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secretmagic's review against another edition
5.0
My Rachel Vincent obsession was fuelled again this year with the sequel to one of my favourite Vincent books. 'Shadow Bound' was a book I had extremely high expectations for and they were definitely met.
The Unbound world is a dangerous place, especially if you are part of the skilled populations - those who have extra gifts like tracking through blood or names, and travelling through the shadows. If your skill is great enough, or something rare, your future, choices and free will may be snatched from you to be used by the local crime syndicate leaders. I adore this dark and gritty world Rachel has created. You know that there's danger around every corner, you just don't know what form it'll come in. Trouble always turns up when you're working for a syndicate - you're property, servants; bound by contracts to do whatever your boss wants and to break that bond is virtually impossible. But some people will stop at nothing to see those contracts crumble. 'Shadow Bound' focuses quite a bit on the idea of signing up for syndicate work, the limitations that presents and the possibility of escape; a dangerous task in this world. I loved seeing the thought process behind joining an organisation that takes away all free will. There was a craziness to it all that made the story and situations so captivating.
We first come across out main girl in the previous book, 'Blood Bound'. Kori Daniels is an extremely fierce leading lady. You can't ignore the fact that Kori has this tough-girl attitude that she wears around herself like a safety blanket. I really like that she's so tough - you don't want weak main characters; at the same time, Kori's life has been turned upside-down, with her job and position in the Tower Syndicate in question. Kori reveals a vulnerable and desperate side of her character that you can't help feeling connected to. I love reading about characters that have more to them than just the surface image.
And obviously, there's Kori's counter part: Ian Holt. Dangerous, secretive, sexy; Ian is a threat to Kori's safety and survival, but he finds his weakness in Kori. I loved Ian. He had a history that intrigued me from the start. I wanted to know why he popped up on the syndicate radar now of all times. His relationship with Kori is just so well suited - they compliment each other - and not just because they both work with shadows. It's nice to see them find comfort in each other.
I love how different this series is from other adult urban fantasy books I've read before. In terms of structure, I've come across books that switch point-of-view, but rarely do they switch first-person point-of-view. It was a little easier to follow this time, unlike in 'Blood Bound', Rachel tells us who is narrating each chapter at the start; there's a less confusion - although I sort of missed the guessing part. I miss being on my toes at the start of the chapter, wondering which character we'll be following next. However, I still loved this switching perspectives and the different voices. We see so much more of the story by being inside the heads of both our main characters and it's super fun to see them come together.
My only issue with 'Shadow Bound' is that there wasn't enough Liv and Cam. I missed them. But this was Kori's story and they did show up from time to time, so that's better than nothing.
Amazing story, loved every moment.
5/5 stars
The Unbound world is a dangerous place, especially if you are part of the skilled populations - those who have extra gifts like tracking through blood or names, and travelling through the shadows. If your skill is great enough, or something rare, your future, choices and free will may be snatched from you to be used by the local crime syndicate leaders. I adore this dark and gritty world Rachel has created. You know that there's danger around every corner, you just don't know what form it'll come in. Trouble always turns up when you're working for a syndicate - you're property, servants; bound by contracts to do whatever your boss wants and to break that bond is virtually impossible. But some people will stop at nothing to see those contracts crumble. 'Shadow Bound' focuses quite a bit on the idea of signing up for syndicate work, the limitations that presents and the possibility of escape; a dangerous task in this world. I loved seeing the thought process behind joining an organisation that takes away all free will. There was a craziness to it all that made the story and situations so captivating.
We first come across out main girl in the previous book, 'Blood Bound'. Kori Daniels is an extremely fierce leading lady. You can't ignore the fact that Kori has this tough-girl attitude that she wears around herself like a safety blanket. I really like that she's so tough - you don't want weak main characters; at the same time, Kori's life has been turned upside-down, with her job and position in the Tower Syndicate in question. Kori reveals a vulnerable and desperate side of her character that you can't help feeling connected to. I love reading about characters that have more to them than just the surface image.
And obviously, there's Kori's counter part: Ian Holt. Dangerous, secretive, sexy; Ian is a threat to Kori's safety and survival, but he finds his weakness in Kori. I loved Ian. He had a history that intrigued me from the start. I wanted to know why he popped up on the syndicate radar now of all times. His relationship with Kori is just so well suited - they compliment each other - and not just because they both work with shadows. It's nice to see them find comfort in each other.
I love how different this series is from other adult urban fantasy books I've read before. In terms of structure, I've come across books that switch point-of-view, but rarely do they switch first-person point-of-view. It was a little easier to follow this time, unlike in 'Blood Bound', Rachel tells us who is narrating each chapter at the start; there's a less confusion - although I sort of missed the guessing part. I miss being on my toes at the start of the chapter, wondering which character we'll be following next. However, I still loved this switching perspectives and the different voices. We see so much more of the story by being inside the heads of both our main characters and it's super fun to see them come together.
My only issue with 'Shadow Bound' is that there wasn't enough Liv and Cam. I missed them. But this was Kori's story and they did show up from time to time, so that's better than nothing.
Amazing story, loved every moment.
5/5 stars
jobird's review against another edition
5.0
Wow that was a great read. So intense. This is shaping up to be a great series. It has such amazing world building. I love all the powers the characters have, especially the shadow walking. What a great way to get around. I can't wait to read the next one whenever it is out.
lynseyisreading's review against another edition
2.0
Too depressing for my tastes.
You'd really have to be in the mood for some darkly disturbing stuff to enjoy this because Kori's character is really not in a good place after being raped, tortured and confined for weeks prior to the beginning of the story. Add in the deceptive, manipulative thoughts from the love interest as it's told once again in alternating first person POV's between the H and h, and it's clear it's not going to lighten up any time soon.
This was a DNF for me, despite reaching well past the mid-way point.
You'd really have to be in the mood for some darkly disturbing stuff to enjoy this because Kori's character is really not in a good place after being raped, tortured and confined for weeks prior to the beginning of the story. Add in the deceptive, manipulative thoughts from the love interest as it's told once again in alternating first person POV's between the H and h, and it's clear it's not going to lighten up any time soon.
This was a DNF for me, despite reaching well past the mid-way point.
bookishwonderlandco's review against another edition
5.0
After the first book in the series ended I instantly reached for this one and started. I was really excited to read from Kori's perspective because she seemed like a really interesting character. That is an understatement of the century. Kori is such a well-developed and sophisticated, complex, and mysterious character. As the story goes on you learn more and more about her and Ian, and you learn that she is really vulnerable and damaged, but able to be fixed by the right hands. She is also really strong and self-sufficient, but she learns that she can rely on others. I don't know if I have ever read about a more complicated and well-thought out character before. Kori really brought me into the story in a way that I wouldn't have been into it before. This was a really great story all-around! The story line was awesome, and kept me on my toes! I loved every moment! The mystery and conflict was incredible, and I honestly could not figure out a way out of it! Then of course all the plans went wrong, and I found myself on the edge of my seat flipping pages as fast as I could looking for the solution. This was another great installment to this series. Vincent has really found a gem here, and she did an amazing job channeling Kori and finding her perfect fit.
daphx00's review against another edition
4.0
Great book. I'm loving this series so far! The chemistry between the characters is great and I love the complexity of the world it's set in.
Review to come.
Review to come.
pixip's review against another edition
4.0
I absolutely loved this book a huge improvement on the first in my eyes. It took a little getting used to with the alternate chapters outer character but once I did I couldn't get enough of it. I can't wait to deer what happens next now.