Darkbound

The Legacy of Moonset #2

by Scott Tracey

Malcolm has seven days to unravel a twenty year old mystery, find a body, capture a killer and keep a demon at arm's length.

No one hates being a witch quite like Malcolm. But if there's one thing worse than being a witch, it's being a Moonset witch. There are very few things in his life that he can control, and after a fight with his siblings, he's losing his grip on what he's got left.

A creature as old as Hamelin has crept out of the Abyss, and its siren song has infected the teenagers of Carrow Mill compelling them, at first, to simply be swept away in love. But love soon turns dangerous, as passion turns to violence and an army of sociopaths is born.

The Pied Piper isn't just a story, and he's got his eyes set on Malcolm, promising a life of freedom from magic and the shackles of the Moonset bond. As Carrow Mill burns, Malcolm must make the hardest choice of his life: family? Or freedom?

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Witches, Supernatural, Demons

384 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2014

About the author

Scott wrote his autobiography at age six, and its all been downhill since then. He traveled the country on a Greyhound for a month, devoted a semester of school to starting a series of urban legends, and spent five years perfecting how to say "would you like fries with that" for a short story. Or so he claims.

If you would like to get in touch with me, please go here to my website. I cannot guarantee a response to any mail sent through Goodreads.

Reviews

[Liviania · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed MOONSET, which I called a book about "small towns with secrets, people with secrets, a closely bound found family, black magic, and a protagonist who has a lot to learn" and noted that I was eager for the next book to see how some surprising revelations played out and what other secrets would be uncovered. It set the stage of five siblings bound my magic, possibly as part of their now deceased parents' villainous master plan.

DARKBOUND's point of view shifts from Justin (the mediator sibling), who narrated MOONSET, to Malcolm (the just-wants-to-be-normal sibling). It picks up all the threads left open at the end of MOONSET, ties them up with the Pied Piper of Hamelin, and throws in a powerful creep who misunderstands the meaning of love.

I took a bit to warm up to Mal at first. I really liked Justin the super socially awkward. Mal gets along with most people pretty well. It's his siblings, the characters the reader already cares about, who he doesn't quite mesh with. He wants a freedom that none of the others do. But warm up to him I did, especially as DARKBOUND began to redeem Jenna (the troublemaking sibling). Jenna wasn't flat-out awful or anything, but it's nice to see her point of view get some sympathy and for her to get some heroic moments.

I also liked how Mal was rounded out by the things he didn't say and his contradictions. He clearly has a complicated relationship with his body (possibly an eating disorder) that possibly comes from the lack of control in his life due to his coven bond. He also only expresses interests in other men, but never outright discusses his sexuality. He gets along quite well with the head of the witchy Congress, despite the fact that he has a number of reasons to fear and dislike her. He's unreasonable about magic in a way his siblings aren't, but he's more reasonable about a few things.

DARKBOUND does have it's flaws. The climax is somewhat confusing, and definitely casts Mal in a different light. Ash, Justin's girlfriend, disappears from the narrative completely. There are only a few hints as to what the Moonset coven's ultimate plans were. (Is this series going to be longer than a trilogy? I don't know.) However, like its predecessor, it is fun.

I wonder which sibling will narrate next. Jenna? I'd love to read a book featuring her, but at the same time younger sibling Bailey and Cole have been shifted to the side. (Cole certainly displays an intriguing bit of strangeness in DARKBOUND.) But I'm eager to see where this series goes and how my perception will continue to shift as I read. After all, like their parents, Justin, Jenna, Mal, Cole, and Bailey might not be the good guys.

[Anniken Haga · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, so I've just resently read the first book in this series, and really liked it.
So it was such a dissapointment when this one didn't really give me anything.

I have to admit, that one of the reasons I find this a bit dissapointing, is because I thought this series was a duology, and then I started reading this one, and realised that it would not be a duology.
Also, theres a change in POV from the first book to this one.
In the first book we followed Justin, but in this one, we follow Malcom.

And he's sooo angsty!
I get it, he's been through a lot, and therefore don't trust people.
But all he did in this book was walk around mopping over either this or that.
It was soooo boring.

We didn't really get any character arc in this book either.
From any of them.
It was mostly just Mal walking around thinking about how he hate everything.

And whats with all the gay?
I love the fact that Mal is gay, and that we get to know that early on.
Its nothing he's ashamed about.
But in this book, being straight was beeing diverse. 'cause suddenly every boy in the story was atleast bi-curious and interested in Mal, and the one girl he knows outside the Coven turned out to like girls.
Even one of the guardiens turned gay.
And I'm all for it, but when everyone turnes gay, it just gets a little laughable.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind diverse characters.
I love them.
But some of what makes them diverse, is the fact that there are ''few'' of them.
And when everyone around a gay character are gay, it turns weird.
If only the girl was gay, I would be all for it.
But almost everyone Mal met in this book, was gay!

So yeah, not a good book.
It was a chore getting through it, and I'm not sure I will bother getting the next book in the series

[Micah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hmmm? A demon who is able to literally force people to kill themselves for the person they love or even kill others to protect the person they love? Sign me up...Sounds bad-ass xD




Pros:
Malcolm is an amazing character with some great 3 dimensional development and Jenna once again shines as THAT BITCH<3

The secondary characters get some major development

Unlike Moonset, I love that magic, spells and powers are fully being shown and showcased.

The plot takes a dark and exciting direction and i love the action and battle scenes

Cons:
Not really much Cons that are noteworthy except the Romance aspect...I was not feeling it and it actually felt sort of tacked on/irrelevant with little to no lead up(Thankfully, it is literally only Two Scenes so it isn't a big deal really).

1. Plot(5 out of 5 Star)

Darkbound follows Malcolm this time. Malcolm hates being a witch, especially a Moonset Witch. Moonset was a coven of 6 witches who turned to dark magic and became terrorist that winded up committing crimes and killing 1000s of people before they were executed. Now Malcolm and his siblings are their children who have to bare the stigma of their families name and Malcolm wants nothing to do with it or magic and he longs for a chance to break the supposedly unbreakable coven bond with his siblings....No matter what the cost.

A creature as old as Hamelin has crept out of the Abyss, and its siren song has infected the teenagers of Carrow Mill compelling them, at first, to simply be swept away in love. But love soon turns dangerous, as passion turns to violence and an army of sociopaths is born.

The Pied Piper isn't just a story, and he's got his eyes set on Malcolm, promising a life of freedom from magic and the shackles of the Moonset bond. As Carrow Mill burns, Malcolm must make the hardest choice of his life: family? Or freedom?
And is he willing to do whatever it takes because either way...He will have to lose a part of himself.


2. Writing(4.5 out of 5)

Scott Tracey has such an amazing talent for a writer. Just like Witch Eyes(his other trilogy about witches), Moonset showcases such great characters. But the writing what makes it great. He greatly improves from Moonset #1, because the book takes a much darker turn.

You have a demon who is literally compelling people to kill themselves in the name of love....or to kill others to protect the ones they love from "Danger".....As the book's title implies, Darkbound takes a Dark turn and even in the end, unlike Moonset, the book doesn't end on a happy or positive note. It's not a cliffhanger but it is certainly not a happy ending.

But more importantly, Scott manages to utilize 1st person storytelling to flesh out Malcolm greatly while at the same time fleshing out his siblings and their relationship(Granted Justin is largely irrelevant and Cole/Bailey are still be treated as auxillary but they do get development). One issue I had with Moonset was that it was TOO FOCUSED on Justin, despite this being a coven and Darkbound definitely managed to put focus on both Malcolm and the coven.

The pacing of the story was great. Unlike Moonset, which had a few occasions where i skimmed, Darkbound holds your attention from start to finish.

3. Characters(6 out of 5)

Malcolm is a star and he did not disappoint. We had glimmers of Malcolm in Moonset, But he definitely lets loose and his struggle to push his witch heritage away was a journey. In fact, Malcolm is gay.....Yet his sexuality wasn't the issue. His witch heritage could be a good parallel to a gay teen who is struggling to repress their nature and I liked that because so many books feature a gay character who just HAS to struggle with their sexuality. This took a much needed trope and gave it an interesting twist. Malcolm's inability to accept who he is, threatens not only him but his family but he had so much growth.....From the beginning he goes from a witch who literally wants nothing to do with magic and developing his powers to a witch who may very well have a dark secret living inside of him that only HE can access. I absolutely love Malcolm and thankfully he is yet another perfect example of a book that features a LGBT character who is not a stereotype nor is sexuality much of a big deal.
Jenna takes full stage here as well....Moonset, she comes off as a bitch and even in the beginning of Darkbound she is the Jenna we all know. But this book is Malcolm's book and her and Mal always seem to butt heads with their differing points of views on Magic and personalities. But thankfully since Justin is sidelined we get to see her actually showcase a vulnerable side. She can be the superwitch, she can be quite devious and even cruel but there is also a young girl who you can obviously tell is so used to fighting and being aggressive that she doesn't know when to just be....passive and let others in. I freaking love Jenna.
Cole & Bailey do get some screentime but i really hate how they are treated as Auxillary, despite the fact they are main characters. In fact, Mal even expresses that there is only less than 3 years difference between Bailey and him(She is 15 and he is 18) yet I hate that they are sort of written as Childish. Not because they ACT childish....but because the characters treat them as if they are babies and don't ever let them do much except sort of just react. That's not to say they don't have their plusses...Bailey is still recovering from the horrors of Moonset and Cole has a darkness about him that has been hinted at for 2 books now and it is so intriguing yet it bugs me because whatever is going on with Cole still has not been addressed yet. It's always hinted but never focused.
Justin....I guess I got my wish with Justin. I didn't care much for Justin in Moonset, which was his book. He just bothered me a lot. He is a good guy and all but he is...boring to me. Well in Darkbound, Justin more or less is irrelevant. Like literally he is even more nonexistent than Bailey and Cole and that is saying something. What bothered me about Justin was, he is supposedly the leader of the group yet for whatever reason, he was being timid and sort of just following behind the others when they were ganging up on Mal. It's like Justin had a completely different personality. Once again Justin sort of bugged me and he really was irrelevant in this book.
The secondary character such as Ilana, Quinn, and all the other Witchers definitely got some much needed development, especially Ice Queen and Scary Illana. I loved her scenes with Malcolm. She definitely has more to her than meets the eye and I love that she seems to be more human vs the robotic nature we saw in Moonset. Quinn also manages to get some good developments in as well. He is a silent warrior.

All in all, I loved most of the characters......Mal and Jenna both were the MVPs of this book and I am desperately wanting more info on Cole. Justin still is not doing it for me, though he is not completely useless and I have no doubt that he'll grow on me eventually. I am just Meh towards Justin as is.

4. Overall

I do have to discuss the romance...Early on we are introduced to a character that Mal meets in the book and I thought perhaps this was the love interest. Except after their meeting, the character only appears again later in the book during a very shocking confrontation between Mal and The Pied Piper and this is the first glimpse of a "Romance". They barely knew each other so there was no lead up to the reveal at the time.....

Then the ending scene with Mal & Quinn(his guard) just felt so incredibly tacked on because there really had been no implications of an attraction or interest from either of them in the other. However, despite the randomness of it...Hopefully in Book 3, we'll get to see it developed since nothing but an almost kiss happens and I actually like Quinn and I can see it working but as of right now, it was just random.

Normally i hate 1st person books because I am always stuck with a character I hate narrating the store. This was a slight issue in Book one with Justin but Justin was not unlikable just...boring and Jenna made him interesting.

I loved Mal and this is one of the few first person books I can say I greatly enjoyed. But the only issue i have with 1st person books that focus on one character each book, the character then immediately goes to background in the following book(i.e. Justin is largely absent this book despite being the lead in Book 1).

This is not a criticism of Scott Tracey(Brigid Kemmerer also does 1st person books that focus on one specific character in each book) but at the same time, this is a book that I think would do well with a 3rd person omniscient Point of view that allows the 5 main characters equal time.
Darkbound greatly improved over Moonset......and Moonset was very excellent. I absolutely loved the fact that the plot went darker, got scarier and it also explained the mythology of the story and witches.

Such an amazing LGBT character who both Straight and LGBT readers can relate too. Mal is definitely a sexy beast.

I assume Book 3 will follow Jenna, though tbh...Jenna has had some great roles/scenes in Moonset & Darkbound...Personally, I think Cole should actually have the next book. I want Cole....But i can live with Jenna since i know her book will be INSANE

[Mieneke · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the sequel to last year's Moonset , Scott Tracey returns the reader to Carrow Mill. However, we don't return to Justin's point of view, instead the story is told from Malcolm's perspective. It's an interesting shift, especially as it means we get a different look at the members of the Moonset coven, both past and present. While I enjoyed Darkbound quite a lot and it was a good follow-up to Moonset, there were some things that disappointed me and some troubling aspects to some of Tracey's word choice and ambiguity as to Mal's sexual orientation.

Let's start off with the latter. Throughout the novel we get hints that Mal might be gay, but instead of incorporating this into Mal's difficulties in finding and accepting himself with regards to his parentage and powers and coming to terms with who he is, it's shunted to the side and only referenced in passing or in dangerous situations, most notably in Mal's interactions with the Dark Prince he has to outsmart in Darkbound. Mal turns out to have an interest in somebody, but that is only revealed at the end of the narrative and then it's once again dropped in casually, a blink-and-you-miss-it-moment. In addition, Tracey has Mal use words that are rather dubious in this context, such as butt hurt and butt monkey, which might indicate Malcolm's struggle with his uncertainly sexual preferences, but it didn't scan that way and I found myself rather disturbed by its use, especially as they are problematic terms in any context. The way Mal's sexuality is treated in Darkbound just didn't sit right with me and I would have liked for it to be more out in the open, even if Mal's isn't openly out.

As for the things that disappointed me? That was mostly connected to the complete and utter disappearance of Ash from the story and Quinn's far smaller role than last time. Of course, Ash is Justin's girlfriend, not Mal's, so it's logical she is less present, but I loved her in the previous book and I really would have liked to have her be present in this one as well. Similarly, Quinn isn't Mal's guardian, so we see him in a different capacity – and we find out Mal avoids him for other reasons as well – but after Moonset I would have loved to have seen more of him, not less.

What I did like was how much more we see of Jenna. We get to see beyond the rebel-without-a-cause exterior and see beyond to the real Jenna and while she's still head-strong, impulsive, and sometimes needlessly unkind, we also see the caring and protective side to her personality. Similarly, we learn more about the group's parents and what exactly happened to them and what they did to create the strange coven-bond and curse to protect their children. It illustrates that even monsters aren't evil 100% of the time and that they might do good things too. The closer look at Mal's uncle Charles, cousin Luca, and the Manson Family-like groupies that followed the original Moonset coven was both creepy and enlightening.

Malcolm is a sympathetic narrator and I enjoyed his perspective. I liked how his attitude to his powers and his family shifted over the course of the narrative, without turning him into a power junkie and magic enthusiast. His voice is quite different from Justin's and his wit far more acerbic, though there is somewhat of the martyr about Malcolm as well. I loved his sense of justice and fairness, something that is portrayed really clearly in the scene where he comes to the rescue of Brice, when he's being bullied by some jocks. One other element about Mal's behaviour that I would have loved to have seen emphasized more, was his never acknowledged anorexia. Mal presents with all the classic symptoms of an eating disorder: having trouble eating, a strict work-out regiment, the trying to figure out when he can do an extra work-out whenever he's forced to eat unexpectedly, the fact that he feels he has no control over his life and his powers. However, none of the adults, or his siblings for that matter, picks up on this. Mal himself doesn't even acknowledge it. Hopefully this is something that will be expounded on in the next book, as otherwise it would be a weird thing to include and it would also be a wasted opportunity to show that eating disorders don't just happen to women, men can suffer from them too.

Overall, I enjoyed Darkbound. The plot surrounding the Dark Prince was exciting and the further development of the Moonset history and mythology was interesting. The stakes for the next book have been raised and with Malcolm's new-found abilities and their Coven-bond strengthening, the Moonset kids are bound to have an interesting role to play in the future. I'll be interested to see how the series develops in the next book and to see whether Tracey sticks with Justin and/or Malcolm's point of view or whether he'll switch to one of the other siblings. Darkbound stands on its own fairly well, but I'd suggest going back and reading Moonset as well if you haven't done so. If you're into witchy, supernatural YA, Darkbound will certainly be up your alley.

This book was provided for review by the publisher.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really like this one as much as the first one. I don't think that I really liked Malcolm as a character, he was so broody and 'oh woe is me'. TBH, I stopped reading at about 60% through and then I just skimmed the rest of the way and I'm glad I did because the ending didn't 'end' anything and there isn't another book...

[~Tina~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Switching point of views are always a little tricky, especially with paranormal genres.
Once the reader falls in love with a particular voice, it’s sometimes hard to let anyone else in the spotlight. While I'm always curious enough to accept a change in character's perspective, I still go into it a little weary. Moonset, the first book, was told in Justin’s pov and is the reason I really fell for this series. Not only was he easy to connect with, but he had this really sharp way he held himself. Smart but sarcastic witty but warm and while he’s always known that his coven bonded ‘family’ is screwed, he was at least optimistic about it. Malcolm? Not so much.
Going into this book, I must admit, I wasn't prepared for how really dark Malcolm could be. I had known that he liked to rely on his physical strength more then his magical ones, but I didn't know just how much he despises, well, everything. He hates magic and everything that comes with it. He hates the fact that he has to constantly live in the shadows of his parents sins and that he can’t have any kind of normal life. He also hates that he’s stuck to his ‘adopted’ siblings because of some magical coven bond and is against learning how to control it. He’s cynical, jaded and pissed off. He wants his freedom but will it cost him the only family he has?

While I didn't always like Malcolm’s attitude, I still have to admit he was a real force in this one. Tracey knew what he was doing. Malcolm may be the oldest of the Moonset children but not the wises. He had to find his own path and his own way of dealing with the pressures of this magical life he never asked for and struggle with his haunted history that he wants to overcome. Still, this was cleverly done and I ended up really enjoying the darker side of this Moonset teen and his journey of self-worth.

I really loved the plot line, it was very well crafted. Tracey continues to thrive with dedication to historical detail for this world as well as giving us the magical madness that I crave in my books while adding a seriously sadistic Prince demon that was both unhinged and riveting. The storyline was less action packed then the last book, but it’s definitely more suspenseful and fascinating. I loved diving deeper into the history of the original Moonset and the monsters that wrecked havoc during their rein. The Abyssal Prince demon was crazy consuming. He offered Malcolm something that he wants more then anything. His freedom, and for added measure to insure Malcolm see things his way, the Prince started to infect the witches of Carrow Mill with dark spells, twirling the town with deadly seduction and warping their every thought. When one of the Moonset brothers gets hurt, Malcolm has no choice but to make peace with Jenna and work together to find a way to stop the Princes evil doings and uncovers long buried secrets along the way.

Justin, Jenna, Malcom, Cole and Bailey are so much stronger when together. I love how they play off one another in banter and devotion. They were bonded together for a purpose, even if they don’t understand why and it’s those moments I find myself enjoying the most. But for this book, it’s really Malcolm’s story and the journey he needed to take to finally accept what he is and what he has to do. However, I was surprised that Jenna was featured in this one so closely to Malcolm since these two particular characters don’t really like each other and don’t get along very well, despite them being ‘siblings’. Still, it was really great to see them put their differences aside and work together for the greater good. But I think my favorite part is when all the Moonset children come together, uniting their magic through the coven bond at the end of the story. It was a very defying moment for Malcom, for the reader and what it means for future books. I also really loved the Abyssal Prince. This guy was seriously creepy and unnerving. Tracey wrote him good.

All in all, I really enjoyed myself with Darkbound. The writing is really very smart and I loved that Tracey kept me on my toes throughout the entire story. If you’re looking for a magical read with a unique twist in paranormal, then I would recommend this series as a solid entertaining escape. There is so much more to the story and I look forward to seeing what Tracey has in store next for this world and the Moonset children who can’t escape their fate. Well done!

[Christal · Rating 3 out of 5]

See this review and others like it at Badass Book Reviews!

The Legacy of Moonset series is an interesting entry in the YA urban fantasy market, but I didn't find Darkbound to be quite as strong as its predecessor, Moonset. It was still a good story and gave us new insight into the Moonset coven, but it just seemed a little slower overall.

I really liked Malcolm in the first book even though we were just seeing him through Justin's eyes. When we were actually dropped into his head here in Darkbound, it took me a little while to really warm up to him. He almost seemed like a different character at first. Now that I really think about it, I liked almost all of the characters more in the first book when we saw them through Justin's eyes versus in this book. Malcolm just has a bit of a chip on his shoulder and I think that affects the way he sees the world and everyone else around him.

The one character that I did like much more in this book was Jenna. She seems to have really grown and matured after the events of Moonset and, I never thought I would say this but, I actually liked her in Darkbound. She was helpful to Malcolm and came to understand his feelings and what he is going through. Through Jenna, Malcolm also came to understand the others better and began to learn what it means to be a real coven.

I was interested by what we learned about Moonset's coven bond and the Darkbond that seems to be in place. I hope we learn more about them in future books because I still don't think I could tell you what a Darkbond really is. I wasn't as interested in the Prince as I thought I would be, but I did like the way they story came full circle and connect with the loose ends from Moonset.

I plan to continue to follow this series and am now really excited to hear from Jenna's perspective. I also would like to learn more about Bailey and her powers. The Legacy of Moonset would be a great series for YA readers who are just starting to explore fantasy or urban fantasy works. It is light enough not to overwhelm them with world-building, but does have some intricate points about knowing yourself and being secure in the knowledge that your family always has your back, even if they might not be blood-related.

Thank you to Netgalley and Flux for providing an ARC copy of this book!

[Kelly Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Not all creatures die a mortal death. Sometimes death is cunning: a caress instead of a slap. Even death can fall in love. Even death can dare to break the rules.”—Darkbound by Scott Tracey

We are back at it again with the Moonset coven, in the second book Darkbound. In the aftermath of the last book, the coven kids are going about a regular life, still being watched by the Congress. Instead of being in Justin’s head this time, we are now in Malcolm’s. I. Love. Malcolm. He’s angsty, angry, volatile, and he’s got a big date with a dark prince. Since this book revolves around Malcolm, it also revolves around the questioning of the coven binds and magic in general. Malcolm would give anything to lead a normal life, away from magic. He’s tired of being in the life that ruined he’s coven’s prospect at a fulfilling and peaceful life, until one of the Dark Princes arrives in town.

With dark secrets from the past still being revealed, Moonset must figure out, along with The Congress, who brought a Dark Prince to life and why. This becomes extremely important once the Prince shows himself to Malcolm and Malcolm alone. With hints of romance one can assume that the Prince fancies our prickly Moonsetter, but sometimes there are more complex things lurking at the bottom of every reason. Now that the Dark Prince is in town, no one is safe, and if you are not magically inclined you’re screwed. This is when Malcolm begins to question his wants versus the needs of those around him, and ultimately his needs as well. What would Malcolm give to get what he wants, and are the sacrifices worth the risk?

It was great to see life in Malcolm’s perspective because he’s so ornery and prickly. I know he’s gay but frankly I am not immune to his charm (which is constantly brought up), I mean he sounds like an amazing specimen and again his attitude tends to be on the funny side versus, the rude mean side. The character growth in this book was great, including Jenna and Malcolm’s relationship. Where I was confused in the first book, I was able to pick up quickly in the second book and I noticed an increased ease in following along with the story. The whole past has not been revealed, but there are some shockers and there are some new secrets brewing as well. I cannot wait to see the next installment!

4 out 5 stars. Thank You Net Galley

[Thibaut Nicodème · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review coming on my blog, the Snark Theater.

This book…was a lot like its predecessor. Lots of potential, not fully realized.

Okay, there was also a few things wrong with it. Malcolm (this book's protagonist) has surprisingly little agency, between being the villain's plaything (almost literally, I was waiting for an attempted rape that thankfully never happened) and having his main power be…"old magic symbols pop up in my mind". Did I mention Scott Tracey is a fan of Cassandra Clare? It shows.

And in terms of character arc, it's Elsa from Frozen, except he learns to accept his powers because they're…useful. Not exactly as emotionally fulfilling.

Thing is, there are good things in here too. The characters are still pretty compelling, and I liked the development of the main five kids. Malcolm as a gay character who doesn't need a love interest to prove his sexuality is nice. The Prince is an enjoyable villain for the most part. So it's not like it's all bad. But it never goes above "this is pretty okay, I can keep reading this without wanting to gouge my eyes out".

And then there's the ending. I would have gone for a 3.5 stars, maybe even rounded up, if it weren't for that ending. See, this is the end of the series (I mean, sequels have been cancelled from what I gather), which I doubt was planned; as a result, it doesn't work as an end of series. But…it also doesn't work as an end of book. The Prince just…escapes at the last minute, just as Malcolm has all the tools to kill him. But he also frees all the kids under his control? None of this makes any sense, and more importantly, it's not very fulfilling. Oh, and we get a last-minute, tacked-on romantic teasing between Malcolm and Quinn after they barely interacted throughout the book. It's not that surprising after the way Tracey's described him throughout both books, but it still doesn't work without foreshadowing.

So…yeah, I'm not very impressed. I'm not angry about having read this book—though it was pretty difficult to get my hands on it—but at the same time I doubt it'll stick with me for very long. I said after finishing Moonset that I could see why the series would be cancelled, and this…didn't change my mind. It's okay, but that doesn't quite cut it.

[Kian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darkbound is the second book in the Moonset series, and it adds another layer of world-building on top of the first book. Like the previous book, every chapter starts with quotations from various historical sources in the Moonset world, and they add depth to the dark and magic-filled setting in which the teenaged narrator Malcolm lives along with his four coven "siblings." The first-person narration does make the novel have a too tight focus on Malcolm's thoughts and experiences while making everyone else peripheral and some dramatic events happening around town are just heard about by Malcolm. The central plot revolves around a "Prince" from the Abyss who is seeking Malcolm's help in solving a mystery. The mystery turns out to be rather convoluted, and the motivation of the characters involved is not too convincing for me even as the "villains" make their confessions. But the main problem with the book is while the suspenseful buildup is done quite well especially when the evil but charming Prince gets in Malcolm's face, the final resolution is awkwardly paced jumping from one battleground to another with a strange pause for a meeting of minds in between. Still, the writing has improved a lot over the author's earlier works. The description of magic in this series has more clarity than the Witch Eyes books. Ultimately, both Darkbound and Moonset are enjoyable to read.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An advanced copy of this book was provided by Net Galley.
The second in this Moonset series, was smartly told from the point of view of another of the Moonset children, Malcom. As you learn more about each of the children in present day, the dark histories of their parents' legacy is revealed. Dark, and artfully crafted, the author is as to create a sense of bravado for the five children of Moonset, as they tackle a world they have no choice but to live and survive in. Judged for the sins of their fathers since the time they were all babies, each dark and dangerous hurtle brings them closer to understanding the coven bond that was thrust upon them by their parents, and why.

[Damian Serbu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tracey is the best author for teen speculative fiction around. The second book in this series is even more gripping than the first. And the end makes it so difficult to wait for the final installment!!!

[Aveston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I looooove this series. I’ve probably re-read it 5 times at this point. All the characters are so interesting and the plot is engaging! Still holding out that a new book will come out 😔✊🏻 I will buy it instantly!!

[BookChic Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book, but please tell me there's a Book 3!!!

[Aiiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh man this book is so good from start to end
i want so bad to read book 3 >____<
sooo damn badlyyy!!!!

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book, amazing sequel, so much happened, and that ending, oh! But there's only a chance for a sequel, if it's self pubbed, since Flux canceled the series. Gah. I need more, though!