Faebound by Saara El-Arifi promises an intoxicating world where elves, fae, and humans collide, but I was not pulled under this story’s spell. I liked the premise overall, and think that some cool, hard-earned reveals could have made this story pack a punch, but the execution was lacking. The story’s biggest weakness is that it likes to overshare, and it sucked out all the magic of the interesting and colorful world.
Yeeran dons her new colonel uniform and prepares for another day on the Bleeding Field. Her regiment belongs to the Waning tribe and is one of many elvish clans fighting over a piece of land harboring a priceless power resource. But before Yeeran begins her daily mission, her little sister and diviner in training imparts an optimistic prophecy suggesting Yeeran will find success in the East. But this peaceful and happy moment together will be one of their last as fate begins to twist Yeeran’s and Lettle’s path. The sisters will stumble into the fae who have not been seen for centuries. Now prisoners in an unknown world, the sisters’ beliefs will unravel as they encounter hard truths about the world and their role in it.
One thing that becomes immediately clear in Faebound is that every character’s emotions are sitting at the surface. Their thoughts and feelings are constantly bubbling over and being revealed. It’s crystal clear who hates who, who has fallen head over heels in love, and who we should be wary of immediately. While this overt expression supports the fast-moving plot, it did take away from my experience with the story. The relationships between characters felt shallow because there was no room to explore complicated situations or develop a connection with anyone when everything was said upfront and in the open. It felt incongruous to have such simple, easily accessible emotions in an intense plot with difficult, intense situations. The text treats the reader like a child going through a picture book of emotions.
This oversharing spills over into the worldbuilding as well. Yeeran and Lettle are in a precarious situation living among enemies. The majority of the fae are delighted in their imprisonment and even more are plotting the elf sisters’ swift deaths. Yet every question that Yeeran and Lettle ask about the fae and their world is answered with almost no hesitation. It’s like this was the only way to divulge information and build up the world around Yeeran and Lettle. The fae language is hard to learn and the sisters are isolated and scorned, so there’s no other way to fill in the gaps and move the story along. Like the characters’ emotions, the fae’s secrets are spilled so easily that the knowledge doesn’t feel earned or important.
I would not say romance is THE element of Faebound, but it’s prevalent for both sisters and their unfolding love story with their desired person was awkward. I first want to say that the book opens with Yeeran in a long-term relationship that is interesting. I liked the dynamic between Yeeran and Salawa, and the quick view I got of the pair gave me hope for the story’s romantic thread. Yet, that all falls apart rather quickly once Yeeran’s exile occurs, and that goes for Lettle’s romantic dalliance, too. Because emotions are ever present, the progression and regression between characters happen quickly which makes the romance clunky and unrealistic.
An interesting world, characters, and plot are gracing the pages of Faebound by Saara El-Arifi, but the way the story develops is not to my taste. I got too tripped up on the emotional bursts and awkward dialogue to fully enjoy it, but hey, the story has a fast-moving plot that could probably keep a reader entertained if they’re really curious.
Rating: Faebound – 4.5/10
-Brandee
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The thoughts on this story are my own.
