Shadow Bound

Unbound #2

by Rachel Vincent

Kori Daniels is a shadow-walker, able to travel instantly from one shadow to another. After weeks of confinement for betraying her boss, she's ready to break free of the Tower syndicate for good. But Jake Tower has one final job for Kori, one chance to secure freedom for herself and her sister, Kenley, even if it means taking it from someone else

The job? Recruit Ian Holt; or kill him.

Ian's ability to manipulate the dark has drawn interest from every syndicate in the world, most notably an invitation from Jake Tower. Though he has no interest in organized crime, Ian accepts the invite, because he's on a mission of his own. Ian has come to kill Tower's top Binder: Kori's little sister.

Amid the tangle of lies, an unexpected thread of truth connecting Ian and Kori comes to light. But with opposing goals, they'll have to choose between love and liberty.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Adult, Magic

439 pages, Paperback

First published May 22, 2012

About the author

[Note: Though Rachel's blog entries are cross posted here, she does not frequent Goodreads. The best ways to contact her are FB, Twitter, or her Wordpress blog. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HER MESSAGES HERE. SHE DOES NOT CHECK THEM.]

A resident of Oklahoma, Rachel Vincent has a BA in English and an overactive imagination, and consistently finds the latter to be more practical. She shares her workspace with two black cats (Kaci and Nyx) and her # 1 fan. Rachel is older than she looks-seriously-and younger than she feels, but remains convinced that for every day she spends writing, one more day will be added to her lifespan.

Reviews

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edit: I don't read Vincent's books anymore. Her pacing and writing-style is good, it's just that her characters, plotlines and -devices, and the messages within her stories annoy the fuck out of me or seem downright toxic. (Ableism in her YA series, as well as #1 of my issues (see spoiler tag below) being good examples of this)

I was so excited about this book and then didn't dare touch it until I did.

But it made me so freaking angry. I kinda loved it, but I also hated it, and it's not that I feel it's prove Vincent is a good author. Sure, she made me feel involved in this story and love Kori, but when the only thing I end up with is a migraine, what good does it do anyone?

While I was reading Shadow Bound, I couldn't put it down, but now I'm just unsatisfied; it feels as if Vincent didn't push enough.

Two of my main issues:

1. The portrayal of suicide as a coward's way out. It's just bullshit.
2. The relationship with Kori's sister, who wasn't very loyal when Kori did everything for her.

This book would've been authentic with a happier ending, too, you know, Rachel?

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read Blood Bound when it was published back in 2011 but for some reason I never got around to picking up the rest of the series as they released. I'm so glad I finally came back to the series though because it's so different from anything else I've been reading recently. It was a good job I reread Blood Bound first though because Rachel Vincent has created a complex world with a large cast of characters and I wouldn't have enjoyed Shadow Bound half as much if I'd not been able to remember everything.

I have to admit I was surprised when I realised this story was going to be told from Kori and Ian's points of view rather than those of Liv and Cam. I honestly thought this whole series was going to be about the same couple and it was a little weird to move on when it didn't feel like their story was finished. I should have known to trust Rachel Vincent though, switching to Kori's point of view allows us to see the inner workings of the Tower Syndicate, something we didn't see in the first book. We met Kori in the previous book, she risked a lot to help Liv and Cam and she has paid a very high price for that since the end of the first book. Jake Tower is every bit as ruthless as Ruben Cavazos and Kori has been made an example off because of her betrayal. It was actually pretty hard to read about everything she has been though so even though there was no gratuitous detail this series is definitely a lot darker than the Shifters series ever was.

Kori has been given one last chance to prove her usefulness to Tower, she has to recruit Ian to the syndicate and if she fails then not only will her life be forfeit but her sister will also suffer the same torture that Kori only just survived. Ian is a new character to the series, he has his own reasons to want to infiltrate Tower's syndicate. He has absolutely no intention of signing up but he does plan to bring Tower down and save his brother's life in the process. These two are both incredibly protective of the people they care about and unfortunately the only way they can save the siblings they love is to destroy each other. They are both strong characters, Kori has survived hell and always comes back fighting, she has done everything she possibly can to defy Tower even knowing what it could cost her but she would never risk her sister. Ian definitely has a bit of a hero complex, he just can't resist a damsel in distress and as it becomes clear how desperate Kori's situation is he realises he needs to come up with a new plan.

I'm not going to go into any more detail about the plot but I loved the slow build romance between these two. The physical attraction is there from the very beginning but it takes a long time for trust to build and for them to start sharing secrets. We get to see a couple of brief appearances from Liv and Cam which was nice but I have to admit it didn't show them in the best light because they are firmly Cavazos' thumb and have no choice but to follow his orders. What I'm REALLY hoping is that the final book (told from the points of view of Kori's brother Kristopher and new character Sera) will let us see all three couples working together and finally bringing down both syndicates once and for all. I desperately want them all to have the happy endings they deserve!

[Terri ♥ (aka Mrs. Christian Grey) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick review:

Cover: Pretty
Rating: NC-17
Steaminess Slow burn
Thumbs Up: 5
Overall: What a all around well written story
Characters: Well done
Plot: Gritty with enough sweet to keep you going
Page Turner: Yes
Series Cont.? Absolutely
Recommend: Yes
Book Boyfriend: Ian

SUMMARY (50 words or less)

Rachel Vincent is one of my favorite authors. She never disappoints and didn’t here. What a great original new series that was stellar in writing, plot line, romance and character development. There were ugly things in the story but handled with care. I can’t help but crave the next one.

To see my full review and yummy pic, check out my blog post below.

http://mybookboyfriend.blogspot.com/2...

AUDIO REVIEW

Gabra Zackman did a solid job of the voices keeping for the most part all the voices discernable. Sometimes the voices were the same, but they were the same in a conversation, so it was easy to keep up. Good job.

[Isamlq · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We haven’t met… I’m Kori Daniels. If you don’t get that gun out of my face, I’m gonna take it, then I’m gonna break your jaw so I can unhinge it and shove your pistol down your throat. That way the bullet goes through the long way (page 273.)”

It’s been ages since a second book in a series has given me so much pleasure. I loved so many things in this one that not even that slightly clumsy intention revealing internal monologue care of Ian, my favorite character, drew away from my enthusiasm for it because everything else in it was simply awesome.

Characters.

Ian’s a little like Seth from in Mead’s Succubus series, or at least that’s what he wants others to think. If you couple this front of his with what he actually was… well, witness me stake a claim on my new book crush. Then Kori, first introduced in Blood Bound, friend to Olivia. Here it becomes clear why the two were friends at all even with both doing things uncharacteristic of one called ‘friend.’ Both are tough… except that maybe Kori’s the more vulnerable of the two, the one slightly more damaged. It’s the drama she was contending with that I thought pushed the series from the realm of UF heavy on the love-drama to something more nitty-gritty, something more tough to swallow. Come to think of it, Kori does read a little like Seth’s George, bound but still fighting. Not quite sassy rather more coarse in how in-your-face she could be.

It’s complicated

What’s better is how the two of them find themselves on opposing sides when in fact they’re so similarly situated. They’re both strong, tough and go out of their way to protect those they consider theirs. So, they’re actually motivated by more or less the same thing, but with neither aware of the same, there I was unsure about whom to cheer for more loudly. It was fun watching them dance around each other all reluctant and wary but still helplessly drawn to the other. And then the more they got to know, the more they feel the pull… and the more complicated their respective sides of the story became.

But It’s not complicated…

How Ian is now my new favorite male lead with him presenting this non-threatening front but acting counter to it time and again. And while Kori may not be my favorite lead, that I did enjoy her because she added a touch of vulnerability to the kick ass heroine mix.

Not that it was all dark and tough, there’s this humor to her, more so with Ian in the picture. They had me laughing at the most unexpected moments:

“…I am offended on behalf of pretty people everywhere. I’m not chiseled jaw and eyes you could get lost in. I am worth more than the sum of my defined biceps, sculpted pecs and a six-pack you could scrub laundry on.”

I nearly choked on an ice cube. “You have a six pack?”

“Okay, maybe a four pack. At least a carton of hard lemonade.”

Loved this !

Thanks Net Galley!
4/5

[usagi ☆ミ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars!

Note that this is a review for both books one and two, so it will be posted at both listings.

I'd say I'm a casual fan of Vincent's work - I only skimmed the first two books of the "Alphas" series (it didn't hold too much interest for me), but I do really like the "Soul Screamers" series. Then I heard about this one, and decided to pick it up. And I'm really glad I did, because I think I can safely say that this series is some of her best work yet. The intensity and unflinching grittiness that begins in book one ("Blood Bound") continues with no middle book syndrome whatsoever. If you're just getting into the urban fantasy genre, I HIGHLY recommend the "Unbound" trilogy as it stands right now.

It feels like Vincent has improved leaps and bounds when it comes to worldbuilding and character construction. The world, though small, blew me away in "Blood Bound" in it's tiny simplicity - there are the Skilled, those who have supernatural abilities that make them very desirable to certain parties, and the unSkilled - normal human beings. There are no shapeshifters or werewolves, and that alone in a paranormal story these days seems to be getting rarer and rarer. There's only the fear of one's blood being spilt - it can bind you to someone and make you do anything they want, whether you're aware of it or not. And then there's one career path - the US government will not acknowledge the Skilled even if they've been out of the collective social closet for over 30 years, so your job path is one of two things - you either freelance it and use your Skill that way, or you join the mob.

What's wonderful about this worldbuilding is that there are so few choices and everything is very clearly defined and labeled, severely limiting the characters' behaviors and choices. This is great for putting one's characters under pressure and seeing what comes out of it - and what comes out of it, in both books, is nothing short of a story so good you're willing to lose good-sized chunks of sleep for each book.

If you've read some of Vincent's other work, you know that she's really good at killing her darlings in order to really emotionally connect with the audience and have her characters really take wonderful journeys through their individual character arcs. She sets it all up beautifully in "Blood Bound", where both Kori and Cam have no choice but to obey conflicting orders and go through a ridiculous amount of pain in the process in order to accomplish what each person wants. Olivia is a wonderful heroine in the first book, but with "Shadow Bound", Kori has become my favorite for her sheer willpower to survive and protect her sister. The storyline that took up most of book one - that of the accidental BFFs Forever Pact - isn't really up at the forefront in book two. Book two deals with the fallout from the end of book one, which is directly linked to the Pact, though the Pact itself isn't really explicitly discussed. Book two is all Kori, and everything she's willing to do to keep going, keep surviving. There is no love triangle, there is only duty - duty to the syndicate that has tortured her, and duty to her family (and to a lesser part, to the teenage pact).

Book two has some very triggery material - that of torture and rape - and I'd say that Vincent handled those PTSD flashbacks very appropriately. They weren't graphic, but they were just enough to make you realize how bad things got for Kori, and how much it took for her not to break into millions of pieces. It's hard to handle material like that in any book, and I think Vincent pulled it off very well and then made it loop back into the teenage pact where Olivia and Cam are asked for help, bringing us back full circle into what got everyone into this mess in the first place. It was beautifully outlined and written and everything tied up rather neatly. If this weren't a trilogy, I'd be convinced otherwise that this is the last book in this series. But it's not. And writing a series book to read as if it were a standalone is one of the most difficult things one can do as an author.

Overall? I adore these two books, and I can't wait to own them. Vincent's worldbuilding and characters make this series unforgettable, and absolutely unputdownable (I usually cringe at that term, but it's entirely correct here). But the worst part? Waiting for book 3, "Oath Bound" - it's going to be published sometime in early 2013, and I don't want to wait that long!

So if you want something new and fresh in this genre to read by an old hand, pick up the first two "Unbound" trilogy books "Blood Bound" and "Shadow Bound". Both have made my best of 2012 list so far and it's well-deserved. Both are out now from Mira/Harlequin books in North America, and "Shadow Bound" will be released on June 1, 2012 in the UK by Harlequin UK. Be sure to check them out - especially if you're getting tired of the same ol' plots and tropes in the urban fantasy genre. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

(posted to goodreads, shelfari, librarything, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)

[Jeann (Happy Indulgence) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review also appears on my Happy Indulgence Blog. Check it out for more reviews!

After giving Blood Bound a three star rating, due to heaps of world building and character development (and not enough action), I was certain that this one would be a better title. That's usually characteristic of urban fantasy; after you've gotten the setting after the way, they usually get better as the series progresses. Sadly, I wouldn't really call this an urban fantasy. It's more a paranormal romance, with some action sequences in it.

Rachel Vincent has created an interesting world in the Unbound series. Two syndicate leaders, Cavazo and Tower, seek to bind workers who are born with abilities. They are pretty much as bad as each other. The first book focused on the perspective of a blood tracker named Olivia, who worked for Cavazo, and this one focuses on her childhood friend Kori, a Shadow walker or Traveler who is bound by Tower.

In Shadow Bound, Kori meets Ian Holt, a handsome stranger who she must convince to sign up with Tower's syndicate. However, he has his own motives for wanting to get close to Kori, and the dual perspectives show what each character is thinking.

I was interested in Kori's perspective, as she's got a lot of spunk, strength and a filthy mouth. However, as the story unfolded, you realise that she's just a really angry, unpleasant person. Granted she has gone through a lot, especially being tortured and whatnot in Tower's basement, but it seems like she already started out that way based on her personality in the first book.

Unfortunately as I got into Shadow Bound, I realised the book was plagued with the same problems of the first. There's so much talking, character thoughts, and character development that pretty much nothing happens in the book. In fact, you could pretty much read the beginning, somewhere in the middle, and the end and you wouldn't have missed much of the story. The end was very abrupt and the final reveal wasn't very shocking at all. Or perhaps, that's because I just didn't really care about these two characters in the end.

[Lady Jaye · Rating 2 out of 5]

After Bood bound left me on tenterhooks, I couldn't wait to read Shadow Bound. It's probably my biggest disappointment of 2012 so far. Here's the thing: Ms. Vincent creates world-building masterpieces. They are unique and engrossing and just...fabulous. However, her characters usually incite a desire to do violence in me. Reading Shadow Bound made me angry in degrees. I started off angry about the mess the dead girl's selfishness had gotten all of them into. By the time I finished, I was seething at the foolishness of Kori and Ian. Enjoying this book to any degree depends heavily on being sympathetic to the characters, which I could not find it in me to do because they were all TSTL.

Cast of Characters

The Daniels Family: This is a world where any display of some power will attract attention from mobsters who are looking to add the skilled - willingly or unwillingly, to their numbers of minions. This hinges on Binders, the people whose specific skill it is to bind people's wills to their contracts (and so to the mobsters). You discover by painful experience that your sister is a very powerful binder, which guarantees the mobsters will be after her her entire life if they get wind of it. What do you do? Well, if you are Kori Daniels and her family, you "shelter" her. You don't research into how binding works; you don't teach her what she needs to protect herself from being discovered; you don't impress upon her the danger of her gift (esp. as a disaster has happened before); you don't teach her to be wary of people who ask for her blood and their motivations, and not to hand out her blood to her friends for friendship's sake.... knowing well that if she is caught, her skill will be spent binding lots of people to a life of horror and that her life will be spent in servitude to horrible people. No. You "shelter" her so she grows up to be a nincompoop. How is that any sort of intelligent decision? Exactly! It isn't. suffice it to say, Kenley is easily snared by Jake Towers and Kori goes with her to protect her. No intelligent life in this family. They knowingly laid the groundwork for this to happen. When people were telling Kori it wasn't her fault, I wanted to smack them. Yes it was! If they'd just exercised some common sense, they'd have nipped this in the bud before it begun, so that this story wouldn't be taking place.


Kori Daniels: We already know she isn't intelligent. If to save your life and your sister's life you are asked to cozy up to some dude, will your modus operandus be to be rude and crass to him? But apparently, she doesn't know that you don't catch flies with vinegar. But rest assured that she catches Ian, who's a prize fool himself. Much was made of how strong and indomitable Kori's character was. I didn't see it. I saw instead a TSTL person who talked crassly. That's all. No substance, no depth, no integrity, no nothing. All those fights she won were sooooo unbelievable to me. I couldn't understand how one couldn't just shoot her in the head.

Ian Holt: If you are on a mission to kill a stranger's sister to save your brother, a mission on which you can't afford to fail, do you spend your time agonizing over that stranger and whether they like you? Or about the urgency of your mission to save your brother's life?

A closer look at Kenley Daniels reveals a girl as selfish as she is stupid. And she is that way because her family made her so.


Nope. I couldn't support these people and their lack of common sense, self-preservation and intelligence. If nothing else, the fear of having Kenley bind people to such horrors should have spurred the Daniels family into raising her to be sensible. So much blood is on their hands.


Unfortunately the final book in this trilogy is to center on Kris, Kori and Kenley's brother. Owing to what we know about the lack of intelligence and common sense in this family, I'll be frank and admit that my hopes aren't very high.

0 stars for the characters; 2 stars for such a unique and wonderful world, and the promise it is denied by the nincompoops inhabiting it. If you do read this series, read it for the amazing world-building, not for the fool inhabitants.

My review of the first book, Blood Bound, is here.

*I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read: January 2018
Rating: 4/5 stars

Shadow Bound was an excellent follow up to Blood Bound. Here we switch narrators to Kori - introduced in book one - and Ian who is a 'Blinder'; someone who can create shadows for travellers like Kori to pass through. I really enjoyed their story; the predicaments they were in, their loyalty to their families, and their romance; which was slow to build up and realistic considering everything Kori had gone through in the past.

I can't wait to read the final book in the trilogy Oath Bound.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

{This review originally appeared on Clear Eyes, Full Shelves.}

Note: I have made every attempt to write this review free from spoilage about the first book in the series.

It was with both trepidation and excitement that I cracked open* Shadow Bound, the second book in Rachel Vincent's Unbound urban fantasy series.

Excitement because I adored Blood Bound, the first book in the series.

Trepidation because, well, I adored Blood Bound, the first book in the series.

You know how it goes: When a series starts out strong, it sets the bar high. This was doubly the case with Shadow Bound because the main characters in the second book differ from those in the first. I loved Liv and Cam in Blood Bound, their story was incredibly compelling, and Kori (one of Shadow Bound's main characters) did not impress me in the first novel. She was and unlikeable.

However, I enjoyed Shadow Bound even more than the first book in the compelling and creative Unbound series.

Taking place in world in which some humans are (un)lucky enough to possess highly-valued abilities and mob-like syndicates rule, Shadow Bound finds Kori Daniels, a shadow walker (basically, she can transport herself and people she's touching via darkness), suffering the consequences of her role in the events of Blood Bound. Jake Tower, leader of one of the major synidcates, has deprived Kori of the darkness she craves and subjected her to terrible torture (it's quite painful to read, even though nothing is described in detail--it's just so harrowing).

Kori is finally freed from her dark, basement prison to recruit Ian Holt, whose skill enables him to create darknes and remain unaffiliated with any of the syndicates. This is Kori's last chance to save her own life and protect her sister Kenley from a terrible fate at the hands of Tower's men. Kori is is extremely damaged, but still motivated by the self-preservation necessary to protect her sister. She's still the tough, surly, cursing character introduced in Blood Bound, and she's hanging on by a thread,

"Intact?" I grabbed the desk lamp and hurled it past his head and he flinched when is smashed against the wall at his back. "Do I sound intact? Did you miss the part where Jake tried to drive me insane with solitude and torture? Or maybe you missed the part where it fuckin' worked? [...]"

Ian has a secret reason for accidentally-on-purpose exposing his skill to the world--he wants to kill Kenley, the Tower syndicate's best binder (a binder seals the skilled to the syndicates--this is a very important power--and killing a binder results in all of the oaths they bound being broken). The tension between Ian and Kori's competing agendas is palpable from the start--and only grows as the two spend time together.

Despite his ill intentions, Ian is a good guy at his core. That's what makes him such a compelling love interest for Kori. He's loyal. He's kind. He's good-humored.

In the dedication at the beginning of the book, Vincent says that her editor reminded her that,

...shadows cannot exist without the sun. Kori needed balance. She needed Ian.

The juxtaposition between foul-mouthed, angry Kori and even-tempered, good-natured Ian is what makes their journey together so emotionally satisfying. This particularly suits the narrative style (alternating first person point-of-view), as being back and forth in the two characters' headspace is quite the emotional roller coaster.

The marked difference between the two characters does not equal a book about the good guy fixing the troubled woman, however. That's not the story at all. Rather, Ian helps Kori find her own emotional strength and it's that nuance that made me incredibly invested in them. As a result, I was rooting for them the entire book.

Also, Ian is pretty much a badass.

I often struggle with appreciating the romances in urban fantasy novels, because they sometimes feel generic with all the ass-kicking going on. Yet, in both of the Unbound novels, the relationships have resonated as emotionally authentic and made sense for the characters and the story.

(Speaking of which, Liv and Cam--the main characters in Blood Bound--make an appearance in this installment in the series. Fortunately, it's not the dreaded random pop-in of characters from a previous book. The pair are important to the events of Shadow Bound and I suspect we'll see more of them in the final novel.)

Additionally, this is a little thing, but it made me really happy--Shadow Bound features a non-white (half Irish, half African American) love interest. It seems to me that that's a pretty rare occurance, one I'd like to see more often. You can't tell as well in the digital image, but the cover also reflects that description of Ian fairly accurately. More of this, please.

Kori and Ian's story is a tough journey--Vincent throws obstacles in their path throughout Shadow Bound.

Even more so than in Blood Bound, the stakes are extremely high, with multiple lives at stake. I've written quite a bit off and on about how one of my reading deal-breakers is lack of consequences. It dawned on me when reading Shadow Bound, that one of the things that typifies Rachel Vincent's books is that characters always have to face the consequences for their actions. Whether it's Kaylee in Soul Screamers, Faythe in the Shifters series** or these newest characters in the Unbound world--Vincent makes her characters face the results of their decisions, and those results aren't neat and tidy. Shadow Bound is no different.

The last 70 or so pages are full of twists and turns, and I couldn't reach the end quickly enough, as I wanted to know if Kori and Ian would be okay. With Shadow Bound, Rachel Vincent has laid the groundwork for Oath Bound*** (out next year) being absolutely crazy and kickass, and I cannot wait.

Note: I would not recommend reading Shadow Bound if you haven't first read Blood Bound. Most of the world-building for this series takes placein the first book, with Shadow Bound focusing on events that will likely result in some intense action in the final book in the series. You could read it as a stand-alone, but it would not be nearly as interesting without the context lent by Blood Bound.

FNL Character Rating: Tyra Collette. Kori has both the physical and emotional strength of Tyra, as well as her fear of vulnerability. Ian receives our first-ever Coach Eric Taylor rating. Oh. Hell. Yeah.

*Not a figure of speech--even though I prefer digital reading, this title was windowed. I would not have bought the paper copy and instead waited for the ebook if I hadn't had a random BN gift card wasting away in my wallet. Windowing is one of the stupider things in publishing. Arg.

**Oh, Rachel Vincent, you and your wacky character name spellings. Kaylee, Kori, Faythe, Marc... the list goes on. Never change, all right? :)

**You know a book was good when, immediately upon finishing it, you start Googling for any tiny details about the next book in the series. I ended up combing through Rachel Vincent's blog for any tiny clue about what's going to happen in Oath Bound, to no avail.

Initial reaction:
Woooooo! So effing good. (I'll review this after I catch my breath.) I was worried after I read a really negative review from a blog I like quite a bit, but I loved this, maybe more than Blood Bound. It's amazing how much RV has developed as a writer since the first Shifters book.

[Ferdy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoilers

Kori Daniels is one of the Skilled, she can travel from place to place by moving through shadows. Kori has worked as Jake Tower’s (one of the city’s major syndicate bosses) bodyguard for years. She agreed to work for Tower and be bound to him in order to protect her sister, Kenley, from Tower after he tricked her into working for hm. As Kori is bound to Tower she is physically unable to resist any of Tower’s order, if she tries to resist his orders she suffers extreme physical pain and she may even risk death. As punishment for not protecting him, he locks her in a basement for weeks and leaves her to be tortured by his sadistic brother. Tower releases Kori to recruit Ian Holt who he wants for his powerful Skill. Ian has the rare Skill to manipulate and create darkness, Ian is aware that Tower wants him and so he plays along in order to get close to Tower’s top binder – Kenley. Ian has a deadline to kill Kenley in order to save his dying brother from a binding Kenley did when she was younger. Ian requests to have a woman show him around and gives Kenley’s description, unfortunately as Kori and Kenley look alike, Tower assigns Kori to him. Tower orders Kori to convince Ian to join his syndicate, he warns her that if she fails he will kill her. Ian has no intention of signing with Tower but he pretends to in order to get close to Kori and her sister.
I’ve read all of Rachel Vincent’s books and this is definitely the weakest to date - there were a number of things that really grated on me. I was really looking forward to Shadow Bound and had high expectations so I was disappointed that this didn’t deliver. There were some aspects that were quite good – the world building is unique, the fact that there are serious consequences to the choices characters make and also the action at the very end was entertaining though it did feel rushed. Cam and Liv make an appearance - I had mixed feelings about this as it just reminded me that they really didn't have a satisfying HEA because they were still ‘enslaved’ by their boss at the end.
Kori and Ian are the protagonists in Shadow Bound - they take turns narrating in 1st person. I’m not a fan of the alternating 1st person POV – I usually find that the characters voices sound the same in most books that use this style. There were some chapters that Kori and Ian we’re easy to tell apart from each other but regrettably in other chapters they both sounded exactly the same.
Ian and Kori’s romance was underwhelming and happened too fast. They lacked chemistry and charm, I honestly didn’t know what Kori saw in Ian. Ian was a dull, forgettable and whiny hero, he was a rubbish love interest - even after falling for Kori over the course of a few of days he still contemplates killing her sister whom he knows Kori would do anything to protect. He was also a rubbish brother as he was more interested in messing around with Kori than trying to come up with a solution to save his dying brother. I would have liked him to have been more intelligent and shown initiative when it came to saving his brother instead he just winged it and hoped for the best.
Kori wasn’t the easiest heroine to like - she was aggressive and acted like to much of an alpha female. On the plus side she was fiery, protective and loyal. My biggest problem with Kori was that her character wasn’t consistent, there were parts where she reacted how someone (of her personality type) would react after so recently being abused and then there were parts where her attitude and behaviour wasn’t of someone who had suffered abuse. To a certain extent some of her behaviour was understandable considering what she’d been through – after been tortured and locked away she would want to reassert her dominance. But then other times Kori would behave as if nothing had ever happened to her, particularly in regards to her relationship with Ian and Kenley. After being sexually abused no more than 2 weeks ago she jumps into a serious relationship with Ian – she overcomes her problems with trust and intimacy in a matter of minutes – it was just so unrealistic, Kori’s abuse was handled poorly. I hate when authors write about heroines who have been abused just so the heroine has a reason to act a certain way or so the hero can fall for the heroine because she’s survived and she’s strong. I also dislike when authors make their heroines act or think a certain way that wouldn’t ring true of an abuse victim just because it’s more convenient to the story to have the heroine behave like someone who’s not been sexually abused. I thought it was beyond ridiculous that Kori could take down a guy twice her size after being starved and tortured for weeks, it would take at least a few months to get back into top physical shape.
Moving on, I was very irritated with how much Kori coddled her sister, she’s only 2 yrs younger than her but acts as if she’s a helpless child. After being tortured Kori should be the one that needs help, comfort and looking after – Kenley shows more concern for herself than she does her recently abused sister. Kenley was a disgusting character – she was pathetic, selfish and spoilt. She was stupid enough to get herself contracted to Tower and then acted weak and helpless so her sister would feel obliged to help her and give up her free will so she could protect her. Kenley showed barely any remorse or guilt for making her sister suffer. I honestly don’t know what kind of sister would want her sister enslaved just so she felt safer and wasn’t alone in her ‘enslavement’. I don’t mind horrible characters but I hate it when horrible characters get away with it and are never called out on their actions.
The first 50% was just filled with long annoying, pointless and dull conversations between Ian and Kori as they tried to manipulate the other to their own endgame. Most of the characters were unlikeable especially Ian, Kenley and Aaron. The ending was the most exciting part unfortunately it just seemed rushed. I was pleased that Ian/Kori got a more satisfying HEA than Cam/Liv.
I'll still read the 3rd book because I’m hoping Vincent will be back to her gold standard.

[Μαρία Γεωργοπούλου · Rating 4 out of 5]

Όσο dark πρέπει για urban fantasy βιβλίο!

[Pam Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadow Bound

I gotta say I wasn’t expecting each book in the series to be a different couple but boy am I glad it was.

Kori is a character you won’t soon forget her story is powerful and heart breaking. But soo sweet too because the love she finds is unbreakable.

I really can’t say much without giving a lot away but just know that this book is probably going to be my favorite of the series.

I again loved the narration and can’t wait to dive in to book 3

*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*

[Valerie ~ Val Hall ~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shadow bound is the second book of the series, we find Kori 6 weeks after the end of the 1st book. Kori did take the fall for the breach in security and has been consistently and severely imprisoned,starved, tortured, violated in so many ways it's a question if she could be sane again. I cannot imagine anyone surviving all this and being expected to perform any duty. Luckily for Kori, she has 2 weeks to whip into shape resembling a human being and play recruiter for the Tower syndicate. Her objective, convincing Ian Holt who is a powerful Blinder to sign away his soul into Jake Tower's service.

Naturally Kori being a former member of the security detail of the mob boss and family, her interpersonal skills for making friends and influencing peoples are sorely lacking. Kori knows this task she is given is set to fail miserably but in this world, if you are oath bound and the boss tells you to do something...you well damn do it or suffer resistance pain until your internal organs shut down and let you die in horrible agony...same goes for conflicting orders. I just wish that that order/structure/oath be detailed a little bit more to see how much leeway every individual's free will is restrained but it was not done to my satisfaction (ok some small loopholes were exploited to advance the plot).

Here we have Kori, a damaged person forced to perform in less than ideal circonstances. This character is multi-layered, strong of character in a very weak body (after cooler her heels in the basement cell for so long). She prefers beer, strong liquor and hamburgers to fine dining and wines. This cussing, no filter character is a perfect counterpart with Ian. While Ian may have a conscience, his motives for wanting to be recruited by Tower are less than truthful. From distrust grows understanding and admiration...the hallmark of a good PNR. Kori, for all her orders and restrictions, manages to communicate to Ian how much it would be a mistake to sign with any syndicate.

Anything else would go into spoiler territory, I am at an impasse so I'm going to bitch a little bit. Kori has been starved for many weeks, she is rail thin at this point. How can you expect to have retain any muscle mass or even fat for that matter. She has been out of the gym but still manage to kick ass like a pro, drink and swear like a sailor while being beautiful enough to attempt a seduction. Hell, she is not a supernatural being and did not get medical attention for any of her knife or shot wound and still manage to save the day....suspend disbelief since it's fiction.

About three-quarters of the book was used for character development and world-building, the problem that arise is that the build-up was a bit too prolonged (meaning lots of touring and talking) while little is accomplished toward the goal of both character's 'conflicting' mission.

Another sticky point is the relationship of Kori with her sister Kenley. I could not understand the logic of threatening Kenley to keep Kori in line (Kenley being the Binder for the syndicate, the linchpin of all Jake's power). The ending came together fast but seamlessly, the downside is that you could see the punch line a mile away.

[Jennifer Estep · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book: Shadow Bound

Author: Rachel Vincent

Series: Unbound #2

Genre: Urban fantasy

Summary: Kori Daniels is a shadow-walker, which means that she can journey from one shadow to another. That skill, along with others, makes her valuable to the Tower syndicate, but Kori has spent weeks being tortured after her boss, Jake Tower, was shot while she was protecting him. Jake tells Kori that the only way to save her sister, Kenley, from being tortured the same way is to lure the mysterious Ian Holt into signing with the Tower syndicate. Ian has a power that Jake and every other syndicate leader is eager to get their hands on. Kori doesn’t like it, but she agrees to do whatever it takes to get Ian to sign on the dotted line. What she doesn’t know is that Ian is on a mission as well — to kill Kenley, who binds people into Tower’s service …

First line: If you live in the dark long enough, you start to forget what light looks like.

Cover thoughts: A nice cover that gives the reader a hint at the dark atmosphere of the story.

What I liked: The characters. Vincent alternates the chapters between Kori and Ian’s first-person points of view, which I thought was a really cool way to show each character’s thoughts and inner turmoil, as well as their changing emotions and loyalties. Both Kori and Ian have baggage, and they both struggle to come to terms with their pasts — and how they are supposed to betray the other in the future. The world building was also interesting, with the idea of shadows as a form of magic and a person’s blood having all sorts of power over that person.

What I didn’t like: The pacing. The book read a little slow, especially the first few chapters, and it takes quite a while for Kori and Ian to realize what the other is up to. I wish there had been more action throughout the book, but especially in the first few chapters.

Overall: An entertaining urban fantasy that should appeal to those who like a mix of action, magic, and romance.

Would I read this author again: Yes. I thought the characters and world building were interesting, and I’m looking forward to reading more by Vincent.

My grade: C+

[Manda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed stepping back into this world. I like how the story is told from the pov of both main characters, so rarely do you get to see what is going through the mind or more than one character in depth like this book. Love the slightly twisted, slightly dark story. Rachel has hit her stride and I look forward to the next time I get to step into the Syndicate's world.

[Amber (Books of Amber) · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10, of course! Did you expect anything less?

[AH · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I am a Traveler. A shadow-walker. I can step into shadow in one room, then out of shadow anywhere else I want to go, within my range. Sometimes I can look into one shadow and see through another one, somewhere else, like looking through a periscope, or one of those paper-towel-roll telescopes we used to play with as kids.”

Shadow Bound is the second book in Rachel Vincent’s Unbound series. This is not your regular run of the mill urban fantasy series. Shadow Bound focuses on people who have special skills: Travelers, Binders, Healers, Readers, Silencers, Trackers and the like. These “skilled” workers are recruited to work for powerful syndicates where they remain bound to their masters. These syndicates control virtually everything.

Shadow Bound takes the idea of making a deal with the devil and tweaks it. Instead of signing away one’s soul to the dark side, a “skilled” worker signs on to a syndicate for a length of service. Free agents are not tolerated in this world and the competition is especially fierce for the highly talented. Bound “skilled” workers are marked with a tattoo that shows their length of service and their rank within an organization. This is a dangerous world where defiance can cause debilitating pain and death. It is also a world where loopholes are especially significant and knowing the boundaries of one’s binding is of the utmost importance.

Written in the first person with alternating points of view, this book focuses on Kori Daniels and Ian Holt. Kori was introduced in Blood Bound, the first book of the series. I can honestly say that Kori did not seem like a very likable character in that book. Here, we learn a lot about Kori and her motivations and I began to sympathize with her character. Kori is strong, a good fighter, a fierce protector, and she has a strong will to survive. She is devoted to her little sister Kenley, the Tower syndicate’s top Binder, and she will do anything to keep her safe. Kori is a traveler and she can pass through the shadows from one place to another. At the beginning of the book Kori is being punished by Jake Tower for Kori’s role in an event at the end of Blood Bound. Jake gives Kori a chance to redeem herself: She is to recruit Ian Holt a powerful Blinder at any cost. Oh, and Kori is no longer allowed to keep a weapon on her.

Ian is a curious character. In this world, most unaffiliated skilled people hide their talents from the syndicates in order to maintain their freedom. Ian does the opposite and attracts the attention of not only the Tower syndicate but the Cavasos syndicate as well. Jake is so eager to recruit Ian, either freely or by force. However, Ian is not what he seems. He is not a systems analyst as he claims to be. He is much too attractive, too muscular for a computer nerd. His goal is to kill Kori’s sister Kenley thereby releasing his brother and many others from their bindings. Ian did not count on being attracted to Kori.

I liked how Kori and Ian’s attraction was handled. Ian is fascinated by Kori – he did not expect her to be alive when he asked for a woman of her description. Then he thinks he can use her to get to Kenley. Ian then finds himself attracted to Kori, her personality, her sense of loyalty, her ability to fight. He is at odds with his mission and his brother’s condition deteriorates. Kori feels despondent. Being with Ian is the first time she felt something for a man. She craves his touch. Kori realizes that they could never be together as Jake would use it against them. The relationship builds slowly and these two are wonderful together.

Shadow Bound is a very different kind of urban fantasy. This book will appeal to urban fantasy fans that are looking for something other than the usual vampires and werewolves. It is cleverly written and will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Series Reading order:
1. Blood Bound
2. Shadow Bound
3. Oath Bound (Release 2013)

Favorite quotes:

“I’m pretty good with knives. I’m so good, in fact, that I could sever your testicles with one hand and slice open your throat with the other, and you’d go into shock so fast you’d die without ever knowing you’d spilled a fucking drop of blood.”

“I’m a blunt-force trauma kind of girl, in case you haven’t noticed.”

Check out my review at Badass Book Reviews.

[Vanya D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOTE: I received this book for review from Netgalley.

Gosh, what can I say??? No words are good enough to explain just how embarrassingly marvelous this book is!!! You'd ask why embarrassingly, I'm sure, and here's the answer: Because it puts to shame any other urban fantasy/paranormal novels I've ever read. Then again, Rachel Vincent is one of my most favorite authors out there, so yeah...

I just want to start off with saying that the world building was freaking awesome! And I mean that with no reserve. Even though book one - Blood Bound - already gave us a pretty good clue what things are like in the fictional world of events, it was sort of like one side of the story - Ruben Cavazos's side. Shadow Bound takes it west - to Jake Tower's empire. Seen through the eyes of Korinne Daniels and Ian Holt.

We learn of new Skills, new people involved in the whole business of binding, new life stories. And we learn just how ruthless a man can be. And that's a lot.

I hated chapter one, because as a woman, it made me cringe at every word, every freaking thought of pain. It simply got to me, and I can't deny how fresh and how realistic it all felt. Sure, the weight of the pages kept me on my side of the world, but Kori's side was also there. I could see it. I could feel it. And I hated it.

Until Ian showed with that shining armor of his, ready to conquer to world, just so he could rescue the princess. Who was no princess at all, but a broken thing with no future. Kori had suffered through so much that she couldn't trust even herself. She tried to be strong, and she was good at it, but at night, when darkness took over, the strength abandoned her. All she had left were nightmares that she couldn't escape, couldn't run away from.

Ian had no idea what he was getting when he requested a petite blonde to show him around Jake Tower's world. He'd bargained for one thing and gotten something completely different. But not for one second did he regret it. No, he played his game smartly as far as he could under the circumstances, given that he was slowly falling for the girl whose sister he was supposed to kill. And if that didn't complicate things enough, he was also being hunted down by the other syndicates, because his Skill was just that valuable.

The emotional roller coaster was the size of Hulk in this novel, and I wasn't sure at all how things would end until the last page was turned. And I love it when I can't predict a book's ending. It sort of makes it unique. Makes me think of it.

I also want to say that the characters never got out of their personality. Not even once. They followed their own traits throughout the novel, no matter how difficult it was. For example, Kori did not abandon her attitude, or her fighting spirit, even though she felt like she'd lost herself. Ian kept to his chivalry, even when threatened with death. Tower didn't waver from his ruthless self, despite all the problems that caused him. Nor did any of the minor characters. Rachel didn't even once compromise with their personal traits for the sake of the novel. No, she only described the way she saw them. The way they were. And that was what made Shadow Bound so intense, so incredible and entertaining. So much that I couldn't put it down.

[Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was posted at Under the Covers

The thing I have come to realize about why I love Rachel Vincent's writing is that she can create wonderful, elaborate worlds that are very descriptive and manage to suck you right into the story. For the few hours you read one of her books it feels as if you are being transported there.

When I read BLOOD BOUND, the first book in this series, it was as very few books I've read before. A totally unique concept, characters that I came to care about quickly and a plot that grip me from the first page. I was left wondering where the story would go, and also wondering about the change in POV to another "couple", which is not usual in a UF series.

SHADOW BOUND definitely didn't disappoint! I have to admit that this book caught my attention from the beginning and it was totally un.put.downable! What a ride!!

The first thing I have to mention about this book is that for urban fantasy book, this felt like it straddled that line between a UF and a paranormal romance. Even though there wasn't a lot of actual romancing happening, the sexual tension and attraction between Kori and Ian was constant. Sparks flying anytime they were together.

The syndicates work a lot like the mafia, just that they are a bit magical or gifted. Kori, a shadow walker, had helped in the battle against her syndicate boss, Jake Tower, at the end of BLOOD BOUND. She has paid dearly for that. Reduced to a broken, damaged female, who is hanging on by a thread and with the only motivation of protecting her sister, she is assigned one task.

To bring in a new recruit, Ian Holt, to the Tower syndicate. But Ian has his own agenda and he's just playing Tower. His goal.... to kill Kori's sister. And the plot thickens!

So let me tell you about Kori. I loved her character. Her devotion to her sister from the moment and reason why she became involved with the syndicate, to her loyalty as much as possible to her friends, the way she rebelled against Tower if she was able. For her to still be standing and fighting tooth and nail after what she had to go through and be able to deal with feeling loved at probably the worst and best moment in her life at the same time. She opened up, she trusted.

Ian was also amazing! Loved his ability or power. He was perfectly matched for Kori because he has the same love and loyalty as she does. He is taking the ultimate risk for his family, and then for love. He was playful but also determined. And once he was determined he went for what he wanted and made it happen. No matter the ugly and high cost.

This book had a bit of everything, bad guys doing bad things, good guys doing bad things, and also some good in between for good measure. Again... I can't wait for the next in this series!!! For sure my favorite Rachel Vincent series yet!

[Feminista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5 out of 5.

So, I remember a bit about Kori from the first book. I remember thinking. What a b****. But I didn't know her back then. Or her motives. In this novel I ended up hating the couple from the first novel. I know, I know, it's like I have a personality disorder, but Rachel Vincent is awesome in securing my loyalty for which ever couple she writes about.

So Kori, a member of the Tower Syndicate loses her privilege as Jake Tower's personal body guard when she hesitates to save him from the bullet in the first book. She, by punishment, is sent to the "basement". 6 weeks there, Kori is left scarred and irrevocably damaged. It was not punishment, it was torture, it was rape . Her chain links on her arm force her to listen to Jake's commands, and when he tells her to not fight back and leaves the basement, Kori's body can do nothing but lie there and bear abuse.

The book starts when she is allowed to leave the basement. So we don't read about graphic basement scenes. To know it happened is enough.

Anyway, she is let go with a mission to secure Ian Holt's loyalty to Tower, by any means necessary (... even if it means using her body to do it). Holt, had exposed his powers to the whole world, a few days before on national television. Now all the syndicates are after him to chain him to them. He did so intentionally. He is also on a mission, but while it becomes obvious a couple of chapters in, I still won't ruin it for you.

In this novel, we see a strong woman recently damaged but not broken, and a man who is willing to do anything to stitch her scars. We see a fragile love that arises out of suspicion and distrust, but which the hero nurtures to life.

It was a beautiful novel. The urban fantasy setting was rich. The characters had depth and dimension to them that is hard to find. The romance is believable, the love is fragile but somewhat has its own strength. The action, plot and adventure all add to this novel making it a well-rounded book.

[Kayleigh {K-Books} · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadow Bound Review on K-Books

"We all have secrets. We all have problems. Part of the process is figuring those things out. One at a time."

Wow. I don't even know where to start with this review because this book was just incredible. All I can think to say it, it's amazing. Go read it NOW! Blood Bound, the first book in this series, was the first book by Rachel Vincent that I ever read and I absolutely loved it. It definitely made me a fan and since reading that book I haven't been able to wait for Shadow Bound. I was so excited when I got this for review and let's just say I was in no way disappointed with this book.

Kori is in big trouble with her boss. While on guard she managed to let him get shot and now she is being punished for it. In order to redeem herself she needs to recruit Ian. But Ian has ulterior motives. He is there for one purpose only to save his brother by killing Tower's Binder Kenley. But Kenley is the one person Kori will do to anything to protect. When Kori and Ian meet they have no control over the connection that forms between them. Can Kori really make Ian sign into a syndicate she despises being a part of herslef? And can Ian really betray Kori when he knows she would never forgive him?

If I'm honest when I found out that this book was about Kori I was a little disheartened. Don't get me wrong I loved what we saw of Kori in Blood Bound and I was intrigued as to what happened to her but I loved the first book being told Liv and Cam's story so much I kind of wished that it was continuing their story. I no longer feel this way after finishing Shadow Bound because this book was phenomenal. I think I may have loved it even more than Blood Bound, which I did not think was even possible. This story was fast-paced and addictive and I just couldn't stop reading. Whenever I needed to do something, I kept telling myself just one more chapter. Then that chapter would turn into 5. I was so hooked I couldn't put it down.

I loved seeing Kori's perspective of things and she is one of the best female leads in a book I have ever read. I love her. She's strong, foul-mouthed, drinks a hell of a lot and will do anything to protect the ones she loves. She has been through so much hell in her life and no matter who or what knocks her down she will get straight back up fighting and I loved that about her. You really sympathise with Kori and I just wanted to give her a hug after all she'd been through but she's have probably punched me and threw me across the room. I just love her, she is such an inspirational strong-willed character that anyone would want to be like.

Ian, *sigh*. I love him. I thought Cam was the best book boyfriend but I think I love Ian even more. He's so sweet and the complete opposite of all the other characters we have seen so far in this series, Kori, Liv and Cam. He is alike Kori in the ways that he will do whatever it takes to save his family. Even if it means killing. But when he gets to know Kori and know what she's been through you see the extent of his hero-ism by how much he really wants to protect her and kill everyone who caused her any harm.

One of the things I really love about this series is that you get to see the perspective of both charaters. You have alternate chapters from their points of view and I really love books that use this as I feel like you get closer to both of the main characters, not just one of them. I loved that you got to see inside both Kori and Ian's head and I think that just made me love the characters and love this book even more.

Rachel has once again blew me away with this world and I was so hooked to the book I couldn't put it down. I think that shows just how much of an amazing author she truly is and I will read every single one of her books. No matter what they are about I will read them because she is truly amazing.
I can't wait to read the third book in this series and I am now sat wondering who it will be about. Following Kori and Ian? Liv and Cam? All four of them? Someone new? So many questions going around in my head and I can't wait to find out the answers. But either way one thing is for certain, I will be reading it as soon as I can get my hands on it.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin UK Publishers for letting me review this book*

"I hadn't realised how empty my life was, so far from everyone I'd ever loved - until I met her."

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Blood Bound in January this year (recommended by Shiran, huge thanks) and was absolutely blown away. I had never read anything quite like this before. So I have been not so patiently waiting for Shadow Bound since then.
I was worried this book couldn't possibly be any better than the first, but I am so happy to say that I was very impressed. Shadow Bound sucked me straight back into the terrifying syndicate world that I loved so much. I also really liked the fact that the first installment was firmly grounded in Cavasos territory and this book was set in Tower's. Let's just say it was a real eye opener.

Now, we had already met the heroine Kori and we knew that after the events in Blood Bound that Tower would not let her get away with helping the enemy. But the punishment he subjected her to was absolutely horrifying and showed us from the very beginnng what kind of monster Tower really is.

Well as I said before, the storylines that run through these books are incredibly complex so much so that you often feel like your head is spinning (which I swear is not a bad thing).

Ian (the hero) is sent to kill Kori's sister Henley to free his dying brother from an unknown binding. Tower invites him to a party because he wants Ian to sign up to his syndicate. He is pulling all his tricks out of the bag to get Ian where he wants him.
Ian requests a specific kind of girl to show him around the city, but Tower has other ideas. He dusgustingly tells Kori to to do whatever it takes to get Ian to sign.
Kori immediately sets the record straight with Ian and threatens him with castration and dismemeberment, leaving him to ponder on that thought.

'This was not the woman I'd ordered.' lol

Although the hero and heroine have very different initial goals, they manage to come togtether beautifully. Even their skills seem to compliment eachother perfectly. He creates the darkness and she allows them both to walk through it.

"Besides, the dark is my natural habitat, rememeber? Who cares if the sun never rises again? We'll thrive in the dark together." - Ian

I absolutely loved Ian. He was so kind and caring, whitty and flirtatious. He pushes all the right buttons with Kori, pushing her just enough so she snaps and that seems to bring out the best in her. He makes her laugh for the first time, well, since she can remember.

Ian is devastated when he realises that Kori never had any choice whether she spent time with him and took him to all these places. Worst of all he worries that all the feelings they have shared together have been a lie, that in fact she feels nothing for him at all. But when he realises that all her feelings have been real he decides to do whatever it takes to keep her and to keep her safe from Tower.
"I want you, and not as a signing bonus. I want to be with you. I want to fall asleep touching you, and I want to see you first thing in the morning. I want you to answer the phone and smile when you hear my voice. I want to be the only one you ever look at like you're looking at me now. That's what I want. What do you want?"

As in the first book, the ending was jam-packed with action and so many little twists and turns that left me completely astounded.

It was great so see a little glimpse of Liv and Cam, finally getting the answer (even though I had kind of already guessed her answer) that Liv chose to serve Cavazos for another seven and a half years to reduce Cam's contract. It was also hard to see them as the opposition, to remeber that they're not really assholes, that they're just doing their jobs. I hope we get to see them again.

I will leave the review there so I don't spoil anything, but I will end this by sanding that I devoured every single page of this book and I just couldn't put it down. I think I liked both books equally even though they were very different.

Oh god, now I have to wait like a year for the next book! Which has also left me wondering who that will be about?

[Liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Shadow Bound was book #2 to the Unbound series. Its central characters were Kori Daniels (a shadow walker whom we met in book #1, Blood Bound) and Ian Holt (an independent Skilled character who was not attached to any syndicate groups).

Continuing six weeks from the end of the last book, Kori was found beaten, tortured, and locked away in a basement cell of the Tower syndicate, as a result of her involvement in the Cavazos syndicate invasion into Jake Tower's home. Kori was temporarily relieved from her predicament because Jake needed to use her as a recruiter to convince Ian Holt to join the Tower syndicate. Ian happened to be an unusually powerful Blinder, whose skill to create complete darkness was extremely rare. Kori must achieve her goal or Tower would execute her to demonstrate an object lesson to other syndicate members and her sister Kenley's life would also be at risk.

I liked this instalment much better than book #1, because I actually feel connected to the characters. Kori was a character with multi-layers and was a fallible character who exhibited badassness as well as vulnerability. She was one anguished heroine, who was innately honourable but unfortunately was forced to do evil things due to her bindings to Tower. I must say that I always had a soft spot for tortured heroes so I liked reading about Kori and her constant defiance of the syndicate. The author also dedicated a lot of pages to both Kori and Ian in character development and in particular, she spent quite some length in describing Ian’s struggle and eventual conversion from the potential spy/enemy to an ally/love interest for Kori. I thought Kori and Ian were likeable characters and I enjoyed reading their story. I especially liked the fact that their Skills complemented each others and made their pairing so much more versatile and stronger.

What I didn’t like about this book was that the first three-quarters of the book were spent in character development and world-building. I might seem to be contradicting myself because I just mentioned that I liked the character development above?!? Well, while I appreciated the efforts, I thought the build-up was a bit too prolonged (i.e. characters spent too much talking, eating, touring) and not much doing until towards the last quarter of the book.

There were some parts in the story that I thought didn’t make sense also. For example, if Kenley (Kori’s sister) was so integral to the syndicate dynasty, as she was the Binder who sealed most contracts for Jake Tower, then I didn’t quite understand how Tower could threaten Kori using Kenley as a bargaining chip. I simply couldn’t see how Jake could possibly give up this indispensable member of his crew. In addition, Kori’s over-protectiveness of her sister was also irrational and likely the root cause for Kenley’s stupidity. The solution to all of their issues would have been so much simpler if Kenley actually grew a brain and a backbone to help share the burden that Kori solely carried. So yeah, I didn’t like Kenley much.

The ending was good but I felt that it was over too fast. It might have been that the author spent so much time building the story and that when the actions escalated they felt too short and rather abrupt.

All in all, this was a quick easy read with likeable characters, and I’d continue to read more of this series.

[Jena · Rating 5 out of 5]

SWEET MOTHER OF JESUS. I cannot wait for this book! So many questions!!! And look at Kori! She's a bad-ass hottie! And Ian, mmmm can't wait to meet you! And cannot WAIT for more Cam and Liv!

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Bad ass and rebellious, but still in same dark world we know and love. When I read Blood Bound, it had instantly become one of my top three favorite books. Everything about this series is sinister, binding, violent, and yet thrilling and enticing as hell. And, Shadow Bound in no way let me down.

We start off where Blood Bound essentially left off, except now we're in Kori's brain. She disobeyed her boss and for that she was punished and tortured. But, lucky for her, she's given a chance to redeem herself with a new job. And redeeming herself and protecting her sister is all the matters to her. Jake tells her she must do whatever it takes, and I mean whatever, to recruit Ian Holt. Otherwise she and Ian will be killed... leaving her sister alone. Ian has the ability to manipulate the dark which is extremely rare. But, Ian has a job of his own and that's to kill Kori's sister Kenley. As the two grow close, they'll have to determine what's more important each other, the syndicate, or their families.

The concepts of this world never cease to blow me away. Despite how menacing the Unbound world is, I constantly find myself falling in love with it and its characters. Through every bloody turn and every uneasy encounter, I always find myself needing to know what happens next. Rachel also has such a way of intertwining her words into perfect sentences. I felt like every other page there was a line or paragraph I was quoting. Lines that hit me so deep. It's just yet another thing that makes me love every part of Shadow Bound.

With Blood Bound, I fell in love with Liv and especially Cam. Cameron Cabellero has a special spot in my heart, no doubt! And I was extremely happy to see them again and their roles in Shadow Bound. Although, I found myself loving our new narrators: Kori and Ian as well.

Kori is one of the strongest female roles you will ever read about. And I don't just mean in the I can kick-ass, wield weapons, and castrate you way... which she can. Kori is also emotionally strong. Her family is what matters most to her, and no matter how tortured she's been she still always has that goal in mind. If I was in Kori's position, I'm not sure I would come out on top and she certainly shows the strength to do it. On the other side is Ian. Ian is also a bad-ass hottie but, he's not the snarky bad boy role... he's quite the opposite. He's kept himself low on the radar, he cares completely about those he loves, he's extremely protective, and most importantly he's an extremely good guy. I found myself loving both of their stories and watching them collide together.

Overall, I intensely adore this series. With it being adult it gives me everything I could ask for. Bad-assery, Romance, Cursing, Drinking, Family, Sex, Fighting. And I love every single moment of this dark world. If you haven't read this series... well start! If you've read Blood Bound, well I'm sure you'll love Shadow Bound as well!

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

Paranormal fiction by definition isn’t normal. It’s other, it’s different. But what makes paranormal fiction so good is how it plays with all sorts of supernatural things and makes them feel real and relatable. Even in cases like the Unbound series, where words and oaths are power, where Skilled people can travel through shadows or blot out the sun. There is no question that Rachel Vincent’s worldbuilding captures that perfect blend between paranormal and plausible, but unlike the previous book in this series, nothing else does.

I’m not used to having to be critical of anything Rachel Vincent writes, so bear with me.

If only the characters had been half as good as the worldbuilding, this would be a much more favorable review. But they weren’t. Kori was grating from the start. I didn’t believe anything about her. SHADOW BOUND begins with Kori being released from weeks of hellish torture where she was starved and brutalized in everyway possible. A couple weeks later she tops the scales at one hundred pounds and yet she knocks out massive skilled body guards and attackers left and right. Didn’t buy it. Nor did I buy how quickly she started having romantic/lust filled emotions for Ian hours after meeting him (considering her rape and torture only two weeks ago). Worse still was the complete lack of chemistry between these two. Kori was over the top hard with temper issues, endless clichéd gripes, and one stupid move after the next (every time they go outside they get attacked…the solution is to obviously keep going outside and act surprised when an attack happens). Ian wasn’t much brighter. He has an endgame that will 100% make Kori loathe him forever, but he wonders constantly about making sure her feelings for him are genuine.

Beyond Kori and Ian’s lack of intelligence, everything else felt ridiculously contrived. Why exactly is Kori picked for this crazy important assignment? Why is she allowed to stay on this assignment when she tries to sabotage it the first time she opens her mouth? Why do Kori and Ian conveniently forget that their loved ones will die if they don’t get the other to do something horrible and instead go on dates and share flirtatious backstories? Why does no one think to look for them at Kori’s house when they run off? I can’t count how many times I wondered why the easy, obvious action/answer wasn’t picked. I just didn’t get it.

I’m a huge Rachel Vincent fan. I gave the first book in the Unbound series a 5/5 rating so I was more than ready to love SHADOW BOUND just as much, but even though the worldbuilding is truly excellent and Rachel does write well, this time neither the characters nor the storyline lived up to it. Fortunately there will be two new characters leading the story in OATH BOUND when it comes out in 2013. I have to hope this installment was a fluke and that the next book will be just as killer as the first.

Sexual Content:
References to rape and torture. One sex scene.

[Rosy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was written for 'The Review Diaries' http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.co.uk/

I loved the first book in this series ‘Blood Bound’ which was released last summer. It was a gritty dark new adult world that really showcased Rachel Vincent’s writing, her world development, and her absolutely awesome imagination. So I was pretty excited to get my hands on ‘Shadow Bound’.

Whilst Shadow Bound was brilliant as I had been expecting, I did find it a lot harder to read than the first book in the series. The material is a lot heavier and darker and I found it actually physically gruelling and emotionally exhausting to read parts of the book. That didn’t diminish my overall enjoyment, it was just quite a shock to delve into such a heavy book when I hadn’t been anticipating it.
As a result it took me several days of dipping in and out to read it, and I felt a little wrung out by the end of it.

I loved Kori and Ian, they were a fantastically complex couple who I really fell in love with. They were flawed and selfish but ultimately desperate for redemption from the dark holes they’d fallen into. That and revenge, never forget the revenge. You didn’t really get a glimpse of this side of Kori in her brief appearance in the first book – mind you a lot of her trauma occurs after the events of the first book, and it was really good to see that flip side and the fall out for her after her actions in the first book.

Some of the acts of violence and destruction were horrific. Vincent takes her writing skills to a whole new level with this, because it is gritty and disturbing and horribly real. It feels as though you are right there with Kori and it ain’t a pretty ride.

‘Shadow Bound’ really plays with your emotions. Right from the first page it is twisted and horrid, but there a moments of pure happiness that cut through all of the agony and pain and make it all worthwhile. It’s depressing, but there is hope, and that is why it is worth it. The emotional payoff by the time I closed the book was definitely worth the heart breaking journey all the way through.

Vincent takes the world she’s set up in the first book, admittedly already quite dark and twisted and turns it inside out. The syndicates that we saw elements of in the first book look like playful kittens compared to the stuff we see when Kori has fallen from grace. It’s brutal in every way, and makes Kori one of the most compelling and heart breaking heroines I’ve read in some time.

I loved it. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting from Vincent, but at the same time it’s probably some of her best writing. There is a very big shift happening, each book Vincent writes is better than the last one, and the emotional turmoil is some of her darkest, but also some of her best writing. It was a hard book to read, but it was completely worth it. But I wish someone could have given me a heads up going in that I was heading down the rabbit hole.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted at RabidReads.com.

I’ve been on a bit of relisten kick lately, ever since late last year. I decided I would relisten to this series. It is one that I really loved and since wasn’t reviewing when I read them the first time, I thought now would be a great time.

So, the Bound series. It is a PNR series that takes place in a world just like the one we live in today. However, their are people in this world that have special abilities. These “skills” (not a complete list, but the most important ones):

Trackers, people who can try by blood or name
Readers, people who can tell when a person is lying
Travelers, people who can travel from one dark shadow to another
Blinders, people who can create darkness around them
Jammers, people who block the signature of other skilled people. Many hare highly paid nannies to help keep children from being found by trackers
Binders, people who can bind you a contract to the point that it can kill you to break that contract.
That last one is really important. There are two “leaders” in this city. Ruben Cavazos and Jake Tower. They each control about a third of the city, with the last third being “free”. These guys are kinda like mob bosses. They offer to help people who are desperate and then sign these people to an unbreakable contract. Their underlings get chainlinks tattooed on their bodies to show their affiliations. The more links, the longer you’re in the syndicate or how long you’ve signed up for.

I will also mention that names have a lot of power in them. Every Skilled person has four names, first, last and two middle. Each parent assigns a middle name, but they don’t tell the other. This way, only the actual person knows all four names. That is something that they hold close and rarely share. They even go so far as to name their children where the first name can be shorten, so that you aren’t using your full name on a daily basis.

This story follows Kori. There was some things that happened in the first book that got her in a lot of trouble (putting it mildly). She’s been released from her prison to help recruit a new guy, Ian, who’s a blinder. He can create shadows so dark people can’t see at all. Ian is one of the strongest binders anyone has ever seen. Kori must get him to sign with Tower or she might not live much longer. Ian has his own agenda and has no intention of signing.

Narration
Gabra Zackman does an amazing job with the narration of this series. She keeps the voices consistent from book to book. I like her men and women’s voices. As these stories are told from first person POV that switches between the hero and heroine, Zackman even changes the narration parts so you can tell if the male or female is telling the story. Made the switch of POVs very easy to follow.

[Carmel (Rabid Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

Rachel Vincent is an auto-buy author for me; so much so that I couldn't resist pre-ordering Shadow Bound a month before its release. Then I got my hands on an ARC five days before the publication date which means that I thankfully didn't have to wait for my mailman to show up. The Unbound world is exactly how I remembered it, pure awesomeness. Vincent has a real gift for storytelling and will have you eating out of the palm of her hand in no time. Even though Kori and Ian's characters didn't quite do it for me and some of their actions aren't always exactly credible; there's still more good than bad to be had in Shadow Bound.

This installment focuses on the darker skills, namely shadow-walking and blinding. Right off the bat I felt a connection between Kori and Ian because their gifts are similar in nature and work in tandem. Even though they do manage to resist each other in the beginning it was obvious that they'd become involved sooner rather than later. As a result, there is a certain degree of predictability to the plot that made the story not as enthralling to read as Blood Bound. Although, Rachel does explore the limitations of certain skills and explains how a syndicate contract actually works which I found intriguing and nicely explained.

It was impossible not to immediately feel something for poor Kori. When we first hook-up with her she's being released from "the basement" after 6 impossibly long weeks of torture, rape and humiliation. Needless to say, she's not too happy with her boss at the moment and the last thing that she expects to find is love. I enjoyed her spunk, fearlessness and snark. Kori is fiercely defensive of her sister and will never hesitate to protect her at all cost. Ian is smart, determined and loyal; his world gets knocked on its ass when he meets miss Daniels. Together their chemistry wasn't exactly what it could have been but they still manage to have a couple of really great moments.

The story took a little too long to take off in my opinion. I found that the character development dragged and the main plot didn't actually kick in until several chapters later. I hate to say it but there was an instance where I was actually a little bored. Vincent also introduces a bunch of new skills without really explaining them which I found disappointing considering she did such a stellar job in the detail department in Blood Bound.

Even though Rachel Vincent didn't hit it out of the park with Shadow Bound you can't help but be swept away by her exceptional writing and superior storytelling.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Proceed With Caution:

This book contains blood, death, murder, captivity, torture, and mentions of rape.

The Basics:

Shadow Bound is the second book of the Unbound series. It does follow new characters so if you want to skip the first book you can, but reading it will provide background for this one. It picks up six weeks after Kori helped her former friend rescue a missing child, but it also got her sadistic boss shot in the process, meaning Kori has been facing a brutal punishment. But now her boss needs her to recruit someone, which is not in Kori's job description, nor does she want to condemn another person to this life. But she will do anything to keep her sister safe.

My Thoughts:

I was surprised that Shadow Bound focused entirely on Kori, Liv's old friend, and newcomer Ian. Liv and Cam had completed their job by the end of Blood Bound, but they were just starting a new, if complicated, life together. There was still plenty to explore with them after the cliffhanger ending, but I can't say I wasn't eager to get to know Kori, as the relationship between all of the girls is what fascinated me the most. Sadly, we don't really get any more of their history, just Kori and Kenley's relationship, and how they wound up working for Tower. I was still hooked though.

Kori and Ian's relationship was tense to read develop. It's not an easy road, at all, as they're on opposite sides of a mission. Ian is tasked with infiltrating Jake Tower's syndicate and offing his prized Binder, Kori's younger sister. Kori is tasked with recruiting Ian into the syndicate or else she's dead and her sister is tortured. Obviously, they can't let the other know what their plan is, but they're both trying to get close to the other to reach their goal. Of course, real feelings have to grow during their deception.

The narration of Shadow Bound was also a step up from the previous book and not just because the chapters are labeled. Kori and Ian's voices actually sound different so I never forgot whose perspective I was reading from, which was great since they were almost always together and that would have gotten confusing fast! The story was also more romance focused this time around, which I also liked. The external plot was good too, definitely much more interesting to me than the first book, if less involved.

I really enjoyed Shadow Bound. It's action packed but also had a great romance at its center. I enjoyed getting to see more of this dark, crime fueled world and meeting different Skilled people. There's another sudden ending, but it's more happy than Blood Bound's was.

Read more at Pinkadot Pages.

[Sandra]

I read the first in Vincent's Bound series, Blood Bound. I enjoyed it, but I totally lost myself reading Shadow Bound.

I love a good thriller and throw into the mix a bit of other-world fantasy and characters that I love, hate or am amused by and I've a winner of a read in my hands.

Kori Daniels, the shadow walker, was bound to the dastardly syndicate leader Jake Tower. This guy has no sense of feeling for others or their pain. Everything is a means to whatever end he's aiming for. In this case, it's to bind Ian Holt to him and his evil intentions and Kori is the bait to draw him in.

But, Ian has a mission of his own that leads to a battle of wills, intelligence and ultimately of love for Kori and his own family. There are tangled lies, misinterpretations, and pain. This plot's the usual thriller mystery of good versus bad, yet the story and intricate characters are in a league of their own.

Then too there's Kori's dearly loved little sister who's the strongest binder in creation. She holds the power to not only create a binding, but to break one as well. The tangle in the this web is how to do it. She's not sure but must find a way.

Kori's character is one of a strong, butt-kicking, take no prisoners kind of woman. She's at her best in boots and jeans and coming up against some of the most ruthless syndicate members imaginable.

Kori's come out of an imprisonment with unspeakable torture and horror for betraying the sociopathic Jake Tower. She's promised freedom if she can only secure a binding to the syndicate of Ian Holt. If she can't recruit him, she's to kill. Simple and clear.

Characters ranging from despicable to lovable people Shadow Bound. It's a book about love, liberty, death and loss. Yet ultimately it's about the desire and effort to rise above what which seems impossible to leave behind. It's about the power of love for others. I finished this book late into the night, early morning with my eyes watering from not resting them and thinking what a great character Kori Daniels is with her boots and ninja like fighting skills.