW US the story instead of using a "i have a question"//she asked a question scapegoat. And please, please stop with these robotic, clunky af half-assed books bc I'm becoming SUCH a salty reader over it 😭😭
Shelved as 'dnf'
January 25, 2024DNF 25%
Even knowing this would be more romantasy than high fantasy I really struggled with this one. The story feels rushed and I wish there was more world building. The characters feel immature and naive especially for 30 year old experienced soldiers.
Based on the meh reviews I’ve seen and my lack of interest so far I’ve just decided to put it down. If I see glowing reviews for the sequel I might try again. Will definitely pick up the author’s other series.
Even knowing this would be more romantasy than high fantasy I really struggled with this one. The story feels rushed and I wish there was more world building. The characters feel immature and naive especially for 30 year old experienced soldiers.
Based on the meh reviews I’ve seen and my lack of interest so far I’ve just decided to put it down. If I see glowing reviews for the sequel I might try again. Will definitely pick up the author’s other series.
January 10, 2025
At first, there were three gods and three people: the fae, the humans, and the elves. Now only the elves remain.
Forever the war will rage, until united, the three shall die. Humans made low, then fae made lower, Then elves in ignorance, gone is their power, Cursed to endure, cursed to survive. All shall perish lest all three thrive.
Yeren was the youngest colonel in the army before being exiled from the elvish lands. Alongside her younger sister and Captain Rayan, Yeren accidentally kills a fae prince - a people they thought faerytale.
Like her other series, El-Arifi uses the fantasy element to explore fluidity of gender and incorporate free sexuality seamlessly within her story and world.
Furthermore, we have aged up protagonists - around 30 years old! Rejoice!
In this sense, it reminded me of N K Jemisin.
”We must let the wind of change ease our flight, not hinder it.�
The magic system explanations never fully satisfied me, but the gist is: Yeren fights with drumfire that required intention to draw on magic. Lettle is a diviner, speaking prophecies by detaching from one’s mind.
Sadly, my favourite parts are also huge spoilers, so I’m leaving this review purposefully vague. Just know it’s filled with rich world-building and if you like talking animal companions - you will love this.
There’s passionate romance bordering between love and hate, deadly prophecies, poison, secrets, and royalty!
One thing - the prophecies were fairly easy to work out, so I grew frustrated that our cast couldn’t put the pieces together. Perhaps others will find these reveals shocking and big plot twists, but unfortunately, I could guess what was coming.
I would recommend this if you liked The Boneshard Daughter or An Ember in the Ashes.
Thank you to Harper Collins for providing an arc in exchange for a review!
Forever the war will rage, until united, the three shall die. Humans made low, then fae made lower, Then elves in ignorance, gone is their power, Cursed to endure, cursed to survive. All shall perish lest all three thrive.
Yeren was the youngest colonel in the army before being exiled from the elvish lands. Alongside her younger sister and Captain Rayan, Yeren accidentally kills a fae prince - a people they thought faerytale.
Like her other series, El-Arifi uses the fantasy element to explore fluidity of gender and incorporate free sexuality seamlessly within her story and world.
Furthermore, we have aged up protagonists - around 30 years old! Rejoice!
In this sense, it reminded me of N K Jemisin.
”We must let the wind of change ease our flight, not hinder it.�
The magic system explanations never fully satisfied me, but the gist is: Yeren fights with drumfire that required intention to draw on magic. Lettle is a diviner, speaking prophecies by detaching from one’s mind.
Sadly, my favourite parts are also huge spoilers, so I’m leaving this review purposefully vague. Just know it’s filled with rich world-building and if you like talking animal companions - you will love this.
There’s passionate romance bordering between love and hate, deadly prophecies, poison, secrets, and royalty!
One thing - the prophecies were fairly easy to work out, so I grew frustrated that our cast couldn’t put the pieces together. Perhaps others will find these reveals shocking and big plot twists, but unfortunately, I could guess what was coming.
I would recommend this if you liked The Boneshard Daughter or An Ember in the Ashes.
Thank you to Harper Collins for providing an arc in exchange for a review!
May 18, 2024
4.0 Stars
This was an unexpected gem. I found this book randomly through my library system and requested it on a lark. I didn't realize until later that I have read (& loved) this author before.
As a piece of elf fantasy with elements of romance, I didn't think this one would be for me but I'm so grateful I gave it a chance.
This book has so many elements that make a fantasy story work great for me. The characters are well developed and the plotting is compelling. For a story centering around elves, I thought this one would be cutesy but instead it has a serious tone reflective of the brutality of the world.
This is the start of a new trilogy and I am really looking forward to the upcoming volumes. I would recommend this epic fantasy story to those looking to get lost in a lush, yet gritty story.
This was an unexpected gem. I found this book randomly through my library system and requested it on a lark. I didn't realize until later that I have read (& loved) this author before.
As a piece of elf fantasy with elements of romance, I didn't think this one would be for me but I'm so grateful I gave it a chance.
This book has so many elements that make a fantasy story work great for me. The characters are well developed and the plotting is compelling. For a story centering around elves, I thought this one would be cutesy but instead it has a serious tone reflective of the brutality of the world.
This is the start of a new trilogy and I am really looking forward to the upcoming volumes. I would recommend this epic fantasy story to those looking to get lost in a lush, yet gritty story.
October 22, 2024
2.5
I was so excited for this but it really fell short :( I’ve spent the past few years under the impression that I’ve just grown out of fantasy, even though I do still love it outside of books these days, but the premise of this really caught my attention. I’m not sure if this is an actual trend going on within the genre but I swear as the years go on fantasy is becoming less convinced it can trust its reader to have any kind of patience or attention span and it shows in the writing, this book unfortunately isn’t exempt. It reminds me of those promotional graphics where it’s a book cover with a bunch of arrows pointing to its different tropes and qualities along the border (“enemies to lovers!� “she falls first but he falls harder!� “height difference!!�)
This book has that similar checklist-style writing (for example, “there’s only one bed!� happens within like.. 5 chapters between two of the characters), and it just feels bull in a china shop level heavy handed and simple. Nothing in here feels satisfying or earned because there’s zero suspense or what could feel like stakes, everything is resolved within five lines or spelled out so obviously that you know exactly what’s going to happen. Which isn’t to say a book has to shock or outsmart you to be good, but it just makes it all the more important that the atmosphere and journey feel interesting as a reader, that the characters have depth to them! Despite this being nearly 400 pages, I feel like I barely know the characters or landscape at all and some of the choices in here are just so bizarre. Take for example the structuring, this book is advantageous in not only its scope but how its dual pov tries to squeeze in arcs for both of the characters including love interests, politics, side quests etc and it makes for a very thin story. To make matters even more confusing, the two characters' love interests are constantly off on trips/off with other people but somehow after a handful of interactions total with the mcs they have this insane bond?? Also their preconceived opinions about their world + the people they grew up with are changed after an exchange of like.. three sentences??? Like what is going on here jsdkfj. This is coming from a place of wanting to know more about the world, and being able to spend more time with the characters but this book is trying to do a hell of a lot and you can’t cover that much within its page length without having to heavily cut corners. A part of me does want to check out the second book assuming that maybe the first was just a rough take off that will have a smoother sequel now that some of the groundwork has been laid but man i was so excited for this fml
I was so excited for this but it really fell short :( I’ve spent the past few years under the impression that I’ve just grown out of fantasy, even though I do still love it outside of books these days, but the premise of this really caught my attention. I’m not sure if this is an actual trend going on within the genre but I swear as the years go on fantasy is becoming less convinced it can trust its reader to have any kind of patience or attention span and it shows in the writing, this book unfortunately isn’t exempt. It reminds me of those promotional graphics where it’s a book cover with a bunch of arrows pointing to its different tropes and qualities along the border (“enemies to lovers!� “she falls first but he falls harder!� “height difference!!�)
This book has that similar checklist-style writing (for example, “there’s only one bed!� happens within like.. 5 chapters between two of the characters), and it just feels bull in a china shop level heavy handed and simple. Nothing in here feels satisfying or earned because there’s zero suspense or what could feel like stakes, everything is resolved within five lines or spelled out so obviously that you know exactly what’s going to happen. Which isn’t to say a book has to shock or outsmart you to be good, but it just makes it all the more important that the atmosphere and journey feel interesting as a reader, that the characters have depth to them! Despite this being nearly 400 pages, I feel like I barely know the characters or landscape at all and some of the choices in here are just so bizarre. Take for example the structuring, this book is advantageous in not only its scope but how its dual pov tries to squeeze in arcs for both of the characters including love interests, politics, side quests etc and it makes for a very thin story. To make matters even more confusing, the two characters' love interests are constantly off on trips/off with other people but somehow after a handful of interactions total with the mcs they have this insane bond?? Also their preconceived opinions about their world + the people they grew up with are changed after an exchange of like.. three sentences??? Like what is going on here jsdkfj. This is coming from a place of wanting to know more about the world, and being able to spend more time with the characters but this book is trying to do a hell of a lot and you can’t cover that much within its page length without having to heavily cut corners. A part of me does want to check out the second book assuming that maybe the first was just a rough take off that will have a smoother sequel now that some of the groundwork has been laid but man i was so excited for this fml
April 4, 2024
“𝔜𝔬� 𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢 𝔬𝔣 𝔪𝔶 𝔥𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔱, 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔟𝔢𝔞𝔱 𝔬𝔣 𝔪𝔶 𝔡𝔯𝔲𝔪. � 𝔞𝔪 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯𝔰 𝔲𝔫𝔡𝔢𝔯 𝔪𝔬𝔬𝔫𝔩𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱. 𝔘𝔫𝔱𝔦𝔩 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔯𝔥𝔶𝔱𝔥𝔪 𝔰𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰 𝔫𝔬 𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔢�
rating: ╰☆☆☆
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬:
🧝♀� elves
🧚♀� faeries
� romantasy
❤️� enemies to lovers
🔎 murder mystery
⚔️ war themes
🌎 world-building
🐉 mythical creatures
🏳️� LGBTQIA+ normativity
TW: war, slavery, blood, gore, death, murder, loss of a family member, loss of a partner, illness, violence, domestic violence, child soldiers, talk of selling children, poverty, starvation, robbery, torture, imprisonment, kidnapping, captivity, forced proximity, graphic animal deaths including skinning
𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:
Two elven sisters, Yeeran & Lettle have grown up in a world where the ”Forever War� reigns ensuing devasting loss & hardship for them all. As Yeeran’s heart yearns for the battlefield, Lettle’s path is one of divination & prophecies. Despite Yeerans dedication to her people & heroic efforts to end the war, she makes one grave mistake on the battlefield. Her choices lead to losing hundreds of her soldiers which causes her chieftain to exile her from the elven lands she so fiercely loves.
But, Lettle is determined to find her sister & treks off with her doting Captain, Rayan to bring her home. Upon reuniting with one another in the mysterious forests past their borders, they are captured by the Fae—a species thought to be exinct. Now they’re thrust into the underground Fae lands of Mossima where mysteries of murder, their hearts & everything they thought they once knew are revealed.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝:
*�.¸� ℬ𝑒𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒾𝒻𝓊� 𝒻𝒶𝓃𝓉𝒶𝓈𝓎 𝑒𝓁𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈♡�.�*
Elves, Fae, Humans & magical animals? Yes, yes YES. I was so enchanted by this exotic world crafted by Saara El-Arifi. I loved how the Fae land was so immersive & surrounded by nature. The folklore behind their inception was beautifully written and captivated me as a reader. I thoroughly enjoy the fantasy genre (if you couldn’t tell lol) & so I loved learning about the Elven customs, Fae language and their histories. The author truly weaves their history so seamlessly which truly created a beautiful fantasy universe I was enthralled with. (But I did want more of it & felt she could of dived more deeply into this rich wondorous world.)
*�.¸� ℐ𝓃𝒸𝓁𝓊𝓈𝒾𝓋𝒾𝓉� ♡�.�*
Faebound, was so beautifully diverse & inclusive ensuring that representation for all was present throughout the book. Characters of color, LGBTQIA+, & even some with disabilities was thoughtfully immersed in this fantasy world. Not to mention, it was written in such a normative manner that I whole-heartedly appreciated it.
*�.¸� 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇𝒽𝑜𝑜𝒹 ℬ𝑒𝓉𝓌𝑒𝑒� 𝒴𝑒𝑒𝓇𝒶𝓃 & ℒ𝑒𝓉𝓉𝓁� ♡�.�*
The two sisters have dealt with unfathomable pain & suffering yet their bond is their constant source of strength through it all. After losing their mother to the war, & their father becomes ill, they become a victim of poverty. They struggle to feed themselves & ultimately survive. The sisters recall childhood memories of scavenging fallen soldier’s corpses for money, food & clothes, yet the prevail together.
Yeeran abandons her sister to fight in the war, choosing to follow her mother’s footsteps & send what little money she can home while Lettle is forced to deal with the pieces she left behind including her sick father. We learn her father became abusive towards Lettle & we see not only pain from their sisterhood, but unspoken forgiveness. Despite everything they endured, they continue to stand by one another & fight for a future together. This is what the story truly is about: an unbreakable sisterhood & I adored it.
*�.¸� ℳ𝒶𝑔𝒾𝒸𝒶� 𝒜𝓃𝒾𝓂𝒶𝓁 𝒞𝑜𝓂𝓅𝒶𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃♡�.�*
Ok. Can I please have a furry horned lion animal companion please? Tysm. I loved the aspect of being able to communicate in your head to your ”bDzԻ-ڴǰ-ڱ-Բ-DzԱ-dzܱ� magical animal. It was epic.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐃𝐢𝐝𝐧’� 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞:
𝙏𝙤𝙤 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 😑🫤
I’m sorry to say, but I felt like everything that was considered a “mystery� was so predictable. I could see it all from a mile away. The prophecies were quickly figured out, so it made the all the “twists & revelations� fall flat because it was all so blantantly OBVIOUS. Due to these painfully obvious plot twists, the storyline ultimately became bland which was so sad because the world was so pretty.
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 😖🫤
Unfortunately for me, the romance could of *easily* been skipped in this book. It felt thrown in there without much cause. I did enjoy Lettle & Rayan’s love story, but it felt mildly juvenile to read.
Yeeran & her chieftain was cringe-worthy. Her chieftain loved her with all of her heart, but gave her the worse punishment possible—EXILE for one mistake? Then it gets better�.she proceeded to shoot her sister when all she was doing was trying to say goodbye? No thanks.
THEN..Yeeran & Furi. Jeez. These two made me naush. Falling in love with her captor just because she’s hot and nothing more is so lame. Also, deeply disappointing to read. The two had no real connection or substance outside of being attracted to one another and then outta nowhere she’s her whole world? I don’t get it.
Overall, this was a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me & I will probably dive into the sequel once it’s out in hopes for a better continuation of this elf-fae-human-tale! (lol)
�.�.:* �:**:. �.�.:* �:**:. �.�.:* �:**:.
rtc!! 🌙�
�.�.:* �:**:. �.�.:* �:**:. �.�.:* �:**:.
� 𝚄𝚙𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝟹.𝟸𝟾.𝟸𝟺:
I’m excited to go from 🐺🩸 to 🧚♀️✨(yay)
rating: ╰☆☆☆
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬:
🧝♀� elves
🧚♀� faeries
� romantasy
❤️� enemies to lovers
🔎 murder mystery
⚔️ war themes
🌎 world-building
🐉 mythical creatures
🏳️� LGBTQIA+ normativity
TW: war, slavery, blood, gore, death, murder, loss of a family member, loss of a partner, illness, violence, domestic violence, child soldiers, talk of selling children, poverty, starvation, robbery, torture, imprisonment, kidnapping, captivity, forced proximity, graphic animal deaths including skinning
𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:
Two elven sisters, Yeeran & Lettle have grown up in a world where the ”Forever War� reigns ensuing devasting loss & hardship for them all. As Yeeran’s heart yearns for the battlefield, Lettle’s path is one of divination & prophecies. Despite Yeerans dedication to her people & heroic efforts to end the war, she makes one grave mistake on the battlefield. Her choices lead to losing hundreds of her soldiers which causes her chieftain to exile her from the elven lands she so fiercely loves.
But, Lettle is determined to find her sister & treks off with her doting Captain, Rayan to bring her home. Upon reuniting with one another in the mysterious forests past their borders, they are captured by the Fae—a species thought to be exinct. Now they’re thrust into the underground Fae lands of Mossima where mysteries of murder, their hearts & everything they thought they once knew are revealed.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝:
*�.¸� ℬ𝑒𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒾𝒻𝓊� 𝒻𝒶𝓃𝓉𝒶𝓈𝓎 𝑒𝓁𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈♡�.�*
Elves, Fae, Humans & magical animals? Yes, yes YES. I was so enchanted by this exotic world crafted by Saara El-Arifi. I loved how the Fae land was so immersive & surrounded by nature. The folklore behind their inception was beautifully written and captivated me as a reader. I thoroughly enjoy the fantasy genre (if you couldn’t tell lol) & so I loved learning about the Elven customs, Fae language and their histories. The author truly weaves their history so seamlessly which truly created a beautiful fantasy universe I was enthralled with. (But I did want more of it & felt she could of dived more deeply into this rich wondorous world.)
*�.¸� ℐ𝓃𝒸𝓁𝓊𝓈𝒾𝓋𝒾𝓉� ♡�.�*
Faebound, was so beautifully diverse & inclusive ensuring that representation for all was present throughout the book. Characters of color, LGBTQIA+, & even some with disabilities was thoughtfully immersed in this fantasy world. Not to mention, it was written in such a normative manner that I whole-heartedly appreciated it.
*�.¸� 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇𝒽𝑜𝑜𝒹 ℬ𝑒𝓉𝓌𝑒𝑒� 𝒴𝑒𝑒𝓇𝒶𝓃 & ℒ𝑒𝓉𝓉𝓁� ♡�.�*
The two sisters have dealt with unfathomable pain & suffering yet their bond is their constant source of strength through it all. After losing their mother to the war, & their father becomes ill, they become a victim of poverty. They struggle to feed themselves & ultimately survive. The sisters recall childhood memories of scavenging fallen soldier’s corpses for money, food & clothes, yet the prevail together.
Yeeran abandons her sister to fight in the war, choosing to follow her mother’s footsteps & send what little money she can home while Lettle is forced to deal with the pieces she left behind including her sick father. We learn her father became abusive towards Lettle & we see not only pain from their sisterhood, but unspoken forgiveness. Despite everything they endured, they continue to stand by one another & fight for a future together. This is what the story truly is about: an unbreakable sisterhood & I adored it.
*�.¸� ℳ𝒶𝑔𝒾𝒸𝒶� 𝒜𝓃𝒾𝓂𝒶𝓁 𝒞𝑜𝓂𝓅𝒶𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃♡�.�*
Ok. Can I please have a furry horned lion animal companion please? Tysm. I loved the aspect of being able to communicate in your head to your ”bDzԻ-ڴǰ-ڱ-Բ-DzԱ-dzܱ� magical animal. It was epic.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐃𝐢𝐝𝐧’� 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞:
𝙏𝙤𝙤 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 😑🫤
I’m sorry to say, but I felt like everything that was considered a “mystery� was so predictable. I could see it all from a mile away. The prophecies were quickly figured out, so it made the all the “twists & revelations� fall flat because it was all so blantantly OBVIOUS. Due to these painfully obvious plot twists, the storyline ultimately became bland which was so sad because the world was so pretty.
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 😖🫤
Unfortunately for me, the romance could of *easily* been skipped in this book. It felt thrown in there without much cause. I did enjoy Lettle & Rayan’s love story, but it felt mildly juvenile to read.
Yeeran & her chieftain was cringe-worthy. Her chieftain loved her with all of her heart, but gave her the worse punishment possible—EXILE for one mistake? Then it gets better�.she proceeded to shoot her sister when all she was doing was trying to say goodbye? No thanks.
THEN..Yeeran & Furi. Jeez. These two made me naush. Falling in love with her captor just because she’s hot and nothing more is so lame. Also, deeply disappointing to read. The two had no real connection or substance outside of being attracted to one another and then outta nowhere she’s her whole world? I don’t get it.
Overall, this was a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me & I will probably dive into the sequel once it’s out in hopes for a better continuation of this elf-fae-human-tale! (lol)
�.�.:* �:**:. �.�.:* �:**:. �.�.:* �:**:.
rtc!! 🌙�
�.�.:* �:**:. �.�.:* �:**:. �.�.:* �:**:.
� 𝚄𝚙𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝟹.𝟸𝟾.𝟸𝟺:
I’m excited to go from 🐺🩸 to 🧚♀️✨(yay)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2023
I need the next book like now! This was truly a fantasy book that I’ve been on the search for with fae, elves and political intrigue! I am obsessed with it
November 15, 2024
it was meh. i was mostly bored and didn't connect with any of the characters. i actually found both of them to be kinda annoying. i'm also not sure if other people would agree with me, but this book really reminded me of caraval (specifically book 3, finale). not plot-wise, but because it follows 2 sisters who each had their own story and romance plot while the book still follows an overall single storyline. they also had similar personalities to the caraval sisters and i'm not sure how i feel about that. other than that, the world-building was lacking. i saw the vision that the author must have had with the magic system and magical creatures, which i would consider to be unique to this book, but it wasn't explained and delivered as well as i would have wanted. because of that, the romance felt dry as well. the romance following lettle was okay, but the romance following yeeran was the most confusing thing ever. i didn't even know there would be a romance between yeeran and the love interest until 70% of the book when they started being all over each other. from the first half of the book, i thought it would be a second chance romance that might be a slow burn into book 2 but then it did a complete switch on me and made yeeran fall in love with someone that had almost no chemistry with her. i honestly also don't see where many of the plot twists came from. all the reveals that started showing up towards the end of the book were so random that i just cannot see how any of them were possible. it felt like the author wanted there to be some type of 'wow' moments so a bunch of random plots were created. there weren't even any clues or foreshadowing moments that could potentially lead to these reveals, they literally just appeared out of nowhere and it confused me completely (or i could be dumb). maybe the author will explain and connect everything together in book 2 but i won't be reading it.
actual rating: 2.5 stars
actual rating: 2.5 stars
January 10, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
2.75 stars
Disappointed with this one. It started out fairly interesting with an intriguing storyline, but I never connected with any of the characters. They seemed very two dimensional to me and I think I was having some issues with the pacing.
Eventually I started skimming to make it through the rest of the book. I think some will enjoy this, but I just don't think it can stand on its own when comparing to other fantasy books out there.
2.75 stars
Disappointed with this one. It started out fairly interesting with an intriguing storyline, but I never connected with any of the characters. They seemed very two dimensional to me and I think I was having some issues with the pacing.
Eventually I started skimming to make it through the rest of the book. I think some will enjoy this, but I just don't think it can stand on its own when comparing to other fantasy books out there.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,201 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.