Faebound by Saara El-Arifi Summary, Characters and Themes
Faebound by Saara El-Arifi is the first book in the Faebound series that blends magic, war, and complex relationships. Set in a world where elves, fae, and humans once coexisted, only the elves remain after a devastating war wiped out the other two species.
The story follows two elven sisters, Yeeran, a warrior, and Lettletle, a diviner, who are exiled from their homeland and encounter the long-forgotten fae. As they navigate the treacherous fae court, the sisters are torn between loyalty to each other and the temptation of new alliances and dangerous loves in this seductive, high-stakes fantasy world.
Summary
Faebound takes place in a world shaped by ancient gods who created three sentient species: fae, elves, and humans. A millennium ago, a devastating war between the fae and humans led to the extinction of both races—or so it seemed. Only elves remain, locked in endless tribal conflicts over a scarce magical resource. In this world, the elven army is the pillar of society, and Yeeran, a celebrated warrior, has just become the youngest colonel in history.
Her sister Lettle is a diviner, skilled in seeing the future through prophecies.
On the day of her promotion, Yeeran leads a mission that diverts from the original orders, based on Lettle’s prophecy about glory in the east. Unfortunately, this leads to a deadly ambush that decimates her troops.
For her failure, Yeeran is exiled from elven lands—a punishment harsh but short of death.
Loyal to her sister, Lettle follows Yeeran into exile, along with Rayan, a guilt-ridden officer from her company who feels responsible for the ambush.
In the dangerous wilderness outside elven borders, they discover that the fae, thought extinct for a millennium, have been living in isolation.
Yeeran’s actions, specifically the hunting of a magical obeah creature, have drawn the ire of the fae court. Fury, a fae warrior, captures Yeeran for killing the obeah, a creature sacred to the fae.
This sparks the central conflict between Yeeran and Fury—a relationship that evolves from hatred to a simmering attraction as they are bound by circumstance and passion.
Meanwhile, Lettle faces her own challenges as a diviner in the fae world, where her abilities are hindered by the fae’s pacifism and rejection of meat, which prevents her from practicing her usual rituals.
She also finds herself drawn to Rayan, whose loyalty and attraction to her complicates their journey further. The forbidden romance between Lettle and Rayan adds tension, as it is influenced by the complex dynamics of prophecy and destiny.
As the story unfolds, the sisters grapple with their bond, the fae’s seductive allure, and their own personal struggles.
Yeeran is determined to regain her honor by hunting the obeah, while Lettle questions her purpose without her divination tools. Their loyalty to each other is tested as they navigate political intrigue, magical creatures, and rising tensions within the fae realm.
Themes of destiny, power, and identity weave through the narrative as the sisters’ fates intertwine with the mystical fae and the looming threat of a larger conflict in the world.
Characters
Yeeran
Yeeran is the older of the two sisters and serves as a warrior in the elven army. From the outset, she is depicted as a strong and determined figure, celebrated for becoming the youngest colonel in the army’s history.
Yeeran’s character is firmly rooted in the martial world, and her identity is deeply tied to the war and conflict that define her society. She embodies the archetypal warrior: disciplined, strategic, and fiercely loyal to her people and her cause.
Her journey is one of exile and reckoning with her own choices. After leading her troops into an ambush due to overconfidence and a desire for glory, she is punished with exile, which becomes a pivotal moment in her character arc.
Yeeran’s internal struggle between her warrior identity and her personal desires forms the crux of her narrative. She grapples with guilt over the failed mission and her subsequent exile, but also harbors a determination to redeem herself.
This determination drives much of her actions, even when she encounters the fae and realizes the depth of the crime she has committed against them by killing an obeah. As a character, Yeeran’s strength is offset by her vulnerability, particularly in her emotional connections with others.
She begins the story in a committed relationship with her tribe’s leader, but as the narrative progresses, it becomes clear that this relationship is fraught with an imbalance of power and a lack of openness. Yeeran’s emotional journey is further complicated by her growing attraction to Fury, the fae who captures her.
This rivals-to-lovers dynamic brings out a different side of Yeeran, one more open to the complexities of loyalty, love, and belonging.
Lettletle
Lettletle, the younger sister, is a diviner who possesses the ability to see into the future. Her character is presented as more introspective and contemplative than Yeeran, and she serves as a contrast to her sister’s action-oriented nature.
Lettle is driven by her prophecies, which form an essential part of her identity. Her divination skills, however, place her in a difficult position, especially when the prophecy she offers to Yeeran—about glory lying to the east—leads to disastrous consequences.
Lettle’s guilt and sense of responsibility for her sister are key aspects of her character, and they propel her to follow Yeeran into exile. Lettle’s character is defined by her relationship with the mystical and the unknown.
As a seer, she interprets prophecies that often feel unclear and unpredictable, mirroring her own uncertainties about her place in the world. However, when she is cut off from her usual methods of divination in the fae realm, her crisis of identity deepens.
The fae’s ban on killing animals prevents her from performing her usual rituals, leaving Lettle to question her purpose and the meaning of her prophecies. Lettle is also involved in a romantic subplot with Rayan, a fellow officer of Yeeran’s company.
While there is an element of forbidden attraction in their relationship, largely due to Lettle’s prophecies, the dynamic between them feels underdeveloped. Lettle’s interest in Rayan is filtered through the lens of her prophetic abilities, which complicates their connection and makes it feel more prescriptive than organic.
As a character, Lettle’s arc is one of self-discovery, learning to navigate her own powers and the consequences of the visions she receives. Her bond with her sister, Yeeran, remains the most significant relationship in her life, marked by loyalty, sacrifice, and deep emotional complexity.
Fury
Fury is one of the most intriguing characters in Faebound, not only because she represents the fae, a race that has been long absent from the world, but also due to her intense and layered personality. She is initially introduced as the antagonist to Yeeran, full of anger and hatred towards her for the crime of killing an obeah, a creature sacred to the fae.
Fury’s name is fitting, as she spends much of the novel consumed by rage, which seems to be her defining characteristic. However, her character gradually reveals more depth, particularly in her interactions with Yeeran.
Their relationship begins as one of enmity but slowly shifts towards a more complicated dynamic of attraction and understanding. Fury’s anger is not without reason—she embodies the fae’s grief and sense of betrayal after being hunted and driven into hiding for centuries.
Her resentment towards Yeeran is personal, and her initial treatment of Yeeran reflects this bitterness. As the novel progresses, Fury’s hardened exterior begins to crack, especially as she starts to recognize Yeeran’s humanity and struggles.
Her growing attraction to Yeeran is juxtaposed with her lingering feelings of betrayal, making their relationship fraught with tension and complexity. What makes Fury a compelling character is her role as a representative of the fae’s isolation and pain.
Through her, readers gain insight into the fae’s history and their place in the world, as well as their complex relationship with the other races. Fury’s evolution from a vengeful captor to a more sympathetic figure highlights the broader themes of the novel, particularly the idea that understanding and forgiveness can arise from even the most hostile situations.
Rayan
Rayan is a more secondary character, but his role in the narrative is still significant, especially in relation to Lettle. He is a member of Yeeran’s company and feels a deep sense of guilt and responsibility for the ambush that led to Yeeran’s exile.
This guilt drives him to follow Lettle in her pursuit of Yeeran, and throughout the novel, Rayan struggles with his own sense of duty and honor. As a soldier, he is bound by the same martial code that governs Yeeran, but unlike her, he seems more introspective and haunted by the consequences of war.
Rayan’s relationship with Lettle is one of the more underdeveloped aspects of the novel. While there is clear physical attraction between them, their emotional connection feels less convincing.
Much of their bond seems driven by the external pressures of the narrative rather than by genuine emotional development. Despite this, Rayan’s character has potential for growth in future installments of the series.
His loyalty and inner conflict, particularly in relation to Lettle’s prophecies, suggest that he may play a more nuanced role in the ongoing conflict between the elves, fae, and the larger world.
Themes
A Critique on Leadership and Ambition
In Faebound, one of the central themes is the critique of authority, power, and those who seek it. The elves, locked in a seemingly endless war over limited resources, reflect a society deeply entangled with power dynamics and conflict.
This “forever war” serves as a metaphor for the cyclical nature of power struggles, where those who seek authority are often not the best suited to wield it. The portrayal of Yeeran’s initial relationship with the chieftain of her tribe serves as a nuanced exploration of power imbalances in personal and political relationships.
The fact that their relationship remains hidden for a decade highlights how power distorts personal connections. Yeeran’s lover uses secrecy to maintain control, revealing the fragility of authority when it’s built on fear and inequality.
The narrative also draws parallels between Yeeran’s relationships and her changing views on leadership. Her exile after leading her troops into an ambush isn’t just a punishment; it’s an exploration of how authority can collapse when a leader’s decisions falter.
Yeeran’s collapse mirrors the larger question the novel poses: Are those who seek power truly fit to hold it? Or is it those thrust into leadership, like Yeeran during her exile, who have the capacity to wield it more responsibly?
Through Yeeran’s exile, the narrative critiques traditional hierarchies. It suggests that the legitimacy of leadership comes not from ambition but from wisdom gained through hardship and loss.
Determinism Versus Agency
Prophecies in Faebound play a vital role, especially in how Lettle navigates her divination skills. The theme surrounding prophecy isn’t merely about foresight but rather the tension between determinism and agency.
Lettle’s visions of the future, delivered through her role as a diviner, are simultaneously a gift and a curse. They burden her with knowledge she cannot fully comprehend until it’s too late.
This duality becomes a critical exploration of how prophecy can shape, distort, and confine the actions of those who believe in it. The tension lies in whether the characters’ futures are predetermined by these visions or if they have the autonomy to change their destinies.
This echoes the age-old philosophical debate about free will versus fate. The prophecy itself becomes a self-fulfilling mechanism, shaping the actions of Yeeran and Lettle based on their hopes, fears, or rebellion against it.
By focusing on how prophecy limits personal growth, the novel questions whether we truly have the power to shape our own destinies. Or are we inevitably led to the paths foreseen by fate?
The Elves as a Reflection of Societal Decay
Another significant theme is the interplay between war and identity, particularly how a society immersed in perpetual conflict becomes a reflection of its own collapse. The elves, long engaged in war, are portrayed as a people who no longer know any existence outside of combat.
Their culture, centered around military hierarchy and survival, mirrors the degradation of a society that has lost touch with peace, prosperity, and purpose beyond conflict. This constant state of war has reduced the elves to mere shadows of their former selves, with the novel critiquing how war transforms societies into war machines.
Yeeran’s personal identity is deeply tied to this culture of violence. She has defined herself through her role as a warrior, and her struggles after exile mirror the cultural collapse of her people.
The novel subtly critiques how prolonged conflict destroys not just nations but individual identities. The elves have lost their sense of purpose beyond warfare and survival, reflecting how societies perpetuating violence lose their identity beyond destruction.
Queer Identity and the Fluidity of Desire
One of the more subtle but vital themes in Faebound is the exploration of queer identity and the fluidity of desire within the fantasy genre. The presence of a lesbian romance between Yeeran and Fury not only adds layers of representation but also challenges traditional heteronormative structures in fantasy.
This rivals-to-lovers dynamic between Yeeran and Fury is imbued with tension, aggression, and rivalry. It challenges traditional notions of attraction by placing two powerful women at odds, yet deeply drawn to each other.
The novel presents a society where sexuality is fluid, diverse, and unremarkable—a norm rather than an exception. This normalization of bisexual, polyamorous, and non-binary characters reflects a progressive step in fantasy.
In this sense, Faebound challenges the fantasy genre’s historical association with heteronormative tropes. Instead, it provides a space where queerness is an intrinsic part of the world’s fabric, exploring desire without real-world prejudices.
This fluidity of relationships further explores how sexuality and desire exist beyond binaries. Love, attraction, and identity are ever-shifting, adding complexity to the characters’ emotional journeys.
Loyalty, Betrayal, and Sacrifice
At the heart of Faebound lies the theme of sisterhood, particularly the fraught, complex bond between Yeeran and Lettle. Their relationship is both one of fierce loyalty and underlying betrayal, rooted in a shared history of abandonment and sacrifice.
The sisters are bound by blood and duty, yet their paths diverge as they navigate the moral and emotional landscapes of their respective journeys. Yeeran, the warrior, and Lettle, the diviner, represent two sides of the elvish experience.
Their relationship reflects a deeper exploration of how familial bonds can both empower and constrain. The secrets they keep from each other, combined with their sacrifices, underscore how sisterhood can both strengthen and suffocate.
As they venture deeper into the fae world, their bond is tested by external forces, but it remains central to the narrative. Their relationship reveals how sisterhood, while powerful, is also fragile and susceptible to the same betrayals and sacrifices that shape larger societal structures.