Faebound by Saara El-Arifi

Yeeran has lived on the battlefield—she grew up on it. And now she is gaining high ranks. Her life has been great; she is even dating Chieftain Salawa and is about to become Colonel. The morning of her first battle, her sister, Lettle, comes to her. Lettle has been a practicing seer, and that morning received a prophecy: her sister should go east when the time is right. That morning, Yeeran and her commander, Rayan, begin their mission, and both feel the need to go east. But it is an ambush, and more than 300 soldiers are dead because of Yeeran’s decision. Her lover, Chieftain Salawa, has no choice—Yeeran must be exiled from the Elven Lands.

Yeeran leaves with her drum, which helps her with her magic, but her sister Lettle protests her departure. Lettle decides to go out and find Yeeran, but on her way to the forest, she runs into Rayan, who insists on helping find Yeeran; they form a temporary alliance to search for her. While searching, Lettle receives a prophecy—one about her killing her beloved. She keeps that information to herself.

Meanwhile, Yeeran is hunting an obeah, a creature she believes, if killed, will allow her back into the Elven Lands. While scouring, she is reunited with her sister and Rayan. That night, Yeeran finds her prize—the biggest obeah she has ever seen—and kills it. However, before she can take the pelt back to the elves, she is taken away by the fae, whom they had all believed to be long dead.

The fae take Yeeran straight to their prison, as they are bonded to the obeah—and by killing one, she has killed the prince. Everyone is taken to the fae world of Mosima, but Yeeran has been condemned by the two witch queens, Chall and Vyce. She is to be executed for what she has done, and Lettle and Rayan will be forced to watch.

But when her time comes, the obeah named Pila bonds to her, and the fae cannot kill her—the bond saves her life. Yeeran also secures the safety of another prisoner, Komi, and those two, along with Rayan and Lettle, begin their lives in the fae world.

Lettle and Rayan start a “will-they-won’t-they” relationship, while Yeeran begins to grow close to Furi, the fae princess and commander. What begins as a punishment—five months of servitude—slowly shifts. Their lessons in magic bring Yeeran and Furi closer. She also grows closer to her obeah, Pila, and comes to love the creature’s constant companionship.

They also gain another friend, Golan, a stylist who helps introduce them to the fae world. Together, they decide to make it their mission to find the curse and break it—the curse that keeps the fae world hidden and underground.

On the night of a ball, everyone seems to find love. Lettle and Rayan begin to share their feelings, and Yeeran and Furi spend the night together. But the evening ends in tragedy when Queens Vyce and Chall are found murdered.

While Furi comes to terms with their deaths, the fae prepare to choose new royalty. Everyone gathers at the Tree of Soulsto learn whom the gods will choose. Most expect it to be Furi or Nerad, the queens’ remaining children. Furi is indeed chosen, but the second ruler named is none other than Rayan.

Everyone is surprised. It is revealed that Rayan is the son of Najma, the prince Yeeran accidentally killed.

Rayan is effectively king now and wants Lettle as his consort, though the fae are not pleased.

After some investigation, it’s discovered that Komi and Nerad were responsible for the queens’ deaths; both are traitors.

Other truths come to light as well. In a conversation with Furi, Yeeran reveals that on the day she was banished, she had led her troops against the Crescent army. Their arrows had failed, glancing off enemies protected by a glasslike barrier—one later revealed to be fae magic.

The truth devastates Yeeran. The fae had allied with Waning’s greatest enemy, the Crescent district, in exchange for the return of their ancestral lands.

Upon learning this, Yeeran leaves Mosima—leaves Furi—and returns to warn Salawa and Waning of the fae’s betrayal.

In an epilogue, Prince Rayan receives a letter from his father, revealing that there is a curse. His father’s research is buried, and Rayan must find it—and break the curse—for the good of all fae.