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Unbound #1
Blood Bound
First in a new trilogy from the author of the shifters series.
Most can't touch the power, but Liv Warren is special. A paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood, Liv makes her own rules - and the most important one is trust no one.
When her friends daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the young girl. And thanks to a childhood oath, she can't rest until the child is home safe. Except that means trusting Cam Caballero - the former lover forbidden to her.
Bound by oath and lost in desire for a man she cannot have, Liv is racing to save the child from a dark criminal underworld where secrets, lies, trauma and danger lurk around every corner, every touch and every kiss...
But more blood will be spilled before it's over...
Most can't touch the power, but Liv Warren is special. A paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood, Liv makes her own rules - and the most important one is trust no one.
When her friends daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the young girl. And thanks to a childhood oath, she can't rest until the child is home safe. Except that means trusting Cam Caballero - the former lover forbidden to her.
Bound by oath and lost in desire for a man she cannot have, Liv is racing to save the child from a dark criminal underworld where secrets, lies, trauma and danger lurk around every corner, every touch and every kiss...
But more blood will be spilled before it's over...
426 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2011
171 people are currently reading
10041 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Vincent
66 books9,787 followers[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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 806 reviews
June 18, 2012
You should be aware that this review is only of the first 200 pages (approximately) because I didn't manage to get any further.
When I read other people's reviews of this I can't help but think that there was big, exciting plot twist just around the corner waiting for me because everyone seemed to love the story. I didn't care for it, personally. Some girls made an oath as kids that means they have to do anything the others ask of them or they will die slowly and painfully. After years of avoiding one another, suddenly one of them turns up on our heroine's doorstep with the request that she uses her skills to hunt down a killer. The protagonist (Liv) is unable to refuse. And so begins the hunt...
Look, it's not terrible, it's just boring. Liv can find people using blood samples, so that's fairly original (no vampires, werewolves or zombies at least) but I felt the plot was somewhat lacking in just about everything except romance and sexyness. And that just isn't enough! That's why I kept reading a bit longer than I normally would have, I felt like it should hit me pretty soon what everyone loves about this book, but after about 200 pages and nothing really appealing I decided I didn't want to repeat my experience with Feed.
Liv is a decent protagonist, she's strong-willed and not pathetically sappy or anything like that. But isn't she just the perfect fit to the mold that is an urban-fantasy heroine? For me, she didn't stand out from the crowd and I won't remember her in any way, good or bad. I'm not sure if it's because I've been reading a string of Melina Marchetta novels that I'm harder to please when it comes to characters but I like them to be rich and interesting, I want unique personalities that take me inside their minds and their lives. But no, I felt distanced from Liv throughout all the first 200 pages.
And I also didn't like the switching of perspectives. It sometimes happened mid-chapter and it was really confusing, there was nothing to differentiate between the two POVs: no unique styles, no names at the beginning of the section and it didn't alternate equally. Sometimes Liv would get 3 chapters and then Cam would get 1 and then there'd be a bit of both in the next one. Mind-boggling stuff.
For hardcore UF fans this will probably tick all the right boxes for you. However, I've become extremely picky with this genre and I don't just want to read glorified paranormal romance. And let me tell you, I honestly thought the mystery came second to the romantic history and tension between Liv and Cam. Plenty of others disagree. It's like when I read Naked in Death I thought the romance subplot stayed on the sidelines and I was caught up in the murder mystery, whereas others thought the romance swamped the plot. I am in the latter group on Blood Bound and doubt I will read any more of this series.
September 19, 2011
Really cool. 4.5 stars
Finally, a paranormal book without a single vampire, were, or other paranormal creature. Yes, it can be done. I loved the concept of this book.
Blood Bound has a rich and extensive world. This is a world where a single drop of blood holds the power to expose one’s whereabouts, and where a full name allows a person to be tracked. In Blood Bound, people with specialized Skills are highly sought after commodities. Many different Skills exist: Trackers, Binders, Seers, Readers, Travelers, Blinders, Jammers, etc. Some Skills are more desired than others.
The crime syndicates stepped in collecting people with these Skills. Most Skilled people are affiliated either with Ruben Cavazos’ or Jake Towers syndicate. These syndicates play dirty and their recruiting methods are cruel but effective. The Skilled often find themselves bound to years of service to these syndicates. They are bound with tattoos that signify their rank and length of service. These bindings ensure that no one disobeys direct orders. A clever Skilled person always finds the loopholes in their binding and quickly learns how to be creative.
I loved the main characters Liv and Cam. Both are Trackers and they have a history together, even though they had been apart for a while. They are very much attracted to each other but they find themselves in opposing syndicates.
Cam was wonderful. I loved how devoted he was to Liv. Liv was such a contrast to Faythe in the Shifters series. Liv behaves like a mature young woman, carefully weighing all of her options. She is smart, resourceful, and stands up for herself against Cavazos’ abuse.
While there is a romance between the main characters, I did not find it first and foremost to the plot. Yes, I was rooting for the main characters. Who doesn’t love sexy times? The focus of this story was not the romance, but finding the missing child.
The secondary characters were interesting. Ruben Cavazos made a ruthless crime lord, but by the end of the book I was quite impressed with his character. Michaela was Ruben’s unbalanced and vindictive wife. Quite scary! Liv’s friend Anne was a Reader, a human lie detector, while her other friend Kori was a Traveler, a person able to travel from one place to another through shadows.
The book is written in first person point of view. I did find the change in point of view a little confusing at first, but I did enjoy the book. I was surprised to learn that the book only spanned a few days. It is jammed packed with action, flashbacks, and information. I really could not put the book down.
This is a great start to the Unbound series and I highly recommend it. The next book in the series is Shadow Bound. Can’t wait to get my hands on that book!
Review posted at Badass Book Reviews. Check it out!
Finally, a paranormal book without a single vampire, were, or other paranormal creature. Yes, it can be done. I loved the concept of this book.
Blood Bound has a rich and extensive world. This is a world where a single drop of blood holds the power to expose one’s whereabouts, and where a full name allows a person to be tracked. In Blood Bound, people with specialized Skills are highly sought after commodities. Many different Skills exist: Trackers, Binders, Seers, Readers, Travelers, Blinders, Jammers, etc. Some Skills are more desired than others.
The crime syndicates stepped in collecting people with these Skills. Most Skilled people are affiliated either with Ruben Cavazos’ or Jake Towers syndicate. These syndicates play dirty and their recruiting methods are cruel but effective. The Skilled often find themselves bound to years of service to these syndicates. They are bound with tattoos that signify their rank and length of service. These bindings ensure that no one disobeys direct orders. A clever Skilled person always finds the loopholes in their binding and quickly learns how to be creative.
I loved the main characters Liv and Cam. Both are Trackers and they have a history together, even though they had been apart for a while. They are very much attracted to each other but they find themselves in opposing syndicates.
Cam was wonderful. I loved how devoted he was to Liv. Liv was such a contrast to Faythe in the Shifters series. Liv behaves like a mature young woman, carefully weighing all of her options. She is smart, resourceful, and stands up for herself against Cavazos’ abuse.
While there is a romance between the main characters, I did not find it first and foremost to the plot. Yes, I was rooting for the main characters. Who doesn’t love sexy times? The focus of this story was not the romance, but finding the missing child.
The secondary characters were interesting. Ruben Cavazos made a ruthless crime lord, but by the end of the book I was quite impressed with his character. Michaela was Ruben’s unbalanced and vindictive wife. Quite scary! Liv’s friend Anne was a Reader, a human lie detector, while her other friend Kori was a Traveler, a person able to travel from one place to another through shadows.
The book is written in first person point of view. I did find the change in point of view a little confusing at first, but I did enjoy the book. I was surprised to learn that the book only spanned a few days. It is jammed packed with action, flashbacks, and information. I really could not put the book down.
This is a great start to the Unbound series and I highly recommend it. The next book in the series is Shadow Bound. Can’t wait to get my hands on that book!
Review posted at Badass Book Reviews. Check it out!
May 31, 2016
Definitely not as good as the Shifters series which is in my top 5 series of all time. This book, the first in a trilogy, took me 3 months to read. There were times when I read it so very quickly, and then I'd put it down for three weeks. But I finally pushed through it. It's told in dual perspective but I also felt like the voices weren't very different. I was often confused at which perspective we were in.
However, I did really love this urban fantasy, it was super unique and very original (though I felt there were sketchy loopholes with these powers some of the characters possessed.) I'm continuing with the trilogy and I'm hoping it'll get better with each book.
However, I did really love this urban fantasy, it was super unique and very original (though I felt there were sketchy loopholes with these powers some of the characters possessed.) I'm continuing with the trilogy and I'm hoping it'll get better with each book.
November 13, 2011
Occasionally I trade books with a friend and we force each other to read things we believe the other person will like but wouldn't give a chance on her own. I gave my friend A Monster Calls on top of a stack of books more in line with her standard tastes. She gave me Blood Bound and a whole list of rehearsed reasons, one of which actually piqued my curiosity. "It's like Holly Black's White Cat but with an adult slanted." If she hadn't said that I probably would have shamelessly hidden this book under a stack of 'to-reads.' I'm really glad she used that selling point on me and now I'm going to use it on you. I think if you liked White Cat then you'll like Blood Bound.
Blood Bound takes place in an alternate universe where a small percentage of the population is 'skilled.' The gifts are genetic and run in families. Our main character, Liv, is an exceptionally gifted Tracker who works best with blood. (There are two ways to track, blood or a person's name.)
In this universe, it's very easy to give away your free will with or without meaning to. Like with fairies, your full name is important and you shouldn't give it away freely. You can be tracked by your name. Dripping blood somewhere is even worse. Yeah, you can be tracked by a blood sample, but that same blood can be used to seal a contract that you're just not going to want sealed because aside from Trackers there are people skilled with Binding. It's very easy to accidentally give away your free will. A couple of drops of blood in the hands of a skilled Binder and you could end up a sex slave. You still have free will, the ability to say no, but the punishment is your body shutting down and dying a painful death in slow or fast paces depending on what you're saying no to and how powerful the contract is.
Before Liv knew what she was, she signed a friendship pack with her three childhood best friends. It was sealed by a little girl who didn't know she was a Binder. The pack said they'd always help each other no matter what. If you've seen the movie Now and Then, think that but with a 'or you'll die' compulsion. The girls eventually made another binding where they agreed to never ask each other for anything until one day Anne, one of Liv's childhood friends, shows up in Livs apartment and asks for help killing the person who murdered her husband. She burned the contract and now Liv has no choice.
This is where I experienced some annoyance, because despite Liv being extremely reluctant to kill Anne forces her to anyway. It's one thing to ask a Tracker friend for help they might have given you freely. It's another thing to demand someone commit murder for you, on pain of their own death. That's not friendship. To make matters worse, the male romantic lead, Cam tells Live to just do it because her hands are already dirty and Anne's hands are more or less clean. Oh ho. If I had an irritation thermometer it would've shattered at that point. Kill someone else because your soul is dark already? And how are Anne's hands clean if she's ordering a murder? I'm sorry, but if you're forcing someone to kill against their will than you're even worse than a murderer. If you're going to do a horrible thing you should do it with your own hands, that way you can look at the reality of your choices as you make them.
After the above happened I was like 'oh Rachel Vincent, you are up to your usual tricks.' I lamented never being able to like anyone in a Rachel Vincent novel, but I eventually found myself liking Liv and disliking just about everyone else. It took awhile to get over the prejudice ingrained by past experiences. (I should really be more ashamed about that than I am, but I subscribe to the fool me once shame on you -- fool me twice shame on me school of thought.)
Telling Liv she's already dirty isn't the last awful thing Cam, our big romantic lead, does. Still, I didn't whole-heartedly hate Cam. He's humanized by a few chapters from his POV. Without those chapters, however, he would've been a total wash, which means the entire romance for the series would've flat lined.
Anyway, aside from being bound to her childhood friends, Liv is also bound to one of the two men running opposing syndicates in the city. She's agreed to find his son for him and if not...
The multiple bindings and the web of fractured relationships set up in this first book make the rest of the series look extremely promising. Vincent did a great job with the world building, although she had a clumsy moments when she was trying to reveal her world building to the reader. We take a couple of time-outs from the plot so she can break things down for us. She does this by having Liv explain the rules to an unskilled, i.e. normal person, who is bound to one of the syndicates. I think most readers will take this fumbling in stride and never notice how awkwardly it was wedged in.
The book ends on a little bit of a cliffhanger, although not really. If you have any doubts about which way Liv's going to chose at the end you need to go back and look at the first choice she made regarding the syndicates.
Also, here's a breakdown of the skilled power sets that I remember. When I read reviews while I'm reading a book I usually want something like this broken down or spoiled for me so I can better keep track of what the hell is going on. Click if you want to know, wander off if you'd rather find out as you read:
Blood Bound takes place in an alternate universe where a small percentage of the population is 'skilled.' The gifts are genetic and run in families. Our main character, Liv, is an exceptionally gifted Tracker who works best with blood. (There are two ways to track, blood or a person's name.)
In this universe, it's very easy to give away your free will with or without meaning to. Like with fairies, your full name is important and you shouldn't give it away freely. You can be tracked by your name. Dripping blood somewhere is even worse. Yeah, you can be tracked by a blood sample, but that same blood can be used to seal a contract that you're just not going to want sealed because aside from Trackers there are people skilled with Binding. It's very easy to accidentally give away your free will. A couple of drops of blood in the hands of a skilled Binder and you could end up a sex slave. You still have free will, the ability to say no, but the punishment is your body shutting down and dying a painful death in slow or fast paces depending on what you're saying no to and how powerful the contract is.
Before Liv knew what she was, she signed a friendship pack with her three childhood best friends. It was sealed by a little girl who didn't know she was a Binder. The pack said they'd always help each other no matter what. If you've seen the movie Now and Then, think that but with a 'or you'll die' compulsion. The girls eventually made another binding where they agreed to never ask each other for anything until one day Anne, one of Liv's childhood friends, shows up in Livs apartment and asks for help killing the person who murdered her husband. She burned the contract and now Liv has no choice.
This is where I experienced some annoyance, because despite Liv being extremely reluctant to kill Anne forces her to anyway. It's one thing to ask a Tracker friend for help they might have given you freely. It's another thing to demand someone commit murder for you, on pain of their own death. That's not friendship. To make matters worse, the male romantic lead, Cam tells Live to just do it because her hands are already dirty and Anne's hands are more or less clean. Oh ho. If I had an irritation thermometer it would've shattered at that point. Kill someone else because your soul is dark already? And how are Anne's hands clean if she's ordering a murder? I'm sorry, but if you're forcing someone to kill against their will than you're even worse than a murderer. If you're going to do a horrible thing you should do it with your own hands, that way you can look at the reality of your choices as you make them.
After the above happened I was like 'oh Rachel Vincent, you are up to your usual tricks.' I lamented never being able to like anyone in a Rachel Vincent novel, but I eventually found myself liking Liv and disliking just about everyone else. It took awhile to get over the prejudice ingrained by past experiences. (I should really be more ashamed about that than I am, but I subscribe to the fool me once shame on you -- fool me twice shame on me school of thought.)
Telling Liv she's already dirty isn't the last awful thing Cam, our big romantic lead, does. Still, I didn't whole-heartedly hate Cam. He's humanized by a few chapters from his POV. Without those chapters, however, he would've been a total wash, which means the entire romance for the series would've flat lined.
Anyway, aside from being bound to her childhood friends, Liv is also bound to one of the two men running opposing syndicates in the city. She's agreed to find his son for him and if not...
The multiple bindings and the web of fractured relationships set up in this first book make the rest of the series look extremely promising. Vincent did a great job with the world building, although she had a clumsy moments when she was trying to reveal her world building to the reader. We take a couple of time-outs from the plot so she can break things down for us. She does this by having Liv explain the rules to an unskilled, i.e. normal person, who is bound to one of the syndicates. I think most readers will take this fumbling in stride and never notice how awkwardly it was wedged in.
The book ends on a little bit of a cliffhanger, although not really. If you have any doubts about which way Liv's going to chose at the end you need to go back and look at the first choice she made regarding the syndicates.
Also, here's a breakdown of the skilled power sets that I remember. When I read reviews while I'm reading a book I usually want something like this broken down or spoiled for me so I can better keep track of what the hell is going on. Click if you want to know, wander off if you'd rather find out as you read:
March 7, 2012
Cedo nulli. I yield to no one.
For the past few months, I've been feeling rather down because of my apathy regarding nearly all of the books I've read recently. I simply couldn't bring myself to care for or feel the characters.
At first, I blamed myself and tried extremely hard to lose myself in a book. When that didn't work, I blamed the books for being redundant and alternately read a CR, HR, PNR, and UF novel in hopes of the genre being the problem. When even that failed, I seriously considered giving up this obsession of drinking in books like water and taking up another hobby. Thankfully, I still had a few highly anticipated releases to get through before my heart would accept moving on. Most of those releases left me with this expression:
But I am so so glad I didn't give myself a break from books before reading Blood Bound, because then I might never have gotten around to it which would have been tragic, since this book is what has made me fall in love with reading again.
Liv is a freelance Tracker, specializing in tracking down people through their blood. She can tell the age, background, powers, and location of a person based on his blood and that's why she's hired by extremely
Cam is her ex, who she broke up with at a party, in front of everyone, right before he planned on proposing to her, without a single reason or explanation. He's still in love with her after all these years and, through some careful maneuvering, manages to convince Liv to work with him on solving a case involving a mutual friend, all the while hoping that he'll finally convince Liv to tell him why she left all those years ago.
The entire book spans just two days, and that's part of what makes Blood Bound so captivating. Vincent does an excellent job of moving the plot and romance alongside each other, without slowing down either. The mystery in this book was actually interesting, as opposed to simply boring. I even loved reading about the criminal and all the details pertaining to his crime. I admit I saw more than half the plot twists coming way before they happened, but that didn't bother me too much. It only increased my joy even more, because it meant that I was actually becoming involved with the story and characters. How exciting!
The depth of love between Cam and Liv is breathtaking. I love Cam's devotion to her and Liv's loyalty to him. Their relationship is wonderfully well developed. I loved seeing Cam breaking down Liv's walls, piece by piece. If this book is any indication, these two are sure to become one of my most favorite couples ever.
"I’d rather die with you than live with someone else.”
I loved Liv from the very first page. She's an amazing, badass, fierce, loyal, honest, and lovable heroine. It is extremely easy to relate to her despite the vast difference between her situation and an average reader's.
Cam is a lot like Marc, but I never felt as if Vincent was trying to give us a copy of the latter just to make this book more likeable, or whatever the running theme seems to be these days. Cam is an amazing character in his own right, and I absolutely love him.
And when the shit with Cam went down, my heart was literally pounding. I think the last time it did that while reading a book was back when I read Shadowfever. In other words, it's been a really long time, and I'm so glad that Vincent still has the ability to make me feel like this.
I adore this book and I adored reading it even more, which, as I've learned recently, are two different things. I didn't particularly like the ending, but hopefully it won't lead to a sequel that ruins even the first book.
January 28, 2012
4 stars
Wow! What an emotional adrenalin rush and exhausting read this book turned out to be!
Blood Bound is a fast-paced, well written, creative, action packed, emotional, and highly engrossing book. I had a hard time putting it down.
I'm not going to recap the story's plot, since the synopsis of the book does a decent job; however, I will tell you what worked and didn't work for me.
What I loved about Blood Bound was the paranormal world Rachel Vincent created. It was well developed, fast-paced, intriguing, and easy to understand. The cast of characters were fascinating, flawed, and authentic. I was easily drawn into their complex world.
Now for what bothered me. While it's true the author excelled in creating an intriguing and developed world, I felt there was little to no emotional response from the characters as they dealt with the consequences of past decisions that ultimately had catastrophic ramifications. Consequently, I felt I was the only one experiencing what should have been their emotions; therefore, it became difficult, and frankly frustrating, to understand and connect with them.
While the ending was clever and whets the reader's appetite for the next book (due out this summer), I, personally, prefer endings that are wrapped up in a nice, neat bow, which this book did not deliver! That being said, I truly enjoyed reading this story and highly recommend it.
Wow! What an emotional adrenalin rush and exhausting read this book turned out to be!
Blood Bound is a fast-paced, well written, creative, action packed, emotional, and highly engrossing book. I had a hard time putting it down.
I'm not going to recap the story's plot, since the synopsis of the book does a decent job; however, I will tell you what worked and didn't work for me.
What I loved about Blood Bound was the paranormal world Rachel Vincent created. It was well developed, fast-paced, intriguing, and easy to understand. The cast of characters were fascinating, flawed, and authentic. I was easily drawn into their complex world.
Now for what bothered me. While it's true the author excelled in creating an intriguing and developed world, I felt there was little to no emotional response from the characters as they dealt with the consequences of past decisions that ultimately had catastrophic ramifications. Consequently, I felt I was the only one experiencing what should have been their emotions; therefore, it became difficult, and frankly frustrating, to understand and connect with them.
While the ending was clever and whets the reader's appetite for the next book (due out this summer), I, personally, prefer endings that are wrapped up in a nice, neat bow, which this book did not deliver! That being said, I truly enjoyed reading this story and highly recommend it.
December 21, 2017
1st Read - August 2011
2nd Read - December 2017
I'm a massive fan of Rachel Vincent's Shifters series so I couldn't wait to get my hands on Blood Bound and as soon as it arrived it jumped immediately to the top of my to read pile. The world she has created in this new series couldn't be more different from the Shifters books, the story is much darker but it has everything you would expect from this author - strong characters, plenty of action and twists that will knock you sideways. Blood Bound is a must for any urban fantasy fan and this has the potential to become one of my favourite series, my only disappointment is that I'll have to wait a year before I can get my hands on the next book!
The world may have known about the Skilled for 30 years but governments and the law still refuse to publicly acknowledge they exist which has created a black market for anyone with enough money who wants to use their abilities. Some of the Skilled have the ability to track anyone by either a name or a tiny sample of their blood, some of them can travel through shadows to any destination and others have the ability to bind you to a magical contract that will cause you physical pain and even death if you try to break it. As you can imagine these skills are highly sought after and 2 main crime syndicates will do whatever it takes to have control of the most powerful Skilled and earn money by using them.
Liv is one of the most powerful blood trackers, going on her official range she can track anyone in an 80 mile radius using just a drop of their blood but in reality she can find you even if you are much further away. Liv has been running from her past for 6 years now but it is about to catch up with her when her ex Cam arrives on the scene bringing with him one of her oldest childhood friends. Thanks to a blood oath between Liv and her friends she is unable to refuse Anne's request for help even if getting involved is the last thing she wants to do. Liv resents her friend for forcing her into something but as much as she hates the position she finds herself in she does feel sorry for Anne and deep down she wants to help her. What she really doesn't want is to accept Cam's help to do it, although Cam is the love of her life she walked out on him 6 years ago without giving him any kind of explanation and Cam is determined to win her back. That is something that Liv can't risk but it takes a while before the reason for this becomes clear.
The story is told from both Liv and Cam's perspectives and I loved that we get to see both of their sides of the story. Liv is a strong character but she also has a vulnerability to her that makes you feel protective of her. She is keeping a lot of secrets but as you learn more about her past her actions become much more understandable. Cam is someone I loved as soon as I met him, he is so sweet and protective of Liv but he sees her how she truly is and knows she doesn't need to be looked after. He has never gotten over her leaving him and is still crazy about her, he can tell she has feelings for him too and doesn't understand why she keeps pushing him away. He uses her bond with Anne as a way to get back in her life and isn't going to let her get away from him this time, he wants an explanation and will do whatever it takes to get it. The chemistry between Liv and Cam was fantastic and I loved watching these two together. There is just enough sexual tension and romance for an urban fantasy - it never takes over the main storyline though, just enhances it.
When it comes to the plot I have to admit I found things a little confusing for the first few chapters but this is often the case when you're starting a new series and trying to become familiar with a new world. Once the story takes off it will have you gripped to the pages and you won't want to put it down. Liv and Cam find themselves caught between the two main crime syndicates and there isn't going to be an easy way for them to resolve things. While they care for each other they both have big secrets and if they are revealed it will change everything. Can they find a way to help Anne and a way to be together again or are they destined to be pulled in different directions? You'll have to pick up a copy of Blood Bound to find out, in the meantime I'll be sitting here desperately waiting for Shadow Bound!
2nd Read - December 2017
I'm a massive fan of Rachel Vincent's Shifters series so I couldn't wait to get my hands on Blood Bound and as soon as it arrived it jumped immediately to the top of my to read pile. The world she has created in this new series couldn't be more different from the Shifters books, the story is much darker but it has everything you would expect from this author - strong characters, plenty of action and twists that will knock you sideways. Blood Bound is a must for any urban fantasy fan and this has the potential to become one of my favourite series, my only disappointment is that I'll have to wait a year before I can get my hands on the next book!
The world may have known about the Skilled for 30 years but governments and the law still refuse to publicly acknowledge they exist which has created a black market for anyone with enough money who wants to use their abilities. Some of the Skilled have the ability to track anyone by either a name or a tiny sample of their blood, some of them can travel through shadows to any destination and others have the ability to bind you to a magical contract that will cause you physical pain and even death if you try to break it. As you can imagine these skills are highly sought after and 2 main crime syndicates will do whatever it takes to have control of the most powerful Skilled and earn money by using them.
Liv is one of the most powerful blood trackers, going on her official range she can track anyone in an 80 mile radius using just a drop of their blood but in reality she can find you even if you are much further away. Liv has been running from her past for 6 years now but it is about to catch up with her when her ex Cam arrives on the scene bringing with him one of her oldest childhood friends. Thanks to a blood oath between Liv and her friends she is unable to refuse Anne's request for help even if getting involved is the last thing she wants to do. Liv resents her friend for forcing her into something but as much as she hates the position she finds herself in she does feel sorry for Anne and deep down she wants to help her. What she really doesn't want is to accept Cam's help to do it, although Cam is the love of her life she walked out on him 6 years ago without giving him any kind of explanation and Cam is determined to win her back. That is something that Liv can't risk but it takes a while before the reason for this becomes clear.
The story is told from both Liv and Cam's perspectives and I loved that we get to see both of their sides of the story. Liv is a strong character but she also has a vulnerability to her that makes you feel protective of her. She is keeping a lot of secrets but as you learn more about her past her actions become much more understandable. Cam is someone I loved as soon as I met him, he is so sweet and protective of Liv but he sees her how she truly is and knows she doesn't need to be looked after. He has never gotten over her leaving him and is still crazy about her, he can tell she has feelings for him too and doesn't understand why she keeps pushing him away. He uses her bond with Anne as a way to get back in her life and isn't going to let her get away from him this time, he wants an explanation and will do whatever it takes to get it. The chemistry between Liv and Cam was fantastic and I loved watching these two together. There is just enough sexual tension and romance for an urban fantasy - it never takes over the main storyline though, just enhances it.
When it comes to the plot I have to admit I found things a little confusing for the first few chapters but this is often the case when you're starting a new series and trying to become familiar with a new world. Once the story takes off it will have you gripped to the pages and you won't want to put it down. Liv and Cam find themselves caught between the two main crime syndicates and there isn't going to be an easy way for them to resolve things. While they care for each other they both have big secrets and if they are revealed it will change everything. Can they find a way to help Anne and a way to be together again or are they destined to be pulled in different directions? You'll have to pick up a copy of Blood Bound to find out, in the meantime I'll be sitting here desperately waiting for Shadow Bound!
September 17, 2017
That ending! That ending just killed me!
Olivia Warren and Cam Cabellero used to be happily in love until a secret forces them apart and Liv hasn’t seen Cam in six years. Liv is now a bloodtracker. Give her a sample of anyone’s blood and she can hunt them down, no matter where they hide. She is the best in the business and works independently from the two major gangs that run the city. At least that is what she tells everyone, but she is actually bound to Ruben Cavazas, a syndicate boss. She must find his missing son in two years or she essentially becomes Ruben’s slave and he can force her to do anything for him. Ruben already pushes the boundaries with Liv, hitting her (don’t worry too much, Liv hits him back just as hard) and touching her without her consent, so Liv is terrified of what he’d do if he had absolute control over her. The term bound in this novel isn’t just some signed piece of paper, Binders are people who can literally force others together and it takes away all their personal freedom.
When Liv is contacted by her oldest friend Annika to hunt the person responsible for her husband’s recent death, she comes face to face with Cam and old feelings quickly resurface. Cam doesn’t make it easy as he makes it very clear his feelings for her never went away. He still loves her and doesn’t understand why she left him so abruptly six years ago. Cam is also a tracker like Liv, but instead of blood, he uses people’s name to find them.
Annika forces Liv to work with Cam and Liv can’t refuse unless she wants to face excruciating pain and then death, as she became bound to Annika when she was a kid. This was the part of the novel that I loved the most. The whole idea of binding was really cool and unique. It created the biggest amount of suspense and intrigue.
I really loved Liv and Cam. Liv slightly falls into the stereotypical badass urban paranormal lead (aka Cat Crawfield, Mercy Thompson, Jaz Parks, Charley Davidson, Kate Daniels...shall I go on?) but I still really liked her. I liked Cam in the beginning but he grew on me even more as the novel went on and we got to know him better.
After reading that ending I immediately went on Goodreads to see what the next books synopsis was and I was so so so disappointed to find out that the next book isn’t a continuation but in Kori Daniels POV. What?! How can the author leave us with such a cliffhanger ending and not continue the series in Liv’s POV? Reading a few reviews I guess Liv and Cam make appearances in Shadow Bound but it isn’t really about them.
I’ll still read the rest of the series, as I love the world Rachel Vincent has built, but this has definitely dampened my spirit. Hopefully Kori Daniels POV is just as good!
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“I realized that I'd rather die with you than live with someone else.”I am seriously impressed with the world building and how much well-written action this book contained. It was fast paced and just plain fun to read. Sometimes the urban paranormal genre gets bogged down in explaining every little detail of the new world and it is either boring or confusing but this was fairly easy to follow along.
Olivia Warren and Cam Cabellero used to be happily in love until a secret forces them apart and Liv hasn’t seen Cam in six years. Liv is now a bloodtracker. Give her a sample of anyone’s blood and she can hunt them down, no matter where they hide. She is the best in the business and works independently from the two major gangs that run the city. At least that is what she tells everyone, but she is actually bound to Ruben Cavazas, a syndicate boss. She must find his missing son in two years or she essentially becomes Ruben’s slave and he can force her to do anything for him. Ruben already pushes the boundaries with Liv, hitting her (don’t worry too much, Liv hits him back just as hard) and touching her without her consent, so Liv is terrified of what he’d do if he had absolute control over her. The term bound in this novel isn’t just some signed piece of paper, Binders are people who can literally force others together and it takes away all their personal freedom.
When Liv is contacted by her oldest friend Annika to hunt the person responsible for her husband’s recent death, she comes face to face with Cam and old feelings quickly resurface. Cam doesn’t make it easy as he makes it very clear his feelings for her never went away. He still loves her and doesn’t understand why she left him so abruptly six years ago. Cam is also a tracker like Liv, but instead of blood, he uses people’s name to find them.
Annika forces Liv to work with Cam and Liv can’t refuse unless she wants to face excruciating pain and then death, as she became bound to Annika when she was a kid. This was the part of the novel that I loved the most. The whole idea of binding was really cool and unique. It created the biggest amount of suspense and intrigue.
I really loved Liv and Cam. Liv slightly falls into the stereotypical badass urban paranormal lead (aka Cat Crawfield, Mercy Thompson, Jaz Parks, Charley Davidson, Kate Daniels...shall I go on?) but I still really liked her. I liked Cam in the beginning but he grew on me even more as the novel went on and we got to know him better.
After reading that ending I immediately went on Goodreads to see what the next books synopsis was and I was so so so disappointed to find out that the next book isn’t a continuation but in Kori Daniels POV. What?! How can the author leave us with such a cliffhanger ending and not continue the series in Liv’s POV? Reading a few reviews I guess Liv and Cam make appearances in Shadow Bound but it isn’t really about them.
I’ll still read the rest of the series, as I love the world Rachel Vincent has built, but this has definitely dampened my spirit. Hopefully Kori Daniels POV is just as good!
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July 9, 2012
3.5 stars. Huh. I think I just finished a Rachel Vincent book and had a moment of confusion in thinking that I had read something from another author completely.
Am I complaining? Kind of... Crap. I'm sorry. This wasn't supposed to happen because I adore Ms. Vincent. However, I do have more positives than negatives to say about Blood Bound. Actually, I was somewhat impressed with Blood Bound. It just felt extremely odd that I didn't recognize Rachel Vincent in this book. At all. And I kind of missed that.
One of my favorite things about this particular author is her ability to create characters whom I fall deeply and almost obsessively in love with. Her Shifters series even had me appreciating much of the supporting cast and minor characters. In fact, I cried hard over a scene involving one of the side characters. As for her Soul Screamers series, I'd only read the first book, but I was digging on those characters too. So what the heck happened here with the Unbound series???
Olivia (Liv) - She was a cool chick. She fit the standard UF profile - badass girl who puts her own life in danger to protect the people she loves.
Back then, I would have looked the part - harmless, vapid young woman who needed jumper cables, or a telephone, or a big, strong arm to open a jar of pickles. Anything to get close enough to use a Taser on the target and collect a paycheck.
"Hey, sorry to bother you so late, but-" I let my right arm fly, and my fist smashed into his nose.
Outside of that, I don't think we really found out anything else about her. Boo to that.
Cam - Is it sad that I was almost hoping for a love triangle? Yep. The world has tilted on its axis if I'm looking around and hoping for another guy to come out of the woodwork. I didn't see any of the appeal of Vincent's previous males, such as the fiery temper of Marc, or the sweet puppy dog appeal of Jace, or the fun passion of Ethan. I will go on record as saying that Cam was pretty awesome near the end of the book but it didn't make up for something he did to Liv previously. He still has a long way to go before he earns my seal of approval. Let's hope the adventures of Cam and Liv in book 2 will take the chemistry up a notch.
*edit* to add that I (for once) wasn't a fan of the dual PoV. For some reason, the characters sounded too much alike and it confused me, making me forget that I had transitioned between characters.
Nevertheless, Blood Bound was a decent intro for an Urban Fantasy series. This did fall into the first book syndrome of too much info dumping right off the bat, but I'm used to that by now with most UF worlds. All in all, the groundwork of the world and politics are pretty intricate in a good way and I can't wait to see more of what's to come.
Mafia style feuds rock my reading world. Much like I love Holly Black's Curseworkers series, I found similar reasons to gravitate toward this new Unbound series. Humans performing dog and pony tricks with the aid of special abilities is just cool. In fact, it's most definitely more cool than watching some otherwordly being who views magic as old hat.
I heard book 2 is even better. This is great news. I'll definitely be checking it out.
November 2, 2011
****4.5 stars****
Rachel Vincent - where have you been my entire life? I've been told time and time again to read your Shifters series, but have neglected to. Once I heard that Blood Bound was out and was getting high praise, I knew I just had to read one of your books!
A great part of this book is the world building. Main character, Olivia Warren, lives in a dark and criminally controlled city. The city is described as a peace sign, with mafioso Ruben Cavazos controlling the eastern part of the city, rival mafioso Jake Tower controlling the wester part of the city, and the southern part of the city being free from either of the crime syndicates. This is a dark and dangerous world, akin to Triumph City from Downside Ghosts. Crime bosses run the town. It's only a question of who has your loyalties.
The characters in this book all have a special ability. For example, Oliva, Liv for short, is a tracker. She is strongest when tracking by blood. There are people who are name trackers, shadow walkers, binders, jammers, seers, etc. The crime bosses have a special interest in enslaving these types of Skilled people to their ranks. The cool thing about this world is that once you pledge your loyalty to one of the crime syndicates, you agree to a contract for a certain number of years, and you can negotiate the terms. The crime bosses then tattoo their mark somewhere on your body to bind you to the deal. When you try to go against their orders, you are inflicted with monumental internal pain, that if grows bad enough, can kill you.
Liv has been living a lonely life for the last 6 years. She left her friends and family behind, due to something her BFF, a seer, told her at a party right after college. In response to this secret, Liv picked up, dumped her boyfriend Cam Caballero(who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with) and left her home without a trace. Liv found herself in dire circumstances and signed on with Ruben Cavazos for one specific job.
One thing you need to know about Liv is her undying loyalty to her loved ones. She ended up signing on with Cavazos in order to save a friend. It was out of love and loyalty that she signed herself up for sexual groping and bloody fights.
One day, Liv is asked by her old BFF (there are 4 BFFs all together) Anne to help her discover and kill the murderer of Anne's husband. It is revealed that Liv and her 3 BFFs signed a blood contract when they were young girls to help one another whenever one asked them a favor. So Liv is metaphysically bound to help Anne. But Anne also needs an expert name tracker and asked Liv to work with Cam, her ex-boyfriend. Cam has been waiting for 6 years to get Liv back into his life. For Cam, his loyalties and love for Liv had never faltered. Liv has no choice but to work with Cam, and here begins a wonderful game of sexual tension.
Her forehead fell against my collerbone and in that moment, her defenses failed. She stood there with me, leaning against me, exposed, her heart so raw and wounded I wondered how it could possibly keep beating."
I love the relationship between Liv and Cam. I love how they have remained loyal for these last 6 years in their own ways, making decisions to benefit the other. Liv tries to resist Cam (and we learn later in the book why she has to do this)as well as she can, but this is a big love, folks. The relationship of hard fought for. There are secrets revealed in rapid succession along the way. Liv and Cam, not to mention every other character in this book, have secrets. I really can't put into words how much I adore Cam and Liv together. They deserve one another, and will fight for the right to be with one another. I think we will hear more from these two in the future.
"'I have choices,' I insisted, refusing to break eye contact. 'We both do. I may have to make mine carefully, and make a few compromises along the way, but I have a choice. I choose you.'"
Which brings me to my next point. There are a lot of secrets and past decisions that are brought into play in this book. I think it's marvelous how Rachel Vincent weaves all these strands together to make the story make sense. The revelations all lead to the grand finale of this book, and I think it's a really good piece of writing.
"'I didn't make you take the mark on your thing. That bond was your idea, to free Caballero. And I didn't make you risk my anger and your own life by bringing your friends here, even before you knew Hadley was mine. You did that on your own, to help a child you barely know.'"
The characters were all interesting. I obviously loved Cam and Liv. I didn't particularly like Anne all the much. Kori is the one I'm really interested in. She's one of the BFFs. She's a hard, in-your-face, drinking and swearing kind of girl. I'm really interested to delve into her past to see what made her this way. Although Ruben Cavazos is a ruthless, immoral mafia-style crime boss, I grew to like him through this book. He is a very astute business man and knows how to control a crime empire. I think the whole part about him and kids humanized him as much as he could be humanized. And although he likes to use and abuse his employees, especially Liv, I do think he has a soft spot for Liv. Ruben's wife, Meika, has the potential to be an interesting character. She spent most of the book being a psychopathic wife, angry with her husband and his "puntas" for Ruben's infidelity. There is a backstory surrounding Meika that I would love to hear. She wasn't always the psychotic, knife wielding woman that she has become. And for the record,
"'I love you, Olivia,' he whispered, and my heart ached as if it would break in half. 'You think we'll die if we stay together, but I've been dying slowly for the last six years. I'm taking my life back, Liv. Our life together. And this time, I'm not going to let you go.'"
I know there is a lot of talk about Cam's "big mistake." I do not hold this against Cam.
The ending was abrupt, and this is what kept this book from a 5 star rating. I wanted a little more happiness for Cam and Liv, but like I stated previously, I don't think we've heard the last of them.
All in all, this was an excellent read that kept me flying through the pages. I can't wait to continue this series with Shadow Bound.
"I realized that I'd rather die with you than live with someone else."
Rachel Vincent - where have you been my entire life? I've been told time and time again to read your Shifters series, but have neglected to. Once I heard that Blood Bound was out and was getting high praise, I knew I just had to read one of your books!
A great part of this book is the world building. Main character, Olivia Warren, lives in a dark and criminally controlled city. The city is described as a peace sign, with mafioso Ruben Cavazos controlling the eastern part of the city, rival mafioso Jake Tower controlling the wester part of the city, and the southern part of the city being free from either of the crime syndicates. This is a dark and dangerous world, akin to Triumph City from Downside Ghosts. Crime bosses run the town. It's only a question of who has your loyalties.
The characters in this book all have a special ability. For example, Oliva, Liv for short, is a tracker. She is strongest when tracking by blood. There are people who are name trackers, shadow walkers, binders, jammers, seers, etc. The crime bosses have a special interest in enslaving these types of Skilled people to their ranks. The cool thing about this world is that once you pledge your loyalty to one of the crime syndicates, you agree to a contract for a certain number of years, and you can negotiate the terms. The crime bosses then tattoo their mark somewhere on your body to bind you to the deal. When you try to go against their orders, you are inflicted with monumental internal pain, that if grows bad enough, can kill you.
Liv has been living a lonely life for the last 6 years. She left her friends and family behind, due to something her BFF, a seer, told her at a party right after college. In response to this secret, Liv picked up, dumped her boyfriend Cam Caballero(who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with) and left her home without a trace. Liv found herself in dire circumstances and signed on with Ruben Cavazos for one specific job.
One thing you need to know about Liv is her undying loyalty to her loved ones. She ended up signing on with Cavazos in order to save a friend. It was out of love and loyalty that she signed herself up for sexual groping and bloody fights.
One day, Liv is asked by her old BFF (there are 4 BFFs all together) Anne to help her discover and kill the murderer of Anne's husband. It is revealed that Liv and her 3 BFFs signed a blood contract when they were young girls to help one another whenever one asked them a favor. So Liv is metaphysically bound to help Anne. But Anne also needs an expert name tracker and asked Liv to work with Cam, her ex-boyfriend. Cam has been waiting for 6 years to get Liv back into his life. For Cam, his loyalties and love for Liv had never faltered. Liv has no choice but to work with Cam, and here begins a wonderful game of sexual tension.
Her forehead fell against my collerbone and in that moment, her defenses failed. She stood there with me, leaning against me, exposed, her heart so raw and wounded I wondered how it could possibly keep beating."
I love the relationship between Liv and Cam. I love how they have remained loyal for these last 6 years in their own ways, making decisions to benefit the other. Liv tries to resist Cam (and we learn later in the book why she has to do this)as well as she can, but this is a big love, folks. The relationship of hard fought for. There are secrets revealed in rapid succession along the way. Liv and Cam, not to mention every other character in this book, have secrets. I really can't put into words how much I adore Cam and Liv together. They deserve one another, and will fight for the right to be with one another. I think we will hear more from these two in the future.
"'I have choices,' I insisted, refusing to break eye contact. 'We both do. I may have to make mine carefully, and make a few compromises along the way, but I have a choice. I choose you.'"
Which brings me to my next point. There are a lot of secrets and past decisions that are brought into play in this book. I think it's marvelous how Rachel Vincent weaves all these strands together to make the story make sense. The revelations all lead to the grand finale of this book, and I think it's a really good piece of writing.
"'I didn't make you take the mark on your thing. That bond was your idea, to free Caballero. And I didn't make you risk my anger and your own life by bringing your friends here, even before you knew Hadley was mine. You did that on your own, to help a child you barely know.'"
The characters were all interesting. I obviously loved Cam and Liv. I didn't particularly like Anne all the much. Kori is the one I'm really interested in. She's one of the BFFs. She's a hard, in-your-face, drinking and swearing kind of girl. I'm really interested to delve into her past to see what made her this way. Although Ruben Cavazos is a ruthless, immoral mafia-style crime boss, I grew to like him through this book. He is a very astute business man and knows how to control a crime empire. I think the whole part about him and kids humanized him as much as he could be humanized. And although he likes to use and abuse his employees, especially Liv, I do think he has a soft spot for Liv. Ruben's wife, Meika, has the potential to be an interesting character. She spent most of the book being a psychopathic wife, angry with her husband and his "puntas" for Ruben's infidelity. There is a backstory surrounding Meika that I would love to hear. She wasn't always the psychotic, knife wielding woman that she has become. And for the record,
"'I love you, Olivia,' he whispered, and my heart ached as if it would break in half. 'You think we'll die if we stay together, but I've been dying slowly for the last six years. I'm taking my life back, Liv. Our life together. And this time, I'm not going to let you go.'"
I know there is a lot of talk about Cam's "big mistake." I do not hold this against Cam.
The ending was abrupt, and this is what kept this book from a 5 star rating. I wanted a little more happiness for Cam and Liv, but like I stated previously, I don't think we've heard the last of them.
All in all, this was an excellent read that kept me flying through the pages. I can't wait to continue this series with Shadow Bound.
"I realized that I'd rather die with you than live with someone else."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2011
Posted on K-Books
http://k-booksxo.blogspot.com/2011/07...
It's really hard to put my thoughts on this book into words. I recently read my first adult urban fantasy series and really loved this so when Mel offered to send me the ARC of this that she won I jumped at the chance.
I have Rachel Vincent's other series on my shelf but haven't read anything by her before so I didn't really know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprise and think her writing is amazing. I was completely sucked into the story straight away and couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next with the characters.
Liv is one of the skilled, a very powerful blood tracker. When her childhood friend's daughter goes missing Liv can't do anything else but help find her. Even if that means working with her ex Cam, the person she loves more than anybody in the world but also the one person she cannot have. What she doesn't know is that Cam has ulterior motives. Liv left him long ago with no answers as to why and he wants to find out, no matter what the cost.
I think this book was just amazing. I really love Liv, she is such a strong lead character who will do anything to protect the ones she loves even if it means sacrificing herself. I think she's amazing. She is ruled by her emotions but that doesn't hinder her at all. She is so strong and will fight back no matter what the cost.
Cam, all I can say is Oh. My. God. I instantly fell for Cam, he is just an incredible character. He is definitely the bad boy of the book and is so strong, emotionally and physically and will also do anything to protect the ones he loves. Although he is the bad boy of the book you also see a vulnerable side to him and just want to hug him and tell him everything will be okay.
I felt so many emotions while reading this book. I was sad as times and then happy. Then I would be irritated at some things that happened and the pointless little arguments the characters get into but I loved every second of it. It is definitely an emotional rollercoaster and as the book began drawing to a close I just found myself going oh my god what's going to happen.
The ending was such a great ending for a first book in a series. It wasn't a really big cliffhanger so that you are left hanging thinking how am I possibly supposed to wait to find out what happens but it does leave you wanting to read the next book as soon as it is released.
I can't wait to read more of this trilogy. Rachel Vincent does an amazing job of drawing in your attantion and keeping your attention so focussed you can't possibly stop reading and really don't notice how much you have read. It's a definite page turner right until the last page. This has definitely got me motivated to read her other series. Definitely one of my favourite authors now and I really want to read more adult urban fantasy books.
I loved every moment of it and can't wait to read more of Liv and Cam's story.
http://k-booksxo.blogspot.com/2011/07...
It's really hard to put my thoughts on this book into words. I recently read my first adult urban fantasy series and really loved this so when Mel offered to send me the ARC of this that she won I jumped at the chance.
I have Rachel Vincent's other series on my shelf but haven't read anything by her before so I didn't really know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprise and think her writing is amazing. I was completely sucked into the story straight away and couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next with the characters.
Liv is one of the skilled, a very powerful blood tracker. When her childhood friend's daughter goes missing Liv can't do anything else but help find her. Even if that means working with her ex Cam, the person she loves more than anybody in the world but also the one person she cannot have. What she doesn't know is that Cam has ulterior motives. Liv left him long ago with no answers as to why and he wants to find out, no matter what the cost.
I think this book was just amazing. I really love Liv, she is such a strong lead character who will do anything to protect the ones she loves even if it means sacrificing herself. I think she's amazing. She is ruled by her emotions but that doesn't hinder her at all. She is so strong and will fight back no matter what the cost.
Cam, all I can say is Oh. My. God. I instantly fell for Cam, he is just an incredible character. He is definitely the bad boy of the book and is so strong, emotionally and physically and will also do anything to protect the ones he loves. Although he is the bad boy of the book you also see a vulnerable side to him and just want to hug him and tell him everything will be okay.
I felt so many emotions while reading this book. I was sad as times and then happy. Then I would be irritated at some things that happened and the pointless little arguments the characters get into but I loved every second of it. It is definitely an emotional rollercoaster and as the book began drawing to a close I just found myself going oh my god what's going to happen.
The ending was such a great ending for a first book in a series. It wasn't a really big cliffhanger so that you are left hanging thinking how am I possibly supposed to wait to find out what happens but it does leave you wanting to read the next book as soon as it is released.
I can't wait to read more of this trilogy. Rachel Vincent does an amazing job of drawing in your attantion and keeping your attention so focussed you can't possibly stop reading and really don't notice how much you have read. It's a definite page turner right until the last page. This has definitely got me motivated to read her other series. Definitely one of my favourite authors now and I really want to read more adult urban fantasy books.
I loved every moment of it and can't wait to read more of Liv and Cam's story.
July 14, 2012
Actual rating: 3.5
Blood Bound holds an interesting premise about a powerful blood tracker called Liv, who is bound by one of the harshest syndicate bosses in history. There's people who are born with abilities, such as Tracking, Binding (contracts), Blinders, and Jammers. They are recruited into syndicates owned by two overarching gang bosses, Jake Tower and Ruben Cavazo.
While this story sounds like it'd be super action-packed with the focus on the abilities, much of the it was actually focused on world-building, dealing with past relationships and reminiscing about days gone. Liv meets Cam, the love of her life 6 years ago, and once they reach this point about 3/4 of the book is spent talking to each other and struggling against their attractions. I did enjoy the build up between these two characters, knowing their past histories with each other, however some of the decisions that they made just didn't justify the time they spent apart.
As things unfold and you find out about the situation surrounding two seemingly unrelated missions, things start to interweave and interrelate a little too too neatly. Everything seems to fall into place a little too nicely and while it makes for a good story, it's kind of unbelievable.
The world where people with powers are afraid to share their full names or shed a drop of blood was quite naturally worked into the story. However, I found most of the book to be quite slow-paced with only a few action scenes to keep us interested.
In plain terms and taking out all of the sizzle, Blood bound is basically about people with special abilities struggling to escape the clutches of two syndicate bosses. Interesting read, but not my favourite.
Check out Happy Indulgence for more reviews!
Blood Bound holds an interesting premise about a powerful blood tracker called Liv, who is bound by one of the harshest syndicate bosses in history. There's people who are born with abilities, such as Tracking, Binding (contracts), Blinders, and Jammers. They are recruited into syndicates owned by two overarching gang bosses, Jake Tower and Ruben Cavazo.
While this story sounds like it'd be super action-packed with the focus on the abilities, much of the it was actually focused on world-building, dealing with past relationships and reminiscing about days gone. Liv meets Cam, the love of her life 6 years ago, and once they reach this point about 3/4 of the book is spent talking to each other and struggling against their attractions. I did enjoy the build up between these two characters, knowing their past histories with each other, however some of the decisions that they made just didn't justify the time they spent apart.
As things unfold and you find out about the situation surrounding two seemingly unrelated missions, things start to interweave and interrelate a little too too neatly. Everything seems to fall into place a little too nicely and while it makes for a good story, it's kind of unbelievable.
The world where people with powers are afraid to share their full names or shed a drop of blood was quite naturally worked into the story. However, I found most of the book to be quite slow-paced with only a few action scenes to keep us interested.
In plain terms and taking out all of the sizzle, Blood bound is basically about people with special abilities struggling to escape the clutches of two syndicate bosses. Interesting read, but not my favourite.
Check out Happy Indulgence for more reviews!
January 30, 2020
Read: December 2017
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Blood Bound is a decent, solid urban fantasy. Olivia 'Liv' is a Tracker - which means she can track down anyone with a sample of their blood and/or their name. Due to a binding she took part in as a teenager, she is forced to work for her old friend Anne to track down the person who killed her husband. Helping her in the hunt for the killer is Cam, Liv's former boyfriend with his own Tracker abilities.
I enjoyed this book. Rachel Vincent has been a favourite author of mine for years and I love her Shifters and Soul Screamers series. Blood Bound doesn't quite match up to Vincent's previous novels, but I will definitely be reading the next two books in this trilogy.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Blood Bound is a decent, solid urban fantasy. Olivia 'Liv' is a Tracker - which means she can track down anyone with a sample of their blood and/or their name. Due to a binding she took part in as a teenager, she is forced to work for her old friend Anne to track down the person who killed her husband. Helping her in the hunt for the killer is Cam, Liv's former boyfriend with his own Tracker abilities.
I enjoyed this book. Rachel Vincent has been a favourite author of mine for years and I love her Shifters and Soul Screamers series. Blood Bound doesn't quite match up to Vincent's previous novels, but I will definitely be reading the next two books in this trilogy.
October 7, 2011
*Rating* 2.5 stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
*Review*
Dear GR Friends:
It is with heavy heart that I must say to you that I did not much care for this book. Thus, for those who absolutely thought it was the best thing since sliced bread, may I ask you not to read this review? I hate to cause friction and end up walking a tightrope between borderline bravery for my review/commentary, or being hung by my toes until the blood rushes out of my head because something I may say may offend your decency.
Thank you in advance.
For those brave enough to continue.....Thanks!
Rachel Vincent’s Blood Bound is the first book in a new series called Unbound. Blood Bound introduces readers to Olivia (Liv) Warren, and Cameron (Cam) Cabellero the main protagonists who were once happily in love until a Seer told Liv that either she would either kill Cam, or he would kill her if they stayed together.
It is now 6 years later and Liv is a tracker or a bloodhound who can, if given a sample of the missing person’s blood, find the person anywhere no matter how hard they try to hide. Officially because she is bound to someone, her limits are 85 miles. Unofficially, she can find anyone within 300 miles or more which according to the story, makes her one of the best trackers around.
Liv once worked independently from any syndicate, and was trained by one of the best in the business to shoot guns, and protect herself. But, because she wanted to keep Cam away from Ruben Cavazas, she agreed to a temporary binding. In return, Liz must find Ruben’s missing “son” within 2 years, or she becomes Ruben’s fully to do with her what he pleases without any fear of retribution by Liv. Call it slavery if you like, because that is what it ends up being if you get bound to any of the syndicate bosses.
Liv also ends up helping her once friend Annika Lawson find her husband’s killer because of something 4 little girls did when they were 12 years old. “Once upon a time, 4 little girls, best friends, took an oath of loyalty. They promised to always help one another whenever they were asked. They signed their names and stamped their thumbprints in blood.” The only catch? Liv is forced to work with Cam and can’t say no without suffering excruciating pain and possible death.
The whole binding idea is actually pretty interesting. Normally, stories about witches or vampires are the ones that have some sort of binding or geis which won’t allow the person binded to have any sort of personal freedom or choice. If the Binder wants to treat them like shit, hit them, rape them, or basically toss them aside like a piece of unwashed laundry; they can do so without any fear of retribution on the part of the binded.
Cam, on the other hand, gets into deep kimchee because he can’t stop thinking about Liv and why she left him so abruptly. Cam is also a tracker and can find a person by using their full name. The more of the person’s name he is given, including the middle name(s), the better chance he has to find that person. The name thing reminds me of the stories about the fey where full names hold power over that person. The less a person knows about your full name, the safer you are from being tracked down.
Cam pretty much walked into a trap set by Ruben’s fellow black market kingpin Jake Tower. Instead of ending up with only 2 years contract like Liv, Cam stupidly agrees to several 5 year commitments. In the meantime, Cam continues to pine over Liv including stalking her to her apartment, which after 6 years, you would think he would have moved on and forget about her. But, of course Blood Bound wouldn’t be the story it is without angst and utter stupidity on both characters parts.
Now, the dislikes (Feel free to stop here if you don't want to read any further and get mad at my comments.)
1. Liv – For a badass tracker who was trained by the best, she sure is annoying as all hell. I was especially annoyed that Liv found that she was shot in the arm, and didn’t realize it until Cam told her. Then, after she was wrapped up and the blood was destroyed to prevent anyone from tracking her, she felt no restrictions over movement of her injured arm. Uh, excuse me Ms. Vincent. Research please. A gunshot wound victim doesn’t recover this fast unless they are a freaking vampire. And, from what I’ve read, Liv isn’t a suck face so therefore she should have been out of action or in a cast regardless of the through and through you claim she suffers from.
Liv gets beat up a lot in this story, especially by Ruben. Yes, she does get some good hits in on him, but, seriously could she not have grabbed a gun when he walked through the door and blasted him in the head and thus ended the bind once and for-all? When his wife was kicking her ass because she was a jealous ass bitch who thought Liv and Ruben were together together, she didn't fight back.
2. Annika – Although I could understand the reason for her being distraught after her husband was killed. Using a geis to enforce a bind that was done 16 years ago was pure evil. Anna already had Cam, in more ways than one, to help her find the killer. So, why was it necessary to force Liv to work with Cam knowing that she wanted nothing to do with him?
2A – My positive is also Anna because she fights hard for her daughter Hadley to keep her away from Ruben and the rest of the syndicate bosses. In some ways, she can be forgiven for doing anything she can, including using Cam and Liv, to find her husband’s killer, while keeping Hadley safe.
3. The story itself takes place over a 2 days period. I’m not kidding. Two freaking days for Liv and Cam to remember that they were once in love and have sex. 2 days to find out that Liv is also bound and argue about it and wonder who is the more assanine in how they ended up bound to seperate mob bosses. 2 days for Liv and Cam to find Anna’s husband’s killer all while she gets shot and shrugs it off as though she was stung by a hornet. And, while we’re at it, hey let’s also suddenly find Rubens “son” who has been right in front of them the entire time and thus ends Liv's contract to Ruben! Realism has absolutely no place in this world of Ms. Vincent’s that is for sure.
4. And, finally there’s Cam – Cam, Cam, Cam. What in the bloody blue blazes of hell is wrong with you? A woman walks out on you and you pine over her for 6 years. 6 years?!?!?!?! Cam there is plenty of other fish in the damn sea. Pick up your big boy panties and grab ahold of yourself. You also walked into an obvious trap while stalking Liv and get bound by a syndicate boss who gathers “skilled” people like others collect Beanie Babies. Then, instead of walking away after 5 years, you sign up again for more time! Hello McFly? Is anyone home in that idiotic brain of yours?
5. I just remembered one more thing I hated about this book. The alternating POV’s sometimes in the middle of a chapter? Please don’t freaking do that again. Can’t you wait until the next chapter before flip flopping characters POV?
6. FINALLY -- the whole cliffhanger ending to this book made me want to burn this book and pay the fine to the library. Seriously? After what Liv goes thru in this book --seriously?
I’m sure I did read the same book as my other GR friends, but in my opinion, this book was worse than the first book in the Shifters series which introduced readers to the more than a little annoying and disrespectful Faythe. I agree with others that the first book should be one of the best in the series to keep readers to the very end. In this case, this book has major flaws and book # 2 can only get better.
Genre: Urban Fantasy
*Review*
Dear GR Friends:
It is with heavy heart that I must say to you that I did not much care for this book. Thus, for those who absolutely thought it was the best thing since sliced bread, may I ask you not to read this review? I hate to cause friction and end up walking a tightrope between borderline bravery for my review/commentary, or being hung by my toes until the blood rushes out of my head because something I may say may offend your decency.
Thank you in advance.
For those brave enough to continue.....Thanks!
Rachel Vincent’s Blood Bound is the first book in a new series called Unbound. Blood Bound introduces readers to Olivia (Liv) Warren, and Cameron (Cam) Cabellero the main protagonists who were once happily in love until a Seer told Liv that either she would either kill Cam, or he would kill her if they stayed together.
It is now 6 years later and Liv is a tracker or a bloodhound who can, if given a sample of the missing person’s blood, find the person anywhere no matter how hard they try to hide. Officially because she is bound to someone, her limits are 85 miles. Unofficially, she can find anyone within 300 miles or more which according to the story, makes her one of the best trackers around.
Liv once worked independently from any syndicate, and was trained by one of the best in the business to shoot guns, and protect herself. But, because she wanted to keep Cam away from Ruben Cavazas, she agreed to a temporary binding. In return, Liz must find Ruben’s missing “son” within 2 years, or she becomes Ruben’s fully to do with her what he pleases without any fear of retribution by Liv. Call it slavery if you like, because that is what it ends up being if you get bound to any of the syndicate bosses.
Liv also ends up helping her once friend Annika Lawson find her husband’s killer because of something 4 little girls did when they were 12 years old. “Once upon a time, 4 little girls, best friends, took an oath of loyalty. They promised to always help one another whenever they were asked. They signed their names and stamped their thumbprints in blood.” The only catch? Liv is forced to work with Cam and can’t say no without suffering excruciating pain and possible death.
The whole binding idea is actually pretty interesting. Normally, stories about witches or vampires are the ones that have some sort of binding or geis which won’t allow the person binded to have any sort of personal freedom or choice. If the Binder wants to treat them like shit, hit them, rape them, or basically toss them aside like a piece of unwashed laundry; they can do so without any fear of retribution on the part of the binded.
Cam, on the other hand, gets into deep kimchee because he can’t stop thinking about Liv and why she left him so abruptly. Cam is also a tracker and can find a person by using their full name. The more of the person’s name he is given, including the middle name(s), the better chance he has to find that person. The name thing reminds me of the stories about the fey where full names hold power over that person. The less a person knows about your full name, the safer you are from being tracked down.
Cam pretty much walked into a trap set by Ruben’s fellow black market kingpin Jake Tower. Instead of ending up with only 2 years contract like Liv, Cam stupidly agrees to several 5 year commitments. In the meantime, Cam continues to pine over Liv including stalking her to her apartment, which after 6 years, you would think he would have moved on and forget about her. But, of course Blood Bound wouldn’t be the story it is without angst and utter stupidity on both characters parts.
Now, the dislikes (Feel free to stop here if you don't want to read any further and get mad at my comments.)
1. Liv – For a badass tracker who was trained by the best, she sure is annoying as all hell. I was especially annoyed that Liv found that she was shot in the arm, and didn’t realize it until Cam told her. Then, after she was wrapped up and the blood was destroyed to prevent anyone from tracking her, she felt no restrictions over movement of her injured arm. Uh, excuse me Ms. Vincent. Research please. A gunshot wound victim doesn’t recover this fast unless they are a freaking vampire. And, from what I’ve read, Liv isn’t a suck face so therefore she should have been out of action or in a cast regardless of the through and through you claim she suffers from.
Liv gets beat up a lot in this story, especially by Ruben. Yes, she does get some good hits in on him, but, seriously could she not have grabbed a gun when he walked through the door and blasted him in the head and thus ended the bind once and for-all? When his wife was kicking her ass because she was a jealous ass bitch who thought Liv and Ruben were together together, she didn't fight back.
2. Annika – Although I could understand the reason for her being distraught after her husband was killed. Using a geis to enforce a bind that was done 16 years ago was pure evil. Anna already had Cam, in more ways than one, to help her find the killer. So, why was it necessary to force Liv to work with Cam knowing that she wanted nothing to do with him?
2A – My positive is also Anna because she fights hard for her daughter Hadley to keep her away from Ruben and the rest of the syndicate bosses. In some ways, she can be forgiven for doing anything she can, including using Cam and Liv, to find her husband’s killer, while keeping Hadley safe.
3. The story itself takes place over a 2 days period. I’m not kidding. Two freaking days for Liv and Cam to remember that they were once in love and have sex. 2 days to find out that Liv is also bound and argue about it and wonder who is the more assanine in how they ended up bound to seperate mob bosses. 2 days for Liv and Cam to find Anna’s husband’s killer all while she gets shot and shrugs it off as though she was stung by a hornet. And, while we’re at it, hey let’s also suddenly find Rubens “son” who has been right in front of them the entire time and thus ends Liv's contract to Ruben! Realism has absolutely no place in this world of Ms. Vincent’s that is for sure.
4. And, finally there’s Cam – Cam, Cam, Cam. What in the bloody blue blazes of hell is wrong with you? A woman walks out on you and you pine over her for 6 years. 6 years?!?!?!?! Cam there is plenty of other fish in the damn sea. Pick up your big boy panties and grab ahold of yourself. You also walked into an obvious trap while stalking Liv and get bound by a syndicate boss who gathers “skilled” people like others collect Beanie Babies. Then, instead of walking away after 5 years, you sign up again for more time! Hello McFly? Is anyone home in that idiotic brain of yours?
5. I just remembered one more thing I hated about this book. The alternating POV’s sometimes in the middle of a chapter? Please don’t freaking do that again. Can’t you wait until the next chapter before flip flopping characters POV?
6. FINALLY -- the whole cliffhanger ending to this book made me want to burn this book and pay the fine to the library. Seriously? After what Liv goes thru in this book --seriously?
I’m sure I did read the same book as my other GR friends, but in my opinion, this book was worse than the first book in the Shifters series which introduced readers to the more than a little annoying and disrespectful Faythe. I agree with others that the first book should be one of the best in the series to keep readers to the very end. In this case, this book has major flaws and book # 2 can only get better.
November 5, 2012
Spoilers
Pretty good - the plot was decent, the romance wasn't bad and the characters were okay.
A few things that I didn't like:
I didn't like the ending with both of them being signed to Cav..After all the hard work Liv did.. I hope they manage to get out of it.
I hated Anna esp when she forced Liv to kill the man who killed her husband and then got all shocked when Liv told her that she should kill him herself if she wanted him dead.. Liv made it clear that she didn't want the blood on her hands but Anna didn't care as long as her hands were clean. Even Cam was giving Liv a hard time and siding with Anna and acting like LIv was an awful person because she told Anna to do it herself.. Cam should have been siding with the so called love of his life. So what if your a mother.. everyone's something to someone!
Anna and Cam sleeping together I can't believe they would do that to Liv .. I don't care if your drunk and upset. I know Liv dumped Cam but the way she did it was obvious something wasn't right.. if he loved her soo much why didn't he fight for her and demand answers instead of sleeping with her friend.. he knew something wasn't right because he did ask her later but only after he'd slept with Anna.. as soon as I read that Anna/Cam slept together I just felt it cheapened LIv/Cam's relationship.
Cam shooting Liv.. why couldn't he fight the compulsion??.. was it stronger than Liv/Anna's compulsion. I would like a bit of clarification because I though you could fight any compulsion for a an amount of time but to do so would cause you pain.. couldn't Cam have fought the compulsion for a little while and handled the pain?
Hated Anna soo much.. I couldn't sympathise with her at all.. she was righteous and holier than thou, everyone was putting their lives at risk for her.. I think if Kori/Liv/Cam would ever need help she would do as little as poss and make them feel guilty for even asking because she's a mother.. whatever she's just a self centred shrew.
Lastly I didn't like that Cam was upset when he forund out Hadley wasn't his daughter.. it made no sense he should have felt relieved. He only thought for a few hours that she could be his daughter.. how could he be upset that he didn't have a child with the love of his life's friend, a child he didn't even suspect was his until a few hrs ago.. a child who's he doesn't know and who's missed the first 5 yrs of their life, a child that who would be a constant reminder of him sleeping with Liv's best friend.. he should have felt relief, it's not like he's old, he's got plenty of time to have a family with Liv.
Pretty good - the plot was decent, the romance wasn't bad and the characters were okay.
A few things that I didn't like:
I didn't like the ending with both of them being signed to Cav..After all the hard work Liv did.. I hope they manage to get out of it.
I hated Anna esp when she forced Liv to kill the man who killed her husband and then got all shocked when Liv told her that she should kill him herself if she wanted him dead.. Liv made it clear that she didn't want the blood on her hands but Anna didn't care as long as her hands were clean. Even Cam was giving Liv a hard time and siding with Anna and acting like LIv was an awful person because she told Anna to do it herself.. Cam should have been siding with the so called love of his life. So what if your a mother.. everyone's something to someone!
Anna and Cam sleeping together I can't believe they would do that to Liv .. I don't care if your drunk and upset. I know Liv dumped Cam but the way she did it was obvious something wasn't right.. if he loved her soo much why didn't he fight for her and demand answers instead of sleeping with her friend.. he knew something wasn't right because he did ask her later but only after he'd slept with Anna.. as soon as I read that Anna/Cam slept together I just felt it cheapened LIv/Cam's relationship.
Cam shooting Liv.. why couldn't he fight the compulsion??.. was it stronger than Liv/Anna's compulsion. I would like a bit of clarification because I though you could fight any compulsion for a an amount of time but to do so would cause you pain.. couldn't Cam have fought the compulsion for a little while and handled the pain?
Hated Anna soo much.. I couldn't sympathise with her at all.. she was righteous and holier than thou, everyone was putting their lives at risk for her.. I think if Kori/Liv/Cam would ever need help she would do as little as poss and make them feel guilty for even asking because she's a mother.. whatever she's just a self centred shrew.
Lastly I didn't like that Cam was upset when he forund out Hadley wasn't his daughter.. it made no sense he should have felt relieved. He only thought for a few hours that she could be his daughter.. how could he be upset that he didn't have a child with the love of his life's friend, a child he didn't even suspect was his until a few hrs ago.. a child who's he doesn't know and who's missed the first 5 yrs of their life, a child that who would be a constant reminder of him sleeping with Liv's best friend.. he should have felt relief, it's not like he's old, he's got plenty of time to have a family with Liv.
August 28, 2011
http://addicted2heroines.blogspot.com...
"Skilled people have this much power over names, and blood, and oaths, and contracts, why aren't you ruling the world? I mean, why haven't you guys just kind of... taken over?"
Liv glanced at me, and when I shrugged, she returned Van's somber gaze with one of her own. "What makes you think we haven't?"
What an intriguing world Vincent has created! It's the equivalent to an underground supernatural mafia, which is all kinds of fun for me.
...Why?
Because three things are always present when doin' it mafia style - deadly shootouts, backstabbing traitors, and at least one villain who, despite his or her detestable actions, leaves a small part of you hoping that he or she makes it through 'til the end.
With "Blood Bound" you get all of this and more.
I won't rehash on what the story is about because the synopsis does that just fine. But I will tell you what I enjoyed and the major hang-up that very nearly had me closing this book for good.
Aside from the world that was brilliantly constructed, the relationships developed between the characters were intense and engaging.
Liv Warren was a highly enjoyable and complex character. She manages to be hardcore and vulnerable at the same time. She carries a higher code of ethics than what most of her peers seem to live by but she still gets her hands dirty. She's a victim of circumstance, and while you can't always understand her decisions you never doubt her intentions.
"I've never gotten that far, as evidenced by the fact that my heart continues to beat, in spite of several times I would have declared it broken beyond repair. But everyone has a limit. A point past which you can't be pushed."
Then we have Cam Caballero, the man that Liv had loved and lost due to circumstances that won't become known to the reader until much later in the story. Cam still cares for Liv and even though the feeling is mutual, she continues to push him away while Cam continues to push back.
His complete devotion to Liv, even after 6 long years, won me over and the fact that he reminded me of Marc Ramos was a bonus that many "Stray" fans will be able to appreciate.
"Olivia, you're not listening." He stared straight down into my eyes. "I can't stand the thought of him touching you. At all. I can't just sit here and wait for you to come back, imagining him all over you. Or hitting you. I can't"
Cam's wordless shout of anger and frustration followed me into the hall, chased by the crash of something heavy hitting the wall."
The dynamics between the two was highly entertaining and as the story progresses the situation becomes more and more complicated. It seemed like these star-crossed lovers would never catch a break.
And that leads me to the complication that took my complete adoration for all things "Blood Bound" and flipped it on its ass.
Cam's big mistake.
I was crushed! Heartbroken! Why oh why would you do this Cam! I thought we had something special .... or at least I thought you did with Liv.
After pages and pages of Cam's obsession with regaining Liv's trust and maneuvering his way back into her life, he admits to a mistake that felt like a huge slap in the face.
How could I continue believing in any of the things that Cam had previously said when his "big mistake" happened the very same night that Liv leaves? A month later I could have dealt with. A year later would be more understandable. But the same night? No thank you.
That's where my love affair with Cam Caballero came to an abrupt halt, shortly followed by my loss of admiration for Liv when she was so easily forgiving. A woman who was strong-willed enough to leave the man that she loves for six years wasn't capable of being angry about a HUGE betrayal for more than two pages? Doesn't matter that she left him first because he clearly didn't love her as much as he had claimed if he did what he did in less than 24 hours.
Some readers may not agree with me and come up with very sensible reasons why Cam should still be redeemable. Don't care. I couldn't like him anymore and it made the remaining parts of the story that involved their relationship less than enjoyable for me.
Fortunately there was still a mystery to be solved, some bad guy ass to kick, and a little girl to return safely to her mother, so I didn't put the book down completely despite the fact that I was disgusted with it.
A lot of readers who have previously posted reviews didn't have the same issue with the story that I did ... or at least I haven't seen it mentioned by anyone else. So don't let my issues scare you away from reading this story. Rachel Vincent really is a fantastic author and I still plan to follow this series for as long as it continues.
"... it felt possible that there might never be anything else. That we could live like this forever. That I could subsist on Cam Caballero alone and never want for a thing in my life."
"Skilled people have this much power over names, and blood, and oaths, and contracts, why aren't you ruling the world? I mean, why haven't you guys just kind of... taken over?"
Liv glanced at me, and when I shrugged, she returned Van's somber gaze with one of her own. "What makes you think we haven't?"
What an intriguing world Vincent has created! It's the equivalent to an underground supernatural mafia, which is all kinds of fun for me.
...Why?
Because three things are always present when doin' it mafia style - deadly shootouts, backstabbing traitors, and at least one villain who, despite his or her detestable actions, leaves a small part of you hoping that he or she makes it through 'til the end.
With "Blood Bound" you get all of this and more.
I won't rehash on what the story is about because the synopsis does that just fine. But I will tell you what I enjoyed and the major hang-up that very nearly had me closing this book for good.
Aside from the world that was brilliantly constructed, the relationships developed between the characters were intense and engaging.
Liv Warren was a highly enjoyable and complex character. She manages to be hardcore and vulnerable at the same time. She carries a higher code of ethics than what most of her peers seem to live by but she still gets her hands dirty. She's a victim of circumstance, and while you can't always understand her decisions you never doubt her intentions.
"I've never gotten that far, as evidenced by the fact that my heart continues to beat, in spite of several times I would have declared it broken beyond repair. But everyone has a limit. A point past which you can't be pushed."
Then we have Cam Caballero, the man that Liv had loved and lost due to circumstances that won't become known to the reader until much later in the story. Cam still cares for Liv and even though the feeling is mutual, she continues to push him away while Cam continues to push back.
His complete devotion to Liv, even after 6 long years, won me over and the fact that he reminded me of Marc Ramos was a bonus that many "Stray" fans will be able to appreciate.
"Olivia, you're not listening." He stared straight down into my eyes. "I can't stand the thought of him touching you. At all. I can't just sit here and wait for you to come back, imagining him all over you. Or hitting you. I can't"
Cam's wordless shout of anger and frustration followed me into the hall, chased by the crash of something heavy hitting the wall."
The dynamics between the two was highly entertaining and as the story progresses the situation becomes more and more complicated. It seemed like these star-crossed lovers would never catch a break.
And that leads me to the complication that took my complete adoration for all things "Blood Bound" and flipped it on its ass.
Cam's big mistake.
I was crushed! Heartbroken! Why oh why would you do this Cam! I thought we had something special .... or at least I thought you did with Liv.
After pages and pages of Cam's obsession with regaining Liv's trust and maneuvering his way back into her life, he admits to a mistake that felt like a huge slap in the face.
How could I continue believing in any of the things that Cam had previously said when his "big mistake" happened the very same night that Liv leaves? A month later I could have dealt with. A year later would be more understandable. But the same night? No thank you.
That's where my love affair with Cam Caballero came to an abrupt halt, shortly followed by my loss of admiration for Liv when she was so easily forgiving. A woman who was strong-willed enough to leave the man that she loves for six years wasn't capable of being angry about a HUGE betrayal for more than two pages? Doesn't matter that she left him first because he clearly didn't love her as much as he had claimed if he did what he did in less than 24 hours.
Some readers may not agree with me and come up with very sensible reasons why Cam should still be redeemable. Don't care. I couldn't like him anymore and it made the remaining parts of the story that involved their relationship less than enjoyable for me.
Fortunately there was still a mystery to be solved, some bad guy ass to kick, and a little girl to return safely to her mother, so I didn't put the book down completely despite the fact that I was disgusted with it.
A lot of readers who have previously posted reviews didn't have the same issue with the story that I did ... or at least I haven't seen it mentioned by anyone else. So don't let my issues scare you away from reading this story. Rachel Vincent really is a fantastic author and I still plan to follow this series for as long as it continues.
"... it felt possible that there might never be anything else. That we could live like this forever. That I could subsist on Cam Caballero alone and never want for a thing in my life."
August 23, 2011
Rachel Vincent can do no wrong. Yes, I said it and I probably mean it. Over the years I’ve undoubtedly grown as a reader and reviewer, and sometimes my increasingly high expectation as to what makes a truly great urban fantasy novel leaves me feeling unsatisfied with what I come across. Yet, not once has Rachel Vincent fallen under that increasingly high bar. In some aspects I feel as if we have grown together. You know, as much as two people who don’t know each other can, and not in a creepy sort of way. Or maybe it is simply that her own development as a writer and continued success as a story teller has influenced the ‘standard of excellence’ I hold other novels and authors up to.
Who are these people?
Liv Warren is a tracker, capable of finding people (unofficially) within a 300 mile radius through even the smallest drop of blood. She is one of the Skilled, a subset of people born with special skills that go largely ignored by society. With the exception of criminal syndicates and the government, of course.
I’ve sat for at least ten minutes trying to think of one word that adequately describes Liv and nothing fits just right, except maybe desperate, or desolate, or confident, or defiant, or flawed, or empowered, or …see, the list goes on. She is complicated. She does what she has to in order to survive and keep her friends safe, even if they don’t realize she is doing it. Her world is full of black, white, gray, and boundary lines that were meant to be pushed up against and bent.
Cam Caballero, is the one she can’t have. There is certainly more to him and their relationship, but honestly Liv carries this story on her own. Their romance is secondary, if not unremarkable to the story as a whole.
What is this book even about?
Bound by a blood oath taken as a young girl, Liv is forced to help a friend find and kill a man in the name of revenge. Yet, when is revenge ever a simple and straight forward task? Coerced to work with a man she loves, but believes she is a danger to, Liv Warren finds herself neck deep in a complicated ring of criminal politics that threatens to expose her own secrets with every passing hour.
Trackers find people, Jammers keep Trackers from finding people. Travelers teleport through shadows and Binders can make promises a death sentence. There is an entire world of Skilled people officially ignored by society and the government, but unofficially used by both. The basic plot in itself isn’t revolutionary, it doesn’t need to be. Instead its a steady and well paced constant nestled among a rapidly shifting world and cast of characters.
What did I like love about this story?
The creativity. The innovation. The sense that this series would be unlike anything else I’ve read in urban fantasy so far. One of the things I enjoyed so much about Rachel Vincent’s previous Shifter series was that she didn’t just build a story resting on the back of traditional paranormal “shifter” lore, but instead created her own. She does the same with this new series, blazing a trail that is entirely hers and entirely unique to the genre. Not only is the world building creative and innovative, but it is believable. The characters, events, and dynamics of the Unbound world teeter along the line of credible possibilities in such a way that one can’t help being completely captivated.
What gave me pause….?
Truthfully, very little. I did find the romance subplot to be less interesting than the rest, but it certainly wasn’t badly done or in any way detrimental to the novel. It is likely my own disinterest in romance in general as of late, rather than the subplot itself. I’d like to speculate it could have been written without it, but I fear we’d lose character growth within Liv that manifested nicely because of the romantic entanglements. If you enjoy a good bit of romantic tension in your urban fantasy, this book has the perfect portion of it.
Favorite Quote
“But before you start officially asking me for help, you need to understand that there are certain requests I can’t carry out, and making those particular requests would be like pushing my self-destruct button. I’ll implode, like the fuckin’ Death Star.”
“Um, point of fact, I believe the Death Star exploded,” Cam said, leaning back on a bar stool, his elbows propped behind him on the counter. “Twice.”
“Congratulations. Your official super-nerd badge is in the mail,” Kori said, but I couldn’t get past the part about me accidentally pushing her self-destruct button.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit! “Please tell me that doesn’t mean what I think it means….”
Should you read this book?
Yes. In fact, if you only try one new series or one new author this year, Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent should be at the top of your list.
Who are these people?
Liv Warren is a tracker, capable of finding people (unofficially) within a 300 mile radius through even the smallest drop of blood. She is one of the Skilled, a subset of people born with special skills that go largely ignored by society. With the exception of criminal syndicates and the government, of course.
I’ve sat for at least ten minutes trying to think of one word that adequately describes Liv and nothing fits just right, except maybe desperate, or desolate, or confident, or defiant, or flawed, or empowered, or …see, the list goes on. She is complicated. She does what she has to in order to survive and keep her friends safe, even if they don’t realize she is doing it. Her world is full of black, white, gray, and boundary lines that were meant to be pushed up against and bent.
Cam Caballero, is the one she can’t have. There is certainly more to him and their relationship, but honestly Liv carries this story on her own. Their romance is secondary, if not unremarkable to the story as a whole.
What is this book even about?
Bound by a blood oath taken as a young girl, Liv is forced to help a friend find and kill a man in the name of revenge. Yet, when is revenge ever a simple and straight forward task? Coerced to work with a man she loves, but believes she is a danger to, Liv Warren finds herself neck deep in a complicated ring of criminal politics that threatens to expose her own secrets with every passing hour.
Trackers find people, Jammers keep Trackers from finding people. Travelers teleport through shadows and Binders can make promises a death sentence. There is an entire world of Skilled people officially ignored by society and the government, but unofficially used by both. The basic plot in itself isn’t revolutionary, it doesn’t need to be. Instead its a steady and well paced constant nestled among a rapidly shifting world and cast of characters.
What did I like love about this story?
The creativity. The innovation. The sense that this series would be unlike anything else I’ve read in urban fantasy so far. One of the things I enjoyed so much about Rachel Vincent’s previous Shifter series was that she didn’t just build a story resting on the back of traditional paranormal “shifter” lore, but instead created her own. She does the same with this new series, blazing a trail that is entirely hers and entirely unique to the genre. Not only is the world building creative and innovative, but it is believable. The characters, events, and dynamics of the Unbound world teeter along the line of credible possibilities in such a way that one can’t help being completely captivated.
What gave me pause….?
Truthfully, very little. I did find the romance subplot to be less interesting than the rest, but it certainly wasn’t badly done or in any way detrimental to the novel. It is likely my own disinterest in romance in general as of late, rather than the subplot itself. I’d like to speculate it could have been written without it, but I fear we’d lose character growth within Liv that manifested nicely because of the romantic entanglements. If you enjoy a good bit of romantic tension in your urban fantasy, this book has the perfect portion of it.
Favorite Quote
“But before you start officially asking me for help, you need to understand that there are certain requests I can’t carry out, and making those particular requests would be like pushing my self-destruct button. I’ll implode, like the fuckin’ Death Star.”
“Um, point of fact, I believe the Death Star exploded,” Cam said, leaning back on a bar stool, his elbows propped behind him on the counter. “Twice.”
“Congratulations. Your official super-nerd badge is in the mail,” Kori said, but I couldn’t get past the part about me accidentally pushing her self-destruct button.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit! “Please tell me that doesn’t mean what I think it means….”
Should you read this book?
Yes. In fact, if you only try one new series or one new author this year, Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent should be at the top of your list.
August 15, 2011
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
I can’t remember the last time I got this excited over an urban fantasy debut. I already knew that Rachel Vincent was a paranormal master thanks to her increasingly good paranormal YA Soul Screamers series and adept at injecting just the right amount of romance into urban fantasy in her Shifters series, but her new Unbound trilogy, which begins with BLOOD BOUND, promised a much darker, much grittier story that breaks way outside the box. And having now read it, she may have just set a new standard for the genre.
Comprehensive and inventive worldbuilding, strong yet flawed characters, surprising and fast paced plot, and a dash of romance are what I always hope for in urban fantasy. BLOOD BOUND gave me all that and more. The worldbuilding is staggeringly good. After thirty years, the world’s worst keep secret is that there are certain individuals who posses Skills. These can range from Trackers (those who can find people with just a name or a smear of blood), Binders (those who can broker magical contracts), Travelers (those who can cover any distance by moving between shadows), and several others. Since the government refuses to acknowledge Skilled individuals, organized crime has made excellent use of them. The details of this world are so finely nuanced and so well thought out that I’d believe in a heartbeat that Rachel Vincent had been planning this series for decades.
The main character is a blood Tracker. She works freelance for one of the nastier crime bosses in her city. Liv has a lot of secrets. Deep ones that have started to eat her soul by the time we meet her. She is sinking further and further in a pit of filth that she willingly entered and with each passing day, it becomes less likely that she’ll ever get out. The phrase ‘hitting rock bottom’ was made for characters like Liv Warren.
Liv’s co-narrator is Cam Cabrillo, the only man she ever loved. Cam is a name Tracker. He’s been driving himself half mad trying to figure out why Liv left him six years ago. Cam has his own secrets and ties to a rival crime boss, but none of that matters when Liv’s best friend from high school invokes a magical Binding that Liv can’t ignore if she wants to live and Cam is the only one who can help her.
I stopped counting after the third punch-you-in-the-gut shocker that was revealed in BLOOD BOUND, not because I suddenly saw them coming—the entire book was one unbelievable yet totally believable scene after another—but because I realized that I’d have been better off counting the scenes that didn’t steal my breath away. The romance is so well paced too. Cam and Liv have a lot resentment and stubbornness between the two of them, as well as secrets that Liv is keeping that are every bit as terrible as you suspect from her behavior, but once revealed, they shed an entirely different light on everything that has happened up until that point.
I kept telling myself I’d only read one more chapter and then I’d quit for the night. I kept making that same bargain with myself until the very end of the book when suddenly it was light enough outside that I couldn’t call it night anymore. But I don’t even care that I’m tired today, because BLOOD BOUND was exactly the kind of book that’s worth robbing you of sleep. I’d be ready to forgo sleep again tonight if it meant I could read the next book in the Unbound trilogy, SHADOW BOUND, which is scheduled to be published in 2012.
Sexual Content:
Kissing. References to rape. References to sex slavery. Sexual assault. A couple sex scenes
I can’t remember the last time I got this excited over an urban fantasy debut. I already knew that Rachel Vincent was a paranormal master thanks to her increasingly good paranormal YA Soul Screamers series and adept at injecting just the right amount of romance into urban fantasy in her Shifters series, but her new Unbound trilogy, which begins with BLOOD BOUND, promised a much darker, much grittier story that breaks way outside the box. And having now read it, she may have just set a new standard for the genre.
Comprehensive and inventive worldbuilding, strong yet flawed characters, surprising and fast paced plot, and a dash of romance are what I always hope for in urban fantasy. BLOOD BOUND gave me all that and more. The worldbuilding is staggeringly good. After thirty years, the world’s worst keep secret is that there are certain individuals who posses Skills. These can range from Trackers (those who can find people with just a name or a smear of blood), Binders (those who can broker magical contracts), Travelers (those who can cover any distance by moving between shadows), and several others. Since the government refuses to acknowledge Skilled individuals, organized crime has made excellent use of them. The details of this world are so finely nuanced and so well thought out that I’d believe in a heartbeat that Rachel Vincent had been planning this series for decades.
The main character is a blood Tracker. She works freelance for one of the nastier crime bosses in her city. Liv has a lot of secrets. Deep ones that have started to eat her soul by the time we meet her. She is sinking further and further in a pit of filth that she willingly entered and with each passing day, it becomes less likely that she’ll ever get out. The phrase ‘hitting rock bottom’ was made for characters like Liv Warren.
Liv’s co-narrator is Cam Cabrillo, the only man she ever loved. Cam is a name Tracker. He’s been driving himself half mad trying to figure out why Liv left him six years ago. Cam has his own secrets and ties to a rival crime boss, but none of that matters when Liv’s best friend from high school invokes a magical Binding that Liv can’t ignore if she wants to live and Cam is the only one who can help her.
I stopped counting after the third punch-you-in-the-gut shocker that was revealed in BLOOD BOUND, not because I suddenly saw them coming—the entire book was one unbelievable yet totally believable scene after another—but because I realized that I’d have been better off counting the scenes that didn’t steal my breath away. The romance is so well paced too. Cam and Liv have a lot resentment and stubbornness between the two of them, as well as secrets that Liv is keeping that are every bit as terrible as you suspect from her behavior, but once revealed, they shed an entirely different light on everything that has happened up until that point.
I kept telling myself I’d only read one more chapter and then I’d quit for the night. I kept making that same bargain with myself until the very end of the book when suddenly it was light enough outside that I couldn’t call it night anymore. But I don’t even care that I’m tired today, because BLOOD BOUND was exactly the kind of book that’s worth robbing you of sleep. I’d be ready to forgo sleep again tonight if it meant I could read the next book in the Unbound trilogy, SHADOW BOUND, which is scheduled to be published in 2012.
Sexual Content:
Kissing. References to rape. References to sex slavery. Sexual assault. A couple sex scenes
September 18, 2011
The main concept: there are some people with particular skills living in a world where they are not officially acknowledged, but they are nonetheless coerced into using said skills to perform particular jobs for the mafia-lords that rule the city.
There is too little world-building to call this a dystopia, but we can fairly say that the world in which Blood Bound is set is somewhat slightly dystopical-flavoured.
The novel is written in first-person, from the POV of alternatively the female and the male protagonist. The change in POV does not occur in random spots and the author is always careful to write the incipits in such a way that it's immediately clear which perspective is being told. Kudos to Rachel Vincent, that's not easy to accomplish.
Olivia is able to track people from a sample of their blood. Everything begins when her friend Anne knocks on her door and demands that she avenges the death of Anne's husband, who has been murdered just few hours before.
I hated the needy and whiny bitch on sight. But Olivia accepts the request quite graciously, given that a “demand” from her friend is actually a “do it or die” kind of deal; moreover, she has to do it at once and she has to work with her ex-boyfriend.
The bitch (Anne, not Olivia).
Just for putting a friend in such a position, Anne would have deserved a slow and painful death along the plot (but I'm not going to spoiler you and say if that actually happens or not).
Olivia finds herself between the proverbial rock and hard place, because fulfilling her friend's request can cause (and will cause) every sort of friction with her arrangments with the local mafia boss. Not to say anything about the forced collaboration with the ex.
There's plenty of mystery, little fun but a lot of sass, a lot of thrill and a conspicuous amount of sexual tension, even if there isn't a single sex scene in all the book (that's not to say there isn't sex, just that it's not overly detailed). Just writing this, I've decided to rate this five stars because really: what else do you want in a book?
Originally, I gave this four stars just because of Anniethebitch. Ok, and because there are some huge question marks left unanswered, too.
For example:
1: Why don't they all move to another city/state/continent, where they wouldn't be subjects of the mafia system? I'm not saying they should (after all, I'm still living in Italy), but we don't know why they don't do it.
2: How is the rest of the world organized, outside of the city? It's said that in the city there are two syndicated zones and an independent one. Are all the cities supposed to be the same?
3: Why didn't Cam (male protagonist) try to talk to Olivia before these events? Six years is quite a long time to keep waiting for something to happen. Why didn't he move sooner?
There are other ones that at the moment won't come to mind. And sure, there is also the problem with the ending. In series-related books some sort of cliffhanger is to be expected (if it were not so, the series would quickly come to an end). But I hate cliffhangers. Even little cliffhangers, like this one.
But all in all this book had me captivated from start to end, and it was a solid good read. Hence the five stars.
There is too little world-building to call this a dystopia, but we can fairly say that the world in which Blood Bound is set is somewhat slightly dystopical-flavoured.
The novel is written in first-person, from the POV of alternatively the female and the male protagonist. The change in POV does not occur in random spots and the author is always careful to write the incipits in such a way that it's immediately clear which perspective is being told. Kudos to Rachel Vincent, that's not easy to accomplish.
Olivia is able to track people from a sample of their blood. Everything begins when her friend Anne knocks on her door and demands that she avenges the death of Anne's husband, who has been murdered just few hours before.
I hated the needy and whiny bitch on sight. But Olivia accepts the request quite graciously, given that a “demand” from her friend is actually a “do it or die” kind of deal; moreover, she has to do it at once and she has to work with her ex-boyfriend.
The bitch (Anne, not Olivia).
Just for putting a friend in such a position, Anne would have deserved a slow and painful death along the plot (but I'm not going to spoiler you and say if that actually happens or not).
Olivia finds herself between the proverbial rock and hard place, because fulfilling her friend's request can cause (and will cause) every sort of friction with her arrangments with the local mafia boss. Not to say anything about the forced collaboration with the ex.
There's plenty of mystery, little fun but a lot of sass, a lot of thrill and a conspicuous amount of sexual tension, even if there isn't a single sex scene in all the book (that's not to say there isn't sex, just that it's not overly detailed). Just writing this, I've decided to rate this five stars because really: what else do you want in a book?
Originally, I gave this four stars just because of Anniethebitch. Ok, and because there are some huge question marks left unanswered, too.
For example:
1: Why don't they all move to another city/state/continent, where they wouldn't be subjects of the mafia system? I'm not saying they should (after all, I'm still living in Italy), but we don't know why they don't do it.
2: How is the rest of the world organized, outside of the city? It's said that in the city there are two syndicated zones and an independent one. Are all the cities supposed to be the same?
3: Why didn't Cam (male protagonist) try to talk to Olivia before these events? Six years is quite a long time to keep waiting for something to happen. Why didn't he move sooner?
There are other ones that at the moment won't come to mind. And sure, there is also the problem with the ending. In series-related books some sort of cliffhanger is to be expected (if it were not so, the series would quickly come to an end). But I hate cliffhangers. Even little cliffhangers, like this one.
But all in all this book had me captivated from start to end, and it was a solid good read. Hence the five stars.
August 24, 2011
This is the start to a new series from Rachel Vincent and after having her Shifter series I knew I wanted this book, and what more can I say then I am sure glad I got it.
The paranormal elements in this series are that some skilled individuals have the power to find someone by a name, by blood, some have binding powers and make contracts you can't break, and some can move from shadow to shadow. There are also more and everyone knows about them, but no countries have done anything about this and pretend they are not there. Then there are those who profit from these skills others have and that bring us to the novel. There are two crime bosses in the city and you do not want to cross them. They hold on to their empires and skills are a trade to them.
Liv has the skill of tracking and these days she tries to stay on one side of the town since she works now and again for one of the crime bosses, Cavazo. She is strong, kickass (we all know I love that), and she has this love for freedom because in this world it's not easy being free. I did like her at once.
Cam is her exlover who shows up asking her to take a case. I can't go into details why they broke up but just say he wants her back and she is running. One thing he did I did not like, but again there were reasons back then. But damn this man loves her and wants her back. He would go to the end of the world for her and that is enough for me to melt into that little puddle. What else can I say then I promise you some romance and passion on the side.
It's not easy trying to move through this mafia world but they try their best. And I do love the world she created, it might just be this tiny obsession I used to have for mafia related things. There is action, danger and a whole lot of questions. Which is also a great part because there is always something there, just over that hill and I am reading like crazy to find the answers to everything that is happening. You just can't put it down, you will want more, you need to know more.
And that brings is to Cavazo, the awesome baddie. He is so evil, and not in that delicious way where you want to have your way with him. But no in the evil evil way. He will not think twice of putting a bullet in your brain, he rules with an iron fist, he is cruel, he hits women, but I like him. Yes I do have problems it seems. The thing is that even though he is totally bad, there is still this glimmer of something decent buried way way way back inside of him and he does have one redeeming quality, which the other boss Tower does not seem to have. What can I say, I love a good baddie, and fine I pictured him as hot. But would not go anywhere near him. He is crazy after all.
Conclusion:
This was a great start to this series and it made me want the next book. Sadly I have to wait almost a year for that one. It also did not end in a cliffhanger, ok sort of not ended. There was an end, there was a maybe, but I could live with it. To wrap this up, great book.
Rating:
Recommended
The paranormal elements in this series are that some skilled individuals have the power to find someone by a name, by blood, some have binding powers and make contracts you can't break, and some can move from shadow to shadow. There are also more and everyone knows about them, but no countries have done anything about this and pretend they are not there. Then there are those who profit from these skills others have and that bring us to the novel. There are two crime bosses in the city and you do not want to cross them. They hold on to their empires and skills are a trade to them.
Liv has the skill of tracking and these days she tries to stay on one side of the town since she works now and again for one of the crime bosses, Cavazo. She is strong, kickass (we all know I love that), and she has this love for freedom because in this world it's not easy being free. I did like her at once.
Cam is her exlover who shows up asking her to take a case. I can't go into details why they broke up but just say he wants her back and she is running. One thing he did I did not like, but again there were reasons back then. But damn this man loves her and wants her back. He would go to the end of the world for her and that is enough for me to melt into that little puddle. What else can I say then I promise you some romance and passion on the side.
It's not easy trying to move through this mafia world but they try their best. And I do love the world she created, it might just be this tiny obsession I used to have for mafia related things. There is action, danger and a whole lot of questions. Which is also a great part because there is always something there, just over that hill and I am reading like crazy to find the answers to everything that is happening. You just can't put it down, you will want more, you need to know more.
And that brings is to Cavazo, the awesome baddie. He is so evil, and not in that delicious way where you want to have your way with him. But no in the evil evil way. He will not think twice of putting a bullet in your brain, he rules with an iron fist, he is cruel, he hits women, but I like him. Yes I do have problems it seems. The thing is that even though he is totally bad, there is still this glimmer of something decent buried way way way back inside of him and he does have one redeeming quality, which the other boss Tower does not seem to have. What can I say, I love a good baddie, and fine I pictured him as hot. But would not go anywhere near him. He is crazy after all.
Conclusion:
This was a great start to this series and it made me want the next book. Sadly I have to wait almost a year for that one. It also did not end in a cliffhanger, ok sort of not ended. There was an end, there was a maybe, but I could live with it. To wrap this up, great book.
Rating:
Recommended
July 28, 2011
I am speechless for my review of Blood Bound. I did not know what to expect since the only books I have read by this author are her young adult Soul Screamer series. I knew it would be excellent writing, but I didn't realize how well she could execute an adult themed genre book until now.
I will be honest though in the fact that if you aren't prepared for some puzzle solving, you can easily get lost in the first couple chapters. I was scratching my head several times trying to figure out what the heck was going on. Even though I was confused and starting to get frustrated, I kept reading and I am so happy I did. Once I got through the initial scene set-up chapters, the book took off. I found myself sucked into the Skilled world and was secretly wishing I had some of those Skills without the contracts! Imagine having the powers to track someone with either a name or sample of blood. Imagine stepping from one place into another by just walking though a shadow. Imagine seeing into the future and knowing all sorts of possibilities with different decisions. Just sit and imagine what it would be like.
The romance between Cam and Olivia is written perfectly. It isn't over done with a lot of sex scenes, but you can still feel the chemistry pull between the two and you find yourself looking for the loopholes for them to be together. I even found myself cheering and hoping that one particular bad guy would turn out not to be so bad. While I still can't stand his wife, the bad guy does have some redeeming qualities if you look close enough.
Now don't even get me started on that ending! I was so frustrated on the last page. I looked at my book closely to see if it was missing pages and then my frustration only grew when I finally accepted that the author left the ending this way for a reason. I could have screamed and thrown my book against a wall, but I realized it just makes me more anxious for the next book in the series to arrive. I now NEED the next book in the series just as much as I need my next breath! When an author can leave you hanging at the end, but leave you satisfied enough to want to continue the series, you know the author has done a beautiful job in a novel. Author Rachel Vincent has now been bumped to my always list for adult themed books and I can't wait to get my hands on her other series!
Read
September 19, 2011New Adult Series. First excerpt released 16th Feb here: http://www.deadlinedames.com/?p=5850
Details from RV's blog (announced 10th Jan 2011):
Series name: The name of the new series is “Unbound.” As in, “An Unbound novel, by Rachel Vincent.” Or something like that.
Title: The first book, currently scheduled for September 1, 2011, will be called BLOOD BOUND.
I know, I know, there's already a Patricia Briggs novel of that name. (I read it years ago. It was awesome.) But because my novel is coming out years after hers did and because the subject matter of my book is NOTHING like hers, I’m not anticipating much title confusion. My original working title for the book was “Bound In Blood,” and we went through literally a dozen or more title possibilities with the awesome people at Mira before finally deciding (unanimously, as far as I know) that nothing else captures the feel and subject matter of this book better than BLOOD BOUND. So, BLOOD BOUND it is.
Genre: The Unbound series is paranormal. It’s a little more romance-heavy than the early Shifters books are, and about in line with romance/relationship content of the last couple of Shifters books.
Audience: The Unbound books are intended for adults. As my editor said, BLOOD BOUND is “twisted.” (Is it wrong that her quote makes me smile? ;)) If this first book is any indication, these books will be very dark and gritty, violent, and tense, but with some humor (mostly dialogue) to take the edge off.
The world: The idea behind the Unbound world-building is simple. The execution is a little more complicated. For me, it all started with the cliché “a man’s word is his bond,” then grew to include, “the pen is mightier than the sword” and the concept of “word of mouth.”
“What…” I thought, as I was brainstorming, “…if those clichés could be taken literally?”
What if a person’s word really was his or her bond? What if, once given, a promise could never be taken back? Would you be more careful what you say? Wouldn’t we all, if we were bound to our words?
Then I took it a step further. If the spoken word carries that much power, how much more would the written word carry? What about words written in (or sealed in) blood? What about words written in (and sealed in) flesh? Tattoos and graffiti take on a whole new meaning, huh?
Needless to say, once I headed down that thought-path, the world-building exploded—there’s much more to it now (but I’m not going to give you any more just yet). The story lines grew from the world-building possibilities and conflicts. The characters developed based on the experiences they would've had, growing up in this world.
The bad guys are bad (twisted, according to some…), but they have very human motivations.
The good guys are…not exactly wearing white hats. But the innocent are still innocent, and someone has to fight for them. (This may, in fact, be the only thing Shifters has in common with Unbound.)
The characters:
Olivia Warren owes her friend Anne a favor. Anne needs someone found and brought to a very quick, private justice.
The catch? Olivia must work with Cam Caballero to complete this favor. The problem? Cam is Olivia’s ex—the man prophesied to either kill her or die by her hand. It's a tense reunion, at best.
As Olivia and Cam chase their target through public streets, private lives, and a dangerous criminal underworld, everything they thought they knew comes into question. In the end, they can only be sure of three things…
No one can be trusted.
Everyone’s lying.
And someone’s going to pay.
Announced 11th January 2011:
What POV is the book in? Right now, it's dual 1st person POV, alternating irregularly from Olivia to Cam. That could change. I've never done more than on POV on a novel, and if my editor thinks it would be better to change it, I'll change it during the edits.
What are the characters (re: paranormal abilities/species)? They are human+. But not anything you'd know from other books or movies. That's all I can say right now.
Will BLOOD BOUND be available in electronic/audio formats? I can't swear to it, but based on the fact that all my other books have been and the Unbound books are with the same publisher, I would guess that yes, they'll be available in those formats. Though I couldn't say when.
What do you mean by "twisted?" Will it be too gory for me? Regarding physical violence and gore, Unbound is no more "twisted" than the Shifters series. Maybe less. IMO, BLOOD BOUND is more emotionally/psychologically twisted.
When can we see the cover? Some time after I see it. If it's done yet, I haven't heard. So we're in for a bit of a wait on that.
Questions I'm not prepared to answer yet:
Will sequels be written from the same POV(s) or from different characters' POV(s)?
How many books will there be in this series?
When will they be out in the UK (France, Italy, etc...)?
I can't answer any of those yet because it's simply too early. I haven't even truly plotted out the second book yet. My editor hasn't finished reading the first book yet. To my knowledge, no one else at Mira has even seen the manuscript yet. So it's a little early to talk about sequels and foreign sales, at least in this particular case.
What I can say is that if sequels do take different POV(s), which is a possibility, the main characters from BLOOD BOUND will have much more than cameo roles.
Details from RV's blog (announced 10th Jan 2011):
Series name: The name of the new series is “Unbound.” As in, “An Unbound novel, by Rachel Vincent.” Or something like that.
Title: The first book, currently scheduled for September 1, 2011, will be called BLOOD BOUND.
I know, I know, there's already a Patricia Briggs novel of that name. (I read it years ago. It was awesome.) But because my novel is coming out years after hers did and because the subject matter of my book is NOTHING like hers, I’m not anticipating much title confusion. My original working title for the book was “Bound In Blood,” and we went through literally a dozen or more title possibilities with the awesome people at Mira before finally deciding (unanimously, as far as I know) that nothing else captures the feel and subject matter of this book better than BLOOD BOUND. So, BLOOD BOUND it is.
Genre: The Unbound series is paranormal. It’s a little more romance-heavy than the early Shifters books are, and about in line with romance/relationship content of the last couple of Shifters books.
Audience: The Unbound books are intended for adults. As my editor said, BLOOD BOUND is “twisted.” (Is it wrong that her quote makes me smile? ;)) If this first book is any indication, these books will be very dark and gritty, violent, and tense, but with some humor (mostly dialogue) to take the edge off.
The world: The idea behind the Unbound world-building is simple. The execution is a little more complicated. For me, it all started with the cliché “a man’s word is his bond,” then grew to include, “the pen is mightier than the sword” and the concept of “word of mouth.”
“What…” I thought, as I was brainstorming, “…if those clichés could be taken literally?”
What if a person’s word really was his or her bond? What if, once given, a promise could never be taken back? Would you be more careful what you say? Wouldn’t we all, if we were bound to our words?
Then I took it a step further. If the spoken word carries that much power, how much more would the written word carry? What about words written in (or sealed in) blood? What about words written in (and sealed in) flesh? Tattoos and graffiti take on a whole new meaning, huh?
Needless to say, once I headed down that thought-path, the world-building exploded—there’s much more to it now (but I’m not going to give you any more just yet). The story lines grew from the world-building possibilities and conflicts. The characters developed based on the experiences they would've had, growing up in this world.
The bad guys are bad (twisted, according to some…), but they have very human motivations.
The good guys are…not exactly wearing white hats. But the innocent are still innocent, and someone has to fight for them. (This may, in fact, be the only thing Shifters has in common with Unbound.)
The characters:
Olivia Warren owes her friend Anne a favor. Anne needs someone found and brought to a very quick, private justice.
The catch? Olivia must work with Cam Caballero to complete this favor. The problem? Cam is Olivia’s ex—the man prophesied to either kill her or die by her hand. It's a tense reunion, at best.
As Olivia and Cam chase their target through public streets, private lives, and a dangerous criminal underworld, everything they thought they knew comes into question. In the end, they can only be sure of three things…
No one can be trusted.
Everyone’s lying.
And someone’s going to pay.
Announced 11th January 2011:
What POV is the book in? Right now, it's dual 1st person POV, alternating irregularly from Olivia to Cam. That could change. I've never done more than on POV on a novel, and if my editor thinks it would be better to change it, I'll change it during the edits.
What are the characters (re: paranormal abilities/species)? They are human+. But not anything you'd know from other books or movies. That's all I can say right now.
Will BLOOD BOUND be available in electronic/audio formats? I can't swear to it, but based on the fact that all my other books have been and the Unbound books are with the same publisher, I would guess that yes, they'll be available in those formats. Though I couldn't say when.
What do you mean by "twisted?" Will it be too gory for me? Regarding physical violence and gore, Unbound is no more "twisted" than the Shifters series. Maybe less. IMO, BLOOD BOUND is more emotionally/psychologically twisted.
When can we see the cover? Some time after I see it. If it's done yet, I haven't heard. So we're in for a bit of a wait on that.
Questions I'm not prepared to answer yet:
Will sequels be written from the same POV(s) or from different characters' POV(s)?
How many books will there be in this series?
When will they be out in the UK (France, Italy, etc...)?
I can't answer any of those yet because it's simply too early. I haven't even truly plotted out the second book yet. My editor hasn't finished reading the first book yet. To my knowledge, no one else at Mira has even seen the manuscript yet. So it's a little early to talk about sequels and foreign sales, at least in this particular case.
What I can say is that if sequels do take different POV(s), which is a possibility, the main characters from BLOOD BOUND will have much more than cameo roles.
January 26, 2012
I am giving this one 4 stars, but I might change it to 5 stars. I gotta think about it.
I told Mimi this book was "good in a bad way", and this review will be my attempt to explain it. *It might be spoilerish, so if you don't wanna read them...*
I also just saw Kristen's status update for this book, and she is like, "Oh no! This book is an emotional roller coaster already and we haven't gotten anywhere yet!" I know exactly how she feels.
Let me start with the good
1. Whatever else I might say about her, however much I can complain about some aspect of her storytelling, Rachel Vincent has mad world building skills. It is her peculiar strength. She creates these worlds that just stand out from all the worlds in the (urban?) fantasy genre.
This time around, she introduces us to a world divided along the lines of Skilled and UnSkilled people. From what I understand, there are 12 skills, among them Binders, who can seal any oath and make it binding, Trackers, who can track people by name or through blood, Seers (self-explanatory), Travelers, who can travel anywhere through shadows..... and I don't think she mentioned about the other 8. Yes - pure awesomeness. I want to know more about a world like that, don't you?
2. Her other skill is engaging the reader. I am completely focused when I pick up one of her books. I don't skim pages, And I am not impatient to get to the end (sure, I peek sometimes, but I always go back and patiently read from where I was straight through till the end).
Then the bad (or it's still more good, depending on how you look at it).
1. Her characters often make me violent - I want to slap some sense into them half the time. When I don't want to kill them, I'm rooting for them.
Olivia, Anne, Kori, and Noelle were four childhood friends fooling around who managed to bind themselves with an oath to help each other no matter what. Unbeknownst to them, they were all skilled. Anyway, Liv is a very powerful bloodhound - she can track anyone so long as she has a whiff off their blood. Anne invokes the oath when she sends Liv on a mission to track and kill her husband's murderer. Which brings me to the first person I want to smack to high heaven and beyond: Anne. Stupid. Selfish. Despicable. How in the world do you force someone into danger because of revenge for your dead husband? Emphasis on dead. If that thug had been slightly more skilled, Liv would be dead, and there would be no story. Your dead husband is not worth more than your living friend's life or your petty desire for revenge. Simple as that. Endangering Liv to track your missing daughter is understandable, but not this. Never this. Anyway. I never liked Anne, not even when she was doing her 'protective, loving mother' outbursts - it just rang hollow and selfish to me. I don't like her.
Then Liv. A prophecy that she and Cam would be the death of each other prompts her to leave him without a word. No explanation no nothing. WTH? That is not noble, or remotely okay. It is an incredibly selfish thing to do is what it is! Why would you do that to someone you claim you love? Oy.
Then Cam. the girl you loved and was going to ask to marry you ups and leaves without a word, so what do you do? Sleep with Anne, her best friend. No, he couldn't just get stupendously drunk or get into a fight. Caramba. Now you see why I say this book is good in a bad way?
The novel is told from alternating 1st person POV of Cam and Liv, and the world that is revealed through their eyes as they fight to track Anne's daughter is fascinating. It is also raw and gritty. This is a story about desperate people trying to survive in a harsh and unrelenting world. And you come to see and understand them, you understand the choices they make (except that Anne, yuck!) enough to get past their nonsense to root for them and wish for their HEA. In some respects, the ending was rather poignant (just a fancy word for sad :( )
You can bet you I will be preordering book 2 in this series, Shadow Bound. Book 1 comes highly recommended. This world is one you have to experience for yourself.
I told Mimi this book was "good in a bad way", and this review will be my attempt to explain it. *It might be spoilerish, so if you don't wanna read them...*
I also just saw Kristen's status update for this book, and she is like, "Oh no! This book is an emotional roller coaster already and we haven't gotten anywhere yet!" I know exactly how she feels.
Let me start with the good
1. Whatever else I might say about her, however much I can complain about some aspect of her storytelling, Rachel Vincent has mad world building skills. It is her peculiar strength. She creates these worlds that just stand out from all the worlds in the (urban?) fantasy genre.
This time around, she introduces us to a world divided along the lines of Skilled and UnSkilled people. From what I understand, there are 12 skills, among them Binders, who can seal any oath and make it binding, Trackers, who can track people by name or through blood, Seers (self-explanatory), Travelers, who can travel anywhere through shadows..... and I don't think she mentioned about the other 8. Yes - pure awesomeness. I want to know more about a world like that, don't you?
2. Her other skill is engaging the reader. I am completely focused when I pick up one of her books. I don't skim pages, And I am not impatient to get to the end (sure, I peek sometimes, but I always go back and patiently read from where I was straight through till the end).
Then the bad (or it's still more good, depending on how you look at it).
1. Her characters often make me violent - I want to slap some sense into them half the time. When I don't want to kill them, I'm rooting for them.
Olivia, Anne, Kori, and Noelle were four childhood friends fooling around who managed to bind themselves with an oath to help each other no matter what. Unbeknownst to them, they were all skilled. Anyway, Liv is a very powerful bloodhound - she can track anyone so long as she has a whiff off their blood. Anne invokes the oath when she sends Liv on a mission to track and kill her husband's murderer. Which brings me to the first person I want to smack to high heaven and beyond: Anne. Stupid. Selfish. Despicable. How in the world do you force someone into danger because of revenge for your dead husband? Emphasis on dead. If that thug had been slightly more skilled, Liv would be dead, and there would be no story. Your dead husband is not worth more than your living friend's life or your petty desire for revenge. Simple as that. Endangering Liv to track your missing daughter is understandable, but not this. Never this. Anyway. I never liked Anne, not even when she was doing her 'protective, loving mother' outbursts - it just rang hollow and selfish to me. I don't like her.
Then Liv. A prophecy that she and Cam would be the death of each other prompts her to leave him without a word. No explanation no nothing. WTH? That is not noble, or remotely okay. It is an incredibly selfish thing to do is what it is! Why would you do that to someone you claim you love? Oy.
Then Cam. the girl you loved and was going to ask to marry you ups and leaves without a word, so what do you do? Sleep with Anne, her best friend. No, he couldn't just get stupendously drunk or get into a fight. Caramba. Now you see why I say this book is good in a bad way?
The novel is told from alternating 1st person POV of Cam and Liv, and the world that is revealed through their eyes as they fight to track Anne's daughter is fascinating. It is also raw and gritty. This is a story about desperate people trying to survive in a harsh and unrelenting world. And you come to see and understand them, you understand the choices they make (except that Anne, yuck!) enough to get past their nonsense to root for them and wish for their HEA. In some respects, the ending was rather poignant (just a fancy word for sad :( )
You can bet you I will be preordering book 2 in this series, Shadow Bound. Book 1 comes highly recommended. This world is one you have to experience for yourself.
April 2, 2016
Three words: Mafia with magic. It’s the best way to describe this world. In this city there are two rival syndicates. Everyone in each syndicate is bound to the leader via magic meaning they have to do anything the boss tells them to do. They can’t flee because they can be tracked via magical means. Once someone signs on with a syndicate they’re screwed because their life isn’t really their own until their contract is up.
Some people are unskilled which means they’re a person without magic. Plenty of people have magic called skills. Commons skills are binding, shadow walking, and tracking. People with rare skills or lots of magical power are highly desired by the syndicates and hunted down if necessary.
Liv was a tracker. She was best at tracking people by using their blood. An old friend Anne showed up unexpectedly because her husband was murdered. They were bound to help each from an old childhood oath. Her friend asked her to do something she really didn’t want to do, but she had no choice but to help her. Worse yet she wanted Liv to work with her old boyfriend Cam who she hadn’t seen in years and didn’t want to see again.
Liv was tough. She came off as bitchy at first, but there was good reason for it. She was being backed into a corner by people she cared about when she already had troubles from the Cavazos syndicate she was bound to. The more I learned about Liv the more I liked her. At first I was unhappy that Cam wormed his way into Liv’s life the way he did, but I grew to like him quickly. I understood why Anne did what she did, but I thought she was a bitch. Even as I learned more about her situation, I couldn’t sympathize with her.
The story was told by alternating Liv’s and Cam’s POV. It really helped to get both of their perspectives and know what was going on in their heads. There were some unexpected twists in the case they were working on and were some surprising revelations about Cam and Liv’s relationship. This was an original take on UF and a really good for the first book in a series.
Some people are unskilled which means they’re a person without magic. Plenty of people have magic called skills. Commons skills are binding, shadow walking, and tracking. People with rare skills or lots of magical power are highly desired by the syndicates and hunted down if necessary.
Liv was a tracker. She was best at tracking people by using their blood. An old friend Anne showed up unexpectedly because her husband was murdered. They were bound to help each from an old childhood oath. Her friend asked her to do something she really didn’t want to do, but she had no choice but to help her. Worse yet she wanted Liv to work with her old boyfriend Cam who she hadn’t seen in years and didn’t want to see again.
Liv was tough. She came off as bitchy at first, but there was good reason for it. She was being backed into a corner by people she cared about when she already had troubles from the Cavazos syndicate she was bound to. The more I learned about Liv the more I liked her. At first I was unhappy that Cam wormed his way into Liv’s life the way he did, but I grew to like him quickly. I understood why Anne did what she did, but I thought she was a bitch. Even as I learned more about her situation, I couldn’t sympathize with her.
The story was told by alternating Liv’s and Cam’s POV. It really helped to get both of their perspectives and know what was going on in their heads. There were some unexpected twists in the case they were working on and were some surprising revelations about Cam and Liv’s relationship. This was an original take on UF and a really good for the first book in a series.
May 10, 2018
Blood Bound
Usually it takes a good while to like a book 1 because of all the story building and world building but I got to say I really enjoyed this book right from the very beginning to the end. It was easy to get swept away in.
I think because it isn’t your regular “paranormal” meaning vamps and shifter.
I liked the oath part of this whole book, and how giving you your word can and does come to bit you in the booty. But the way Liv and her friends work around their oaths really had me intrigued.
I am not going to give you a summary of the book if you want that then keep scrolling I am sure others have done that.
What I will say is I loved the friend connection and the romantic interest in this book and how things are not always as they seem. I am invested and need to know more about these characters so I am ready to jump on to book 2.
I really enjoyed the narration, I can’t recall ever listening to this narrator but I think she did a good job bringing this world to life in my ears.
I would completely recommend this book if you’re a little tired of the normal paranormal and looking for a great YA story.
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
Usually it takes a good while to like a book 1 because of all the story building and world building but I got to say I really enjoyed this book right from the very beginning to the end. It was easy to get swept away in.
I think because it isn’t your regular “paranormal” meaning vamps and shifter.
I liked the oath part of this whole book, and how giving you your word can and does come to bit you in the booty. But the way Liv and her friends work around their oaths really had me intrigued.
I am not going to give you a summary of the book if you want that then keep scrolling I am sure others have done that.
What I will say is I loved the friend connection and the romantic interest in this book and how things are not always as they seem. I am invested and need to know more about these characters so I am ready to jump on to book 2.
I really enjoyed the narration, I can’t recall ever listening to this narrator but I think she did a good job bringing this world to life in my ears.
I would completely recommend this book if you’re a little tired of the normal paranormal and looking for a great YA story.
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
March 24, 2019
Μία urban fantasy ιστορία, όπως θα έπρεπε να είναι... σκοτεινή, βίαιη και με ανατροπές!
October 8, 2011
“By blood, by word, by magic…”
I was torn between starting the Soul Screamers series or Blood Bound. Then I saw this hilarious quote from Blood Bound: “Cam laughed. ‘You know, my grandmother always said no woman with a decent vocabulary would resort to profanity.’ Kori huffed. ‘My grandmother said, ‘Get the hell out of my house, bitch, before I throw you out on your ass.’”
Fascinating and captivating; these are two words that first come to mind when describing Blood Bound. I loved the concept of the story. Four friends made a pact when they were kids, not knowing that one of them was a Binder. Now they are bound to each other, and one of them only has to ask and the others are rendered helpless to deny them. Helpless as in their bodies begin systemically shutting down organ by organ until they either fulfill their oath or they die. Some choice …and that’s only a fraction of the story. The town is basically divided into two territories. One side is controlled by Jake Tower and the other by Ruben Cavazos. Both are powerful adversaries and they hire the best binders, trackers, seers, shadow travelers and jammers money can buy.
I can’t imagine living in a world where I should never tell anyone my full name, or avoiding hospitals in order to never leave behind a drop of my blood for fear of being tracked and bound.
I struggled a bit in the beginning trying to learn some of the terms in the magical world Rachel Vincent created, but once I got the hang of it, I was sucked in.
The POV changes every chapter, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that at first, but I really loved hearing the inner monologue of both lead characters. I do love a male POV and Cam does not disappoint. He is so charming and appealing. He and Liv have perfect chemistry:
“I realized that I'd rather die with you than live with someone else.”
The ending came entirely too soon and left me hanging in a way that has me pining for Shadow Bound (Unbound #2). I look forward to reading more of Rachel Vincent’s work!
I was torn between starting the Soul Screamers series or Blood Bound. Then I saw this hilarious quote from Blood Bound: “Cam laughed. ‘You know, my grandmother always said no woman with a decent vocabulary would resort to profanity.’ Kori huffed. ‘My grandmother said, ‘Get the hell out of my house, bitch, before I throw you out on your ass.’”
Fascinating and captivating; these are two words that first come to mind when describing Blood Bound. I loved the concept of the story. Four friends made a pact when they were kids, not knowing that one of them was a Binder. Now they are bound to each other, and one of them only has to ask and the others are rendered helpless to deny them. Helpless as in their bodies begin systemically shutting down organ by organ until they either fulfill their oath or they die. Some choice …and that’s only a fraction of the story. The town is basically divided into two territories. One side is controlled by Jake Tower and the other by Ruben Cavazos. Both are powerful adversaries and they hire the best binders, trackers, seers, shadow travelers and jammers money can buy.
I can’t imagine living in a world where I should never tell anyone my full name, or avoiding hospitals in order to never leave behind a drop of my blood for fear of being tracked and bound.
I struggled a bit in the beginning trying to learn some of the terms in the magical world Rachel Vincent created, but once I got the hang of it, I was sucked in.
The POV changes every chapter, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that at first, but I really loved hearing the inner monologue of both lead characters. I do love a male POV and Cam does not disappoint. He is so charming and appealing. He and Liv have perfect chemistry:
“I realized that I'd rather die with you than live with someone else.”
The ending came entirely too soon and left me hanging in a way that has me pining for Shadow Bound (Unbound #2). I look forward to reading more of Rachel Vincent’s work!
September 26, 2011
BLOOD BOUND was so amazing in every way imaginable that there is no way I could possibly write a review that does it justice. Part of me honestly wasn't expecting to be so into this book that I may have forgot to in for work for a few days.
Liv is our heroine and she is a tracker who is able to track people by their blood. She has the attitude of a bad ass which is why I loved her so much. I liked my leading ladies to take control and not take shit from anyone which is why Liv is so awesome.
We also have Liv's ex-boyfriend, Cam. I loved him. There was a huge misunderstanding between the break up and Cam's mission in the book was to try and win Liv back at any means possible. He will not let it go, let Liv go. The book is also in Cam's point of view and I just loved getting things from both sides. He made my heart pound like crazy and by the end you will most definitely know that Cam will do absolutely anything for Liv.
I won't go too much into BLOOD BOUND except to say that Rachel Vincent has created quite a different world where it is a little hard for me to explain. I found the world of blood tracking result in ultimate power and watching out for those who get that power.
There was times I didn't even know which side to choose because it seemed like all the players in this game were bad to the bone. And there is more to the story than I am giving away so you'll just have to read BLOOD BOUND to find out what you're missing. I am looking forward to the next installment in the Unbound Series which will be about a different heroine's point of view.
More of my reviews at Mystifying Paranormal Reviews
Liv is our heroine and she is a tracker who is able to track people by their blood. She has the attitude of a bad ass which is why I loved her so much. I liked my leading ladies to take control and not take shit from anyone which is why Liv is so awesome.
“I love you, Olivia," he whispered, and my heart ached as if it would break in half. "You think we'll die if we stay together, but I've been dying slowly for the last six years. I'm taking my life back, Liv. Our life together. And this time, I'm not going to let you go.”
We also have Liv's ex-boyfriend, Cam. I loved him. There was a huge misunderstanding between the break up and Cam's mission in the book was to try and win Liv back at any means possible. He will not let it go, let Liv go. The book is also in Cam's point of view and I just loved getting things from both sides. He made my heart pound like crazy and by the end you will most definitely know that Cam will do absolutely anything for Liv.
“I have choices," I insisted, refusing to break eye contact. "We both do. I may have to make mine carefully, and make a few compromises along the way, but I have a choice. I choose you.”
I won't go too much into BLOOD BOUND except to say that Rachel Vincent has created quite a different world where it is a little hard for me to explain. I found the world of blood tracking result in ultimate power and watching out for those who get that power.
There was times I didn't even know which side to choose because it seemed like all the players in this game were bad to the bone. And there is more to the story than I am giving away so you'll just have to read BLOOD BOUND to find out what you're missing. I am looking forward to the next installment in the Unbound Series which will be about a different heroine's point of view.
More of my reviews at Mystifying Paranormal Reviews
December 30, 2015
… Ummm. I guess the overwhelming feeling I have about this book is that I just don’t give a rats ass.
I did not enjoy the way this book was written. I found the prose very rigid, stilted and it just didn’t have a good flow to it at all. I found it very difficult to read – as in, I often had to re-read paragraphs because they made no sense.
There was absolutely no need for there to be two points of view in this book, because most of the time they both sound exactly the same and half the time I didn’t even realise I was reading a different point of view until the author decided to add in some dialogue and I would realise that I was meant to be experiencing it from the other characters perspective.
I found most of the story to be clichéd, girl breaks up with boy for *unknown* reason, boy and girl reunite, boy and girl spend 2/3 of the book avoiding talking about the *reason*, oh would you look at that? *facepalm* Oh and to top it all off, they are members of different “syndicates” so it is trying to be Romeo & Juliet, boy and girl are even described as “star crossed” and the whole time I am just sitting here rolling my eyes.
Olivia & Cam. I know I am meant to like you and want you to conquer the odds and all that, but I never really got to know you. I feel like you were very one dimensional characters and I was actually rooting for the bad guy to end up with Olivia in the end, as he was the only decently written character in the book.
The world that this is set in has such promise, but there was just no depth to the entire story, I felt like we were just skimming the surface of what could have been a great world, it was just so disappointing.
The ending of this book is meant to be a lead in to the next one, but I actually could not think of anything worse than reading another book about Olivia whinging about being "bound" to the bad guy. You had a choice to be bound to him the first time, and the same goes for this time. So shut your face.
In the end, I am underwhelmed by this book and I will not be continuing to read the series.
I did not enjoy the way this book was written. I found the prose very rigid, stilted and it just didn’t have a good flow to it at all. I found it very difficult to read – as in, I often had to re-read paragraphs because they made no sense.
There was absolutely no need for there to be two points of view in this book, because most of the time they both sound exactly the same and half the time I didn’t even realise I was reading a different point of view until the author decided to add in some dialogue and I would realise that I was meant to be experiencing it from the other characters perspective.
I found most of the story to be clichéd, girl breaks up with boy for *unknown* reason, boy and girl reunite, boy and girl spend 2/3 of the book avoiding talking about the *reason*, oh would you look at that? *facepalm* Oh and to top it all off, they are members of different “syndicates” so it is trying to be Romeo & Juliet, boy and girl are even described as “star crossed” and the whole time I am just sitting here rolling my eyes.
Olivia & Cam. I know I am meant to like you and want you to conquer the odds and all that, but I never really got to know you. I feel like you were very one dimensional characters and I was actually rooting for the bad guy to end up with Olivia in the end, as he was the only decently written character in the book.
The world that this is set in has such promise, but there was just no depth to the entire story, I felt like we were just skimming the surface of what could have been a great world, it was just so disappointing.
The ending of this book is meant to be a lead in to the next one, but I actually could not think of anything worse than reading another book about Olivia whinging about being "bound" to the bad guy. You had a choice to be bound to him the first time, and the same goes for this time. So shut your face.
In the end, I am underwhelmed by this book and I will not be continuing to read the series.
September 15, 2011
“I love you, Olivia," he whispered, and my heart ached as if it would break in half. “You think we’ll die if we stay together, but I’ve been dying slowly for the last six years. I’m taking my life back, Liv. Our life together. And this time, I’m not going to let you go.” - Cam
Wow, I wasn't expecting that. I thought this was going to be a clear cut story but Rachel Vincent has managed to surprise me yet again. This book is so much more...everything.
This story follows the story of mainly Liv, the POV does switch between her and Cam but this is ultimately Liv's story. (In my opinion) She's a Tracker, give her a sample of someone's blood or even their name and she'll be able to find you. She's approached by an old friend Anne who has just had her husband murdered, so of course she want's Liv's help in tracking down the killer, along with her ex-boyfriend Cam's help.
The characters in this book all felt so real to me, Liv with her heart of gold, Cam with his determination to get her back, Anne who possesses a backbone when it's finally needed and even Ruben Cavazos's complicated relationship with his vindictive wife felt real.
This book is truly unique, it amazes me the talent Rachel Vincent has in weaving complicated story lines into a magnificent, well done plot. There's everything in this book for a die hard Urban Fantasy Fan, Crime Bosses, star-crossed lovers, unique supernatural powers, deceit, and so much more! I can tell just by reading book one that the author has already managed to sneak in little things that will make for bigger problems in following books. A lot of thought when into this series and I have no doubt it'll be just as fantastic as all the others I've read by her.
Wow, I wasn't expecting that. I thought this was going to be a clear cut story but Rachel Vincent has managed to surprise me yet again. This book is so much more...everything.
This story follows the story of mainly Liv, the POV does switch between her and Cam but this is ultimately Liv's story. (In my opinion) She's a Tracker, give her a sample of someone's blood or even their name and she'll be able to find you. She's approached by an old friend Anne who has just had her husband murdered, so of course she want's Liv's help in tracking down the killer, along with her ex-boyfriend Cam's help.
The characters in this book all felt so real to me, Liv with her heart of gold, Cam with his determination to get her back, Anne who possesses a backbone when it's finally needed and even Ruben Cavazos's complicated relationship with his vindictive wife felt real.
This book is truly unique, it amazes me the talent Rachel Vincent has in weaving complicated story lines into a magnificent, well done plot. There's everything in this book for a die hard Urban Fantasy Fan, Crime Bosses, star-crossed lovers, unique supernatural powers, deceit, and so much more! I can tell just by reading book one that the author has already managed to sneak in little things that will make for bigger problems in following books. A lot of thought when into this series and I have no doubt it'll be just as fantastic as all the others I've read by her.
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