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spicycronereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I enjoyed this book. It ended on a cliffhanger and I liked it enough that I will read the second one right away. The vibe of the book is kind of Six of Crows meets Peaky Blinders.
FMC Willow lives in our world and her life is a bit messy. She has been hearing a voice and one night gets high and ends up entering a portal to another world where she is discovered by MMC Caz. Willow is brave and dealing with grief seemingly all by herself. Caz is the Monarch of Blackwater, one of multiple territories in this other world. With his penchant for violence and the weight of responsibility he bears, he is like a mix of Tommy Shelby and Kaz Brekker (right down to the gloves and touch aversion).
The world building is pretty smooth. There is magic and potions and feuding peoples and class hierarchies, all of which add plenty of drama to the plot. Some of the plot around the tethers gets a little confusing. Hopefully that is ironed out in book 2.
The secondary characters are lots of fun. Caz’ family are definitely reminiscent of the Shelbys, though slightly less dysfunctional. I hope we see more of Juniper, Maeve, and Killian in book two. I almost like them better than the MCs.
It is a bit of a slow burn but eventually Willow and Caz have some pretty spicy moments. The tether that binds them seems to be the driving force of the attraction. There is not much in the way of banter or of those little moments that show us they are falling, rather than telling us. Caz can be a bit dominant but other than that, nothing k!nk-e. I give the spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️. Actually, no. Make that 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ based on the s3xt!ng scene. IYKYK. 🥵
The book is described as dark fantasy romance. There are some darker themes to the plot but the spice is pretty conventional. Nor is there anything I would label dark in their relAtionship. Instead, the darkness comes through in trafficking, SA, drug use, and so forth in the plot. So I would say it is dark fantasy and a romance. But not necessarily dark romance. At least as far as I understand it.
For diverse representation there is a fair bit of both racial and class diversity. Willow and several members of Caz’s family are Black. Caz is multiracial though white-passing. The Blackwater territory seems to be more working class than Vanora and, even within Vanora, there are class disparities.
Overall, I recommend the book. It was an entertaining fantasy world with fun characters and some decent spice. ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ / 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
FMC Willow lives in our world and her life is a bit messy. She has been hearing a voice and one night gets high and ends up entering a portal to another world where she is discovered by MMC Caz. Willow is brave and dealing with grief seemingly all by herself. Caz is the Monarch of Blackwater, one of multiple territories in this other world. With his penchant for violence and the weight of responsibility he bears, he is like a mix of Tommy Shelby and Kaz Brekker (right down to the gloves and touch aversion).
The world building is pretty smooth. There is magic and potions and feuding peoples and class hierarchies, all of which add plenty of drama to the plot. Some of the plot around the tethers gets a little confusing. Hopefully that is ironed out in book 2.
The secondary characters are lots of fun. Caz’ family are definitely reminiscent of the Shelbys, though slightly less dysfunctional. I hope we see more of Juniper, Maeve, and Killian in book two. I almost like them better than the MCs.
It is a bit of a slow burn but eventually Willow and Caz have some pretty spicy moments. The tether that binds them seems to be the driving force of the attraction. There is not much in the way of banter or of those little moments that show us they are falling, rather than telling us. Caz can be a bit dominant but other than that, nothing k!nk-e. I give the spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️. Actually, no. Make that 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ based on the s3xt!ng scene. IYKYK. 🥵
The book is described as dark fantasy romance. There are some darker themes to the plot but the spice is pretty conventional. Nor is there anything I would label dark in their relAtionship. Instead, the darkness comes through in trafficking, SA, drug use, and so forth in the plot. So I would say it is dark fantasy and a romance. But not necessarily dark romance. At least as far as I understand it.
For diverse representation there is a fair bit of both racial and class diversity. Willow and several members of Caz’s family are Black. Caz is multiracial though white-passing. The Blackwater territory seems to be more working class than Vanora and, even within Vanora, there are class disparities.
Overall, I recommend the book. It was an entertaining fantasy world with fun characters and some decent spice. ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ / 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Grief, Stalking, and War
Minor: Drug use, Sexual assault, and Abandonment
thirdeyeangel23's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I would give this book 10 🌟 if I could. Vicious Bonds is a dark fantasy that takes so many of our favorite themes and turns them on their heads. Imagine moving through your life lonely in a loveless relationship, steeped in grief and barely hanging on. You start hearing a voice in your head and having vivid dreams of being chased in another world and you think you’re losing it… until one night you fall through a portal and land in a fantasy world where you’re found by the man who’s been living in your head for months. He’s real, and he’s about to turn your life upside down. Caz and Willow are the perfect nuisance to lovers/fated mates tale. Their story is heartbreaking, violent, and incredibly spicy. I love the way William’s bounces between the two worlds and takes us on a wild ride through Vakeeli. This does end on a serious cliffy so go ahead and get book 2 before you start 😉
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Grief
therealjessicaaustin_2002's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Rape, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Mental illness and Abandonment
crinkledmochi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
now why did the book just end like that….
my only gripe tho is how the characters talk about sex workers there definitely could’ve been a better conversation on the subject
my only gripe tho is how the characters talk about sex workers there definitely could’ve been a better conversation on the subject
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
sugar07's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Murder
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