Bonded

Bonded #1

by Brendan Lamerton

Jin has always dreamt of training at the School of the Ebon Fist, just like his mother.
He’d like nothing more than to become a powerful martial sorcerer, capable of defending the weak and helpless, going on adventures in far off lands, and trying all the different styles of noodles from across the empire. So, when a chance encounter in the forest marks him as one of the bonded and word spreads that one of the Great Schools is coming to recruit new students, it seems like he might finally get that the opportunity.
But nothing is ever that easy.
Before the School even arrives, he’ll have to deal with missing townsfolk, hopping vampires, and a powerful lord who hates him. And he’ll have to do it all before the bond drives him crazy.

339 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 8, 2024

Reviews

[Heli Miranda ahumada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Read it in 3 days. Excellent cover too!

Within the genre, I was glad to find this, is truly a gem, with great quality and execution.

I hope the author continues to work on this series, it has the foundations of a great saga.

Would recommend it to everyone.

Thank you.

[Tash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jin has always dreamed to becoming a martial sorcerer like his late mother. A dangerous encounter with mythological creatures in the forest changes his life and gives him hope that his dream may come true. This was an engaging and well-paced book with a well-developed Eastern-inspired fantasy world. I loved the mythological creatures and folklore e.g. different types of vampires. The characters are likeable – Jin is a moral and down-to-earth protagonist, and the supporting characters are delightful (especially Suni!). This is a coming-of-age tale exploring the hero’s journey and the nature of power with great action and training sequences. I was hooked from the first page and cannot wait to read the sequel. A superb debut novel.

[shark · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was so delightful and fun! There were a lot of elements that reminded me of other books like the Cradle series by Will Wight but that’s not to say it wasn’t unique because it certainly was! I loved all the characters, especially Suni, and the world was really fun to get sucked into. The pacing was incredible, I really ate this up. I can’t wait to see what Jin and Suni and their friends get up to next, and I anticipate this author will just be getting better in the next installment. What an incredible debut, I highly recommend this for anyone who likes this genre. I will be eagerly awaiting more :)

Also, unrelated to the content of the book, what a stunning cover! Super unique and beautiful, I kept looking at it while I was reading

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book. It was great fun and a great adventure! I don't normally read this genre but I lapped it up and couldn't stop reading. I hope there will be more adventures coming in a sequel to Bonded as I would love to read more by this author. Suitable for ages 10 to 100!

[Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great progression story

I really enjoyed the story and loved the characters. I hope there are more in the future I really want to know more about what they get up to. Also Suni sounds like she is adorable.

[Hugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beginning of what feels like it should be an excellent cultivator series.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book! Hadn’t read this genre before and loved it! Keen for the sequel