The Council turns a blind eye to the reports of torture and the Gallows are determined to unravel this mystery. Shaun and Sarah both struggle with their inner demons which is inconvenient at times and lands them in trouble. They are 19, the story balances teenage issues and supernatural problems well. I thought the characters were ok, I wasn't particularly attatched to anyone which is unusual. What kept me going was the compelling writing. The twins are surrounded by problems, puzzles, enemies, little or no support and I was never sure that they were going to make it out alive.
It was fun watching them dig their own graves and panic trying to get out. The writer builds a dangerous world, twists the roles of paranormal creatures and tweaks the magical system we are all so familiar with. The story was unpredictable till the last word and you never knew what direction it will take. The Mystery of Melissa was dark and murky, the climax was explosive. Jan 04, Alan Hardy rated it it was amazing. A great story involving demon trackers, vampires, witches, fairies and psychos.
The two central characters are twins Shaun and Sarah, in their late teens; as fallen angels their role is to hunt down and kill vampires and black magic practitioners. The story goes at a great pace, from one blood-curdling incident to another; Sharon Stevenson creates a wonderfully graphic atmosphere where you can as good as smell the foul vampirish odours and, as the demon trackers clean out vampire nests, feel and A great story involving demon trackers, vampires, witches, fairies and psychos.
The story goes at a great pace, from one blood-curdling incident to another; Sharon Stevenson creates a wonderfully graphic atmosphere where you can as good as smell the foul vampirish odours and, as the demon trackers clean out vampire nests, feel and taste the gunge and gunk of exploding vampirish bodies. Sharon Stevenson writes brilliantly and has created an authentic milieu where a paranormal world and a normal world thrillingly coalesce. Apr 19, J. DiBenedetto rated it really liked it.
They're 19 years old, already somewhat jaded by their job, even as they're still getting used to their powers and learning all the ins and outs of the supernatural world in Stevenson's universe, "our" world is shared by all manner of supernatural creatures: The world definitely has a "Buffy" feel to it, with hunters who have special po "Blood Bound" by Sharon Stevenson is the story of twin demon hunters Shaun and Sarah.
The world definitely has a "Buffy" feel to it, with hunters who have special powers mostly extraordinary speed, strength and senses; and the ability to "taste" magic and determine what sort of creature it's coming from and who are destined to fulfill their duties; and mortals who are mostly ignorant of the supernaturals walking about, except when they're not. All the characters are well-drawn, especially the twins.
The story is told from their alternating viewpoints in third person, rotating chapter-to-chapter between Shaun and Sarah , and they're both sympathetic and believable. Even when they make questionable choices, they've got good reasons, and it's impossible not to root for them to win out in the end. The supporting characters, too, are interesting and have depth except for the twins' parents, but that feels to me like a deliberate choice by the author, and also something that will change as the series continues in future books. There's plenty of well-handled action, and a little bit of non-explicit bedroom action, as both twins face romantic problems that end up tied into their demon-hunting work.
There's also a lot of mystery and lurking conspiracy, which is tantalizing and also a little frustrating both for Shaun and Sarah, and for me as a reader. About the only thing I would criticize in this book is that I'd have liked at least a couple of concrete answers by the end of the book. This isn't a huge problem, because I knew going in it was book 1 of a series with at least two more planned. The first book of a series always has the burden of setting up the world and laying out the Big Bad that will be fought over the rest of the books.
The writing is clear and engaging, and the book is well-edited, too. I enjoyed it, I'm looking forward to book 2, and I'd highly recommend it. May 12, Heather Heffner rated it it was amazing. I recently came down sick, and my boyfriend wisely gave me an iPad full of Kindle books to entertain me.
The twins Sarah and Shaun are that duo. Sarah is incredibly confident and a strong heroine my favorite , while Shaun is endearing and just innocent enough that his amorous situation wi I recently came down sick, and my boyfriend wisely gave me an iPad full of Kindle books to entertain me. Sarah is incredibly confident and a strong heroine my favorite , while Shaun is endearing and just innocent enough that his amorous situation with the villainous Melissa is hilarious at times.
In an urban fantasy genre saturated with YA offerings that are restricted when it comes to pushing the envelope too far, and adult titles with protagonists who are sometimes too jaded to connect with, Blood Bound brings the best of both worlds to the table--the twins are tough but still open to wonder at new experiences, and there's exciting, gripping action mixed with dark graphic material for the more mature reader.
Well-depicted characters are a must for me, so I was very pleased and engaged with the twins and their supporting ensemble, most notably Melissa and Dev. Stevenson opens Blood Bound by diving right into a vampire staking hunt, without wasting time hashing out background stories or indulging in tedious detail. Although this technique can make the world feel bare bones in some places, overall, it proves to be a strong stylistic choice, and Stevenson hints that the answers we're longing for await in future entries And hey, it took my mind off being sick!
The narrative rides its action-packed momentum all the way until the end, and leaves off with a satisfying teaser for the continuation of the series. I, for one, am extremely curious to hear more about the mysterious Council and explore how Sarah and Shaun entered the demon hunting trade in the first place. A riveting, heart-pounding start to an edgy series with memorable protagonists and nasty villains you just love to hate.
Eagerly looking forward to the next one! Apr 15, Kyra Halland rated it really liked it Shelves: I enjoyed the characters, especially the squeamish-yet-curmudgeonly Shaun. For me, this is a winning combination in male main characters, and Shaun alone made the book for me. The other characters are also well-drawn and engaging. The book is set in an alternate-universe Scotland, and I enjoyed the Scottish slang used throughout.
This isn't jus Kyra's star ratings: This isn't just a generic could-be-anywhere story. The story involves Sarah and Shaun's attempts to figure out what the vicious Melissa is up to, whether she needs to be stopped, and how to stop her. There are also subplots involving Sarah and Shaun's complicated love lives Shaun appears to be soul-mated to Melissa, and Sarah has two guys who are best buddies both wanting her, and an eye for a much younger guy as well.
Reason why you might want to have a locked cage in your basement: I did feel like the story could have used more of a sense of urgency or rising stakes no pun intended; if you've read it, you know what I mean! There were also times when the action seemed to skip ahead or to a different setting without transition, and I couldn't quite figure out what was going on. One other thing, the protagonists are 19 years old, but this is definitely not a YA book. The protagonists act as adults in their world, have adult lives and adult interests and concerns, and the book deals with adult themes in an adult manner.
Which for me is a plus, but someone looking for a less-intense YA read might get more than they bargained for here. A fun read, and I'm looking forward to more adventures with Shaun and Sarah. Mar 12, Dianne rated it really liked it Shelves: Did I mention she has psychotic tendencies and Shaun may have to kill her?
Add in a few other twists and getting to the bottom of the story is an exciting adventure! There is a touch of snark and attitude throughout this fast-paced and complex tale. The main characters are so very typical of siblings, especially twins, with a closeness and sixth sense about each other that definitely has its humorous moments!
One is petite and mouthy, one is a huge, scary looking Teddy bear, well, a Teddy bear who could crush you with ease. The supporting characters are well thought out and filled in, the friends are quirky, the villain is heinous, but even she could evoke my sympathy.
The background descriptions were often frighteningly realistic, adding to the tension of the moment. Jun 27, Miki rated it liked it Shelves: This review was first publish on my blog" Lecture toute une Aventure" Interesting first instalment but not enough background info I liked the characters but i don't really understand the universe Shaun and Sarah are demon trackers that was aid and repeated yes and we learn that it gives them some special powers oki I think some of these answers were needed to make this book even better and i do hope we will get them in the next one so that we really can understand Shaun and Sarah Better because at some time they are very, VERY confusing.
That being said the story is promising, there area lot of violence, some graphic, some no but the suspense and investigation give it a form of balance Dev i don't like him at all.. Sarah is too single minded and while she wants to help her reckless attitude cause more damage than help.
So you like dark urban fantasy with vampire, fae and others creatures you could give this one a try knowing you will have a lot of unanswered questions, for my part i want to see what happen next before i decide for good where to shelve this book. Jun 02, Jonathon Fletcher rated it it was amazing Shelves: Shaun and Sarah, the Gallows twins. An unstable pair of young adults with a chip and vodka fixation, who just happen to be paranormal hunters In a world of witches, vampires, werewolves and fairies, these two "trackers" do the dirty work of policing those paranormal entities who, like burnt toast, are a little on the dark side.
One night whilst out slaying vampires as you do , Shaun is bewitched by Melissa, a dark creature from a family that makes Joseph Fritzl look like May Poppins. From the Shaun and Sarah, the Gallows twins. From there the story twists through "Buffy the Vampire" style action mixed with teenage angst and a dash of erotica, enough to make a fourteen year old boy, or this reviewer, blush fifty shades of pink. This wasn't my usual read, I'm a hard-core sci-fi man myself, but I've seen enough young adult gothic fantasy to "get" this genre. The story is well written, well planned and well edited.
There are enough hints to other events and characters not seen in this book to make you want to read the sequels. The main characters are well fleshed out and believable, even if I wanted to sit Sarah down and have a talk with her about not being so hard on poor Shaun all the time. If I had one complaint, I'd want to see more gore! But that's just me, I like visceral description. The author may possibly have kept it toned down for a younger audience, although there are enough swear words and descriptions of sexual encounters to make me discount this.
If you like vampires, witches and fairies oh my! Pass me the pointy stick, I'm popping out for a quick steak Mar 09, Ashley Torbeck rated it it was amazing. I read and reviewed this book on www. Below are key points from the review, and the full review can be found at either of the blogs above. For starters, the story has the supernatural elements of nearly every paranormal entity you can imagine.
Sarah and Shaun go through some interesting trials with various demons and have to battle the bonding that seems to be gripping Shaun-especially since he neither wants to be bound to another demon hunter nor does he particularly like his apparent soul mate. I love the characters in this story. Sarah and Shaun were unique characters; determined, and unconventional in every way.
The amount of detail that the author puts into this book is phenomenal. There is just so much to this book that really sets it above other in this genre. Feb 13, Rick Soper rated it it was amazing. This is a fun book to read. It starts right in the middle of the action as some Demon Trackers are taking out a nest of Vampires and then it just takes off from there.
I enjoyed the pace of the story and how Stevens flawlessly jumps from one point of view to another. The Trackers are Twins, but they are very different people. First they look completely different, one a hot short girl, the other a tall disfigured, scary looking guy, and then they have very different personalities. Shaun always se This is a fun book to read. Shaun always seems put upon, and not really into the whole tracking thing, while Sarah is all fired up and ready to kick butt whenever and wherever possible. I like the fact that even though Shaun is much bigger, but Sarah is the fierce one that takes the lead in most of the action.
Bloodbound, Book 2
There are dead spaces in between the action sequences, but those spaces are filled with the personalities of the Twins, like Sarah's fascination with bad horror films, and human boys, while Shaun's need to get blind drunk, so he's not thinking about hot girls who are trying to seduce him. I've read a lot of Jim Butcher's "Harry Dresden" books which delve into the whole world of the supernatural and I think Sharon Stevens book stand right up there with Butcher.
As an author Stevens writes with a cool, easy tone that you can get into, and makes you want to follow along, and she takes a few turns you wont expect, that will push you, like me, right into her next book Demon Divided. So take my advice, pick a copy and start reading. Jan 03, Mark Barwell rated it it was amazing. Nineteen-year-old vampire-tracking twins, Sarah and Shaun Gallows, enjoy a few advantages in life. Descended from fallen angels, they each are able to call upon superhuman speed, strength and psychic abilities, not to mention being able to subsist entirely upon junk food and alcohol without suffering so much as a pimple out of place.
All of which usually occurring in the space of twenty-four hours. What has Melissa been doing to other supernaturals? How can a vampire tracker smell like a witch and teleport like a fairy? It helps to bear in mind that the author hails from Scotland; both her narrative and the dialogue of her characters are best enjoyed if you are able to swap your usual inner voice for a thick Scottish brogue.
Five stars for a fine supernatural effort, and I look forward to following what promises to be a most intriguing and entertaining series. May 01, M. Soars rated it really liked it Shelves: Blood Bound is the first book in the series about twin demon trackers Shaun and Sarah. From the start we get thrown right into action and I gotta say there isn't a dull moment in this book. Shaun and Sarah have polar opposite personalities and the banter between them is quite funny. It made me laugh out loud several times and I don't remember that last time that happened when I read a book.
Being a demon tracker is a job for Shaun and Sarah, something they get paid for and were born to do it. But Blood Bound is the first book in the series about twin demon trackers Shaun and Sarah. But unlike Sarah, Shaun hasn't yet accepted his duty. I think it's safe to say that Shaun was my favorite character.
Don't get me wrong, Sarah was awesome and a total baddass, but Shaun's sour puss personality and dry sense of humor was a fantastic combination. So many things happened in the first book that if I dwell on them, I'll take away the fun of reading the book. The only thing that kept me from adding the extra star was the romance part. I'm a sucker for romance. You can totally see that when you read my book. There was a great, great opportunity here in the romance department and I was sad that it wasn't more developed.
I wished that the pace had slowed down a bit so we could get more into the romance aspect. I mean, I wanted to root for Sarah and I won't mention his name so not to spoil it. But the revelation that Sarah loved him came out of nowhere. By the end of the book I think I liked the vampire better. Overall, great book I will definitely be reading the next one. May 25, Jennifer Zamora rated it it was amazing. Shaun and Sarah are 19 yr old twin demon hunters. And from the beginning to the end this story is packed FULL of action and adventure.
And a little less in others. A little felt a little too long. Aside from that I really enjoyed this book. They were separate with separate issues and abilities. Shaun complimented Sarahs fighting, and it carries over into their lives outside work too. Typically twins are often a little TOO "close" for my comfort. They are very separate very different people. Sarah has not only accepted her powers but thrives in them. Shaun on the other hand really digs his heels in about accepting his.
Yet despite this they still worked it on almost every page. There is so much going on that if I say too much more about anything, Ill give something away. Jun 06, Linda rated it it was amazing. I received this ARC of book 1 in exchange for an honest review. Nineteen year old twin demon trackers, Sarah and Shaun Gallows were not your ordinary teenagers, but Sarah was more powerful than her brother and he just had her back as his powers were lesser.
Creatures always under estimated Sarah when they saw her petite blond frame and he always hid his laugh when they attacked her, he almost felt sorry for them. When they encountered Melissa Carling at a high school prom Shaun was instantly att I received this ARC of book 1 in exchange for an honest review. When they encountered Melissa Carling at a high school prom Shaun was instantly attracted to the seventeen year old.
They learned that she was a tracker too, but she tortured innocent super naturals and Sarah was desperate to punish her but could he allow his sister to punish his soul mate, and would she stop if he asked her? Dec 31, Hamilton Stone rated it it was amazing. Sarah and Shaun are wise cracking, junk food eating, hard drinking twins who have inherited the role of demon hunters. I laughed out loud at some of the quips and retorts between brother and sister as they rid the world of troublesome vampires, meddling witches and local fairies.
In a couple of places, the pace was so f Blood Bound by the talented Sharon Stevenson reminded me very much of the True Blood TV series but instead of sunny Bon Temps the action takes place in rainy, atmospheric Scotland. In a couple of places, the pace was so fast I had to do a double take! A cleverly written book that will appeal to anyone who likes their YA fiction with a bit of edge!
May 25, Patricia Hoffstaetter rated it it was amazing Shelves: This a fantastic paranormal book and I really enjoyed reading it. This story covers two twins-Sarah and Shaun Gallows who are demon trackers and personality wise total opposites. I hate to give any more information away about the story.
Surpr This a fantastic paranormal book and I really enjoyed reading it. Surprising enough the characters of the twins compliment and intertwine well with each other. The story is well thought out and written. I would really recommend this book to people that like to read about demon hunters, vampires, witches, fairies. Jun 18, Kristy rated it it was amazing Shelves: I want to start off by saying I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book, and didn't want it to end.
Sadly, it did, though. I have so many more questions and I really hope the author writes a sequel to this book, because I want to know more about Shaun and Sarah Gallows. This book was full of action and romance, however nothing over the top. Blood Bound Gallows 1 by Sharon Stevenson is an exciting fantasy from page one! It has nonstop action, suspense, fighting, a mystery, fun dialogue, and much more in one book.
It does end leading into book 2, so not quite a complete closure but enough to be satisfied. The characters are developed and plot very good and complex. The twins, Shaun and Sarah, our main characters are flawed and likeable at the same time. Look forward to book 2. Dec 30, Ashley Nicole rated it it was amazing. I loved this book. I really loved this book. Faeries, vampires, witches, demons, the fallen The characters are well developed. Dark humor present, which I love also. It did get confusing in a few points jumping from one point of view to another, but nothing major.
Nov 21, Jessica rated it really liked it. It is the first book in a series featuring these kick-ass 19 year olds and the demons, witches, vampires, and ghosts they interact with. An excellent choice for fans of supernatural shows like Buffy and Angel! May 07, Britney rated it liked it. On one end it was just BLAH, on the other end I found some of the differences between her paranormals and the average paranormals you read about very intriguing.
Apr 21, Shayna Varadeaux rated it really liked it Shelves: I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. Shaun and Sarah are twin demon trackers. I like Shaun's character off the bat. And Sarah is a great character too. Love girls that kick butt I immediately do not like Ben or Melissa. But I am still not sure what to really think of Ben. I gather this sibling duo is used to dispensing justice on demonic "presences" i.
Liv can find people using blood samples, so that's fairly original no vampires, werewolves or zombies at least but I felt the plot was somewhat lacking in just about everything except romance and sexyness. And that just isn't enough! That's why I kept reading a bit longer than I normally would have, I felt like it should hit me pretty soon what everyone loves about this book, but after about pages and nothing really appealing I decided I didn't want to repeat my experience with Feed. Liv is a decent protagonist, she's strong-willed and not pathetically sappy or anything like that.
But isn't she just the perfect fit to the mold that is an urban-fantasy heroine? For me, she didn't stand out from the crowd and I won't remember her in any way, good or bad. I'm not sure if it's because I've been reading a string of Melina Marchetta novels that I'm harder to please when it comes to characters but I like them to be rich and interesting, I want unique personalities that take me inside their minds and their lives.
But no, I felt distanced from Liv throughout all the first pages. And I also didn't like the switching of perspectives. It sometimes happened mid-chapter and it was really confusing, there was nothing to differentiate between the two POVs: Sometimes Liv would get 3 chapters and then Cam would get 1 and then there'd be a bit of both in the next one.
For hardcore UF fans this will probably tick all the right boxes for you. However, I've become extremely picky with this genre and I don't just want to read glorified paranormal romance. And let me tell you, I honestly thought the mystery came second to the romantic history and tension between Liv and Cam. Plenty of others disagree. It's like when I read Naked in Death I thought the romance subplot stayed on the sidelines and I was caught up in the murder mystery, whereas others thought the romance swamped the plot. I am in the latter group on Blood Bound and doubt I will read any more of this series.
View all 24 comments. Blood Bound pretty much felt that way for me, from start to finish, Rachel Vincent never gave the reader a chance to catch their breathe before she gave you another twist in the story that had you in a state permanent surprise. Rachel Vincent create a world where people like Liv Warren are skilled, given gifts to track anyone around the world, to Seers who can see into the future to Binders whom can bind your tighter then any iron clad contact. Liv is pulled into a world of gang politics between worlds of those of power and those whom are skilled, that at times frustrated me but wondering how the character could wiggle themselves out of this binding or tight spot.
When our title tracker- Liv gets a call from her childhood friend, a binding made as children, Liv must answer to the call to save her friend daughter and the hitch, she must work with Cam who wants answers to why Liv left him so long ago, leaving him heartbroken. Things get even more troublesome when Liv runs into two of the biggest crime lords that rule the city Liv shares the stage with Cam but as the points of views switch between the two, your never left feeling disoriented or confused.
Each are given great voices and many secrets that are slowly revealed throughout the story. Even character is given a lot of background and ever monster maybe lurking under a human shell. Your left with a cliffhanger, a choice to be made and what would that choice be or lead to? View all 14 comments. May 16, AH rated it really liked it Shelves: Yes, it can be done. I loved the concept of this book.
Blood Bound has a rich and extensive world. In Blood Bound, people with specialized Skills are highly sought after commodities. Many different Skills exist: Trackers, Binders, Seers, Readers, Really cool. Some Skills are more desired than others. The crime syndicates stepped in collecting people with these Skills. These syndicates play dirty and their recruiting methods are cruel but effective. The Skilled often find themselves bound to years of service to these syndicates.
They are bound with tattoos that signify their rank and length of service. These bindings ensure that no one disobeys direct orders. A clever Skilled person always finds the loopholes in their binding and quickly learns how to be creative. I loved the main characters Liv and Cam. Both are Trackers and they have a history together, even though they had been apart for a while.
They are very much attracted to each other but they find themselves in opposing syndicates. I loved how devoted he was to Liv. Liv was such a contrast to Faythe in the Shifters series. Liv behaves like a mature young woman, carefully weighing all of her options. While there is a romance between the main characters, I did not find it first and foremost to the plot.
Yes, I was rooting for the main characters. The focus of this story was not the romance, but finding the missing child. The secondary characters were interesting. Ruben Cavazos made a ruthless crime lord, but by the end of the book I was quite impressed with his character. The book is written in first person point of view. I did find the change in point of view a little confusing at first, but I did enjoy the book. I was surprised to learn that the book only spanned a few days.
It is jammed packed with action, flashbacks, and information. I really could not put the book down. This is a great start to the Unbound series and I highly recommend it. The next book in the series is Shadow Bound. Review posted at Badass Book Reviews. View all 5 comments. Definitely not as good as the Shifters series which is in my top 5 series of all time. This book, the first in a trilogy, took me 3 months to read. There were times when I read it so very quickly, and then I'd put it down for three weeks.
But I finally pushed through it. It's told in dual perspective but I also felt like the voices weren't very different. I was often confused at which perspective we were in. However, I did really love this urban fantasy, it was super unique and very original th Definitely not as good as the Shifters series which is in my top 5 series of all time.
However, I did really love this urban fantasy, it was super unique and very original though I felt there were sketchy loopholes with these powers some of the characters possessed. I'm continuing with the trilogy and I'm hoping it'll get better with each book. Occasionally I trade books with a friend and we force each other to read things we believe the other person will like but wouldn't give a chance on her own.
- The New Sicilian Dragon?
- The Lost and Found Box: A Provocative Exploration about Rediscovering Happiness and the REAL You!?
- Blood Bound (Gallows, #1) by Sharon Stevenson;
- Bloodbound, Book 2.
- Blood Bound (Unbound, #1) by Rachel Vincent.
- Blood Bound Series.
- Get A Copy.
I gave my friend A Monster Calls on top of a stack of books more in line with her standard tastes. She gave me Blood Bound and a whole list of rehearsed reasons, one of which actually piqued my curiosity. I think if you liked White Cat then you'll like Blood Bound. Blood Bound takes place in an alternate universe where a small percentage of the population is 'skilled.
Our main character, Liv, is an exceptionally gifted Tracker who works best with blood. There are two ways to track, blood or a person's name. In this universe, it's very easy to give away your free will with or without meaning to. Like with fairies, your full name is important and you shouldn't give it away freely. You can be tracked by your name. Dripping blood somewhere is even worse. Yeah, you can be tracked by a blood sample, but that same blood can be used to seal a contract that you're just not going to want sealed because aside from Trackers there are people skilled with Binding.
It's very easy to accidentally give away your free will. A couple of drops of blood in the hands of a skilled Binder and you could end up a sex slave. You still have free will, the ability to say no, but the punishment is your body shutting down and dying a painful death in slow or fast paces depending on what you're saying no to and how powerful the contract is.
Before Liv knew what she was, she signed a friendship pack with her three childhood best friends. It was sealed by a little girl who didn't know she was a Binder. The pack said they'd always help each other no matter what. If you've seen the movie Now and Then , think that but with a 'or you'll die' compulsion. The girls eventually made another binding where they agreed to never ask each other for anything until one day Anne, one of Liv's childhood friends, shows up in Livs apartment and asks for help killing the person who murdered her husband.
She burned the contract and now Liv has no choice. This is where I experienced some annoyance, because despite Liv being extremely reluctant to kill Anne forces her to anyway. It's one thing to ask a Tracker friend for help they might have given you freely. It's another thing to demand someone commit murder for you, on pain of their own death. To make matters worse, the male romantic lead, Cam tells Live to just do it because her hands are already dirty and Anne's hands are more or less clean. If I had an irritation thermometer it would've shattered at that point. Kill someone else because your soul is dark already?
And how are Anne's hands clean if she's ordering a murder? I'm sorry, but if you're forcing someone to kill against their will than you're even worse than a murderer. If you're going to do a horrible thing you should do it with your own hands, that way you can look at the reality of your choices as you make them. After the above happened I was like 'oh Rachel Vincent, you are up to your usual tricks. It took awhile to get over the prejudice ingrained by past experiences.
I should really be more ashamed about that than I am, but I subscribe to the fool me once shame on you -- fool me twice shame on me school of thought. Telling Liv she's already dirty isn't the last awful thing Cam, our big romantic lead, does. He's humanized by a few chapters from his POV. Without those chapters, however, he would've been a total wash, which means the entire romance for the series would've flat lined.
Anyway, aside from being bound to her childhood friends, Liv is also bound to one of the two men running opposing syndicates in the city. She's agreed to find his son for him and if not Vincent did a great job with the world building, although she had a clumsy moments when she was trying to reveal her world building to the reader. We take a couple of time-outs from the plot so she can break things down for us. She does this by having Liv explain the rules to an unskilled, i. I think most readers will take this fumbling in stride and never notice how awkwardly it was wedged in.
The book ends on a little bit of a cliffhanger, although not really. If you have any doubts about which way Liv's going to chose at the end you need to go back and look at the first choice she made regarding the syndicates. Also, here's a breakdown of the skilled power sets that I remember. When I read reviews while I'm reading a book I usually want something like this broken down or spoiled for me so I can better keep track of what the hell is going on. Click if you want to know, wander off if you'd rather find out as you read: Works based off blood or names.
Extremely powerful might be hundreds of miles. Works with contracts based in blood. These contracts can have paper forms and they can be tattooed on the skin. Skill level ranges a lot. Some can't draw a contract without both parties totally willing, some can sign away someone's free will for them with a drop of fresh blood. The strength of the contract seems to come from the language it's drawn up in, just like a real life one.
Can tell when someone's being untruthful. Possibly experienced as a tasting sensation based on a comment from Liv. Someone who can step through a shadow one place and appear in another, akin to teleportation. Limited to shadows the size of a person. Standard powers are limited to true shadows. Can suck the light out of a room and blind everyone in it. Not largely elaborated on in book. Can hide a skilled or unskilled person. Can see the future with questionable levels of certainty.
Really powerful seers can manipulate those events. If I missed any let me know in the comments and I'll add to it. View all 17 comments.
- Firefighting in Allegany County (Images of America).
- See a Problem??
- HAKATACHANPON (Japanese Edition)?
Recommended to Anzu by: So I did just that and placed my likes and dislikes there, drew the final line and compared results. My total fell-asleep-while-reading-this number ended up being four. Seriously is this normal??? My eyes are betraying me! Not the best but ok. Who needs chips when you can rack a person by blood. Those are the things I liked… Not cool. Close to the end I was stuck between giving it one star or two stars. View all 18 comments. Jun 18, Dija rated it really liked it Shelves: I yield to no one.
For the past few months, I've been feeling rather down because of my apathy regarding nearly all of the books I've read recently. I simply couldn't bring myself to care for or feel the characters. At first, I blamed myself and tried extremely hard to lose myself in a book. When even that failed, I seriously consider Cedo nulli. When even that failed, I seriously considered giving up this obsession of drinking in books like water and taking up another hobby.
Thankfully, I still had a few highly anticipated releases to get through before my heart would accept moving on. Most of those releases left me with this expression: But I am so so glad I didn't give myself a break from books before reading Blood Bound , because then I might never have gotten around to it which would have been tragic, since this book is what has made me fall in love with reading again. Liv is a freelance Tracker, specializing in tracking down people through their blood. She can tell the age, background, powers, and location of a person based on his blood and that's why she's hired by extremely dirty blackmailers powerful men to hunt down and sometimes execute people.
Cam is her ex, who she broke up with at a party, in front of everyone, right before he planned on proposing to her, without a single reason or explanation. He's still in love with her after all these years and, through some careful maneuvering, manages to convince Liv to work with him on solving a case involving a mutual friend, all the while hoping that he'll finally convince Liv to tell him why she left all those years ago.
The entire book spans just two days, and that's part of what makes Blood Bound so captivating. Vincent does an excellent job of moving the plot and romance alongside each other, without slowing down either. The mystery in this book was actually interesting, as opposed to simply boring. I even loved reading about the criminal and all the details pertaining to his crime. I admit I saw more than half the plot twists coming way before they happened, but that didn't bother me too much.
It only increased my joy even more, because it meant that I was actually becoming involved with the story and characters. The depth of love between Cam and Liv is breathtaking. I love Cam's devotion to her and Liv's loyalty to him. Their relationship is wonderfully well developed.
I loved seeing Cam breaking down Liv's walls, piece by piece. If this book is any indication, these two are sure to become one of my most favorite couples ever. She's an amazing, badass, fierce, loyal, honest, and lovable heroine. It is extremely easy to relate to her despite the vast difference between her situation and an average reader's. Cam is a lot like Marc, but I never felt as if Vincent was trying to give us a copy of the latter just to make this book more likeable, or whatever the running theme seems to be these days.
Cam is an amazing character in his own right, and I absolutely love him. And when the shit with Cam went down, my heart was literally pounding. I think the last time it did that while reading a book was back when I read Shadowfever. In other words, it's been a really long time, and I'm so glad that Vincent still has the ability to make me feel like this.
I adore this book and I adored reading it even more, which, as I've learned recently, are two different things. I didn't particularly like the ending, but hopefully it won't lead to a sequel that ruins even the first book. View all 19 comments. What an emotional adrenalin rush and exhausting read this book turned out to be! I had a hard time putting it down. It was well developed, fast-paced, 4 stars Wow! It was well developed, fast-paced, intriguing, and easy to understand.
The cast of characters were fascinating, flawed, and authentic. I was easily drawn into their complex world. Now for what bothered me. While it's true the author excelled in creating an intriguing and developed world, I felt there was little to no emotional response from the characters as they dealt with the consequences of past decisions that ultimately had catastrophic ramifications. Consequently, I felt I was the only one experiencing what should have been their emotions; therefore, it became difficult, and frankly frustrating, to understand and connect with them.
That being said, I truly enjoyed reading this story and highly recommend it. View all 26 comments. That ending just killed me! It was fast paced and just plain fun to read. Sometimes the urban paranormal genre gets bogged down in explaining every little detail of the new world and it is either boring or confusing but this was fairly easy to follow along. Olivia Warren and Cam Cabellero used to be happily i That ending! Liv is now a bloodtracker. She is the best in the business and works independently from the two major gangs that run the city.
At least that is what she tells everyone, but she is actually bound to Ruben Cavazas, a syndicate boss. This was the part of the novel that I loved the most. The whole idea of binding was really cool and unique. It created the biggest amount of suspense and intrigue. I really loved Liv and Cam.
Blood Bound Series by J.L. Myers
I liked Cam in the beginning but he grew on me even more as the novel went on and we got to know him better. Featherbrained Books Blog Twitter The world she has created in this new series couldn't be more different from the Shifters books, the story is much darker but it has everything you would expect from this author - strong characters, plenty of action and twists that will knock you sideways.
Blood Bound is 1st Read - August 2nd Read - December I'm a massive fan of Rachel Vincent's Shifters series so I couldn't wait to get my hands on Blood Bound and as soon as it arrived it jumped immediately to the top of my to read pile. Blood Bound is a must for any urban fantasy fan and this has the potential to become one of my favourite series, my only disappointment is that I'll have to wait a year before I can get my hands on the next book! The world may have known about the Skilled for 30 years but governments and the law still refuse to publicly acknowledge they exist which has created a black market for anyone with enough money who wants to use their abilities.
Some of the Skilled have the ability to track anyone by either a name or a tiny sample of their blood, some of them can travel through shadows to any destination and others have the ability to bind you to a magical contract that will cause you physical pain and even death if you try to break it. As you can imagine these skills are highly sought after and 2 main crime syndicates will do whatever it takes to have control of the most powerful Skilled and earn money by using them.
Liv is one of the most powerful blood trackers, going on her official range she can track anyone in an 80 mile radius using just a drop of their blood but in reality she can find you even if you are much further away. Liv has been running from her past for 6 years now but it is about to catch up with her when her ex Cam arrives on the scene bringing with him one of her oldest childhood friends. Thanks to a blood oath between Liv and her friends she is unable to refuse Anne's request for help even if getting involved is the last thing she wants to do.
Liv resents her friend for forcing her into something but as much as she hates the position she finds herself in she does feel sorry for Anne and deep down she wants to help her. What she really doesn't want is to accept Cam's help to do it, although Cam is the love of her life she walked out on him 6 years ago without giving him any kind of explanation and Cam is determined to win her back.
That is something that Liv can't risk but it takes a while before the reason for this becomes clear. The story is told from both Liv and Cam's perspectives and I loved that we get to see both of their sides of the story. Liv is a strong character but she also has a vulnerability to her that makes you feel protective of her. She is keeping a lot of secrets but as you learn more about her past her actions become much more understandable. Cam is someone I loved as soon as I met him, he is so sweet and protective of Liv but he sees her how she truly is and knows she doesn't need to be looked after.
He has never gotten over her leaving him and is still crazy about her, he can tell she has feelings for him too and doesn't understand why she keeps pushing him away. He uses her bond with Anne as a way to get back in her life and isn't going to let her get away from him this time, he wants an explanation and will do whatever it takes to get it. The chemistry between Liv and Cam was fantastic and I loved watching these two together. There is just enough sexual tension and romance for an urban fantasy - it never takes over the main storyline though, just enhances it. When it comes to the plot I have to admit I found things a little confusing for the first few chapters but this is often the case when you're starting a new series and trying to become familiar with a new world.
Once the story takes off it will have you gripped to the pages and you won't want to put it down. Liv and Cam find themselves caught between the two main crime syndicates and there isn't going to be an easy way for them to resolve things. While they care for each other they both have big secrets and if they are revealed it will change everything. Can they find a way to help Anne and a way to be together again or are they destined to be pulled in different directions? You'll have to pick up a copy of Blood Bound to find out, in the meantime I'll be sitting here desperately waiting for Shadow Bound!
View all 7 comments. I think I just finished a Rachel Vincent book and had a moment of confusion in thinking that I had read something from another author completely.
Blood Bound
This wasn't supposed to happen because I adore Ms. However, I do have more positives than negatives to say about Blood Bound. Actually, I was somewhat impressed with Blood Bound. It just felt extremely odd that I didn't recognize Rachel Vincent in this book. And I kind of mis 3. And I kind of missed that. One of my favorite things about this particular author is her ability to create characters whom I fall deeply and almost obsessively in love with.
Her Shifters series even had me appreciating much of the supporting cast and minor characters. In fact, I cried hard over a scene involving one of the side characters. As for her Soul Screamers series, I'd only read the first book, but I was digging on those characters too. So what the heck happened here with the Unbound series??? Olivia Liv - She was a cool chick. She fit the standard UF profile - badass girl who puts her own life in danger to protect the people she loves. Back then, I would have looked the part - harmless, vapid young woman who needed jumper cables, or a telephone, or a big, strong arm to open a jar of pickles.
Anything to get close enough to use a Taser on the target and collect a paycheck. Outside of that, I don't think we really found out anything else about her. Cam - Is it sad that I was almost hoping for a love triangle? The world has tilted on its axis if I'm looking around and hoping for another guy to come out of the woodwork.
I didn't see any of the appeal of Vincent's previous males, such as the fiery temper of Marc, or the sweet puppy dog appeal of Jace, or the fun passion of Ethan. I will go on record as saying that Cam was pretty awesome near the end of the book but it didn't make up for something he did to Liv previously. He still has a long way to go before he earns my seal of approval. Let's hope the adventures of Cam and Liv in book 2 will take the chemistry up a notch.
For some reason, the characters sounded too much alike and it confused me, making me forget that I had transitioned between characters. Nevertheless, Blood Bound was a decent intro for an Urban Fantasy series. This did fall into the first book syndrome of too much info dumping right off the bat, but I'm used to that by now with most UF worlds.
All in all, the groundwork of the world and politics are pretty intricate in a good way and I can't wait to see more of what's to come. Mafia style feuds rock my reading world. Much like I love Holly Black's Curseworkers series, I found similar reasons to gravitate toward this new Unbound series. Humans performing dog and pony tricks with the aid of special abilities is just cool. In fact, it's most definitely more cool than watching some otherwordly being who views magic as old hat. I heard book 2 is even better. This is great news. I'll definitely be checking it out.
View all 12 comments. Due to a binding she took part in as a teenager, she is forced to work for her old friend Anne to track down the person who killed her husband. Helping her in the hunt for the killer is Cam, Liv's former boyfriend with his own Tracker abilities. I enjoyed this book. Rachel Vincent has been a favourite Read: Rachel Vincent has been a favourite author of mine for years and I love her Shifters and Soul Screamers series. Blood Bound doesn't quite match up to Vincent's previous novels, but I will definitely be reading the next two books in this trilogy. May 20, Jamie rated it really liked it Shelves: This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here. I've been told time and time again to read your Shifters series, but have neglected to. Once I heard that Blood Bound was out and was getting high praise, I knew I just had to read one of your books! A great part of this book is the world building. Main character, Olivia Warren, lives in a dark and criminally controlled city. The city is described as a peace sign, with mafioso Ruben Cavazos controlling the eastern part of the city, rival mafioso Jake Tower controlling the wester part of the city, and the southern part of the city being free from either of the crime syndicates.
This is a dark and dangerous world, akin to Triumph City from Downside Ghosts. Crime bosses run the town. It's only a question of who has your loyalties. The characters in this book all have a special ability. For example, Oliva, Liv for short, is a tracker.
She is strongest when tracking by blood. There are people who are name trackers, shadow walkers, binders, jammers, seers, etc. The crime bosses have a special interest in enslaving these types of Skilled people to their ranks. The cool thing about this world is that once you pledge your loyalty to one of the crime syndicates, you agree to a contract for a certain number of years, and you can negotiate the terms. The crime bosses then tattoo their mark somewhere on your body to bind you to the deal.
When you try to go against their orders, you are inflicted with monumental internal pain, that if grows bad enough, can kill you. Liv has been living a lonely life for the last 6 years. She left her friends and family behind, due to something her BFF, a seer, told her at a party right after college. In response to this secret, Liv picked up, dumped her boyfriend Cam Caballero who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and left her home without a trace. Liv found herself in dire circumstances and signed on with Ruben Cavazos for one specific job.
One thing you need to know about Liv is her undying loyalty to her loved ones. She ended up signing on with Cavazos in order to save a friend. It was out of love and loyalty that she signed herself up for sexual groping and bloody fights. It is revealed that Liv and her 3 BFFs signed a blood contract when they were young girls to help one another whenever one asked them a favor.
So Liv is metaphysically bound to help Anne. But Anne also needs an expert name tracker and asked Liv to work with Cam, her ex-boyfriend. Cam has been waiting for 6 years to get Liv back into his life. For Cam, his loyalties and love for Liv had never faltered. Liv has no choice but to work with Cam, and here begins a wonderful game of sexual tension.
Her forehead fell against my collerbone and in that moment, her defenses failed. She stood there with me, leaning against me, exposed, her heart so raw and wounded I wondered how it could possibly keep beating. I love how they have remained loyal for these last 6 years in their own ways, making decisions to benefit the other. Liv tries to resist Cam and we learn later in the book why she has to do this as well as she can, but this is a big love, folks. The relationship of hard fought for. There are secrets revealed in rapid succession along the way. Liv and Cam, not to mention every other character in this book, have secrets.
I really can't put into words how much I adore Cam and Liv together. They deserve one another, and will fight for the right to be with one another. I think we will hear more from these two in the future. I may have to make mine carefully, and make a few compromises along the way, but I have a choice. There are a lot of secrets and past decisions that are brought into play in this book. I think it's marvelous how Rachel Vincent weaves all these strands together to make the story make sense.
The revelations all lead to the grand finale of this book, and I think it's a really good piece of writing. That bond was your idea, to free Caballero. And I didn't make you risk my anger and your own life by bringing your friends here, even before you knew Hadley was mine. You did that on your own, to help a child you barely know. I obviously loved Cam and Liv. I didn't particularly like Anne all the much. Kori is the one I'm really interested in. She's one of the BFFs. She's a hard, in-your-face, drinking and swearing kind of girl.
I'm really interested to delve into her past to see what made her this way. Although Ruben Cavazos is a ruthless, immoral mafia-style crime boss, I grew to like him through this book. He is a very astute business man and knows how to control a crime empire. I think the whole part about him and kids humanized him as much as he could be humanized. And although he likes to use and abuse his employees, especially Liv, I do think he has a soft spot for Liv. Ruben's wife, Meika, has the potential to be an interesting character. She spent most of the book being a psychopathic wife, angry with her husband and his "puntas" for Ruben's infidelity.
There is a backstory surrounding Meika that I would love to hear. She wasn't always the psychotic, knife wielding woman that she has become. And for the record, view spoiler [I think Elle is still alive. I'm taking my life back, Liv. And this time, I'm not going to let you go. It was completely wrong. However, Cam was dumped at a party, in front of a bunch of strangers, with no explanation on the night he planned on proposing to Liv.
Liv just left him there - treating him no better than a dog. This is not how you treat a man you want to spend the rest of your life with. When things like this happen, people tend to fill with rage and make ill-informed decisions. This is what Cam did. He made a bad decision, fueled by anger and humiliation. Since Cam and Liv were broken up, and the two did try to move on from one another, I cannot hold this against Cam. And really - wasn't it weird when Liv was even hoping that Anne's baby was Cam's?
I wanted a little more happiness for Cam and Liv, but like I stated previously, I don't think we've heard the last of them. All in all, this was an excellent read that kept me flying through the pages. I can't wait to continue this series with Shadow Bound. View all 47 comments. Posted on K-Books http: It's really hard to put my thoughts on this book into words.
I recently read my first adult urban fantasy series and really loved this so when Mel offered to send me the ARC of this that she won I jumped at the chance. I have Rachel Vincent's other series on my shelf but haven't read anything by her before so I didn't really know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprise and think her writing is amazing. I was completely sucked into the sto Posted on K-Books http: I was completely sucked into the story straight away and couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next with the characters.
Liv is one of the skilled, a very powerful blood tracker. When her childhood friend's daughter goes missing Liv can't do anything else but help find her. Even if that means working with her ex Cam, the person she loves more than anybody in the world but also the one person she cannot have. What she doesn't know is that Cam has ulterior motives. Liv left him long ago with no answers as to why and he wants to find out, no matter what the cost. I think this book was just amazing.
I really love Liv, she is such a strong lead character who will do anything to protect the ones she loves even if it means sacrificing herself. I think she's amazing. She is ruled by her emotions but that doesn't hinder her at all. She is so strong and will fight back no matter what the cost. Cam, all I can say is Oh. I instantly fell for Cam, he is just an incredible character.
He is definitely the bad boy of the book and is so strong, emotionally and physically and will also do anything to protect the ones he loves. Although he is the bad boy of the book you also see a vulnerable side to him and just want to hug him and tell him everything will be okay. I felt so many emotions while reading this book.
I was sad as times and then happy. Then I would be irritated at some things that happened and the pointless little arguments the characters get into but I loved every second of it. It is definitely an emotional rollercoaster and as the book began drawing to a close I just found myself going oh my god what's going to happen. The ending was such a great ending for a first book in a series. It wasn't a really big cliffhanger so that you are left hanging thinking how am I possibly supposed to wait to find out what happens but it does leave you wanting to read the next book as soon as it is released.
I can't wait to read more of this trilogy. Rachel Vincent does an amazing job of drawing in your attantion and keeping your attention so focussed you can't possibly stop reading and really don't notice how much you have read. It's a definite page turner right until the last page. This has definitely got me motivated to read her other series.
Definitely one of my favourite authors now and I really want to read more adult urban fantasy books. I loved every moment of it and can't wait to read more of Liv and Cam's story. View all 11 comments. May 04, Jeann Happy Indulgence rated it liked it Shelves: There's people who are born with abilities, such as Tracking, Binding contracts , Blinders, and Jammers.
They are recruited into syndicates owned by two overarching gang bosses, Jake Tower and Ruben Cavazo. While this story sounds like it'd be super action-packed with the focus on the abilities, much of the it was actually focused Actual rating: While this story sounds like it'd be super action-packed with the focus on the abilities, much of the it was actually focused on world-building, dealing with past relationships and reminiscing about days gone. I did enjoy the build up between these two characters, knowing their past histories with each other, however some of the decisions that they made just didn't justify the time they spent apart.
As things unfold and you find out about the situation surrounding two seemingly unrelated missions, things start to interweave and interrelate a little too too neatly. Everything seems to fall into place a little too nicely and while it makes for a good story, it's kind of unbelievable. The world where people with powers are afraid to share their full names or shed a drop of blood was quite naturally worked into the story. However, I found most of the book to be quite slow-paced with only a few action scenes to keep us interested.
In plain terms and taking out all of the sizzle, Blood bound is basically about people with special abilities struggling to escape the clutches of two syndicate bosses. Interesting read, but not my favourite. Check out Happy Indulgence for more reviews! It is with heavy heart that I must say to you that I did not much care for this book. Thus, for those who absolutely thought it was the best thing since sliced bread, may I ask you not to read this review?
Thank you in advance. For those brave enough to continue Blood Bound introduces readers to Olivia Liv Warren, and Cameron Cam Cabellero the main protagonists who were once happily in love until a Seer told Liv that either she would either kill Cam, or he would kill her if they stayed together.
Officially because she is bound to someone, her limits are 85 miles. Unofficially, she can find anyone within miles or more which according to the story, makes her one of the best trackers around. Liv once worked independently from any syndicate, and was trained by one of the best in the business to shoot guns, and protect herself. But, because she wanted to keep Cam away from Ruben Cavazas, she agreed to a temporary binding. Call it slavery if you like, because that is what it ends up being if you get bound to any of the syndicate bosses.
They promised to always help one another whenever they were asked. They signed their names and stamped their thumbprints in blood. The whole binding idea is actually pretty interesting. If the Binder wants to treat them like shit, hit them, rape them, or basically toss them aside like a piece of unwashed laundry; they can do so without any fear of retribution on the part of the binded. Cam is also a tracker and can find a person by using their full name. The name thing reminds me of the stories about the fey where full names hold power over that person. The less a person knows about your full name, the safer you are from being tracked down.
Instead of ending up with only 2 years contract like Liv, Cam stupidly agrees to several 5 year commitments. In the meantime, Cam continues to pine over Liv including stalking her to her apartment, which after 6 years, you would think he would have moved on and forget about her.