Soulbound

Lone Star Witch #1

by Tessa Adams

As the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter—and a member of Ipswitch’s Royal family—Xandra Morgan should be a witch of incredible power. But things don’t always turn out like you expect…

While she hasn’t lived up to her family’s expectations, Xandra has come to terms with her latent magic and made a life for herself in Austin, Texas, running a coffee shop where she makes potions of a non-magical nature. While things aren’t perfect, Xandra is happy—until she runs into powerful warlock Declan Chumomisto.

Xandra hasn’t seen Declan in years, and though she’s still overwhelmed by his power, she doesn’t trust him. And when her own powers awaken one night and lead her to the body of a woman in the woods bearing the symbol of Isis—the same one that has marked Xandra since the day she met Declan—she’s filled with a terrible suspicion, soon confirmed: the woman is connected to him.

Xandra doesn’t want to believe that Declan is capable of murder, but as the body count mounts, and Xandra’s own powers spiral out of control, she’s not sure she can trust her own instincts…

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

358 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 5, 2013

About the author

Pseudonym for Tracy Wolff

Tessa Adams lives in Texas and teaches writing at her local community college. She is married and the mother of three young sons.

Reviews

[Alexandria · Rating 2 out of 5]

*CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS*

The total sum of my feelings right now concerning this book can only be described using one word...

Disappointment. Like many of us have done with other novels, I allowed myself to become blinded by it's amazing cover and become intrigued by it's summary. We all fall prey to this at some time or another; playing a book up to be something better than we know it is before we've even read it. I like to call it a "book crush". And that is what this book ended up being for me, a crush.

I soon came to despise myself for these horrible misconceptions, and because of them, spent most of the story in a confused daze.


One of those dazes where your wondering what the hell is going on? Where's the action? Oh hell no, not another love triangle!! Where the hell did all the characters go? I would really like some detail and better descriptions right now. Oh look, our heroine is practically drooling over someone she knows almost nothing about, has met only once at a prior circumstance, and who's insanely hot.

And many thoughts similar to this.


Who hasn't read a paranormal or urban fantasy with all, or some, of the things I've listed above? It's almost unavoidable, and it's not a bad thing. All I'm asking for is something that gives it that extra kick and makes it unique, makes it something that has you immediately wanting to read the next novel. Something that makes you fall in love with the characters and the story enough that it excites you.

This book had none of those things for me. It wasn't necessarily bad, just extremely bland in the amount of mediocrity and predictability put in to it. Everything was so ordinary: from the characters, the inexplicable murders that are connected to our heroine, and the romance. Everything about it failed to excite or interest me, and soon I didn't care what the hell happened. I was just ready to say, "screw this!", and move on to the next one.


It got so bad that I was to the point of giving myself an internal pep rally before picking this book up again, screaming an internal mantra of "It's going to get better. It's going to get better. It's going to get fucking better any minute now. I just know it!!!"

But guess what? It didn't get better, or worse. It continued on it's trail of blandness. No spark, no tingly feelings, no overzealous love for at least one character goddammit! My thoughts for this book are jumbled up into a big ball of "meh". I just didn't give a shit. It is for this very reason that I'm giving this book 2 stars. Not because it was horribly bad, it just wasn't good .

[Holdsherbreath · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beware, This Will Not Be a Nice Review

Can I just say that I am absolutely tired of these heroines who know nothing and yet supposedly know everything and everyone around them knows everything and nothing. It blows my freaking mind.

(I wanted to kick puppies by the end of this)

Let us start with the story:

Xandra is the all powerful most powerful of all time witch in the history of witches, or so it was predicted, what with the lightning and seven seven seven happenings of her birth. That doesn't happen. She's latent. Hey she's latent, she's latent, oh yeah she's latent, in case you were wondering or you weren't sure. It's suffice to say that she's a dissappointment to her family who are all uber witches with uber power and uber good looks. Did I forget to mention they're royalty, 'cuz they are.

Anyway first chapter she has a big ole party where everyone comes to witness the magic awakening of this most powerful of powerful witches. Nothing happens, it's sad, she dramatically runs out into the forest feeling like a complete failure. Excuse me while I cry.


She meets Declan who is every badly done PNR hero that we have already seen a million and one times. Ya know: Tall, dark, dangerous, and the most powerful of all powerful beings ever created in the history of powerful being being created with a Heman complex and a serious hard-on for a girl who is centuries younger with nowhere near the life experience to handle such power and magnificence and sheer overall awsomeness personified. They talk, kiss, and fall madly in love in one night, then he leaves never to be seen again.

Fast forward eight years and we find our esteemed princess back home from whince she left being poisoned by her mother, which is no big deal 'cuz that's mom (tehe) and you know how mom gets, you just go hallucinate, you'll be fine later. She dreams about finding a dead body, like the dead body she found on that night eight years ago, that the reader will not be told about until now like we weren't just there in the forest with Xandra eight years ago not even six pages ago, but I digress.

Our princess is upset because she has been poisoned and is a disappointment for being latent, hey she's latent, oh yeah she's latent. But she doesn't care, believe me she doesn't care, she really doesn't care. Her mother finds a witch whisperer, and to prove she isn't a pushover our princess dresses up like the wicked witch of the west, face paint and all on one of the most sacred holidays of all time. Imagine it as showing up to mass on Easter Sunday dressed in a giant bunny suit. Yeah. BTW she's twenty-nine, but she can't be seen as a pushover. Eventually she realizes her disrespect and changes into more appropriate clothing for a ritual that even if she were powerful she would have never been allowed in because the quota of participation is already at capacity. In the middle of the ritual they here a scream and our princess goes running in the direction. It's the same girl from her hallucination--which is impossible because she's latent--not the one she found eight years ago.

Now this is where I start losing interest, and it's about chapter two or three.

Xandra goes home where she's extremely successful and has an awesome super smart best friend and a gay sidekick. She likes to flirt with the cute boy next door cop who she only has an inkling of interest for but she's seeing where it takes her.

Eventually she starts finding dead bodies, she gets raped a couple of times, she finds and falls in love but not in trust with Declan. She tells us she's latent, hey she's latent, oh yeah she's latent, and she doesn't like her magic, but she's fine with that, like seriously guys she's okay with that. She's fought over by at least three guys at one time, she finds the killer, she's almost raped again. The End.

Yeah.


So if you're wondering why I'm so callous by the end of this review, it's because the author is too. The main character gets RAPED like three times, supposedly psychically, but she has physical evidence of the incident. The fact is glossed over. She gets a little upset but then she gets over it, BEING RAPED, SHE GETS OVER BEING RAPED! Lets kick more puppies shall we.

What happened to Urban Fantasy, I mean really. I haven't found a new series in a couple years that I can take seriously.

I went into this book hoping for something, if not amazing, at least likable. I'm not that picky, I don't mind cardboard characters if the dialogue is funny, or splotchy writing if the story is good, but this was not redeemable.

And so I will now list my reasons why I hope you don't waste your time with this book:

1: The author repeats herself.
Xandra whined and whined incessantly about the same things over and over without doing anything to fix them. We know you're latent, and you don't care, now get over it. We know how dangerous Declan is, we know how protective Donovan is, we know how much you disappoint your mother, we know about what happened on the night of your nineteenth birthday party. We know, I promise, we're not confused.

2: There was no world building.
None, absolutely nothing to get someone invested in the story. Xandra's family was suppose to be royalty, but over what, Ipswitch, all witches, just their coven? Adams spent alot of time saying Xandra's family was royal but never explained how or why. Are witches part of society or a secret? In Ipswitch they had their own mystical police force, and yet there were times when Xandra made as if no one could know what was going on. I've read some poorly done stories because the world they lived in was so well done, but this one glossed over the whole paranormal aspect. There were some technical terms but very little application.

3: Was this a Joke?
There was alot of overdone, cliche, immature scenes in this story. Declan's magic show. The first scene where Declan and Xandra have kinda-not-really sex. The scene where they have sex. The way Xandra talks. She likes to tell us that she can take care of herself without actually taking care of herself. There are parts that don't match up, like there's this one scene where Xandra throws away the things the Witch Whisperer(seriously)gives her but then later has the items at home. Nowhere does it say that she went back to get them. Then there are the not so subltle nudges that the author gives the character, call it "intuition" where Xandra just knows she needs to this or she has to go here. Alot of the scenes are very Romeo and Juliet, if only you were there two minutes faster, if only the letter would have arrived, if only we had talked like rational adults everything would have been avoided, but they don't and it wasn't, so we all had to muddle through together.

4: Xandra's state of mind.
The scene that really turned me away from the book, and believe me I was suffering through it by this point, is near the end when she's at some government building and there's this cop. She uses her so-called feminine wiles to get this kid to let her onto the property with no regard for the fact that he could lose his job. She could have called the killing in on a payphone or something, but no she had to be there for some half done compulsion (by the way, none of the actual compulsion stuff was ever explained, how did it end up on her and does that have anything to do with her powers and how did the killer know that her powers had to do with such things when not even her family knew, and how did she become soulbound, how did the council curse a fetus, just wondering) with no regard to the poor kid and his career.
And now I have to talk about Declan who I did not like, almost as much as I didn't like Xandra. There's so much I could say about him, so so much and none of it good, but really it would be a waste of time . Just know that the romance was half done at best with a lot adjectives like throbbing and swelling and moist and hot and the best I ever, the first I never nonsense. Xandra spends all her time saying she hates him and suddenly she doesn't because no one makes her feel the way he does. Well no one makes me feel the way Brad Pitt does, but I know I'm not in love with him. Xandra, however, is clueless. She says repeatedly that she does not trust him and yet she sleeps with him after she is raped, even though she's not entirely sure if he's innocent. Now I've never been raped but in one of my favorite series, Mercy Thompson, the main character is raped. It takes her a long time to process and get over it, it takes her a long time to make herself that vulnerable with the man she loves and trust completely with all of herself, and yet Xandra who has been freshly raped jumps right into be without and reflection on what she just experienced.


And so I made it to the end of this book and had a nice little cry about where literature is going and a nice little prayer about hoping it gets better and then I got angry.

Really angry.

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

SOULBOUND, the first book in Tessa Adams new Lone Star Witch series, is a fantastically dark and suspenseful paranormal romance with unique worldbuilding that had me completely absorbed. The pacing is quick and the descriptions of magic and various rituals are so detailed and vivid that I was glued to the story.

Love interests being destined or bound is a much used trope in paranormal romance and I really loved the unique take on the soulbinding between Xandra and Declan. I liked that Declan wasn’t the all knowing ‘alpha male’ who needs to lead Xandra to her full capabilities. He’s wrong at times and along with Xandra doesn’t know what’s going on. This shared confusion makes for some nice bonding moments and puts them on almost equal footing in regards to finding the serial killer.

Beyond the romance, one concept that I really liked was the idea of a Royal family of witches (I’m hoping that this hierarchy of witches and magical creatures is explored more in future books too). It played a big role in forming the character of Xandra, who has had to cope with being the only non-magical member of the Royal family. Her mother in particular is one scary, frustrating lady and I applauded Xandra for putting up with her.

(One note of caution for reading SOULBOUND is that there are some possibly upsetting, graphic scenes involving a serial killer.)

The almost too abrupt ending definitely leaves a lot of questions and anticipation for what will happen next with Xandra’s powers and the soulbinding with Declan when the second book of the Lone Star Witch series, VENGEANCE BOUND, comes out December 3rd 2013 by Signet.

Sexual content: sex scenes

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at http://smexybooks.com/2013/02/review-...

As the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter—and a member of Ipswitch’s Royal family—Xandra Morgan should be a witch of incredible power. But things don’t always turn out like you expect…

Born in a world of magic that which she seems to possess none of, Xandra Morgan has accepted this and gone on with her life. Her family however, considered royalty in the mage world, is not as accepting and are constantly pushing, prodding and even poisoning her in hopes that her latent powers will show themselves. When she begins to have empathic visions of death that lead her straight to the bodies, she finds herself an unwilling pawn in a desperate battle for power and control. A battle that could end her life at the hands of a madman.

Soulbound is a dark noir fantasy thriller. From page one we are submerged into the interesting and devious world of witches, warlocks, and magic. Well-plotted and cast with a strong and personable of characters, Soulbound is filled with tense suspense, delicious betrayal, and dangerous antagonists. This paranormal “whodunit” will keep you guessing till the very end.

Our heroine, Xandra Morgan, is a strong, intelligent heroine with lively dialogue and a backbone of steel. Though she considers herself a magical failure, she doesn’t whine about her fate. She has gone on to make a name for herself in the mundane world and is generally happy. That is, until she gets around her family. When she comes home for a special event, she is shocked when she is led by “something” to a dead body in the woods. A dead body she dreamed of the night before. She is also wary because she dreamed of Declan Chumomisto.

Declan, a powerful and dangerous warlock, entered Xandra’s life on her nineteenth birthday, leaving her with a power mark similar to his and no explanation. She doesn’t see him again until 7 years later and is dismayed to find him just as dark, dangerous, and attractive. Declan is over 200 years old and walks a fine line between the light and dark magic. Declan is drawn to Xandra for reasons all his own and only when he chooses to share does Xandra realize just how deeply they are connected.

Multiple story lines and subplots engage the reader complement without overwhelming each other. It is a bit confusing in the beginning as we are subjected to watching everything unfold through Xandra’s eyes. Xandra finds her new ability to be disconcerting at best. Being a dead body divining rod is no fun, especially when you are able to feel every minute of their death and wear the evidence of it on your body. Though Ms. Adams does a wonderful job of imparting the emotional and mental tolls placed upon Xandra as she struggles to understand what is happening to her and around her, I did find myself wanting to know more external information on the plot and to see what others were doing. The clues are given sparingly throughout the story, seemingly out of context. It’s only at the end are you able to piece it all together, along with Xandra.

The secondary characters are extremely complex in nature and personality. Some add to the overall bleakness of the story while others are shining lights illuminating the story. Everyone here has their own agenda and hidden background stories that add depth and richness to the storyline. I liked that there are moments of dry and whimsical humor in this book that keeps it from becoming too dark.

The romance is very low key in this installment but plays an important part in the storyline. A few steamy scenes are seen but it’s the chemistry and the emotions between Xandra and Declan that pulls you in. You can feel the sexual tension between them yet for reasons imparted in the story, you understand why they are both hesitant to act on it. There is the makings of a small love triangle but the ending leaves us unsure if that will bear fruit or not.

There were only a few problems I had with this story. One is the level of violence. Normally, I’m not one to shy away from violence or circumspect situations but I really feel that readers should be warned in advance there is scenes of sexual violence, rape, and torture. Another was something I already mentioned. The presentation makes it very easy to get confused. It wasn’t until well into the story that things began to make sense.

The ending is a whirlwind of action, tense situations, and revelations that boggle the mind when Ms. Adams finally chooses to reveal the answers to your questions. The immediate threat is neutralized and the conflict resolved though it leaves off somewhat abruptly and in an interesting position for the second book in the series, Vengeance Bound, set to release December 3, 2013. Soulbound is a wonderful start to a new series and I am looking forward to seeing what Ms. Adams has in store for us in Vengeance Bound.

Overall Rating: B

[Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh all the way around. The plot was decent but incredibly predictable. I knew who the Big Bad was almost immediately after being introduced to him. A serial killer/rapist isn't my cuppa either, especially when the MC relives the torture and death of the victims.

Other parts were just ridiculous--the fixation with cowboy boots as powerful casting shoes. Then there was the redundant, "I'm not the child I was at nineteen" proclamations of Xandra (the MC). She really needed to move past that.

I'll probably read the next one though. Soulbound held my attention despite the periodic eye-rolls it induced.

[Paradoxical · Rating 2 out of 5]

This sort of premise has always been right up my alley. A girl who's supposed to have super magic powers! Everyone expects this! Only she fails! And is cast off magic-less! Only in the end she really does have super magic powers! And there's a hot brooding guy!

...It's cliche. I eat this crap up with a spoon and ask for more.

But Soulbound didn't quite hit my heart the way I desperately wanted it to. It seemed directionless--there is the plot of Xandra being tied to some murder victims, and the entire Who Dun It, but that plot was more aimless than anything else. She spends a lot of time waiting around and not doing much, it seemed. Hell, she spent a lot of time being confused about her life, which helped muddle up the book even more.

Push and pull. One moment she thinks Declan is great, the next moment she thinks he's scum. It's like whiplash trying to figure out their relationship because you think "Oh, maybe it'll be okay now" only to go "HAHA NOPE" about three pages later. They have chemistry, but you don't really feel it all that well considering how hot and cold both of them blow.

It just felt like the book was messy. And that a whole lot of time was spent doing nothing, except I'm sure that something happened. I mean. I did read the entire book! But it was slow, and a lot of things were a bit too convenient (why hello, extremely well timed Salima, who is an extremely minor character with extremely never-before-seen powers that pop up at just exactly the right time). A lot of it you can hand wave and go magic, but, hey, I like my magic to make a little bit of sense. You don't really get a good sense of the secret magic world that Xandra is peripherally part of and grew up in, and that's a shame.

So, yes, underwhelmed. I still don't know why Xandra was so frightened of Ryder in one of the scenes. The entire boot love Xandra's family has going on still just makes me baffled (because I love boots, but. Why). The Big Bad Villain just turned out rather... bleh, in the end, suffering from a case of being the minion and not the master. I didn't guess who the villain was at all, but the clues were kind of super lacking, so it's not something you can really puzzle out.

Oh, if you have triggers with rape and violence, then I'd shy away from this book. It's not... really horrifically graphic, but on the same note, it's not exactly completely glossed over as well. (Also, the treatment Xandra gives to the entire situation just left me cold--as in I expected a lot more of a reaction from her)

It's not the most terrible book ever, but there was little going for it other than I liked the premise. Though I found the execution to be rather poor. Um. A-anyway. 2 stars.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a little worn out on paranormal romances right now. There are so many of them, and it’s getting harder and harder to see much difference between them. This isn’t to say that these things can’t be done well; just that it’s getting more difficult to stand out from the crowd. Yet Tessa Adams's Soulbound managed to stand out.

Declan isn’t entirely what I expect from the dark, brooding, dangerous love interest; he too stumbles his way through figuring out what he’s doing. Xandra does a grand job of creatively coping with an impossible situation without losing (too much of) her mind. And Xandra’s mother steals a few scenes of her own. I adore the new, fresh, and unusual take on two characters who are ’soulbound’. These days it’s become a cheap plot device to bring together two seemingly incompatible people in series book after series book and force them to figure out a way to make things work. Instead… well, let’s just say that in some ways Declan and Xandra fall in love despite their bond, instead of because of it, and there are some details of the bond that are very unusual.

It’s Soulbound’s pacing that revs things up. I was swept up from the very start, and just had to keep turning the pages. The pace of it moved along quickly enough to smooth over the tiny rough edges; there were a few details I wanted a little more explanation for.

Quick warning: in addition to some hot, but not-too-wild scenes between Declan and Xandra, the story touches on some rather dark material. The serial killer in this book does terrible things, and they aren’t glossed over. It’s appropriate to the story, but not for everyone.


NOTE: review book provided by Penguin Group.
For the longer, original version of this review, visit my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/reviews/2...

[chucklesthescot · Rating 1 out of 5]

Difficult to review a book two years on with no notes that you didn't enjoy but I'll give it a try.

Xandra was supposed to be a powerful witch according to all the signs, someone her family could be proud of. Even when there is no sign of her power her family throw a big party to celebrate her coming of age, so to speak. And Xandra is humiliated when there is no magic to be found and runs from the staring people. Her mother isn't quite ready to give up and even tries poisoning her and looking for professional help to force her magic out. Nice family. I would feel sorry for Xandra but she is whiny and lets everyone walk all over her. By the time we had witnessed the dreaded instaluv soulmate crap with the mysterious brooding bad boy, I was already losing interest.

same as a hundred other books I've read in the genre.

[Mara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only read this book if you have a high tolerance for:

reading the phrase "that poor woman/girl" at least a hundred times.

cookie cutter "dominant males" who express their dominance through fighting over the heroine in a way that does nothing for her, the situation, the plot, the characters, or anything else, and also smile "sardonically" a lot in inappropriate situations.

a "heroine" who can't even stand up for herself enough to tell her best friend that she needs to stay in for the night because she needs more than 3 hours of sleep before going to work in the morning.

Otherwise, you will probably lose it at some point, rip the damn thing to shreds, and have to pay the library a missing book fee.

[Lynn Spencer]

I made it about halfway through this book, but it just didn't grab me. The heroine, Xandra, comes from a powerful witch family but she herself appears to have no powers. Of course, this being urban fantasy, we know something magical will happen eventually and it does. On a visit home, Xandra's powers get unlocked and we learn that she basically finds herself having visions where she relives the last moments of women who are being raped and murdered in her part of Texas. These aren't graphically portrayed in the text, but they're disturbing nevertheless.

I think the choppiness of the plot and the disturbing visions combined just kept me from really enjoying this book. Oh, and the hero's name is Declan Chumomisto - how's that for improbable?

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had some problems with the overall story arc, characters and writing, but in the end I can't deny I was sucked in.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a fast read. I don't care for PRESENT tense books, so that was a big negative. It was a kind of weird book, anyway.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

why you not match character description, cover image?

[Mariachiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Titolo: Spellbound

Autore: Tessa Adams

Serie: Primo libro serie Bound

Inedito in italiano

Trama: ci sarebbe così tanto da dire per spiegare la complessità dell’ambientazione di questo libro che non so bene come renderla in poche parole, visto che l’autrice stessa non lo spiega in modo esaustivo nel primo libro.

A grandi linee possiamo dire che è ambientato in un mondo contemporaneo e simile al nostro tranne per alcune piccole differenze: la magia esiste, e perciò esistono i maghi e le maghe, che usano la magia bianca e le streghe, e gli stregoni, che in gradi diversi possono usare magia grigia o nera. Perciò esiste un vero mondo sotterraneo, di cui gli umani non sanno nulla, che comprende famiglie intere di streghe e maghi, un concilio che li guida e anche un re che li governa.

Xandra è la settima figlia di una settima figlia di una famiglia molto potente di maghi, imparentata con il re stesso. Basti dire che suo fratello maggiore è erede al trono. La sua nascita perciò è stata un evento viste le premesse doveva nascere dotata di poteri fantastici…..e i segni ci sono stati…eppure sembra non averne. Nemmeno dopo il suo diciannovesimo compleanno, età per cui si dovrebbe dimostrare doti magiche se se ne hanno, lei riece a fare il più semplice degli incantesimi, è stranamente ed in modo umiliante priva di magia.

Non leggete oltre se non volete enormi spoiler

In realtà lei ha grandi doti magiche, ma le sono state tolte dal Concilio che ha legato la sua anima a quella dello stregone Declan, in un anathema, per poter togliere anche a lui i suoi enormi poteri.

Finchè entrambi vivranno non avranno se non pochi poteri e solo se stanno vicini, per riavere il loro potere uno dei due deve uccidere l’altro.

Declan aveva scoperto tutto questo e il giorno del diciannovesimo compleanno di Xandra era andato da lei per ucciderla, ma poi di fronte a lei non ne aveva più avuto il coraggio, era rimasto stregato da lei, i due infatti essendo legati attraverso le loro anime sono estremamente attratti l’uno dall’altra. Inoltre dopo quel giorno Declan è stato lontano da Xandra poichè quando si erano incontrati lei aveva manifestato per la prima volta i suoi poteri che sono purtropo terribili verso lei stessa, poichè ha la capacità di trovare i cadaveri di vittime mai trovate e si lega a loro e ai loro assassini sentendoli e soffrendo i dolori di chi è morto.

Così subito dopo averla vista e baciata Declan non si fa più vedere da lei per otto lunghi anni, anni in cui però Xendra non l’ha dimenticato, ma anzi l’ha odiato per come l’ha lasciata senza una spiegazione dopo una notte in cui lei gli aveva confidato i suoi più intimi segreti e in cui lei gli avrebbe pure donato la sua veginità se lui non fosse stato così gentiluomo.

Tenete conto che Xandra non sa nulla dell’anathema, del piano del Concilio e dei suoi poteri, crede che l’aver trovato quel cadavere sia stato un caso. Nel frattempo non possendendo magia si è allontanata dalla sua famiglia e si è costruita una vita tra gli umani, ma poi una sra in un uscita a quattro si ritrova davanti a Declan ancora una volta (lui siccome standole lontano ha pochi poteri, essendo lei viva, si è ridotto a fare il mago illuisionista per gli umani).

Ed ecco che i suoi poteri si risvegliano di nuovo, ma lei ancora non sanno che sono i suoi, e trova un nuovo cadavere provando le pene dellì’inferno rivivendo la sua morte.

Un amico poliziotto le rivela che questa vittima e molte altre sono opera di un serial killer e tutte queste ragazze le somigliano. Inoltre tutte sono in qualche modo legate a Declan.

Lei lo affronta, sospetta di lui, anche se lui si scagiona. Lei è ancora arrabbiata con lui, ma ne è anche atratta e una parte di lei non crede possa essere colpevole così inizia ad indagare e finalmente scopre la verità sull’anathema che la lega a Declan.

Ciò che nessuno dei due saè che però queste uccisioni non sono altro che un nuovo piano del Consiglio per liberarsi di loro due, due esseri troppo potenti che invece di uccidersi a vicenda come avrebero dovuto fare secondo i loro piani, sono vivi e vegeti. Xandra verrà uccisa e Declan sarà arrestato come colpevole, così loro hanno pianificato, ma hanno sottovalutato Xeandra e Declan…..

La mia opinione: la sintesi che avete letto sopra in realtà è frutto di un mio roordino dei fatti, il lettore ahimè leggendo ilbro non ha idea di cosa sia accaduto in passato o nel presente. Sa solo ciò che sa Xandra, la protagonista, poichè suo è il punto di vista del racconto e lei non sa nulla. Poi il lettore non sa neppure tutto ciò che lei sa. Infatti noi vediamo la sua nascita e la prima parte del suo diciannovesimo compleanno fino al primo bacio con Declan e poi c’è un salto temporale di otto anni. Non sappiamo come si è concluso il suo diciannovesimo compleanno, la notte con Declan, il ritrovamento del primo cadavere….nulla. Perciò ci ritroviamo con questa ragazza amareggiata che odia Declan, che dal nostro punto di vista neppure conosce avendolo visto solo una volta e non ci spieghiamo perchè tutta questa rabbia. Questo me l’ha fatta trovare antipatica sinceramente, non sapevo perchè l’odiasse, non sapevo dei vari cadaveri che aveva trovato negli anni….e qui mi chiedo come fa a non aver capito prima che ha dei poteri ?

Non so ci sono diverse cose confuse nel modo in cui l’autrice racconta il racconto. Poi alla fine tutto ha senso e tu ricostruisci e capisci il tutto, più o meno, ma durante la lettura mi sono sentita confusa e non ho amato nessun personagio, tranne Declan, che poverino era odiato e ritenuto colpevole di tutti i mali del mondo…..

Poi quando finalmente Xandra scopre dell’anathema (e anche come lo scopre è talmente banale che mi chiedo come ha fatto a non scoprirlo prima) tutto inizia ad avere senso e poi alla fine quando il secondo piano del concilio è rivelato tutto ha senso, ma ormai è la fine e uno si chiede perchè l’aurice ha sprecato pagine a farci vedere scene francamente inutili invece ad esempio di introdurre qualche personaggio del concilio, raccontarcene la storia. Il concikio o il re non apaiono mai nel libro.

Boh sono perplessa. L’idea era buona, la storia anche, ma il modo in cui è stata raccontata non mi convince.

[Jennifer Elkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a thrilling ride! Soulbound is an exciting, page-turning read that had me hooked from the very first chapter. Tessa Adams masterfully blends mystery, suspense, action, and steamy passion into a story that’s impossible to put down.

The male main character is everything you want in a paranormal fantasy hero—sexy, strong, mysterious, and unexpectedly gentle. He brings just the right mix of danger and tenderness to keep you swooning and second-guessing his motives in the best way.

The female lead is equally compelling—fiercely independent and strong-willed, yet hesitant to believe in the powers she possesses. Watching her come into her own while navigating the chaos around her was a highlight of the story.

This book has everything: powerful magic, dark secrets, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and sizzling chemistry. If you're a fan of urban fantasy packed with high stakes and supernatural allure, I highly recommend adding Soulbound to your TBR list. You won’t regret it!

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this kinda just blah.... will I read the second book... possibly because it really left off in a real awkward place... but am I in a rush? not particularly, but then again there appears to be only one more. with my reading list we shall see if I come back to it to read the second.... Would I recommend it... it wouldn't be my top choice of UC books to recommend... there are a lot better ones with better character development and better story development.

[Elyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this book, new series.

One thing that annoyed me *****spoiler**********











Is how Kyle committed the murders, when the detective told Xandra he knew she was innocent of the first murder since it occurred when she was having dinner with 3 other people (one of which was Kyle).

[Barbara Dougherty Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely spell binding!

Wow! What an incredible ride. So many twists and turns. Romance, mystery and magic!

Enjoyed every page. Need to know what happens next!

Highly recommend!

[Ralph Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

got suckered in with the book synopsis. didn't need to read a full chapter about a magic induced orgasm. i can't believe a main character can be so naive.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book. Loved it. So much action and tension.

[idiffer]

And when her own powers awaken one night and lead her to the body of a woman in the woods bearing the symbol of Isis (c) blurb

[Christy MacCallum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I needed singing to read and this felt like it could hit the spot. I enjoyed a lot of it but I need to HEAVILY note trigger warnings in this book because I was very uncomfortable in some parts.

[FV Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted at http://fictionvixen.com/review-soulbo...

After years of coming to terms with the fact that she is never going to be who her family wants her to be, Xandra Morgan has settled down as an owner of a coffee shop in Austin. As the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter Xandra was raised to be magical heir to her mother, the Queen. On the day of her magical coming out party she fails miserably, realizing that she’s a latent and no matter how much her family wishes otherwise this is all she’s ever going to be. Xandra’s mother is a little bit crazy, pushing, pulling, even going as far as drugging her trying to bring out her abilities. She hires witch whisperers, doctors and does pretty much anything she can think of to fix what she terms is her daughter’s “disability”. In the world of witches, wizards and warlocks her family is royalty, commanding immense power and respect, no one accepts that Xandra isn’t going to live up to the promise of her birthright. Other than Xandra that is, she just wants everyone to leave her alone.

After a visit home for the Solstice Xandra finds herself being compelled into the woods by an unseen force, her body is literally dragged across the terrain until she comes across the body of a young girl. A dead young girl, who looks remarkably like her and who is branded with the mark of Isis Xandra also wears. As distressing as this is, it’s even worse since she dreamed of this girl the night before, reliving her last moments. She also dreamed of Declan Chumomisto, someone she hasn’t seen since the night of her nineteenth birthday. A wizard of unimaginable power who shows up at the lowest part of Xandra’s life, shares an intense night with her, marks her with his own personal symbol and then disappears.

Soulbound is the first book in the new Lone Star witches series. A gritty, dark look into the world of magic. This is not a feel good paranormal romance, but rather a violent, moody, and sometimes disturbing urban fantasy. If you are a reader who is sensitive to rape you should know there are several scenes that were quite difficult to read. Xandra experiences on a psychic level the things the victims feel as they are being killed. There was one scene toward the end that I was unsure if it was all in her head or if she was the actual victim. It felt so real to her and to me as the reader that I had to go back and reread to make sure she wasn’t actually physically assaulted. In addition to that, after these episodes she also wears the same marks and bruises associated with the attacks. In essence she is also being victimized.

Xandra is an exceptional heroine, after realizing she is never going to be the super witch everyone expected her to be she’s moved on and made a happy life for herself. There is no self-pity, just determination and a resolve to live her life to its fullest. As a member of the royal family she’s still immersed in the world of witches and wizards, it’s just that as a latent she is unable to actually take part in most magical ceremonies. After she starts finding bodies and witnessing the violence associated with their deaths she really has no idea how to stop what’s happening to her. She has he help of her brother Donovan, her roommate Lily, a cop Nate and the two bothers she hasn’t seen in eight years. Declan and his brother Ryder both practice a darker form of witchcraft, they skirt the edge and are about as mysterious as you can get. I wondered at both of their intentions until the very end. Declan remains an enigma, even after finishing I still don’t feel like I really know who he is or understand his motivations. I can’t wait to see how his character evolves further on in the series. Every character in Soulbound is written in a way that makes me feel like I must keep reading so that I can get to know them better.

There are many, many different plot threads and they don’t start to come together until the very last chapter. After following all the twists and turns I was surprised at how smoothly it all ended . The last few pages are action packed and concluded in a way that had me wondering if there were a couple of pages missing out of my copy. It didn’t leave off in a cliffhanger, but rather quite abruptly. I didn’t have time to come down off my adrenalin high of the rush to find the killer before I realized that I’d read the last word. If I would have had the next book in the series I would have picked it up to read immediately. The second book, Vengeance Bound, is set to release in December of this year. It will most definitely be on my to read list.

Favorite Quote:


“I’ve got you baby.” His eyes meet mine. “I’ve got you.”

And just that easily I shatter. His lips crash down on mine and seconds later, he follows. As he does, the magic blasts through me. Rich, intoxicating, irresistible.

Just like Declan himself.

[Adam Duclos · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was just not good. The main character didn't do anything for herself the entire book. There was no mystery, just a list of things that happened to her one after another without her input before finally ending.

Spoilers:
Xandra is a witch princess who was supposed to be born with super powers, but turned out to have zero powers. On her 19th 'coming out' birthday, she confirms this, humiliating her, plus she meets Declan and finds a dead body nearby. She eventually leaves home and starts a cookie business in Austin, Texas, and 8 years or so later more murders start up that she is magically embroiled in. It turns out that the reason she has no powers is that they were sealed away at birth by the witch council by binding her soul to the powerful warlock named Declan, because it would bind most of his powers too... it was he who they really had the problem with. Finally she finds out who is doing all of this and stabs him in the back.

I had a lot of problems with this book.

First of all, the main character was just a complete doormat. Her mother poisons her? That's okay, I love you mommy. She doesn't want to go out with her friend? Well, okay, fine. Don't touch me! Well, okay. It was painful to read, and she never does grow a backbone.

Second, the background of the book is confusing or nonexistent, and it really detracts from the story. So, magic is a thing that exists. At first it seems like everyone knows about magic because all sorts of people from her hometown who don't have magic know about it, but it's only a third of the way through the book that we find out it is supposed to be secret. However, then we're never sure who knows and who doesn't! Also, witches seem to have extended life spans, but this is never brought up except to say that a guy called Declan, who is apparently still a youngish dude, is around 300. How old are her parents? Her brother? Her roommate? What is the maximum life span? These are things that should come up in the book... after all, Xandra mentions at one point that their family's magic book was passed down for generations from ancient Egypt. Was that only like 3 generations or what? Also, if Declan is 'soulbound' to Xandra, and if one dies the other is messed up in some undefined but bad way, shouldn't she worry about having to deal with that when he dies of old age three centuries before she does? What's the deal with all the magical cowboy boots too? That is never explained. Do all the witches all over the world wear cowboy boots, or do they get to wear other magical footwear? I'm guessing the whole boot thing was just a half-assed way of adding Texas flavor. They never seemed to do anything anyway.

It isn't helped by the characters of the story acting in ways that don't make any sense. The very first sentence of the very first scene shows how Xandra was born: "I was born on a dark night, under a Dark Moon in a sky turned bloodred with power and prophecy," and follows that up by saying it was a dark portent, but no one was looking. Really? No one was looking at that in a world full of psychics? Then, baby Xandra gets marked and soulbound right in front of everybody, but no one tries looking that up? Like Xandra's roommate did later, finding the answer in one night?

The ending was a mish mash of random happenings too. All of a sudden random people are showing up and running around, then they all get shot. Xandra gets saved by Declan, she stabs the bad guy, the end. What? Why do the psychics get such short warnings? Why wasn't her roommate psychic clued in to this? Why don't they use magic to heal everyone who gets hurt? Why don't they just out the witch council on their misdeed? There is no wrap up.

Also, we never get to find out what Xandra's magic powers are. First she says she is completely without magic, then she says she always had the ability to see magic and decipher who's it was. What? First she says that she had the family magic book completely memorized, then when that would have come in handy she's all "oh, completely memorized? No, just a familiarity really, more of a distant memory". Basically she has random wee magics the whole book, and supposedly she does have magic of her own, but most of the magic just sort of happens to her (just like most of what happens to her in the book). The only good part of the book was when Declan was finally telling Xandra about being soulbound, and he tells her that her magic sucks! He implies that when she's finding these dead bodies and feeling their dying pain, that is her magic, but there is no real indication of this, since the witch council has been after them from the beginning.

For a book that just came out, in paperback first, this year, and was this bad, I think that it a bit early to be calling this book the first in a series.

[Koneko · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://elcabodelolvido.blogspot.com.e...


Esta es una historia de brujas, brujos, realeza, asesinos en serie, romance y café y galletas, ambientada en el Texas actual. Xandra es la séptima hija de la séptima hija de la familia real de Ipswitch, una comunidad oculta de brujas en Texas. Bendecida por la propia diosa Isis el día de su nacimiento, se esperaba de ella grandes cosas... ¿problema? pues que no es capaz de conjurar nada, pero cuando digo nada es nada de nada (en este punto no he podido sino comparar la historia con la de Saga de brujas y Tamsin, su protagonista, a la que le pasa algo parecido). Tras un evento traumático en su 19 cumpleaños decide irse de su casa y vivir una vida normal como cualquier otra persona. Se traslada a Austin y abre su propia coffe-house.
Todo va bien hasta que con 27 años se reencuentra con Declan Chumonisto (ya no os digo nada del apellido... ¡¡lo que me he reído por dios!! debería ser delito ponerle un apellido así a un personaje, es que me entraba la risa floja cada vez que lo decía alguien) su amor de juventud y desencadenante de todos sus problemas, lo que la llevará a intentar detener a un vicioso asesino en serie que está más relacionada con ella de lo que parece.

Así pues, aunque está llena de clichés y estereotipos (brujo malo, malote, se enamora, inexorablemente atraídos, amor imposible, el policía amigo también quiere tema con ella, blah, blah, blah...) reconozco que el tono divertido y ligero de la redacción y los toques de humor a lo largo de la historia la han hecho muy llevadera. La autora escribe muy bien, encandila al lector y consigue que no te fijes mucho en las debilidades de la trama y te sumerjas en la historia. Hay algunas escenas de angustia que la verdad es que son dignas de leer porque te ponen los pelos de punta, y hay otras en plan "machito alfa" que me ponen los pelos de punta pero con las ganas de pegarle a alguien.
Otra cosa que cabe señalar de la forma de escribir de Tessa es que mantiene bien la intriga, a pesar de que tenemos una buena idea sobre quién es el asesino desde el principio, la autora juega con las sospechas del lector hasta el final, y eso se agradece. Lo mismo ocurre con la historia entre Xandra y Declan, no sabemos exactamente qué pasó con ellos en el pasado hasta bien pasada la mitad del libro, lo malo es que esto conlleva una tensión no resulta entre ellos que me pone enferma.

En cuanto a los personajes, la protagonista es Xandra, y es ella la que nos cuenta la historia en primera persona. Es una chica fuerte y decidida, que se ha hecho a sí misma y ha logrado superar todos sus complejos de inútil. Su poder es un quebradero de cabeza para ella ya que puede sentir lo mismo que las víctimas del asesino antes de morir y debe encontrar los cadáveres, es un compulsión inevitable para ella y esto la mete en líos con la policía. A pesar de todo lo que pasa es capaz de sobreponerse siempre, aunque es un poco masoquista en cuanto a Declan se refiere.
Hablando de Declan, que claramente es el protagonista masculino, es exasperante a más no poder, va de malote y de listo y al final el pobrecillo bebe los vientos por nuestra heroína (cosa poco original en una novela de romántica claro está). Nate es el tercero en discordia, o eso se supone porque claramente no veo ese triángulo muy bien, está claro que hay un intento de... pero está pésimamente desarrollado en mi opinión.
Junto a estos tres hay otra serie de personajes de los cuales me quedo solo con Toby, el chico gay que trabaja para Xandra, me encanta, es genial, sarcástico, simpático, un buenazo y además está super salido.

Resumiendo, Soulbound es una historia de romántica paranormal llena de humor y al mismo tiempo de violencia (lo que suena raro pero en la historia está perfectamente amalgamado todo, con sus tiempos bien definidos) que gracias al carácter de su protagonista y a la forma de escribir de la autora te engancha hasta el final y termina dejándote un buen sabor de boca a pesar de algunos de sus clichés y de una historia de amor un tanto típica. La recomiendo para pasar una agradable, divertida y detectivesca tarde de lectura.

Yo le doy un 4 de 5

[Joyfully Reviewed]

Life has never been easy for Xandra Morgan; first off she was born with huge expectations only to have them never fulfilled. As the seventh daughter of the seventh daughter and even blessed by the goddess herself, Xandra knew from the first time she could remember that her family expected her to surpass all of them. So what was she to do when even the most basic magic was beyond her? Xandra accepted her lot in life and turned her back on that part of her life. Now the owner of the successful coffee shop and bakery, Xandra is at least happy with her new life. But Xandra’s magic is finally showing itself and it’s not a happy thing, it seems that death and danger are her gifts so far…

Declan Chumomisto is a powerful warlock who always knew that his future or lack of it would depend on Xandra. Declan has never paid attention to the rules nor let them determine how he lived his life. He even flaunts his magic and all but announces that witches and warlocks exist around the world by performing his own illusion show and is world renowned for his amazing feats. Declan has always kept an eye on Xandra since she left and set up in Austin and now is the time for him to approach her again while he is in Austin for a show. Declan can feel something strange is happening to Xandra and her magic and he knows it’s time for them to meet again and this time face what the circumstances of her birth mean to their lives.

Xandra is less than happy about Declan appearing again just as her life seems to be turning dark and what is going on with her previously nonexistent magic suddenly acting up? Marks are showing up on Xandra, magical tattoos, just as Xandra is finding murdered women. No one is thinking Xandra is behind the murders but there is evidence proving that someone who knows her background is behind them. Xandra isn’t sure where to turn as her mother is still determined to find the key to unlock her magic (if she only knew), her brother is trying to help by trying to shelter her and her attraction to Declan is growing deeper and so hard to ignore. As the danger comes closer, Xandra finally knows that it’s going to be her magic that will either be able to find the killer or it will be her magic that will end her future. Xandra and Declan have to overcome their pasts and find a way to combine their powers to defeat a murderer and finally discover just what happened so many years ago to bring them together.

A stormy night, a magical birth and a hidden binding has finally brought two powerful people together only for them to find and hold on to a love that shouldn’t be. Xandra and Declan discover passion and answers to long held mysteries in Soulbound. I loved how Xandra had decided to live her life as she wanted, even if it meant turning her back on family and the magical world’s expectations for her, with spunk and humor. Declan had me as he decided to live his life as he wanted and basically giving the bird to the Council’s rules. I loved watching the important moments of Xandra’s life and how Declan wondered in and out of it until their last meeting in Austin. Seeing as Xandra and Declan at first fought against the pull towards each other and then giving in to it kept me wondering what would happen next for them. The suspense that surrounded them also kept me quickly turning the pages because I just knew the final answers would be hard hitting and boy were they. I was outraged to learn just what had been done to Declan and Xandra and now I can’t wait to see how they prove nothing will keep them down and watch as they kick a little magical booty.

Soulbound has lots of wonderful dark suspense, erotic passion, lighthearted humor and magic that can make you gasp all bound together in a way that makes it a page-turner. Joyfully Recommending Soulbound as a must read for lovers of urban fantasy and magic was a no brainer for me. I already want to re-read this book to see if there were any little clues or bits that I might have missed the first time, besides it will hold me over until the next book appears.

Reviewed by Jo for Joyfully Reviewed

[Deelylah Mullin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soulbound left me rocking in the corner, mumbling incoherently as to how Ms. Tessa Dare could leave me teetering on a precipice, wondering how I'll ever be able to wait until the second book in the Lone Star Witches series is released. Heartbreak, magic, and murder are at the forefront of this action-packed title.

First, I have to mention that the serious cliffhanger-ish ending has me frothing-at-the-mouth for more of this series. I hope we stick with our two main characters from this title, Xandra and Declan, in the next book. I LIKE them. A lot. I love the fact that we're clued in early on that there's a big entity that isn't exactly cool, and – for the record – I totally called the secretive and lurking bad guy at about the 45% mark. With many twists and turns in the plot, however, Ms. Dare had me doubting my super-Ninja prediction skills until nearly the very end of the title.

There was a pretty strong cast of supporting characters in this title, making me nervous that the next book won't be about Xandra and Declan. **sobs** I HAVE to know what happens with them! Led by Nate, a local homicide cop, I felt that this ensemble beautifully represented different aspects of our lives. Donovan, Xandra's oldest brother, represents the security of our childhood. Even if things don't appear to be safe and serene, we like to imagine that, with a snap of our fingers, order can be restored to our world, and a role model is the perfect way in which to accomplish this. Xandra's mom, Queen of the Ipswitch clan... Just. Wow. I wonder how she'll react to certain aspects of Xandra's life NOW! Selema, the witch whisperer, certainly seemed to be more of a thorn in Xandra's side than a helpful cast member, but she did propel the plot in her own, eccentric manner. Lily, Xandra's bestie, nestled seeds of knowledge in Xandra's head. Something that definitely drove the plot...however, I seriously need to know what happens next for HER, too. Ryder, Declan's brother, seems to be pretty cool through the title, but I got the heebie-jeebies during one particular scene... There were a few members of the ensemble that made appearances, contributed to furthering the plot, but I'm ambivalent about them... except Trevor. He's my new bestie!

Xandra, our gutsy, strong heroine, seems to be a fabulous model for overcoming adversity. In light of the fact that she's supposedly unable to practice magic, she seems to make lemonade out of lemons at every turn. I found it interesting that her coffee shop was so popular; almost like she was trying to be in the spotlight for some reason. The success of her business like a beacon directly to her. She's got so much inner strength that she doesn't really seem concerned about her own well-being. Even when she was unable to control a situation, she worried more about others than herself. I wonder if it's because of her connection to Declan that she seems so fearless.

Declan, super warlock that he is, seems to be mysteriously in-tune with Xandra and her angst. I love how tender he is with her, even though he has the rough, unapproachable exterior. Like they're soulmates or something. I really enjoyed the fact that Declan's magic played a prominent role, even for the general populace, in the story. I felt that he was extremely willing and eager to protect Xandra in a selfless manner. That endeared Declan to me even more. I have a tendency to root for the underdog in the first place. Yeah, for the most part, I win. It's nice, especially when there's someone like Declan that has a really cruddy story to accompany his sardonic, lopsided grin (BTW, I'm over lopsided grins).

Watching the plot, expertly woven, change and evlove was an utter delight. Soulbound should definitely be in your TBR if you're a fan of witchcraft of any sort, magic, and the dark arts. Shhh. Harry Potter fans may even think this the adult version. We won't broadcast that too loudly, however. Definitely can't wait until the next title in the Lone Star Witches series is released!

[Jessica (a GREAT read) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tessa Adams' Soulbound sounded like a very intriguing read, a paranormal book with a murder mystery going on. What's not to love? Xandra was an enjoyable heroine and Declan was a very mysterious kind of guy, and the mystery was very good, so all in all, it was a good read.

The story buildup took awhile for me to get into. We get a nice prologue depicting Xandra's birth and then the first chapter shows us Xandra and Declan's first meeting at her magical "coming out" party when she was nineteen, which ended in a disaster and her not having any kind of powers at all. When the story finally starts in the present day, it's to see Xandra at her family's home for the holidays and right away, she's poisoned by her mother!

With good intentions, her mother has been experimenting for years on potions or other oddities to get Xandra's powers starting. Xandra is from a family of witches, it's only natural that she would be one herself, but for some reason, she's just not.

It's not long before the first body is found during the party and this is when things start to go very wrong for Xandra. The sheriff of the town who has a grudge against Xandra wants to place blame on her, but it's clear that Xandra isn't the murderer and that's when we leave Ispwitch and this murder case. Xandra returns home to Austin after the holidays and gets back to her regular life. But the murders don't stop.

Naturally when Declan appears back in her life, we are meant to suspect him. But yet, I didn't get the creepy vibe from him. There's definite spark between him and Xandra and a lot of history too, of course it was history crammed into one night and one night only, but Xandra can feel the strange connection between them and it kind of freaks her out. Which then leads her to next body. Xandra also notices the weird similarities between the dead women and her own appearance, but it is just too weird for her to think on long.

All the while during the murder investigation, Xandra and Declan keep running into one another and the feelings that Xandra had back when she was nineteen and first kissed Declan return again and again. The romance between them kind of hits fast with a punch, but it took some building. There were all these old feelings from the past that led Xandra to feeling more for him.

The mystery element was really good! I devised in my mind who the killer was fairly early on. Simply a guess. Although my mind kept going back and forth as the story moved on. For awhile, near the end, I was sure it was Declan after all, it definitely messes with the mind when there are so many suspects. I can say that I was right about the who-done-it though! Obviously not going to say who I suspected though!!

The ending really packed a whopper of a punch with the revelations. I was blown away, because it seemed kind of out there. I didn't detect any evidence or hints that this was the reason behind everything. So that part was a little too shocking. Unless I did miss something in the beginning which is starting to occur to me as a slight possibility, but yeah. I was totally blindsided by this little detail.

While all things are good and resolved at the end, there is still enough left to make you wonder "what's next"? There is going to be a lot on Xandra's plate in the novels to come. And I cannot wait to see what that might be, I still hope there will be a mystery of some kind that needs solving! I love a good mystery mixed with paranormal. Which probably stemmed from my love of Scooby-Doo as a child! Of course those vampires and werewolves weren't real, at least in the novels they are!!

This was an incredible mystery and a pretty good paranormal read, together they make for an enjoyable read! There were a few times that things got a little too wordy, like with explanations of how the magic works and other magic related items and history bits, but nothing to totally make the book a bomb. This will definitely be a series I stick with!


Overall Rating 4/5 stars

[Dark Faerie Tales · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: Latent witch has grown used to her lot but comes into her power and struggles to understand her gifts.

Opening Sentence: I was born on a dark night, under a Dark Moon in a sky turned bloodred with power and prophecy.

The Review:

This story revolves around Xandra Morgan who is the 7th daughter to the 7th daughter in a Royal line of witches. She is foretold and prophesied to have great magic but in the end Xandra has got nothing. No magic at all and she couldn’t pull a rabbit out of her hat if she had to. This premise, I felt had many possibilities for story lines including the struggle Xandra’s family has with her inability to be a witch.

The interplay in the early portion of the book between Xandra and her mother in particular really pushed the story along and helped to flesh out Xandra’s motivation and often her guilt about her family. As always, the interchange between mother and daughter fascinates me in part because of the unique and ever changing relationship I have with my own mother. In this portion of the storytelling, Ms. Adams nails the dialogue and angst perfectly.

However, the time it took to progress to other portions of the story was a bit of a buzz kill for me. I wanted to see those relationships develop but also have the story move along faster. We seem to get bogged down a bit in a juvenile mind set by Xandra which was a bit strange. This is a 27 year old woman with a business that sometimes felt like a teenage instead. She doesn’t think to ask the important questions of loved ones or the hero and demand answers. This doesn’t compute with that type of personality but maybe that is my biases coming through.

Now our hero, Declan Chumomisto was a hard character to crack. I was unsure nearly the whole way through the book whether, in fact, he was an anti-hero or not. Maybe that is what Ms. Adams was going for but the relationship with Xandra can only be described as “off”. There is just something not right but the reader does discover later why this does feel this way, however, I feel it could have been handled in a different manner and still had the same impact.

The side characters we are introduced to in this book often feel like an afterthought, which is a true shame. A couple of them have staring roles later in the book, but aren’t given the character development that I would have preferred to see earlier on.

On a larger front, I am not sure about this book’s genre placement. Seems to me that this book would have fit more squarely in Young Adult fiction. Eighty-five percent of the book was squarely written in a Young Adult fiction format and only fifteen percent of the book is Adult content. Maybe Ms. Adams was not sure which readers to write for, but I felt the distinct difference in writing and content.

Finally, this series has promise and I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a different spin on paranormal or shifter romances. My hope is that book 2, Flamebound, will take all the strides forward that Soulbound has going for it and expand on those and ditch some of the extraneous noise that were distractions. We shall have to wait and see.

Notable Scene:

“Declan, it’s been almost nine years since we’ve seen each other. Frankly, the fact that you know where I live smacks of stalkerdom.”

“Eight years.”

“What?”

“It’s been eight years, five months and three weeks since I last saw you. Not nine years. And why should it upset you if I know where you live? Have I ever bothered you?”

“You’re bothering me now.”

He makes the turn into Guadalupe smoothly. “No, I’m taking care of you. I thought the difference between the two was obvious.”

FTC Advisory: Signet/Penguin provided me with a copy of Soulbound. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[Barb Lie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soulbound is the story of a young witch, from a powerful family of witches. Xandra Morgan is our heroine, and as the 7th daughter of a 7th daughter, she was expected to become very powerful. However, all of her life, she has not been able to perform any magic, and is considered latent. On her 19th birthday, when she once again failed during the family magical ceremony, she runs humiliated into the woods, where she meets our hero, Declan Chumomisto. Declan is a powerful warlock, who uses both light and dark magic. Xandra is drawn immediately to Declan, as he is to her. When he takes her hand, she ends up with the mark of Isis on her palm, similar to the one Declan has. They spent the night talking, and then Xandra will not see him again for 7 years.

The story then picks up 7 years later, with Xandra living in Austin, Texas, and running her own coffee shop. She still considers herself a magical failure, but is content where she is, living a normal life. There is some humor where her mother and a witch whisperer continue to try to find ways to bring out her magic. It is at this time, when Xandra goes back home to visit her family, that something awakens in her. Her mother gives her a potion, and she later becomes violently sick; she sees and feels a violent vision of a young girl being raped and attacked in the nearby woods. Xandra runs to where senses the attack happening, and the body of the dead girl is found. The victim is discovered to have been marked with the same Seba symbol that Xandra has in her palm.

Once she goes back to Austin, she sees Declan again, and her strange ability continues. stronger then ever. Xandra, each time she has this vision, suffers emotionally, mentally and physically. She is compelled to follow where she senses another girl in danger. Declan always seems to come to her rescue, and both do not understand what is happening. Together, they are determined to find the cause of Xandra’s abilities, and to find the person, who has strong magical abilities to be doing this. The chemistry between Declan and Xandra is hot, but they both refrain from going too far, until they both need each other desperately.

I enjoyed learning about Xandra’s family, and her new found friends. Her brother Donovan, her friend Lily, and a cop named Nate, all play are big part in this story. Declan is our hero, and a hot one, but he is still private, and I would love to learn more about him. But the star of this book is Xandra, who is a great heroine; strong, independent, and has no qualms of speaking up. The only thing I was not crazy about was that Xandra feels everything being done to the other girl, making these descriptive scenes very violent, and at times uncomfortable.

There is a serial killer out there, and it seems that all the victims resemble Xandra. Who is the killer? Why are the innocent girls being tortured? Will Xandra survive? Is Declan to be trusted, or is he too a danger to Xandra? Tessa Adams does resolve all the questions at the end. However, that being said, Soulbound does leave things open for Xandra and Declan to continue the story into the next book, since we need to learn more about Xandra’s powers.

The ending is tense, filled with lots of action, excitement, and surprises. Make no mistake, this is a dark paranormal story, but it is also a great story, with some excellent characters. I love Xandra and Declan, and I will be there for the next book. Great start to this new series by Tessa Adams

Barb
The Reading Cafe