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jobird's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! What a great book. It is filled with so many secrets and mysteries. I loved it. This is my first Rachel Vincent book I have read. I will definitely check out some of her other work. I found this story to be so unique and different. I look forward to the next one.
lynseyisreading's review against another edition
4.0
This was an absolutely fascinating read. I love it when an author comes up with something new and exciting. Something we haven't already seen a million times before. Another one I really enjoyed discovering this year for this exact reason was Diana Pharaoh Francis' Horngate witches series.
So, the basic set up here is to do with magical bindings, oaths and promises. Being forced to comply against your will, and having the strength to push against such ties to do what you think is right. The magical element was somewhat small in this book, nobody had any really flashy powers as such, and there were no vamps or werewolves (shocking I know), but there are magical or "Skilled" people, and they are, for the most part, either trackers, binders or travellers.
There are two main types of trackers. Our protagonist, Olivia ''Liv'' Warren, is a Blood Tracker. One with an exceptional range which makes her a popular girl. She needs only a small sample of someone's blood to track them down. Another type that we meet is a Name Tracker. With the use of your real names (the more names they have the better) they can trace people within their range.
There were also Flesh Binders who bind with blood tattoos or a contract sealed with blood, and Travellers who can move through shadows. It really was interesting to learn about these abilities and how they came into use. Essentially, the city is split into three sections, two of which are run by opposing Mafia-like factions, and the third is a relatively safe or "neutral" zone. The heads of the two factions are Jake Tower and Ruben Cavazos. Liv works for Ruben.
It's safe to say there is no love lost between Liv and Ruben and she doesn't work for him for the pleasure of his company alone. There is a lot more to this part of the story and I found theirs to be a very weird and slightly twisted working relationship that was nonetheless intriguing to read.
A former lover of Liv's comes back to town, a name tracker called Cam Caballero. It's been six years since they broke up and a lot has happened in that time. We find out exactly what as the story progresses, and interestingly, the story is actually told from a first person perspective equally split between Liv and Cam. I had to do a bit of a double-take when the first switch happened because with it starting out in first person I wasn't expecting it to change, so this aspect was usual, but it really worked.
Overall, this is a gritty, dark world and a story that sucker punches you in the guts a few times before it's finished with you. I was surprised at how quickly I got engrossed in the story and the characters and it managed to shock me once or twice along the way.
I think the main reason it didn't make 5 stars for me was simply the fact that, at one point, a mystery is about to be revealed and they are discussing it for quite some time, but I'd already worked it out about 3 chapters back, so I found myself giving the book the wind it up sign because I already knew what they were getting to. I don't know how obvious this will be to others, or if I'm just some kind of evil genius, but it was a slow section because of that.
The next book is about a different character all together. One of the secondary characters in this story, so it will be interesting to see how different that book feels. Vincent's certainly taking the road less travelled here, and it's great fun to read.
So, the basic set up here is to do with magical bindings, oaths and promises. Being forced to comply against your will, and having the strength to push against such ties to do what you think is right. The magical element was somewhat small in this book, nobody had any really flashy powers as such, and there were no vamps or werewolves (shocking I know), but there are magical or "Skilled" people, and they are, for the most part, either trackers, binders or travellers.
There are two main types of trackers. Our protagonist, Olivia ''Liv'' Warren, is a Blood Tracker. One with an exceptional range which makes her a popular girl. She needs only a small sample of someone's blood to track them down. Another type that we meet is a Name Tracker. With the use of your real names (the more names they have the better) they can trace people within their range.
There were also Flesh Binders who bind with blood tattoos or a contract sealed with blood, and Travellers who can move through shadows. It really was interesting to learn about these abilities and how they came into use. Essentially, the city is split into three sections, two of which are run by opposing Mafia-like factions, and the third is a relatively safe or "neutral" zone. The heads of the two factions are Jake Tower and Ruben Cavazos. Liv works for Ruben.
It's safe to say there is no love lost between Liv and Ruben and she doesn't work for him for the pleasure of his company alone. There is a lot more to this part of the story and I found theirs to be a very weird and slightly twisted working relationship that was nonetheless intriguing to read.
A former lover of Liv's comes back to town, a name tracker called Cam Caballero. It's been six years since they broke up and a lot has happened in that time. We find out exactly what as the story progresses, and interestingly, the story is actually told from a first person perspective equally split between Liv and Cam. I had to do a bit of a double-take when the first switch happened because with it starting out in first person I wasn't expecting it to change, so this aspect was usual, but it really worked.
Overall, this is a gritty, dark world and a story that sucker punches you in the guts a few times before it's finished with you. I was surprised at how quickly I got engrossed in the story and the characters and it managed to shock me once or twice along the way.
I think the main reason it didn't make 5 stars for me was simply the fact that, at one point, a mystery is about to be revealed and they are discussing it for quite some time, but I'd already worked it out about 3 chapters back, so I found myself giving the book the wind it up sign because I already knew what they were getting to. I don't know how obvious this will be to others, or if I'm just some kind of evil genius, but it was a slow section because of that.
The next book is about a different character all together. One of the secondary characters in this story, so it will be interesting to see how different that book feels. Vincent's certainly taking the road less travelled here, and it's great fun to read.
emleemay's review against another edition
You should be aware that this review is only of the first 200 pages (approximately) because I didn't manage to get any further.
When I read other people's reviews of this I can't help but think that there was big, exciting plot twist just around the corner waiting for me because everyone seemed to love the story. I didn't care for it, personally. Some girls made an oath as kids that means they have to do anything the others ask of them or they will die slowly and painfully. After years of avoiding one another, suddenly one of them turns up on our heroine's doorstep with the request that she uses her skills to hunt down a killer. The protagonist (Liv) is unable to refuse. And so begins the hunt...
Look, it's not terrible, it's just boring. 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 200 pages and nothing really appealing I decided I didn't want to repeat my experience with [b:Feed|7094569|Feed (Newsflesh Trilogy #1)|Mira Grant|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327883721s/7094569.jpg|7351419].
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 [a:Melina Marchetta|47104|Melina Marchetta|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1277655889p2/47104.jpg] 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 200 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: no unique styles, no names at the beginning of the section and it didn't alternate equally. 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. Mind-boggling stuff.
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 [b:Naked in Death|268602|Naked in Death (In Death, #1)|J.D. Robb|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1297783540s/268602.jpg|1097497] 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 [b:Blood Bound|12096557|Blood Bound (Unbound, #1)|Rachel Vincent|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1311397659s/12096557.jpg|15080228] and doubt I will read any more of this series.
bookishwonderlandco's review against another edition
5.0
Rachel Vincent is amazing, and she did not let me down on this one! This took me a few chapters to get into and fully understand, because this is a world that is completely and utterly different from anything I have read, and I was not expecting this! This book exceeded any and all expectations that I had, and as I read I kept getting shock after shock. Vincent has really outdone herself! This is a completely new world she has created, and it is intriguing. The mystery was really well thought out and all the twists were so incredible! The characters were the perfect mix of sarcastic wit, smarts, and sassy...with a mix of misunderstanding and sexual frustration. It was so well done. I am still speechless, and it has been a month! The charaters in this were just awesome. They were fun, loyal, and reckless in the best way. This was a really cool world to get to live in in the short time it took me to read this book, and I loved every minute! I found myself on the edge of my seat and incorrectly guessing who is behind it all. This book was a great start for this series, and left off with a great, but definitely cliff-hanger ending. The ending had me on the edge of my seat, completely enraptured. I am really excited for the next book!
daphx00's review against another edition
4.0
Blood Bound is one of the best urban fantasies I've had the pleasure to read.
Liv is a tracker who follows the scent of blood, and when her childhood friend asks her to track her husband's murderer, she is obliged to help her out because of an oath they made when they were children. When it turns out that it's her friend's child the killer was after, Liv can't rest until she is safe. Along the way she gets help from Cam, a former lover who she doesn't seem to be able to forget, even though they can't be together. This makes for some very interesting scenes in the book and definitely spice things up during their investigation..
I absolutely loved reading this book. I loved the whole binding process, the skills and yes, I also enjoyed that gang leaders lead the city, and have divided the city into parts. I loved putting the puzzle pieces together one by one, and even though I saw the twist coming, I really like how Vincent has executed it in the story.
If you are looking for a good paranormal romance, with mystery, intrigue, magic and yes, some sexiness, Blood Bound is going to rock your socks off.
Rating: 4.5/5
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This review was published on Loving Books.
Liv is a tracker who follows the scent of blood, and when her childhood friend asks her to track her husband's murderer, she is obliged to help her out because of an oath they made when they were children. When it turns out that it's her friend's child the killer was after, Liv can't rest until she is safe. Along the way she gets help from Cam, a former lover who she doesn't seem to be able to forget, even though they can't be together. This makes for some very interesting scenes in the book and definitely spice things up during their investigation..
I absolutely loved reading this book. I loved the whole binding process, the skills and yes, I also enjoyed that gang leaders lead the city, and have divided the city into parts. I loved putting the puzzle pieces together one by one, and even though I saw the twist coming, I really like how Vincent has executed it in the story.
If you are looking for a good paranormal romance, with mystery, intrigue, magic and yes, some sexiness, Blood Bound is going to rock your socks off.
Rating: 4.5/5
--------
This review was published on Loving Books.
breezy610's review against another edition
5.0
Awesome book in a new awesome series by an awesome author. I can't wait for the second book in this trilogy.
bhookjunkhie's review against another edition
5.0
WOW!!! That was fantastic!!..Super-charged, fast-paced and full of action!..A refreshing new world in PNR..I couldnt put it down, was thoroughly entertained, and I'm waiting eagerly for the next one!!..
jackiehorne's review against another edition
2.0
For readers who like fast-paced plots with fairly empty, placeholder characters. Most of the "aha" plot twists could be seen coming from a mile off, at least by an experienced fantasy reader. And I'm not fond of books where protagonists have so little control over their decisions and choices. In this one, the trope of being "bound" to a master in order to save a loved one simultaneously works to make the reader feel sorry for the ones who are bound, and lets the bound ones off the hook for the violence and other immoral acts they are ordered to perpetrate. Perhaps this lack of free will is addressed with more nuance in later books, but in this one, I felt myself resisting the text's attempt to manipulate my sympathies and judgment.
charms1976's review against another edition
5.0
I am speechless for my review of Blood Bound. I did not know what to expect since the only books I have read by this author are her young adult Soul Screamer series. I knew it would be excellent writing, but I didn't realize how well she could execute an adult themed genre book until now.
I will be honest though in the fact that if you aren't prepared for some puzzle solving, you can easily get lost in the first couple chapters. I was scratching my head several times trying to figure out what the heck was going on. Even though I was confused and starting to get frustrated, I kept reading and I am so happy I did. Once I got through the initial scene set-up chapters, the book took off. I found myself sucked into the Skilled world and was secretly wishing I had some of those Skills without the contracts! Imagine having the powers to track someone with either a name or sample of blood. Imagine stepping from one place into another by just walking though a shadow. Imagine seeing into the future and knowing all sorts of possibilities with different decisions. Just sit and imagine what it would be like.
The romance between Cam and Olivia is written perfectly. It isn't over done with a lot of sex scenes, but you can still feel the chemistry pull between the two and you find yourself looking for the loopholes for them to be together. I even found myself cheering and hoping that one particular bad guy would turn out not to be so bad. While I still can't stand his wife, the bad guy does have some redeeming qualities if you look close enough.
Now don't even get me started on that ending! I was so frustrated on the last page. I looked at my book closely to see if it was missing pages and then my frustration only grew when I finally accepted that the author left the ending this way for a reason. I could have screamed and thrown my book against a wall, but I realized it just makes me more anxious for the next book in the series to arrive. I now NEED the next book in the series just as much as I need my next breath! When an author can leave you hanging at the end, but leave you satisfied enough to want to continue the series, you know the author has done a beautiful job in a novel. Author Rachel Vincent has now been bumped to my always list for adult themed books and I can't wait to get my hands on her other series!