#saara el-arifi
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Art I did for the announcement of Saara El-Arifi’s new trilogy, Faebound!
(more info from her ig under the cut)
Introducing Yeeran and Lettle, the two main cast of my NEW TRILOGY starting with the first novel #FAEBOUND. Out Feb 2024.
It has all the flavours you’ve come to know in my writing: a diverse cast, queernormativity, threads of arab my and african roots and perhaps a touch more 🌶️.
But most of all FAEBOUND is born of #BlackGirlMagic
Told in the dual point of view of two elven sisters captured here by @layaart (ty i love them so much).
YEERAN is a Colonel of the Waning Army. Or she was before she was exiled. Far from home she comes face to face with a magical beast that might just be her salvation. The skin of the obeah has enough magical potency to created a weapon worthy of her freedom.
LETTLE is a diviner, a reader of the fates. She follows her sister into the wilderness in the hope of bringing her home again. But she’s not alone, Rayan, a captain under Yeeran, has promised his former colonel to keep Lettle out of trouble. But trouble follows them both.
Expect: Drum magic, rivals to lovers, hidden realms and of course…fae!
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currently reading
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The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi
The Empire rules by blood
Red is the blood of the elite, of magic, of control.
Blue is the blood of the poor, of workers, of the resistance.
Clear is the blood of the servants, of the crushed, of the invisible.
The Aktibar – a set of trials held every ten years to find the next Ember rulers of the Empire – is about to begin.
All can join but not just anyone can win; it requires great skill and ingenuity to become the future wardens of Strength, Knowledge, Truth and Duty.
Sylah was destined to win the trials and be crowned Warden of Strength. Stolen by blue-blooded rebels she was raised with a Duster’s heart; forged as a weapon to bring down from within the red-blooded Embers’ regime of cruelty. But when her adopted family were brutally murdered those dreams of a better future turned to dust.
However, the flame of hope may yet be rekindled because Sylah wasn’t made to sparkle, she was born to burn.
And it’s up to her whether she rules the empire or destroys it.
#the final strife#the ending fire#saara el-arifi#transfem#trans book of the day#trans books#queer books#bookblr#booklr
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Faebound
Note: my review is as vague as possible because I don't want to spoil anything!
I was completely hooked and enamored with Faebound by Saara El-Arifi pretty much from the very beginning. I found both the world-building and the magic system to be so creative that I could not put it down.
Normally when I'm reading a new fantasy, I struggle with the first hundred or so pages as I learn the new world and characters. I didn't have that problem with Faebound at all. In fact, I read that first hundred pages in one sitting!
This is a really well-paced, exciting, and wonderfully diverse fantasy. The characters are complicated and likeable and every relationship had me hooked. The loyalty of the two sisters is beautiful and I love both of their romantic relationships too.
Faebound a fantastic setup for a new series and I can not wait for book two! This is an early contender for my Best of 2024 list!
Tags for the book: fantasy, romantasy, queer, sapphic, enemies to lovers, magic, fae, elves, slowburn, spicy (both straight & sapphic sex scenes)
Faebound comes out on January 23, 2024!
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Most anticipated 2024 books!
I am anticipating a lot of books. To keep track of them, I made a 2024 tbr shelf. It has 123 books. I certainly won't be reading all 123, but since I can sort the list by release date it helps me keep track of new releases. Unfortunately, 123 is so many that half of them I don't even remember adding them or what they're about, so I decided to boil it down to 10 most anticipated new books and 10 sequels.
New
Faebound - Saara El-Arifi - Jan 18
Voyage of the Damned - Frances White - Jan 18
Fathomfolk - Eliza Chan - Feb 27
A Botanical Daughter - Noah Medlock - Mar 19
Otherwordly - FT Lukens - Apr 2
The Sins on their Bones - Laura R. Samotin - May 7
Not for the Faint of Heart - Lex Croucher - May 7
The Honey Witch - Sydney J. Shields - May 14
Running Close to the Wind - Alexandra Rowland - Jun 11
Swordcrossed - Freya Marske - Oct 10
Sequels
The Cursed Rose - Leslie Vedder (book 3 of the Bone Spindle, final book) - Feb 6
The Eternal Ones - Namina Forna (book 3 of Deathless trilogy) - Feb 13
Merciless Saviors - H.E. Edgmon (sequel to Godly Heathens, final book) - Apr 16
Heavenly Tyrant - Xiran Jay Zhao (sequel to Iron Widow, final book) - Apr 30
Mirrored Heavens - Rebecca Roanhorse (book 3 of Between Earth and Sky trilogy) - Jun 4
Hearts that Cut - Kika Hatzopoulou (sequel to Threads that Bind) - Jun 4
The Unrelenting Earth - Kritika H. Rao (Book 2 in the Rages trilogy) - Jun 18
The Lotus Empire - Tasha Suri (book 3 in the Burning Kingdoms trilogy) - Jul 18
Celestial Monsters - Aiden Thomas (sequel to the Sunbearer Trials, final book) - Sept 3
Alecto the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir (book 4 in the Locked Tomb series) - release dat unknown, likely late 2024
#anticipated releases#2024 books#2024 releases#faebound#saara el-arifi#voyage of the damned#frances white#fathomfolk#eliza chan#a botanical daughter#noah medlock#otherwordly#ft lukens#the sins on their bones#laura r samotin#the honey witch#sydney j shields#running close to the wind#alexandra rowland#swordcrossed#freya marske#the cursed rose#the bone spindle#leslie vedder#the eternal ones#namina forna#the gilded ones#merciless saviors#not for the faint of heart#lex croucher
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THE BATTLE DRUM - SAARA EL-ARIFI
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️⭐
Saara El-Arifi, I hate you a little bit. Writing a book that is so good and ending it like that. Now I must wait so long to find out what happens next, and I’m in pain.
In all seriousness, The Battle Drum (the second book of The Ending Fire Trilogy) was so riveting and so painful. Anoor, Sylah, and Hassa, my beloveds are all back, and all the POV characters included in this book were so enlightening. Without spoilers, this book had so many revelations and new mysteries. Saara does such an amazing job with worldbuilding.
Like The Final Strife, this was a five-star read for me. A very satisfying middle book in a trilogy. Thank you to Random House for the eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#books#the battle drum#ending fire#saara el-arifi#book review#sapphic lit#booklr#litedit#wlw books#wlw lit#wlw literature#sapphic books
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64. Worldbuilding: An Aesthetic of Coherence?
In this post:
An Aesthetic of Coherence? Thinking about Vajra Chandrasekera’s “The Lone and Level Sands.”
Reviews at Reactor Magazine (the former Tor.com)
An Aesthetic of Coherence?
I haven’t yet read The Saint of Bright Doors, but I’ve been reading some of Vajra Chandrasekera’s essays with great interest. Chandrasekera is a deft writer and a vivid essayist, and frequently directs a…
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New Fantasy for January 2024!
There are so many great releases coming out in 2024, and I can't wait! Here are some of the January 2024 releases that I'm looking forward to reading!
Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White (Song of the Last Kingdom #2) — Amélie Wen Zhao — January 2*
Years ago, the Elantian colonizers invaded Lan’s homeland and killed her mother in their search to uncover the Last Kingdom’s greatest, the location…
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#amelie wen zhao#atlas complex#Book Blog#books#crescent city#fantasy#fiction#new releases#olivie blake#saara el-arifi#sarah j maas
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The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi
Today's sapphic book of the day is The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi!
TW for mention of murder in summary
Summary: "In the first book of a visionary fantasy trilogy with its roots in the mythology of Africa and Arabia, three women band together against a cruel empire that divides people by blood.
Red is the blood of the elite, of magic, of control.
Blue is the blood of the poor, of workers, of the resistance.
Clear is the blood of the slaves, of the crushed, of the invisible.
Sylah dreams of days growing up in the resistance, being told she would spark a revolution that would free the empire from the red-blooded ruling classes’ tyranny. That spark was extinguished the day she watched her family murdered before her eyes.
Anoor has been told she’s nothing, no one, a disappointment, by the only person who matters: her mother, the most powerful ruler in the empire. But when Sylah and Anoor meet, a fire burns between them that could consume the kingdom—and their hearts.
Hassa moves through the world unseen by upper classes, so she knows what it means to be invisible. But invisibility has its uses: It can hide the most dangerous of secrets, secrets that can reignite a revolution. And when she joins forces with Sylah and Anoor, together these grains of sand will become a storm.
As the empire begins a set of trials of combat and skill designed to find its new leaders, the stage is set for blood to flow, power to shift, and cities to burn."
#bisexual#bi#sapphic#wlw#queer#lgbtqia#lgbtq#lgbt#books#book recs#booklr#book recommendations#fantasy#high fantasy#speculative fiction#the final strife#saara el arifi#saara el-arifi
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The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi
Fantastic read! Complicated characters, interesting story line, lovely writing~ Enjoyed this so much. Grumpy that how busy I've been at work and in life kept me from finishing this fantastic book earlier.
Read : Jan6th - Feb 18th, 2023
Rating : 5 Stars
#the final strife#saara el-arifi#fantasy#wlw#sapphic#queer fantasy#high fantasy#young adult#series rec#book rec
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“remember what it felt like…being part of something bigger. Something that carries you along like a grain of sand. You can’t fight it—you don’t want to—because alone you are just one grain. Together you are the desert.”
The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi
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New Releases: June 21, 2022
New Releases: June 21, 2022
The Loophole by Naz Kutub
Syyed is pining for his ex, who left home to—save the world? He doesn’t know much more, except to wish he’d gone along when Farouk asked. But Sy is shy and timid, from a controlling Indian Muslim family, and wants most to make a life and home with people he loves. Then he meets Reggie, an heiress—is she magical or just rich?—who, in exchange for his kindness, offers to…
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#Carlos Allende#Coffee Shopping Murder Love#Epically Earnest#Jobs for Girls With Artistic Flair#June Gervais#Kalynn Bayron#Molly Horan#Naz Kutub#Rosalie Knecht#Saara El-Arifi#The Awesome Autistic Guide for Trans Teens#The Final Strife#The Loophole#This Wicked Fate#Vera Kelly: Lost and Found
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Sylah dreams of days growing up in the resistance, being told she would spark a revolution that would free the empire from the red-blooded ruling classes’ tyranny. That spark was extinguished the day she watched her family murdered before her eyes.
Anoor has been told she’s nothing, no one, a disappointment, by the only person who matters: her mother, the most powerful ruler in the empire. But when Sylah and Anoor meet, a fire burns between them that could consume the kingdom—and their hearts.
Hassa moves through the world unseen by upper classes, so she knows what it means to be invisible. But invisibility has its uses: It can hide the most dangerous of secrets, secrets that can reignite a revolution. And when she joins forces with Sylah and Anoor, together these grains of sand will become a storm.
#The Final Strife#Saara El-Arifi#adult books#fantasy#book series#Ghanaian rep#Arabian rep#poc rep#african rep#middle eastern rep#mga#mga rep#addiction rep#fat rep#wlw#wlw rep#mute#amputee#disabled rep#black rep#transgender#trans rep#high fantasy#mythology#daily book#fiction#lgbt fiction#lgbtqia#bookblr
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➸ reading list
just added:
the battle drum, saara el-arifi
malice, keigo higashino
the missing american, kwei quartey
your house will pay, steph cha
the firm, john grisham
how can i help you, laura sims
never sleep, fred van lente
the deep sky, yume kitasei
vera wong's unsolicited advice for murderers, jessie q. santo
the murder at the vicarage, agatha christie
#the battle drum#saara el-arifi#malice#keigo higashino#the missing american#kwei quartey#your house will pay#steph cha#the firm#john grisham#how can i help you#laura sims#never sleep#fred van lente#the deep sky#yume kitasei#vera wong's unsolicited advice for murderers#jessie q santo#the murder at the vicarage#agatha christie#reading list#tbr#bookblr#booklr
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🇩🇯 Djibouti
(*inspired)
Region: East Africa
The Final Strife
Author: Saara El-Arifi
640 pages, published 2022
Original language: English
Native author? N/A
Age: Teen-Adult
Blurb:
Sylah dreams of days growing up in the resistance, being told she would spark a revolution that would free the empire from the red-blooded ruling classes’ tyranny. That spark was extinguished the day she watched her family murdered before her eyes.
Anoor has been told she’s nothing, no one, a disappointment, by the only person who matters: her mother, the most powerful ruler in the empire. But when Sylah and Anoor meet, a fire burns between them that could consume the kingdom—and their hearts.
Hassa moves through the world unseen by upper classes, so she knows what it means to be invisible. But invisibility has its uses: It can hide the most dangerous of secrets, secrets that can reignite a revolution. And when she joins forces with Sylah and Anoor, together these grains of sand will become a storm.
As the empire begins a set of trials of combat and skill designed to find its new leaders, the stage is set for blood to flow, power to shift, and cities to burn.
Other reps: #lesbian
Genres: #fantasy world #adventure #revolution
My thoughts:
A fantasy based on African & Arabian elements, I picked this book for Djibouti since there were no YA-ish books specifically related to that country.
A world with a caste system based on blood, and three different women from different walks of life. Published in June and fresh off the presses!
Review to come.
Bookshop.org link | Kindle link
#djibouti#ya world challenge#fantasy books#booklr#fantasy#the final strife#saara el-arifi#lesbian#fantasy world#adventure#revolution#east africa#africa#north africa
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April 2024 TBR
Hello friends!! Welcome to the April 2024 TBR. A post where I will attempt to intuit what I feel like reading for the month of April.
AJDNFBDJFSKNAJKBCH… How in the world is it almost April already?? Honestly I think this year just needs to calm down. Also, this means that I really need to write up my quarterly check ins and a bunch of other posts… Maybe it’s a long weekend job… Maybe I can get…
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#2024 challenges#2024 TBR#Alexis Hall#Ali Hazelwood#Alice Oseman#April TBR#Book#Bride#C. G. Drews#Eliza Chan#Faebound#Farah Heron#Fathomfolk#Fourth Wing#Goodreads#I was Born for This#Jana Goes Wild#Laini Taylor#Never Ever Getting Back Together#Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble#Reading#Reading goals#Rebecca Yarros#Saara El-Arifi#Sophie Gonzales#Strange the Dreamer#TBR#The House for Lost Things
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