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chaptersofmads 's review for:
Faebound
by Saara El-Arifi
"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."
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
➳ 4.5✶
TW: animal death, blood, child abuse, classism, death, death of a loved one, dementia, emotional abuse, grief, injury/injury detail, medical content, mental illness, murder, physical abuse, sexual content, torture, toxic relationship, violence, war, xenophobia.
Both a delight and a triumph, Faebound is proof that Saara El-Arifi is a master of the fantasy genre.
From the easy-to-grasp worldbuilding and magic systems, to the complex sibling relationship and the flawless distinction of every character, this book was just as amazing as I had hoped for it to be. If you're someone that's easily intimidated by adult fantasy, afraid it is too dense or difficult to comprehend, this is a fantastic place to start. Not only was it fast-paced, but it was also impossible to put-down.
Even the basic elements of the story are brought to life in a vivid, reimagined way that gives the book the unique feeling of being at once familiar and incredibly unique.
My only complaint is actually about the romance(s) and the fact that I had a really hard time connecting with either of them, which is a bit rough when the story is meant to be fantasy-romance. I can't exactly expand on the individual reasons why due to risking spoilers, but I will say that they both felt oddly rushed and inauthentic to me.
I mention it only because I want to say that even though I didn't connect with the romantic elements, this was still a fantastic story and a perfect beginning to a new series.
I'm incredibly grateful that I was approved for an ARC and forever willing to read anything and everything Saara El-Arifi writes from now until the end of time. I really do recommend this to anyone looking for an inclusive, easy-to-read yet still incredibly well-constructed fantasy.
Even just for the animal companion element alone. That should be convincing enough.
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
➳ 4.5✶
TW: animal death, blood, child abuse, classism, death, death of a loved one, dementia, emotional abuse, grief, injury/injury detail, medical content, mental illness, murder, physical abuse, sexual content, torture, toxic relationship, violence, war, xenophobia.
Both a delight and a triumph, Faebound is proof that Saara El-Arifi is a master of the fantasy genre.
From the easy-to-grasp worldbuilding and magic systems, to the complex sibling relationship and the flawless distinction of every character, this book was just as amazing as I had hoped for it to be. If you're someone that's easily intimidated by adult fantasy, afraid it is too dense or difficult to comprehend, this is a fantastic place to start. Not only was it fast-paced, but it was also impossible to put-down.
Even the basic elements of the story are brought to life in a vivid, reimagined way that gives the book the unique feeling of being at once familiar and incredibly unique.
My only complaint is actually about the romance(s) and the fact that I had a really hard time connecting with either of them, which is a bit rough when the story is meant to be fantasy-romance. I can't exactly expand on the individual reasons why due to risking spoilers, but I will say that they both felt oddly rushed and inauthentic to me.
I mention it only because I want to say that even though I didn't connect with the romantic elements, this was still a fantastic story and a perfect beginning to a new series.
I'm incredibly grateful that I was approved for an ARC and forever willing to read anything and everything Saara El-Arifi writes from now until the end of time. I really do recommend this to anyone looking for an inclusive, easy-to-read yet still incredibly well-constructed fantasy.
Even just for the animal companion element alone. That should be convincing enough.