ladyknightmeg's review against another edition
4.0
Great book full of well written battle scenes, a strong female lead, and a sprinkling of romance. Full review to follow.
shadowmaster13's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and War
Moderate: Death and Injury/Injury detail
bewoelkt_aber_heiter's review against another edition
4.0
3,5 Sterne: Es ist mir schwer gefallen, diesem Buch eine Sterne-Wertung zu geben: von machen Aspekten war ich extrem begeistert, andere haben mich ernüchtert. Der Weltentwurf ist sehr ausgefeilt und auf einem ordentlichen High Fantasy-Level. Das Königreich Alden ist in verschiedene Regionen aufgeteilt, über die verschiedene Bannerlords herrschen. Die Schwester des Bannerlords Rig Black ist unsere Protagonistin Alix Black. Und die kämpft in der Armee, denn wir haben es hier mit einem auffallend feministischen High Fantasy-Roman zu tun. Frauen sind gleichberechtigt und in der Armee zugelassen und geschätzt. Ja, da hatte die Geschichte meine Aufmerksamkeit. Es half natürlich auch sehr, dass Alix gleich zu Beginn den König von Alden vor dem sicheren Tod rettet und deshalb zum Hauptmann der königlichen Leibwache erhoben wird.
So weit, so gut. Bisher alles sehr erhebend. Sogar eine mir sehr willkommene Romanze bahnt sich zwischen Alix und einem anderen Soldaten an. Aber dann wird die Sache wieder unnötig kompliziert. Gott sei Dank geht die Autorin in dieser Richtung nicht allzu weit, aber das böse Wort Dreiecksbeziehung schlich sich trotzdem an und saß mir beim Lesen nervig im Nacken. Und während es dann natürlich äußerst kompliziert wird, da Alix und ihr Auserwählter nun natürlich zerstritten sind, wird es zusätzlich auch noch irgendwie ... etwas zäh. Die Geschichte macht im Mittelteil keine bedeutsamen Fortschritte. Es passieren eine Menge Dinge, aber ich hatte trotzdem das Gefühl, dass die Geschichte auf der übergeordneten Ebene stagnierte. Unterstützt wurde dieses Gefühl durch meine fehlende Einsicht in Alix. Ich mochte sie als Charakter sehr gerne, aber wirklich einen Draht hatte ich nicht zu ihr. Stattdessen konnte ich König Erik, aus dessen Perspektive ebenfalls erzählt wurde, sehr viel besser nachvollziehen. Die letzten 200 Seiten ging es dann aber Gott sei Dank noch einmal richtig zur Sache und ich war sowohl mit den Entwicklungen als auch mit dem finalen Endergebnis sehr zufrieden.
Fazit
Ein gelungener High Fantasy-Roman mit einer starken Heldin in einer feministisch angehauchten Welt, einer bittersüßen Romanze und einer epischen Schlacht. Allerdings mit ein paar Startschwierigkeiten: die Protagonistin blieb für mich etwas "distanziert", in der Buchmitte stagnierte die Entwicklung des Plots. Wer gerne High Fantasy mit einer erfreulich vordergründigen und trotzdem subtilen Romanze austesten möchte, der sollte diesem Buch eine Chance geben!
So weit, so gut. Bisher alles sehr erhebend. Sogar eine mir sehr willkommene Romanze bahnt sich zwischen Alix und einem anderen Soldaten an. Aber dann wird die Sache wieder unnötig kompliziert. Gott sei Dank geht die Autorin in dieser Richtung nicht allzu weit, aber das böse Wort Dreiecksbeziehung schlich sich trotzdem an und saß mir beim Lesen nervig im Nacken. Und während es dann natürlich äußerst kompliziert wird, da Alix und ihr Auserwählter nun natürlich zerstritten sind, wird es zusätzlich auch noch irgendwie ... etwas zäh. Die Geschichte macht im Mittelteil keine bedeutsamen Fortschritte. Es passieren eine Menge Dinge, aber ich hatte trotzdem das Gefühl, dass die Geschichte auf der übergeordneten Ebene stagnierte. Unterstützt wurde dieses Gefühl durch meine fehlende Einsicht in Alix. Ich mochte sie als Charakter sehr gerne, aber wirklich einen Draht hatte ich nicht zu ihr. Stattdessen konnte ich König Erik, aus dessen Perspektive ebenfalls erzählt wurde, sehr viel besser nachvollziehen. Die letzten 200 Seiten ging es dann aber Gott sei Dank noch einmal richtig zur Sache und ich war sowohl mit den Entwicklungen als auch mit dem finalen Endergebnis sehr zufrieden.
Fazit
Ein gelungener High Fantasy-Roman mit einer starken Heldin in einer feministisch angehauchten Welt, einer bittersüßen Romanze und einer epischen Schlacht. Allerdings mit ein paar Startschwierigkeiten: die Protagonistin blieb für mich etwas "distanziert", in der Buchmitte stagnierte die Entwicklung des Plots. Wer gerne High Fantasy mit einer erfreulich vordergründigen und trotzdem subtilen Romanze austesten möchte, der sollte diesem Buch eine Chance geben!
shai3d's review against another edition
4.0
THE BLOODBOUND is one of those books that I didn't want to set aside for anything. It has a great female lead who is charismatic though I could wish her to be less impulsive. Both the King and Liam are also great characters. Heck all the characters are very well developed even though they aren't all likeable.
The plot itself is also engrossing with the reader quickly becoming immersed in the world that Ms. Lindsey has created. It is dynamic and ever changing. I really appreciate the fact that in her world, women aren't cossetted and left at home. Instead they serve to their capabilities in the Kingdom's army be it as an archer or a scout.
Great book and I was sad to see it end. I am now waiting impatiently for the next book in the series.
The plot itself is also engrossing with the reader quickly becoming immersed in the world that Ms. Lindsey has created. It is dynamic and ever changing. I really appreciate the fact that in her world, women aren't cossetted and left at home. Instead they serve to their capabilities in the Kingdom's army be it as an archer or a scout.
Great book and I was sad to see it end. I am now waiting impatiently for the next book in the series.
aliased's review against another edition
1.0
The war is too bland, its' progression too clear from the start of the novel. What political intrigue and skulduggery exists is too predictable or else serves only to act as exposition. Finally, the feelings the characters in the main love-triangle all feel for each other read as too similar to each other and/or shallow.
Ultimate, The Bloodbound feels like a novel that couldn't decide between being a gripping fantasy novel about a war-torn nation, a shadowy political intrigue, or a heart-throbbing romance set in a backdrop of war, ultimately falling flat on all counts by dividing its' time too evenly.
I wouldn't recommend this to any serious readers I know, nor personally hand it to a young reader in lieu of more well-authored options, it isn't actually poorly written though, just terribly basic: an inexperienced reader might still find it engaging.
It should probably have more votes for young adult than it does.
Ultimate, The Bloodbound feels like a novel that couldn't decide between being a gripping fantasy novel about a war-torn nation, a shadowy political intrigue, or a heart-throbbing romance set in a backdrop of war, ultimately falling flat on all counts by dividing its' time too evenly.
I wouldn't recommend this to any serious readers I know, nor personally hand it to a young reader in lieu of more well-authored options, it isn't actually poorly written though, just terribly basic: an inexperienced reader might still find it engaging.
It should probably have more votes for young adult than it does.
buuboobaby's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 - 4 stars
Lots of fun action, but the solution to destroy Madan came out of nowhere, and the love triangle made me weary. The ending leaves room for a sequel, and I wouldn't be opposed to spending more time with the characters. Rig and Erik are favorites.
Lots of fun action, but the solution to destroy Madan came out of nowhere, and the love triangle made me weary. The ending leaves room for a sequel, and I wouldn't be opposed to spending more time with the characters. Rig and Erik are favorites.
dapper's review against another edition
4.0
I’m surprised this is rated so low, and glad to of ignored that and picked this book up anyways.
Things I loved:
* The exposition. The author did not treat the reader like an idiot by explaining things a million times, nor did she dangle bits of information just to intentionally create curiosity or suspense. You learn as you go and when you need to.
* Women are not treated like garbage or property or delicate flowers. They’re trained as soldiers and afforded respect. The only slack she got was due to her tenure and not her genitals. I liked that.
* The idea of bloodforged weaponry.
* The pacing. I love fast paced action stuff and plodding slow paced books. This was neither. There wasn’t much action or plodding, but I felt that every scene was building towards something and it never lost my interest
Things I loved:
* The exposition. The author did not treat the reader like an idiot by explaining things a million times, nor did she dangle bits of information just to intentionally create curiosity or suspense. You learn as you go and when you need to.
* Women are not treated like garbage or property or delicate flowers. They’re trained as soldiers and afforded respect. The only slack she got was due to her tenure and not her genitals. I liked that.
* The idea of bloodforged weaponry.
* The pacing. I love fast paced action stuff and plodding slow paced books. This was neither. There wasn’t much action or plodding, but I felt that every scene was building towards something and it never lost my interest
bookfessional's review
4.0
8/25/15: reread prior to reading THE BLOODFORGED.
I liked it even more the second time, and I'm really glad I decided to read it again, b/c I'd forgotten how hilarious the banter was. And Alix is just so badass. Oh, how I LOVE a warrior heroine.
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
Fantasy Romance is one of my favorite sub-genres, but I rarely have an opportunity to read it, b/c there's not a lot of it available. This makes no sense to me, b/c AWESOME--it's fantasy and it's romance . . . what's not to like?
I think some people automatically shoot down anything designated as Fantasy, b/c they get overwhelmed by visions of infinite pages, multiple POVs, gruesome battle after gruesome battle, etc.
BUT.
Fantasy Romance is an entirely different beast. Yeah, some of them are a bit longer (not this one) than the average book, and yeah, there are often multiple POVs (only two), BUT the focus is different.
The characters are still trying to save the world (or the kingdom), but the story is primarily about the heroine and her love interest(s), NOT on so many characters and organizations that a glossary is required to keep track of them all.
At least that's my take. FYI.
And so The Bloodbound by Erin Lindsey had been on my watchlist long before I had the opportunity to read it.
I instantly liked our heroine.
The story opens in the heat of battle, and we meet Alix as she decides to run headlong into danger when she sees her leader in trouble. When a friend tries to reason with her--reminds her that their orders are to stay put--her response is, "And their orders were to attack."
And that is my reasoning every time I'm driving and have to pass some idiot on the right. You see . . . orders (rules, laws, speed limits, whatever) only work if EVERYONE follows them . . . and when everything goes according to plan.
Sometimes you just have to roll with situation you're thrust into, damn your orders, and Alix gets that.
So does her brother:
I realize that's a lot of war talk for a fantasy I'm trying to differentiate based on the romance aspect, but there is a war going on, and there are battles. They just aren't the page after page (after page) of lopping off limbs and heads type of battles. And thank the nine Virtues for that.
Speaking of the nine Virtues, the world-building left a bit to be desired.
To save you the trouble, here are the Virtues I was able to figure out:
Beyond that . . . I got nuthin'. I appreciate the lack of an info dump, but by the end of the book, I still hadn't gleaned enough information to know what all nine Virtues were, let alone understand their importance. I had similar issues with other aspects of the world-building, but it wasn't a huge problem for me, b/c I was too caught up in the story.
Why was I so caught up in the story?
Well . . . I don't know about you, but by the end of Thor: The Dark World, I was ready for Thor to kick Jane Foster to the curb, b/c Sif. I mean really . . . Jane was BLAH, and Sif . . . Sif was Sif (<------AWESOME).
Alix is Sif with red hair. And Erik is Thor, and Tomald is Loki. *shrugs* Hey, you have to get your inspiration somewhere, and I'm pretty convinced that's where Lindsey's came from:
Don't misunderstand--this is a completely new and original book, and one that I very much enjoyed. All I'm saying is that if you're a fan of one, then it's likely you'll be a fan of the other. At least I am, and I was.
Full of witty banter, immensely likable characters, and swoons aplenty, The Bloodbound by Erin Lindsey is not to be missed. There's something for fans of both Romance and Fantasy, and I can't wait to see what Lindsey has for us next.
I liked it even more the second time, and I'm really glad I decided to read it again, b/c I'd forgotten how hilarious the banter was. And Alix is just so badass. Oh, how I LOVE a warrior heroine.
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
Fantasy Romance is one of my favorite sub-genres, but I rarely have an opportunity to read it, b/c there's not a lot of it available. This makes no sense to me, b/c AWESOME--it's fantasy and it's romance . . . what's not to like?
I think some people automatically shoot down anything designated as Fantasy, b/c they get overwhelmed by visions of infinite pages, multiple POVs, gruesome battle after gruesome battle, etc.
BUT.
Fantasy Romance is an entirely different beast. Yeah, some of them are a bit longer (not this one) than the average book, and yeah, there are often multiple POVs (only two), BUT the focus is different.
The characters are still trying to save the world (or the kingdom), but the story is primarily about the heroine and her love interest(s), NOT on so many characters and organizations that a glossary is required to keep track of them all.
At least that's my take. FYI.
And so The Bloodbound by Erin Lindsey had been on my watchlist long before I had the opportunity to read it.
I instantly liked our heroine.
The story opens in the heat of battle, and we meet Alix as she decides to run headlong into danger when she sees her leader in trouble. When a friend tries to reason with her--reminds her that their orders are to stay put--her response is, "And their orders were to attack."
And that is my reasoning every time I'm driving and have to pass some idiot on the right. You see . . . orders (rules, laws, speed limits, whatever) only work if EVERYONE follows them . . . and when everything goes according to plan.
Sometimes you just have to roll with situation you're thrust into, damn your orders, and Alix gets that.
So does her brother:
"We're not strong enough to confront the enemy directly, but we've become quite adept a hit-and-run strikes--taking out their scouting parties, raiding their camps, targeting their supply lines, that sort of thing. Some of the men disapprove of such devices--they've got fool-headed ideas about glory and honor--but I'm no martyr. I do what I can with the resources at my disposal, and no more."
I realize that's a lot of war talk for a fantasy I'm trying to differentiate based on the romance aspect, but there is a war going on, and there are battles. They just aren't the page after page (after page) of lopping off limbs and heads type of battles. And thank the nine Virtues for that.
Speaking of the nine Virtues, the world-building left a bit to be desired.
To save you the trouble, here are the Virtues I was able to figure out:
- Farika - Patience/Grace(?)
- Destan - Honor
- Olan - Courage
- Ardin - Boldness (Strength?)
- Eldora - Wisdom
- Rahl -
- Hew - Wit
- Garvin
Beyond that . . . I got nuthin'. I appreciate the lack of an info dump, but by the end of the book, I still hadn't gleaned enough information to know what all nine Virtues were, let alone understand their importance. I had similar issues with other aspects of the world-building, but it wasn't a huge problem for me, b/c I was too caught up in the story.
Why was I so caught up in the story?
Well . . . I don't know about you, but by the end of Thor: The Dark World, I was ready for Thor to kick Jane Foster to the curb, b/c Sif. I mean really . . . Jane was BLAH, and Sif . . . Sif was Sif (<------AWESOME).
Alix is Sif with red hair. And Erik is Thor, and Tomald is Loki. *shrugs* Hey, you have to get your inspiration somewhere, and I'm pretty convinced that's where Lindsey's came from:
Tom sat beneath the window with his back to the wall, one arm draped across his knee. He made no move to stand as Erik entered. He did not even raise his head.
Don't misunderstand--this is a completely new and original book, and one that I very much enjoyed. All I'm saying is that if you're a fan of one, then it's likely you'll be a fan of the other. At least I am, and I was.
Full of witty banter, immensely likable characters, and swoons aplenty, The Bloodbound by Erin Lindsey is not to be missed. There's something for fans of both Romance and Fantasy, and I can't wait to see what Lindsey has for us next.
hexe_19's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Death, War, Sexual content, Blood, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent and Grief