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Bound by Blood #1
The Blood That Binds Us
She is the wielder of blood magic,
and she may end them all.
“Monster…”
Wren has never stolen a life, but that doesn’t stop her from believing her darkness makes her a walking nightmare. Harboring a power so lethal, unpredictable, and entirely forbidden by kingdom law, Wren’s spent her whole life hiding what she is—who she is. A bloodwitch.
Meanwhile, a war is looming, and Wren’s feral magic may be the only thing that can stop the uprising from destroying the kingdom, her home, and everyone that stands in their way. After her sister is captured by the rebellion, Wren must seek help from the kingdom’s ruler who would sooner imprison her than offer aid. Except… Singard needs her, and when she volunteers the use of her power in exchange for his help finding her sister, an unlikely alliance is born.
Forced into a reluctant compromise with the “white-haired witch,” Sin finds himself protecting Wren for his kingdom’s survival, but their star-crossed relationship quickly spirals into one straddling the precipice of hate and passion. As secrets are unveiled and loyalties are tested, neither are sure who they can trust.
When hostilities deepen and war draws near, Wren is determined to rein in her wild magic and bind it to her will. With the lives of everyone she loves at stake, Wren must look within and decide if she is the monster she fears, or if there is light to be found in the darkest parts of herself.
and she may end them all.
“Monster…”
Wren has never stolen a life, but that doesn’t stop her from believing her darkness makes her a walking nightmare. Harboring a power so lethal, unpredictable, and entirely forbidden by kingdom law, Wren’s spent her whole life hiding what she is—who she is. A bloodwitch.
Meanwhile, a war is looming, and Wren’s feral magic may be the only thing that can stop the uprising from destroying the kingdom, her home, and everyone that stands in their way. After her sister is captured by the rebellion, Wren must seek help from the kingdom’s ruler who would sooner imprison her than offer aid. Except… Singard needs her, and when she volunteers the use of her power in exchange for his help finding her sister, an unlikely alliance is born.
Forced into a reluctant compromise with the “white-haired witch,” Sin finds himself protecting Wren for his kingdom’s survival, but their star-crossed relationship quickly spirals into one straddling the precipice of hate and passion. As secrets are unveiled and loyalties are tested, neither are sure who they can trust.
When hostilities deepen and war draws near, Wren is determined to rein in her wild magic and bind it to her will. With the lives of everyone she loves at stake, Wren must look within and decide if she is the monster she fears, or if there is light to be found in the darkest parts of herself.
396 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 23, 2023
511 people are currently reading
35242 people want to read
About the author
Erin Mainord
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Erin is a lover of all things fantasy and more than a little obsessed with morally gray characters. She holds a degree in Film and Media Studies but has shifted her focus to her one true love: writing novels set in fantastical places with dark, twisty romance. A self-proclaimed iced coffee enthusiast, you can often find Erin writing in local cafes, poorly singing along to the radio in a Starbucks drive-through, or rewatching The Vampire Diaries with a cold brew in tow. An avid traveler, Erin has lived all over the country, but Alaska and the Pacific Northwest has a special place in her heart. The Blood That Binds Us is her debut novel, and she looks forward to writing more stories where the "villain" gets the girl.
Erin is a lover of all things fantasy and more than a little obsessed with morally gray characters. She holds a degree in Film and Media Studies but has shifted her focus to her one true love: writing novels set in fantastical places with dark, twisty romance. A self-proclaimed iced coffee enthusiast, you can often find Erin writing in local cafes, poorly singing along to the radio in a Starbucks drive-through, or rewatching The Vampire Diaries with a cold brew in tow. An avid traveler, Erin has lived all over the country, but Alaska and the Pacific Northwest has a special place in her heart. The Blood That Binds Us is her debut novel, and she looks forward to writing more stories where the "villain" gets the girl.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 649 reviews
April 4, 2024
Born to love romantasy, forced to be continually burned by it.
January 26, 2023
If you’re attracted to characters like The Darkling, despite everything, you’ll love Sin. If you like Rose Hathaway-types, you’ll also love Wren. Just add more violence, sexual tension, and shapeshifters.
I devoured this debut in about 48 hours, and it has all the elements you want in a dark fantasy— a realm divided, an engaging magic system, subterfuge, clear character motivations, and themes about how people with power wield their gifts.
There are parts of this that will make your chest ache alongside the characters, slow burn moments of tension that threaten to unglue you, and sex scenes that could make you blush (note: the author/publisher is very open about trigger warnings).
It’s definitely the kind of book that will keep you up past your bedtime to find out what’s next.
I devoured this debut in about 48 hours, and it has all the elements you want in a dark fantasy— a realm divided, an engaging magic system, subterfuge, clear character motivations, and themes about how people with power wield their gifts.
There are parts of this that will make your chest ache alongside the characters, slow burn moments of tension that threaten to unglue you, and sex scenes that could make you blush (note: the author/publisher is very open about trigger warnings).
It’s definitely the kind of book that will keep you up past your bedtime to find out what’s next.
October 29, 2023
4 ⭐️ 2.5 🌶️ with ⛓️
This book is marketed as a captor / captive - enemies to lovers to enemies - messy /relationship… with spice. And all of that is 100% accurate! But also I wanted more?
The bones were all there, it just needed to be fleshed out a bit.
But when the author nailed it… she really nailed it!
There were some welcome plot surprises I didn’t see coming,
I loved the morally grey main characters—and the spice 🤌🏽⛓️
There was also some beautiful prose hidden between lots of action. (I wish there was more time to breathe around some of these lines to really take in the beauty of it)
All of this makes me excited to continue to read the series and to watch how the author grows in her writing.
While I was able to read this book very easily, and I enjoyed myself the whole time, there were a few craft issues that held me back rating it higher than a 4 ⭐️
Things moved very quickly, so I didn’t get a lot of time to feel the growth of the characters. This made for a fast paced & enjoyable read but it also kept me at arms length with the characters motivations. I felt like I was watching it from the outside even though it was written in 1st POV.
Some of the plot was told to me and I was expected to take it for what it was, (believe the scenario) but some things just felt implausible.
I wanted to understand the magic system a bit more & have less descriptions on the plant life (yes the flowers are pretty but what type of magic does she have and how does she use it?)
Some of the words chosen felt odd at times—too much ‘fluid’ just call it blood?—Like the author was trying too hard to think outside the box when sometimes you just need to hold the hand of the reader & to explain things in black and white.
None of these things detracted from what was a really enjoyable story, but it did detract from it being an absolute BANGER!
I would still recommend this book if you are looking for a fast paced, spicy Romantasy with morally grey MC’s!
I will definitely pick up book 2.
This book is marketed as a captor / captive - enemies to lovers to enemies - messy /relationship… with spice. And all of that is 100% accurate! But also I wanted more?
The bones were all there, it just needed to be fleshed out a bit.
But when the author nailed it… she really nailed it!
There were some welcome plot surprises I didn’t see coming,
I loved the morally grey main characters—and the spice 🤌🏽⛓️
There was also some beautiful prose hidden between lots of action. (I wish there was more time to breathe around some of these lines to really take in the beauty of it)
All of this makes me excited to continue to read the series and to watch how the author grows in her writing.
While I was able to read this book very easily, and I enjoyed myself the whole time, there were a few craft issues that held me back rating it higher than a 4 ⭐️
Things moved very quickly, so I didn’t get a lot of time to feel the growth of the characters. This made for a fast paced & enjoyable read but it also kept me at arms length with the characters motivations. I felt like I was watching it from the outside even though it was written in 1st POV.
Some of the plot was told to me and I was expected to take it for what it was, (believe the scenario) but some things just felt implausible.
I wanted to understand the magic system a bit more & have less descriptions on the plant life (yes the flowers are pretty but what type of magic does she have and how does she use it?)
Some of the words chosen felt odd at times—too much ‘fluid’ just call it blood?—Like the author was trying too hard to think outside the box when sometimes you just need to hold the hand of the reader & to explain things in black and white.
None of these things detracted from what was a really enjoyable story, but it did detract from it being an absolute BANGER!
I would still recommend this book if you are looking for a fast paced, spicy Romantasy with morally grey MC’s!
I will definitely pick up book 2.
July 26, 2023
3 stars because I actually did enjoy reading this one. But man. Oh. Man.
I think all these new Tik tok authors suffer from the same weird curse: write 90% of the book where absolutely nothing happens. I am so baffled by how much I see this. It’s insane.
I spent that entire book reading about how strong and amazing MC is and yet we only see her fight once even though every page drips with her about to “lose control” and she never does anything. It was insanely boring.
True enemy to lovers. But it’s WHIPLASH how fast it is. No slow burn here. Just one page hating, the next love. It was confusing.
Light spoilers.
Some of the descriptions were just doing too much. “Smells like starlight”??? What does it MEAN???
And lastly the ending was just. For a woman who claims she has a blinding rage and can’t control it to actually stand and have a conversation with him instead of killing everyone around the moment she learned the truth? Interesting choice and not consistent at all.
I think all these new Tik tok authors suffer from the same weird curse: write 90% of the book where absolutely nothing happens. I am so baffled by how much I see this. It’s insane.
I spent that entire book reading about how strong and amazing MC is and yet we only see her fight once even though every page drips with her about to “lose control” and she never does anything. It was insanely boring.
True enemy to lovers. But it’s WHIPLASH how fast it is. No slow burn here. Just one page hating, the next love. It was confusing.
Light spoilers.
Some of the descriptions were just doing too much. “Smells like starlight”??? What does it MEAN???
And lastly the ending was just. For a woman who claims she has a blinding rage and can’t control it to actually stand and have a conversation with him instead of killing everyone around the moment she learned the truth? Interesting choice and not consistent at all.
March 1, 2023
2 ⭐️ DNF
I was really looking forward to this one but I just couldn’t get into it, sadly. There was a LOT of world building/fantasy info dumping in the first few chapters and I opted to skip over a lot of it because it wasn’t relevant/necessary right in that moment. There was also a mix between very formal language and modernised slang that I found jarring. I didn’t like that there seemed to be a lot of conflation between the marginalised people in the story and marginalised people in real life (esp historically)–I don’t know if Sin was being set-up as the love interest but because the real-world implications were so forthright it made me feel like he was a racist being set-up as a misunderstood hero who needs to learn to change his ways (I DNFd so idk if he’s actually the love interest/if that’s accurate).
Overall, I found the writing a little sloppy in terms of over-explaining, info dumping, pacing.
I was really looking forward to this one but I just couldn’t get into it, sadly. There was a LOT of world building/fantasy info dumping in the first few chapters and I opted to skip over a lot of it because it wasn’t relevant/necessary right in that moment. There was also a mix between very formal language and modernised slang that I found jarring. I didn’t like that there seemed to be a lot of conflation between the marginalised people in the story and marginalised people in real life (esp historically)–I don’t know if Sin was being set-up as the love interest but because the real-world implications were so forthright it made me feel like he was a racist being set-up as a misunderstood hero who needs to learn to change his ways (I DNFd so idk if he’s actually the love interest/if that’s accurate).
Overall, I found the writing a little sloppy in terms of over-explaining, info dumping, pacing.
June 21, 2023
rating: 1.5
This wasn't for me.
My main issue with this novel was the characters. I found both of the MCs to be unbearably unlikeable. And not unlikeable as in a character that was intentionally written that way; they were unlikeable in the sense that they just fucking sucked. They both were ridiculously dumb and deeply immature, which was offputting since the book dealt with such mature content.
The second biggest problem with this was the dialogue. It was... not great. Everything was said so bluntly. Subltly and realism went straight out the window while this was being written. A perfect example of this is as follows. FMC is feigning interest in a guy so she can extract info from him. The first time she gets him alone, she immediately begins asking about the topic that she's extracting info about. Genuinely, she doesn't deviate from the topic ONCE during their date. And the guy isn't suspicious or put off by this at all. It was all very clunky and had no sense of subtlety or realism whatsoever.
Sadly, those two gripes were prominent enough that it totally ruined the book for me.
This wasn't for me.
My main issue with this novel was the characters. I found both of the MCs to be unbearably unlikeable. And not unlikeable as in a character that was intentionally written that way; they were unlikeable in the sense that they just fucking sucked. They both were ridiculously dumb and deeply immature, which was offputting since the book dealt with such mature content.
The second biggest problem with this was the dialogue. It was... not great. Everything was said so bluntly. Subltly and realism went straight out the window while this was being written. A perfect example of this is as follows. FMC is feigning interest in a guy so she can extract info from him. The first time she gets him alone, she immediately begins asking about the topic that she's extracting info about. Genuinely, she doesn't deviate from the topic ONCE during their date. And the guy isn't suspicious or put off by this at all. It was all very clunky and had no sense of subtlety or realism whatsoever.
Sadly, those two gripes were prominent enough that it totally ruined the book for me.
November 25, 2024
78% an amalgamation of all the cliche romantasy stuff and it was all just out there w/o much build up or real world building in a nondescript dark castle 🙄 I should’ve stopped when he broke out “Little Witch” at 20%.
As for the ppl saying the MMC has darkling vibes: No mam. He was mysterious and fucked up and would roll up and chop someone in half with a hand motion. This dude licks his teeth a lot, says things like “your arousal smells like starlight”, executes teenage shifters for defending themselves and kowtows to his daddy.
As for the ppl saying the MMC has darkling vibes: No mam. He was mysterious and fucked up and would roll up and chop someone in half with a hand motion. This dude licks his teeth a lot, says things like “your arousal smells like starlight”, executes teenage shifters for defending themselves and kowtows to his daddy.
December 24, 2023
This book is terrible and it makes me sad. I am trying so hard not to give up on it but damn, the struggle is real.
The present tense writing is awkward and clunky. “I walk down the hallway” is not what I want to read. It should be “I walked down the hallway”. The author tries so hard to make things sound extra literary. Almost like she went thru a thesaurus to find the most pretentious and cliche words she could find. At one point the MFC compares herself to a goat? Sodden roses are brought up at one point?
Characters make decisions that make no sense. Why save your enemy? There is a lot of stinky land fill added to fill in space. Multiple paragraphs are devoted to world history and a few geography lessons that aren’t needed. All these empty calories are clearly being used to hide the fact that the book has no substance to it.
I’m only 20% in and have little hope that things will improve. I’ll try my hardest not to be quitter but I dunno. This book reads like it was written by an amateur fan fiction author and not one of the good ones.
Edit: 5 min later… “Curiosity pecks into my brain like a chickadee gobbling up seeds…”. I mean come on! Seriously? One of the dumbest lines I have ever read.
Edit: several minutes later… the plot is inconsistent. In one moment Wren is working to control her magic but in the next she’s claiming she doesn’t know where it’s key it. One moment she’s stating she’s a blood queen but does nothing to access her powers or stand up for herself. I wish I could give this book zero stars.
Edit: a day or two later. It did not get better and life is too short to force myself to read a terrible book. I’d like to know how it ends but the writing is too bad so I guess I’ll never know. I am convinced that people who review this book highly are being paid to do so or are the author creating multiple accounts.
This book makes me sad for myself. Sad that I am out here in a recession, working hard for my money while other people are out here “writing” stuff like this and somehow getting published!?? Make that make sense.
DNF
The present tense writing is awkward and clunky. “I walk down the hallway” is not what I want to read. It should be “I walked down the hallway”. The author tries so hard to make things sound extra literary. Almost like she went thru a thesaurus to find the most pretentious and cliche words she could find. At one point the MFC compares herself to a goat? Sodden roses are brought up at one point?
Characters make decisions that make no sense. Why save your enemy? There is a lot of stinky land fill added to fill in space. Multiple paragraphs are devoted to world history and a few geography lessons that aren’t needed. All these empty calories are clearly being used to hide the fact that the book has no substance to it.
I’m only 20% in and have little hope that things will improve. I’ll try my hardest not to be quitter but I dunno. This book reads like it was written by an amateur fan fiction author and not one of the good ones.
Edit: 5 min later… “Curiosity pecks into my brain like a chickadee gobbling up seeds…”. I mean come on! Seriously? One of the dumbest lines I have ever read.
Edit: several minutes later… the plot is inconsistent. In one moment Wren is working to control her magic but in the next she’s claiming she doesn’t know where it’s key it. One moment she’s stating she’s a blood queen but does nothing to access her powers or stand up for herself. I wish I could give this book zero stars.
Edit: a day or two later. It did not get better and life is too short to force myself to read a terrible book. I’d like to know how it ends but the writing is too bad so I guess I’ll never know. I am convinced that people who review this book highly are being paid to do so or are the author creating multiple accounts.
This book makes me sad for myself. Sad that I am out here in a recession, working hard for my money while other people are out here “writing” stuff like this and somehow getting published!?? Make that make sense.
DNF
October 3, 2023
I was absolutely blown away by this read! Erin Mainord has an amazing gift of storytelling! The writing was beautiful and captivating. I got lost in these pages completely and became immersed in this world of power, lust, and vengeance.
The world-building was done so well! There was so much to learn about this place but it was done so well that it was so easy to catch up with the knowledge. I love their magic system and everything to do with “the collective”. It’s almost like a person’s power core, at least that’s how I took it! I enjoyed learning about the transcendents and their unique shifter qualities. None of them being the same kind of animal. They are like mashups of a bunch of different animals. All equally as deadly. I hope to learn more about them in the 2nd book.
I believe the characters had some amazing development, especially when it came to a certain devastatingly handsome, Dark Art. I believe he grew the most throughout the story. I loved Wren as our FMC. The strength and power she possesses makes her such a threat and she wears that with pride. I respect her greatly for that, knowing how much she had been through. You could really feel how each character felt while only reading through 1 point of view. I found that fascinating!
This book was the definition of a true enemies to lovers book. You took the journey with these two and it was one hell of a ride! I cannot wait to see what’s in store in the next book after that ending! I’m left with a whole in my heart that can only be filled once the second book has come out.
The world-building was done so well! There was so much to learn about this place but it was done so well that it was so easy to catch up with the knowledge. I love their magic system and everything to do with “the collective”. It’s almost like a person’s power core, at least that’s how I took it! I enjoyed learning about the transcendents and their unique shifter qualities. None of them being the same kind of animal. They are like mashups of a bunch of different animals. All equally as deadly. I hope to learn more about them in the 2nd book.
I believe the characters had some amazing development, especially when it came to a certain devastatingly handsome, Dark Art. I believe he grew the most throughout the story. I loved Wren as our FMC. The strength and power she possesses makes her such a threat and she wears that with pride. I respect her greatly for that, knowing how much she had been through. You could really feel how each character felt while only reading through 1 point of view. I found that fascinating!
This book was the definition of a true enemies to lovers book. You took the journey with these two and it was one hell of a ride! I cannot wait to see what’s in store in the next book after that ending! I’m left with a whole in my heart that can only be filled once the second book has come out.
June 22, 2023
I’m so disappointed in my feelings with this book because I was looking forward to reading a book with a blood witch fmc, I don’t see that often and it was very intriguing.
However,both mc’s were pretty unlikeable. ESPECIALLY the mmc. I kept reading in hopes that there would be some kind of character arc, even if small. just when I thought he couldn’t get any worse, he becomes atrocious to the point that not a single thing could redeem him in my eyes. The fmc had a couple of moments where I admired her tenacity, but overall she came off as immature and lacked depth.
The world building and plot pace was kind of messy and made reading portions of this book a bit of a drag, if not totally confusing.
Overall I think the concept of this story was very interesting and there were some minor details I liked, but it just wasn’t executed as well as I hoped it would be.
However,both mc’s were pretty unlikeable. ESPECIALLY the mmc. I kept reading in hopes that there would be some kind of character arc, even if small. just when I thought he couldn’t get any worse, he becomes atrocious to the point that not a single thing could redeem him in my eyes. The fmc had a couple of moments where I admired her tenacity, but overall she came off as immature and lacked depth.
The world building and plot pace was kind of messy and made reading portions of this book a bit of a drag, if not totally confusing.
Overall I think the concept of this story was very interesting and there were some minor details I liked, but it just wasn’t executed as well as I hoped it would be.
February 24, 2025
This was a good enemies to lovers in my opinion! Fast paced and started immediately with the action and the world building in a subtle yet enjoyable way! The writing to me, is simple! So generally speaking, this is a fun read!
Wren is a bloodwitch! Apparently, this type of mages is extremely dangerous and feared, so they are killed on sight! I love her innocence and compassion, at the same time she is fierce and loyal to her family!! Her magic is so fascinating and her family is even better!
Singard is called The Black Art! He is the supreme ruler of the kingdom and he is a powerful mage with a lot of secrets that i honestly didn't see coming! I like that he did treat Wren as an enemy for real, not afraid of hurting her, it also has good banter and incredibly scenes between the MCs! What he really is was a shock to me, and what he did at the end was even more stunning!
So, a lot of revelations at the end of the book and the war is going to heat between species and hearts apparently!
Sin and Wren have great chemistry and i LOVED them together sooo much!!
Favourite scene involves a knife and a throne 👀👀
Wren is a bloodwitch! Apparently, this type of mages is extremely dangerous and feared, so they are killed on sight! I love her innocence and compassion, at the same time she is fierce and loyal to her family!! Her magic is so fascinating and her family is even better!
Singard is called The Black Art! He is the supreme ruler of the kingdom and he is a powerful mage with a lot of secrets that i honestly didn't see coming! I like that he did treat Wren as an enemy for real, not afraid of hurting her, it also has good banter and incredibly scenes between the MCs! What he really is was a shock to me, and what he did at the end was even more stunning!
So, a lot of revelations at the end of the book and the war is going to heat between species and hearts apparently!
Sin and Wren have great chemistry and i LOVED them together sooo much!!
Favourite scene involves a knife and a throne 👀👀
September 9, 2023
The Blood that Binds Us ripped my heart in two by the end. I am absolutely in need of the sequel because where it left me has me feeling as much pain as our FMC, Wren. Wren is a bloodwitch, and her kind are forbidden due to their incredible power. Taken captive by Legion, a group of transcendants (shifters), fighting the kingdom of mundanes and mages for rights. But Legion’s led by awful men who hurt girls-so you hate them right away. when Wren throws herself at the kingdom’s mercy to get away from Legion, the ruler of the kingdom, a mage referred to as the Black Art, Singard or Sin, thinks she’s a Legion spy.
She tries to hide her power but reacts instantly when an arrow is shot at Sin, and he knows she’s a witch (a mage just without the fancy background). She tries to run but he catches and binds her to him. Leaving the two of them stuck together. When Sin discovers her true power, and Wren discovers her sister has been taken, the two align their goals to fight Legion and get her sister back. But powerful people drawn to one another, with kingdoms and people relying on them, never goes smoothly. Especially when secrets are everywhere and nothing is as it seems!
The set up here is really interesting. We have the kingdom on one hand. They are ruled by a mage but have intense prejudice against some types of magical people. They are oppressing the transcendants and kill bloodwitches out right. Then there’s Legion who are ostensibly a small rebel group but are way too well provided for to that to be the case. Not to mention we learn how Wren and others were treated by them and it’s disgusting. Not that Sin is great at first, but he doesn’t do that to her! The two groups are mostly hated by the transcendent community at large as well. So we have several different sides. Even within the kingdom, Sin is letting his father have way too much say, while his father hates transcendants with a passion. We also know the gods and goddesses are real, as a goddess gave Sin his power. While Wren prays to the goddess of war.
This book was really intense overall. Wren and Sin are amazing main characters with such a palpable sexual chemistry! I loved them working together. They tension as they snap and swipe at one another, while being irresistibly drawn to one another. They have so many scenes where I sat there mesmerized by them. Their journey throughout the book as they grow to trust and rely on one another meant that the end of the book broke me into pieces. The secrets and unknowns catch up eventually! And it does so in heart breaking fashion here.
Wren’s arc is fantastic. As a bloodwitch, she’s at risk of loosing control and becoming a monster who kills and drinks blood, controlling people through their own blood. One who would be unable to stop from going on a rampage once they got one taste. She stays away from blood for just that reason. She uses the base powers she gets as a bloodwitch, but won’t touch the rest. It’s Sin who helps her reach her true potential. It was great watching him convince her she can indeed be trusted. Especially where he is the very law that forbids and kills her kind, believing they can’t be trusted. His trust of her goes directly against his own kingdom. But Wren opens herself up to what she can really do. It was absolutely amazing when she let herself go!
Sin’s is just as wonderful, if not more heartbreaking. He’s been keeping what he is a secret forever, while living with prejudice against transcendants and bloodwitches taught to him by his awful father. He hates who is and fights against it, feeling shame as he executes innocent people purely because it’s what the kingdom expects. But Wren helps him see the error in his thinking and helps to bring out who he truly is. You can see him change over the course of the book. He is drawn to Wren and can’t stay away even when he knows he should, for what he’s done to her alone. And he ultimately realizes that he is going to hurt her and can’t deal with that.
The ending brings everything together with the shocking revelation of what Legion truly is, and what has truly happened to Wren’s sister. And my god, this part absolutely killed me! The battle before it was amazing to watch, especially so to see Wren unleashed, and then seeing Wren and Sin unleashed themselves afterward…woo. Hot. Extremely hot! But the tone changes quickly as the end arrives with devastating information given all around. Both Sin and Wren are left shattered by what happens. In very different ways.
The ending leaves us with the knowledge that war is coming. And a lot of questions! How are Wren and Sin going to overcome this? Will Sin’s changes hold strong, or will what he learned mean nothing? Will anyone find out Sin’s truth? Will Wren truly overlook what Cathal did? Once her heartbreak fades and her statement has been made, will she truly go along with this? Legion has proven that even if they have good intentions, they are made up of awful people. While the kingdom has also proven to be equally awful, there is hope there I think. Sin and Wren could truly change things. Sin was chosen by the goddess for a reason. Wren is so powerful, for a reason. The two of them together could bring a new age for the kingdom and transcendants alike. But what happened at the end of the book may prove too much for Wren. I’m dying to see what happens next for these two!
I received an ARC of this book for free and am proving my honest review.
She tries to hide her power but reacts instantly when an arrow is shot at Sin, and he knows she’s a witch (a mage just without the fancy background). She tries to run but he catches and binds her to him. Leaving the two of them stuck together. When Sin discovers her true power, and Wren discovers her sister has been taken, the two align their goals to fight Legion and get her sister back. But powerful people drawn to one another, with kingdoms and people relying on them, never goes smoothly. Especially when secrets are everywhere and nothing is as it seems!
The set up here is really interesting. We have the kingdom on one hand. They are ruled by a mage but have intense prejudice against some types of magical people. They are oppressing the transcendants and kill bloodwitches out right. Then there’s Legion who are ostensibly a small rebel group but are way too well provided for to that to be the case. Not to mention we learn how Wren and others were treated by them and it’s disgusting. Not that Sin is great at first, but he doesn’t do that to her! The two groups are mostly hated by the transcendent community at large as well. So we have several different sides. Even within the kingdom, Sin is letting his father have way too much say, while his father hates transcendants with a passion. We also know the gods and goddesses are real, as a goddess gave Sin his power. While Wren prays to the goddess of war.
This book was really intense overall. Wren and Sin are amazing main characters with such a palpable sexual chemistry! I loved them working together. They tension as they snap and swipe at one another, while being irresistibly drawn to one another. They have so many scenes where I sat there mesmerized by them. Their journey throughout the book as they grow to trust and rely on one another meant that the end of the book broke me into pieces. The secrets and unknowns catch up eventually! And it does so in heart breaking fashion here.
Wren’s arc is fantastic. As a bloodwitch, she’s at risk of loosing control and becoming a monster who kills and drinks blood, controlling people through their own blood. One who would be unable to stop from going on a rampage once they got one taste. She stays away from blood for just that reason. She uses the base powers she gets as a bloodwitch, but won’t touch the rest. It’s Sin who helps her reach her true potential. It was great watching him convince her she can indeed be trusted. Especially where he is the very law that forbids and kills her kind, believing they can’t be trusted. His trust of her goes directly against his own kingdom. But Wren opens herself up to what she can really do. It was absolutely amazing when she let herself go!
Sin’s is just as wonderful, if not more heartbreaking. He’s been keeping what he is a secret forever, while living with prejudice against transcendants and bloodwitches taught to him by his awful father. He hates who is and fights against it, feeling shame as he executes innocent people purely because it’s what the kingdom expects. But Wren helps him see the error in his thinking and helps to bring out who he truly is. You can see him change over the course of the book. He is drawn to Wren and can’t stay away even when he knows he should, for what he’s done to her alone. And he ultimately realizes that he is going to hurt her and can’t deal with that.
The ending brings everything together with the shocking revelation of what Legion truly is, and what has truly happened to Wren’s sister. And my god, this part absolutely killed me! The battle before it was amazing to watch, especially so to see Wren unleashed, and then seeing Wren and Sin unleashed themselves afterward…woo. Hot. Extremely hot! But the tone changes quickly as the end arrives with devastating information given all around. Both Sin and Wren are left shattered by what happens. In very different ways.
The ending leaves us with the knowledge that war is coming. And a lot of questions! How are Wren and Sin going to overcome this? Will Sin’s changes hold strong, or will what he learned mean nothing? Will anyone find out Sin’s truth? Will Wren truly overlook what Cathal did? Once her heartbreak fades and her statement has been made, will she truly go along with this? Legion has proven that even if they have good intentions, they are made up of awful people. While the kingdom has also proven to be equally awful, there is hope there I think. Sin and Wren could truly change things. Sin was chosen by the goddess for a reason. Wren is so powerful, for a reason. The two of them together could bring a new age for the kingdom and transcendants alike. But what happened at the end of the book may prove too much for Wren. I’m dying to see what happens next for these two!
I received an ARC of this book for free and am proving my honest review.
February 3, 2025
Picked this book up to read for a signing event I am attending and WHAT A LOVELY SURPRISE! I devoured this book. I adore Erin’s writing style. You are literally in the book with the characters. The scenery, the action, the emotion… all of it. She has top shelf talent for staging a scene and the plot is so clever. The humor is a welcome break from the high stakes drama unfolding. I’m also a sucker for a TRUE morally grey character, and this book has several. She holds no punches with the TRUE enemies to lovers as well. The twists I didn’t see coming. This was the best way to start my 2025!! Love love love. On to book 2!!
August 13, 2022
I received this book as an ARC, and when I say I did not set it down all weekend, I mean it.
The worldbuilding in this dark fantasy is exquisite, and the connection between Wren and Sin is so wonderfully filled with angst. I would not hesitate to recommend this to anyone looking for their next great fantasy read.
The worldbuilding in this dark fantasy is exquisite, and the connection between Wren and Sin is so wonderfully filled with angst. I would not hesitate to recommend this to anyone looking for their next great fantasy read.
October 28, 2025
Omg omg omg I loved this! I cannot wait for the next one!!! This was incredible. Why do I never hear anyone talking about this book???
Edit: after spending a few days thinking about this book, I decided to bump my rating up to 5 stars. I really can’t stop thinking about it and really, really want the next one.
Edit: after spending a few days thinking about this book, I decided to bump my rating up to 5 stars. I really can’t stop thinking about it and really, really want the next one.
Read
June 8, 2023I'm so excited to finally share this angsty, heart-wrenching, slightly stabby, morally gray everything book with you all!
I had a blast writing the beginning of Sin and Wren's story, and I hope you enjoy their toxic, messy, complicated love as much as I did writing it.
Xoxo,
Erin
I had a blast writing the beginning of Sin and Wren's story, and I hope you enjoy their toxic, messy, complicated love as much as I did writing it.
Xoxo,
Erin
February 9, 2024
*Thank you to Lake Country Press and Erin Mainord for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review and feedback.
Erin completely blew me away with this story. I don't know what I was expecting going into this, but I was left completely breathless as I finished the last page. The FMC (Wren) is strong, sassy, and resilient BUT maintains a realistic personality, feeling a complex range of emotions and has room for character growth.
Our MMC is .... wow 🥵. Sin is not only written to be incredibly swoon-worthy, but he is also very complex and contributes more to the story than just a pretty face. He is truly a morally grey character and the romance is ACTUALLY enemies to lovers. The slow-burn tension on this one is 🤌🤌🤌
After a certain amount of romantic-fantasy stories, I have become so familiar with the various tropes and patterns of the genre that very little takes me by surprise anymore. Erin managed to do it though. I DID NOT see some twists coming AT ALL and am so impressed and happy with the writing.
All in all, the ONLY complaint I have, is that this was an ARC, which means this book is not out yet, which means I have to wait that much longer to read the second book... because THAT ENDING has me sweating.
Keep your eye out for this one, releasing May 23, 2023 - IT IS A MUST READ!!
*Recommendation to check TWs on this one before reading, as some content may be distressing to some readers.
Erin completely blew me away with this story. I don't know what I was expecting going into this, but I was left completely breathless as I finished the last page. The FMC (Wren) is strong, sassy, and resilient BUT maintains a realistic personality, feeling a complex range of emotions and has room for character growth.
Our MMC is .... wow 🥵. Sin is not only written to be incredibly swoon-worthy, but he is also very complex and contributes more to the story than just a pretty face. He is truly a morally grey character and the romance is ACTUALLY enemies to lovers. The slow-burn tension on this one is 🤌🤌🤌
After a certain amount of romantic-fantasy stories, I have become so familiar with the various tropes and patterns of the genre that very little takes me by surprise anymore. Erin managed to do it though. I DID NOT see some twists coming AT ALL and am so impressed and happy with the writing.
All in all, the ONLY complaint I have, is that this was an ARC, which means this book is not out yet, which means I have to wait that much longer to read the second book... because THAT ENDING has me sweating.
Keep your eye out for this one, releasing May 23, 2023 - IT IS A MUST READ!!
*Recommendation to check TWs on this one before reading, as some content may be distressing to some readers.
March 7, 2024
I really enjoyed this book, knowing it’s laying the groundwork for more to come. The magic system was a welcome change, with mages, bloodwitches, and shifters, as well as the mundane, or nonmagic folk.
I also enjoyed the political intrigue and themes of social justice behind the war that is brewing.
The tension, secrets, love and betrayal between Sin and Wren was thick and I cannot wait to see where their story goes from here.
I also enjoyed the political intrigue and themes of social justice behind the war that is brewing.
The tension, secrets, love and betrayal between Sin and Wren was thick and I cannot wait to see where their story goes from here.
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March 18, 2025
I am now OBSESSED with Wren & Sin!
Their captive & captor relationship, their angst, their secrets, their individual struggles with alllllll of this made for such an amazing story that I cannot WAIT to see how it plays out in the next one!
If you love villains, this one is definitely for you! Especially with that ending,,,ahhhh!!
Their captive & captor relationship, their angst, their secrets, their individual struggles with alllllll of this made for such an amazing story that I cannot WAIT to see how it plays out in the next one!
If you love villains, this one is definitely for you! Especially with that ending,,,ahhhh!!
June 15, 2025
it took me literally over a month to read this bc i think it was the worst book i have ever read literally what the fuck
February 23, 2025
Warning. don't start this book at night because you will stay up all night reading it.
This book single handedly cured my romantasy slump. My kindle is highlighted tf up.
I was a little confused during the first chapter, because we are thrust upon a battle scene in a magical world we don't know anything about it. It really thrust my imagination into gear. However, Mainord did a wonderful job of weaving the world building throughout the story, so it didn't feel like a huge info dump that bores you for several chapters. The politics of the magical world we're in weren't too intricate to the point that they confused me (sometimes I'm too dumb to understand fantasy worlds) but they had layers. There were multiple conflicts going on which made the world seem more dimensional to me, usually in fantasy books if there's only one conflict it can kinda be predictable, so the multiple conflicts allowed for the reader's mind to wonder where the plot would go. Idk if any of that made sense but it my head it did.
The betrayls were betrayling, the spice was spicing, the enemies to lovers were enemying to lovering. Oooh Sin and Wren were frustrating to read sometimes, only because they couldn't show to the other their true, conflicted feelings (they hate each other, duh!!!). Their push and pull was entertaining, and kept me strung along yelling "WHEN DO THEY FUCK!!!!!" because I needed it. The spice is about 75% in, but Sin and Wren's chemistry could be felt throughout the entire book.
I don't know why but I had the music from the Yule Ball in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire playing in my head the entire time I was reading about the ball. It was good vibes though.
Idk about anyone else but I did NOT expect those two things to happen. Can't say what they were, because they are major plot spoilers!!! But like I said earlier, they both add to the depth of the world and really amped up the stakes.
Obviously if you guys didn't know, Sin is hot af. And Wren is a perfect match for him. She challenges him and he challenges her about her powers.
It does end on a cliffhanger, but thank god the second book is already published because this cliffhanger left me with a lot of questions, which hopefully the next book answers them. I feel like based on how the first book ended, there's going to be a lot of new information in the next book.
5/5 stars
This book single handedly cured my romantasy slump. My kindle is highlighted tf up.
I was a little confused during the first chapter, because we are thrust upon a battle scene in a magical world we don't know anything about it. It really thrust my imagination into gear. However, Mainord did a wonderful job of weaving the world building throughout the story, so it didn't feel like a huge info dump that bores you for several chapters. The politics of the magical world we're in weren't too intricate to the point that they confused me (sometimes I'm too dumb to understand fantasy worlds) but they had layers. There were multiple conflicts going on which made the world seem more dimensional to me, usually in fantasy books if there's only one conflict it can kinda be predictable, so the multiple conflicts allowed for the reader's mind to wonder where the plot would go. Idk if any of that made sense but it my head it did.
The betrayls were betrayling, the spice was spicing, the enemies to lovers were enemying to lovering. Oooh Sin and Wren were frustrating to read sometimes, only because they couldn't show to the other their true, conflicted feelings (they hate each other, duh!!!). Their push and pull was entertaining, and kept me strung along yelling "WHEN DO THEY FUCK!!!!!" because I needed it. The spice is about 75% in, but Sin and Wren's chemistry could be felt throughout the entire book.
I don't know why but I had the music from the Yule Ball in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire playing in my head the entire time I was reading about the ball. It was good vibes though.
Idk about anyone else but I did NOT expect those two things to happen. Can't say what they were, because they are major plot spoilers!!! But like I said earlier, they both add to the depth of the world and really amped up the stakes.
Obviously if you guys didn't know, Sin is hot af. And Wren is a perfect match for him. She challenges him and he challenges her about her powers.
It does end on a cliffhanger, but thank god the second book is already published because this cliffhanger left me with a lot of questions, which hopefully the next book answers them. I feel like based on how the first book ended, there's going to be a lot of new information in the next book.
5/5 stars
February 19, 2025
✨ℬℴℴ𝓀 ℛℯ𝓋𝒾ℯ𝓌✨
📖: The Blood That Binds Us (The Bound By Blood Series Book 1)
“𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘧*𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵?”
Wren was cast out when her blood magic suddenly manifested. But unless she takes a life, her urges are kept at bay. Keeping her forbidden magic and secrets close, she strikes a bargain with the ruthless Black Art of Aegidale, the very figurehead working to put down the shifters- the only family she has ever known.
The growing threat of the rebellion forces Wren to risk everything to protect her loved ones. Will her darkness consume her?
Tropes:
⚠️Enemies to lovers
🩸Blood witch FMC
⚔️Broody MMC
⛓️Cąptor/captive
🫂Forced proximity
🗣️Banter
🧑🧑🧒🧒Found family
🌶️: open door
Wren is an absolute force and I love how multilayered she is. After suffering ąbuse at the hands of others, she endeavored to never be helpless again. Yet underneath her steely facade, she cares deeply for those she loves. The clash of wills between her and Singard was delightful.
As tensions rise, their fiery disdain for each other also evolves into heated passion. They may be bound by their oaths but will they become broken by the betrayals?
With alluring magic, snarky banter, and sizzling tension, The Blood That Binds Us is a wickedly entertaining first in series installment! I cannot wait to jump into book 2, The Bonds That Break Us!
Huge thanks to the author and Book of Matches Media for this review copy. This is my honest and voluntary review.
January 6, 2024
This was absolutely fantastic!
Enemies to lovers can be so hit and miss, and more often than not, there's no real reason for them to hate each other, so it all becomes a bit tame and low stakes.
That is not the case with this book!
Holy hell, I can't remember the last time I read an enemies to lovers where I was so conflicted. I spent the first third of the book wanting her to castrate sin, as their hatred for each other truly was palpable. The whole listing for one another while they hate each other trope was also not really there until a decent way in, so it felt like it caused interesting conflict, rather than just being some insta-lust with a side of guilt.
Wren was magnificent and I adored her. The whole.blood witch thing was really interesting and I thought she was brilliantly characterised.
Sin...well, calling him morally grey is probably an understatement. Is he a true villain? Well, I guess we're left to decide that for ourselves, particularly after that ending. What he is, is messed up, deeply flawed and conflicted.
There may have been a few niggles at certain point, like I could have done with more world building, but I was pretty much salivating the whole way through with just how much I loved my favourite trope done so well, so this didn't distract the read for me.
I am gutted I have to wait for the second book!
Enemies to lovers can be so hit and miss, and more often than not, there's no real reason for them to hate each other, so it all becomes a bit tame and low stakes.
That is not the case with this book!
Holy hell, I can't remember the last time I read an enemies to lovers where I was so conflicted. I spent the first third of the book wanting her to castrate sin, as their hatred for each other truly was palpable. The whole listing for one another while they hate each other trope was also not really there until a decent way in, so it felt like it caused interesting conflict, rather than just being some insta-lust with a side of guilt.
Wren was magnificent and I adored her. The whole.blood witch thing was really interesting and I thought she was brilliantly characterised.
Sin...well, calling him morally grey is probably an understatement. Is he a true villain? Well, I guess we're left to decide that for ourselves, particularly after that ending. What he is, is messed up, deeply flawed and conflicted.
There may have been a few niggles at certain point, like I could have done with more world building, but I was pretty much salivating the whole way through with just how much I loved my favourite trope done so well, so this didn't distract the read for me.
I am gutted I have to wait for the second book!
August 30, 2025
Burned by booktok. This was awful. It had every cliche that has ever existed. I felt like we were suppose to call it tension throughout the book, but it wasn’t. I also thought it was a direct rip off from every good fantasy novel out there. Manon. Feyre. Violet. Even down to the throne scene. Dare I say even had Frozen rip offs? Ugh.
December 28, 2023
This book was too damn good! I highly recommend it if you're looking for a slow burn dark fantasy romance that has blood lust, magic, spice, and betrayal.
This is hand down my favorite read of the year and I can't wait till the second book is out.. It ended in a cliffhanger that had me screaming!
This is hand down my favorite read of the year and I can't wait till the second book is out.. It ended in a cliffhanger that had me screaming!
August 7, 2023
I devoured this book! Dark fantasy with amazing twists and delectable enemies to lovers. Mainord is an incredible talent with the ability to surprise readers at every turn. I’m so excited for the sequel!!
July 7, 2024
Maybe a smidge under 4 stars but overall enjoyed this, had some unexpected twists!
March 16, 2024
Uh, up until 75% of the way through it's REALLY a rough read, so many things are forced in to justify the plot, like for example the random training sessions where Sin is...shirtless under the armor? Do you have any idea how unconfortable that is? Or the "sorcerer's high"/Rut forcing spicy scenes, or the tracking spell that couldn't be broken up until it could. At the same time a lot of stuff is complete filler, like the horse's kick, the useless trip to the goddness of war's sanctuary, the frankly filler interactions with the clearly oversized family Wren finds herself with, or the stupid random attacks by Legion, which's the first rebellion in the history of rebellions to be willing to meet the regular forces in open battle rather than preferring guerrilla warfare like all rebellions ever, you know, because there's very few of them (and if they're NOT few, how's the country still running? The island is small) Or the too many times Bennet whatever his surname is tried to approach Wren (making a complete 180° the last time so we wouldn't feel bad about him dieing, since up until their last interaction he was a rather normal suitor), like, she was supposed to scout around so many people, but ended up going out with this dude THREE times, when it took just one to confirm that he wasn’t conspiring against the throne, or the entire existence of Ileana as a character and her backstory coincidentally tangent to Wren's (first) captivity
Hey, nice link to how it honestly feels like we missed a book, and while i'm all for previous events having happened, this is way too much stuff to say "oh well this happened before". Seriously, Wren has her biological family, her time on the streets, her (way too large for how little they matter) adoptive family, her ex boyfriend/rebellion leader, her first capture, her self imposed magic seal and her second capture, then Sin has his own family history, his mother's "death", his father's racism and his rite of passage to get the powers, plus Ileana's backstory. If you find yourself writing a fourth of your book as a backstory refresher, maybe write that book first?
That said, once the action kicks in the story starts to flow well and Wren and Sin's relationship develops in a rather adequate, dare i say enjoyable, way. With the power balance shifting back and forth between the two, expecially after the big battle, but already present from when they start training her, allowing them to lower their respective guards and interact in a more natural way
Unfortunately the final plot twist kinda spoils all previous developments. I find myself at a loss as to imagine just HOW is the author going to pull off a redemption for Sin after he imprisoned Cosmina and manipulated Wren the whole time. I mean, i'm all for people accepting whatever bullshit is thrown at them by their love intrest (given sufficient reasons for the romance to progress) and just tank most abuse, but making her loved ones suffer for it? How can Wren even forgive that? It's litterally not her forgiveness to give, Cosmina (plus her family) would have to forgive Sin first, THEN convince Wren that she did indeed forgive Sin and ONLY then can Sin come to Wren with an apology, his speech at the end is an explaination, not an excuse, it completely misses the point of what was required and i really don't know how we can get a proper arc that isn't glorified Stockholm Syndrome, while keeping Sin's character intact.
Hey, nice link to how it honestly feels like we missed a book, and while i'm all for previous events having happened, this is way too much stuff to say "oh well this happened before". Seriously, Wren has her biological family, her time on the streets, her (way too large for how little they matter) adoptive family, her ex boyfriend/rebellion leader, her first capture, her self imposed magic seal and her second capture, then Sin has his own family history, his mother's "death", his father's racism and his rite of passage to get the powers, plus Ileana's backstory. If you find yourself writing a fourth of your book as a backstory refresher, maybe write that book first?
That said, once the action kicks in the story starts to flow well and Wren and Sin's relationship develops in a rather adequate, dare i say enjoyable, way. With the power balance shifting back and forth between the two, expecially after the big battle, but already present from when they start training her, allowing them to lower their respective guards and interact in a more natural way
Unfortunately the final plot twist kinda spoils all previous developments. I find myself at a loss as to imagine just HOW is the author going to pull off a redemption for Sin after he imprisoned Cosmina and manipulated Wren the whole time. I mean, i'm all for people accepting whatever bullshit is thrown at them by their love intrest (given sufficient reasons for the romance to progress) and just tank most abuse, but making her loved ones suffer for it? How can Wren even forgive that? It's litterally not her forgiveness to give, Cosmina (plus her family) would have to forgive Sin first, THEN convince Wren that she did indeed forgive Sin and ONLY then can Sin come to Wren with an apology, his speech at the end is an explaination, not an excuse, it completely misses the point of what was required and i really don't know how we can get a proper arc that isn't glorified Stockholm Syndrome, while keeping Sin's character intact.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2025
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was a super fun truly enemies to lovers, truly dark romantasy & I was eating it up! Here are my pros & cons (spoilers for sure) 👇🏼
PROS
- fast-paced & fun
- I couldn’t put this down — I usually only listen to audiobooks when I’m doing stuff but I sat on the couch staring into nothingness while listening & I just couldn’t stop
- a for real dark romantasy so check your trigger warnings
- slow burn & *truly* enemies to lovers where you can feel the hate & warring emotions & tension
- our main characters are flawed but you 100% understand why given what you learn about their backstory
- Wren is a badass & I loved pretty much everything about her, including her boldness & brazenness that made perfect sense for her character but also her aim to not be a method for killing
- Sin is the truly morally gray/black MMC you’re looking for because one minute he’s charming & the next you want to wring his neck
- the internal political struggle with Sin’s dad has me grinding my teeth I can’t wait for this storyline to continue
- great twists along the way that had me really surprised & took the plot somewhere super interesting
- solid slow burn payoff & the spice be spicingggggg y’all damn (the throne scene & the dagger scene I mean my god)
CONS
- the battle scene was a tad underwhelming but that might have been intentional given the cliffhanger at the end
- I might have missed this but I’m not sure I understand the history of bloodwitches vs. regular mages
- we got a little too creative with synonyms for “blood” & that was weird at times
Overall super excited to continue this series!
PROS
- fast-paced & fun
- I couldn’t put this down — I usually only listen to audiobooks when I’m doing stuff but I sat on the couch staring into nothingness while listening & I just couldn’t stop
- a for real dark romantasy so check your trigger warnings
- slow burn & *truly* enemies to lovers where you can feel the hate & warring emotions & tension
- our main characters are flawed but you 100% understand why given what you learn about their backstory
- Wren is a badass & I loved pretty much everything about her, including her boldness & brazenness that made perfect sense for her character but also her aim to not be a method for killing
- Sin is the truly morally gray/black MMC you’re looking for because one minute he’s charming & the next you want to wring his neck
- the internal political struggle with Sin’s dad has me grinding my teeth I can’t wait for this storyline to continue
- great twists along the way that had me really surprised & took the plot somewhere super interesting
- solid slow burn payoff & the spice be spicingggggg y’all damn (the throne scene & the dagger scene I mean my god)
CONS
- the battle scene was a tad underwhelming but that might have been intentional given the cliffhanger at the end
- I might have missed this but I’m not sure I understand the history of bloodwitches vs. regular mages
- we got a little too creative with synonyms for “blood” & that was weird at times
Overall super excited to continue this series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2024
Reread: 15/5/2024 I still absolutely love this book!
I received this as an ARC, and all my thoughts on this book are my own.
Oh... my.... gosh.... I could not put this book down. This book was everything I didn't realise I needed in my life.
Wren is such a bad ass bloodwitch, and Sin.. where can I get me a sin of my own?
The world building in this book is absolutely phenomenal. At first, I was slightly confused, but that has nothing to do with the way it is written.
The way Erin captures the world is amazing! I found myself enjoying even the smallest of details.
I do not want to spoil this book for anyone, but the plot twist I did not see coming and I am normally really good at picking where a book is headed so this was a breath of fresh air.
This book ended on a cliffhanger, and I can't wait for the next book. I need to know what happens with Sin and Wren.
I recommend this book to anyone who will listen lol but please heed the warnings. They were tame for me, but everyone is different.
Would read again!
Oh, and that's another thing I want to commend Erin on is her little note about mental health. It was very awesome to see, so thank you. ❤
I received this as an ARC, and all my thoughts on this book are my own.
Oh... my.... gosh.... I could not put this book down. This book was everything I didn't realise I needed in my life.
Wren is such a bad ass bloodwitch, and Sin.. where can I get me a sin of my own?
The world building in this book is absolutely phenomenal. At first, I was slightly confused, but that has nothing to do with the way it is written.
The way Erin captures the world is amazing! I found myself enjoying even the smallest of details.
I do not want to spoil this book for anyone, but the plot twist I did not see coming and I am normally really good at picking where a book is headed so this was a breath of fresh air.
This book ended on a cliffhanger, and I can't wait for the next book. I need to know what happens with Sin and Wren.
I recommend this book to anyone who will listen lol but please heed the warnings. They were tame for me, but everyone is different.
Would read again!
Oh, and that's another thing I want to commend Erin on is her little note about mental health. It was very awesome to see, so thank you. ❤
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