"'Say then you'll look for me. That you'll find me. That you'll set after me the way the sun always does the moon. Promise you'll find me.'"

The First Binding is one of those books that simultaneously feels like it takes a day to read but also a year. At 800 pages, it's not a light read, not to mention it takes a little bit to get into (the actual story doesn't really start until 80 pages in). It reminded me of Jennifer Lyon's The Ruin of Kings and The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez but it also had some elements reminiscent of R. F. Kuang's The Poppy War.
The story switches between past and present, detailing Ari's childhood as he tells his story to his new friend, Eloine. It's also interspersed with other stories of mythology and history, as told by people who are essentially bards. My favorite parts were the stories from Ari's childhood, as they tended to be more fast-paced and action-packed. I really hope the next book comes back to close up some loose ends from the first parts of his backstory, especially what happens to Nika and Nisha and all of his friends.
Ari is a compelling storyteller and narrator, of course, and I liked him as a protagonist. His perfect mix of snark, curiosity, and stubbornness renders him an intriguing character to follow. I liked most of his childhood friends, especially Nika and Aram, although I loved Radi too. Shola is adorable (any book with a cat automatically gets bonus points) and I'm scared to find out what happens to him. The only character I had issues with was Eloine. I don't know what it was, but I didn't get good vibes from her and maybe I'm overreacting but I feel like she's going to betray Ari and I don't like her.
If you want an epic fantasy full of stories upon stories, The First Binding is the book for you.
3.75/5