The Binding

by Gianaclis Caldwell

"A gritty, hopeful narrative with emotionally rich characters" — Kirkus Reviews, Our Get it

In an America where the West was never colonized, the Appalachian Mountains mark the border between starkly different The Atlantic States of America is a corporate-run dystopia, while the United West stands defiant in its quest to preserve its egalitarian culture and autonomy.

Ruby Roth is a legacy conscript fighting to survive while protecting a young boy in her care. Burdened with a gift for binding, she clings to the hope of one day fleeing West. But when she’s threatened with a forced marriage to a brutal officer, she must choose between submitting or risking her life, and the lives of those she loves, for freedom.

Kaileh Clearwater Lewis, a warrior of the West, wants nothing more than to safeguard her people and uncover the truth behind her brother Tareq’s death. When her quest brings her face-to-face with Ruby, she must confront a moral reckoning that could shatter everything she believes in.

The Binding is a tale of transformation and resilience, where two women from opposing cultures, but bound by fate, navigate intrigue, loyalty, and the unbreakable bonds of family in a divided America that could have been.

An alternate history perfect for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, and Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel.

366 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2025

About the author

Gianaclis (gee-on-a-klees) is a multi-award winning nonfiction author who's debut novel THE BINDING received a Kirkus Reviews "Our Verdict: Get it" accolade.

Raised in the wilds of Oregon playing in the woods and failing at picking string beans. In her spare time she guides other old ladies in plies, ronde jambes, and the occasional pirouette.

Reviews

[Chasing Silhouettes · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 🌟

"It burns, this bending, sets sparks and flames through her in a way that almost makes her feel like she can set fire to this whole place." (Pg 19)

Ruby is the caretaker of her dying grandmother, the woman who raised her... the woman who beat her as a means to instill the fear of using her gifts within her. She is a binder, and according to her grandmother, it was bad and "it hurts everyone around" her. Herself, included. The gift that takes empathy to a whole other level. She goes about her daily life, working off her inherited life contract, trying desperately not to be late to work yet again, and struggling to make ends meet. On the side, she has a kinship bond with a neighbor's son who has the gift of dreams. Due to circumstances out of her control and of less than desirable social standings, she is faced with unenviable choices, and in another circumstance, has no choice at all.

"....this world, your world, we fear, is approaching a change. One that may lead to a better world, but not without great suffering first occuring.” (Pg 97)

Kaileh, an officer/ warrior, is selected to train for a new task force. She's been looking for answers to the mystery of her brother's murder and hopes that the required relocation would hold the key. Though being assigned a new partner might prove to be a bit of a hindrance, or at least an annoyance.


A fascinating tale spin. Introspection of grief, strife, determination, and survival! Dystopian fiction depicting an alternate reality and warring societies, if North America took a different turn and fracture in history.

"....like some memories, the gifts are too precious to throw away, too costly to open." (Pg 131)

eARC courtesy of BookSprout

[Rebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Whew. The Binding by Gianaclis Caldwell cracked open something raw and real in me. This wasn’t just a dystopian fantasy—it felt like staring into a mirror that showed both the grit and grace buried inside us all.

Ruby Roth… bless her broken but unyielding heart. A conscript in a corporate-drenched hellscape? Yeah, my chest tightened with every page as I watched her fight for more than just her own survival—she’s protecting a child with fierce devotion while hiding a power the world would burn her for. Binding magic? Let me tell you, it’s not just a metaphor in this book—it binds you to her pain, her choices, her hope. And when she’s threatened with being forced into a marriage to a man who defines cruelty? That fury burned through me like wildfire. But Ruby doesn’t break—she chooses her own damn fate, and I was screaming "yes, girl!" the whole time.

Then Kaileh Clearwater Lewis comes in—a warrior from the free West, grieving, questioning, ready to unravel the truth behind her brother’s death. I loved her the way you love someone who doesn’t flinch from hard truths. When Kaileh and Ruby’s stories crash together? It’s not fireworks—it’s tectonic plates shifting. The tension, the trust slowly blooming, the moral complexity of enemies-turned-allies. I was hooked. No lies, I cried, and I’m not even sorry about it.

This book had the perfect blend: a fractured society that felt scarily possible, magic woven like thread through every soul-deep moment, and characters who felt so real I half expected them to walk through my door. It’s about found family, surviving the unspeakable, and daring to rewrite the future.

The Binding didn’t just tell me a story. It reminded me that even in the most divided worlds, we’re never as far apart as we think—and hope, no matter how battered, is always worth the risk.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need Book 2 and maybe a box of tissues.

[Alicia Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed The Binding. The story pulled me in quickly, and I stayed interested throughout. Ruby’s perspective was my favorite — unpredictable and raw, which made her chapters some of the most compelling. My favorite part of the book was her journey with the Mireille family, who helped her escape. Those scenes added warmth and humanity to an otherwise harsh world and showed that compassion can still exist even in dark circumstances. I didn’t connect with Kailasa’s viewpoint as much, but I liked how the two storylines came together in the end, especially since I didn’t see that connection coming.

I do wish there had been more depth in the world-building, particularly more clarity about the conditions in the East and a better explanation of Ruby’s ability, ‘the binding.’ The Sisters in the West describe it as a treasured gift, but by the end, it seems to disappear without much explanation. I also felt the story missed an opportunity to really highlight the stark contrast between the two worlds — especially given the dystopian elements that separate them. The book ends on a cliffhanger, so it definitely feels like it needs a sequel.

Overall, it’s a well-written and engaging story with intriguing ideas and emotional moments, and it leaves you wondering what happens when the pages end.

[Allison Moroz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first ARC read and I am happy to say it was a very engaging read. It put an interesting spin on the “what if” history had played out differently. I felt that the use of the non-binary gender pronouns somewhat random and felt that they were included “just because” and not from any necessity to clarify anything in the story. It was distracting at times to read them. I felt that it was trying to make a statement that didn’t help the story. Other than that I really liked the story and want to see how the story plays out more if the author chooses to make a book 2. I would recommend this book to my friends!

[Randy Pope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I vacillated between a solid 4 and squishy 5. Why? The story is excellent and intriguing. Lots of moving parts and good characters. Some i empathized with and felt their angst and despair, others i keep wanting them to be less stoic and more feeling. I loved the story and it is a 5. However it drops off the scale if you read the blurb and grab the book to follow Ruby and learn about her gift and how she navigates the blessing/ curse of the gift. It gets lost in the "shuffle" as they say, Still a solid 4 and a good book, would read a sequel if it were written. Lots of threads to follow.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Carol Stefanik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this alternate history version of the USA. The author's political statement is couched in soft grey clouds stirred by plenty of exciting action. Read all of the quotes and references before the chapters. They are part of the story. Excellent character building and interesting plot twists. Worth the read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Marisca Pichette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humming with urgency, Caldwell's novel carves a cleft into not just the imagination, but North American history and its evasive possibilities. Fraught with emotion and the layers of hurt laid down over generations, The Binding leaves the reader clutching a fragment of tentative hope in a world radically changed--and radically the same.

[DeLorean Casher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually take some time before writing reviews, but The Binding has stuck with me in a way that I can’t possibly ignore. It’s one of those rare books that grabs your heart from the first chapter and doesn’t let go, not even after the last page. Gianaclis Caldwell has brought to life a hypothetical world that feels both deeply original and (fortunately or unfortunately) eerily familiar. There are echoes here of history, of injustice, of resilience, all that draw unmistakable and unnerving parallels to what we’ve seen in recent years, especially in the U.S. And this was initially written way before these “events” started taking place. Did her subconscious see it coming?

This story focuses on two unforgettable main characters: Ruby, a conscript-class worker taking care of her grandmother. She is struggling to survive and unravel the truth of who she is. And Kaileh, a guarded warrior carrying secrets of her own, trying to stay grounded in a world that asks her to forget where she comes from.

Their experiences take place in an alternate future (what could’ve been), shaped by colonization, loss, and resistance, and it’s impossible not to feel every single beat of their journey.

There are moments that absolutely GUTTED me. Others that made me stop and just sit with the heaviness of what was said…or left unsaid. And then there are these quiet threads of tenderness, of humanity, and ancestral wisdom that hold it all together like the “piecemeal squares” of a hand-sewn quilt holding secrets that are begging to be told.

If you're someone who values thought-provoking fiction that challenges and reflects the world we live in (or the one we're heading toward), The Binding is a must-read. I sincerely hope there’s a Book 2. I’m not ready to let go of these characters or this world just yet.

[Libby Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to read an ARC of The Binding. It is a spellbinding story of a future world that is as full of danger and futility as it is of compassion and hope. Author Gianaclis Caldwell creates a fascinating alternate history populated with strong characters who are driven by their joint and separate visions to create a better world. Readers of fantasy, alternate reality, sci-fi and adventure will love this book. Highly recommend!

[Samantha Baugus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Initially, I had high hopes for this book. The premise is compelling and unique: the Indigenous peoples of present-day United States formed an alliance to contain European colonizers within the original 13 colonies. Today, the colonizers' descendants remain confined to these colonies—now a dystopian hellscape—while the rest of the continent, known as the United West, enjoys a modern, comfortable, quasi-utopian existence. This setup creates rich ground for exploring colonialism, capitalism, systemic oppression, and the moral obligations nations have when confronted with clear evidence of oppression, violence, and exploitation.

This theme is explored effectively through Kaileh, one of the point-of-view characters. As a Warrior in the United West's military force, she patrols the border between the Atlantic States and the United West. Her deep prejudice against Atlanticists leads her to blame the exploited conscripts—factory workers trapped in indentured servitude—for their own oppression. When other citizens of the United West show sympathy for the conscripts' plight, Kaileh dismisses them as traitors. This was the most compelling aspect of the book; unfortunately, the rest fell short of its promising potential.

The book suffers from a lack of clear stakes. Readers are asked to accept plot elements as significant without understanding why they matter. The prime example is a packet of crucial documents—while their importance is repeatedly stressed, their contents and purpose remain frustratingly obscure. Even after these papers reach their destination, we're merely told their significance is "classified" above Kaileh's clearance level. Though characters risk their lives to deliver these documents, readers never receive a compelling reason to care about the mission's outcome. Adding to this problem, the narrative frequently skips over important expository conversations, missing opportunities for vital character development and plot progression. The characters consistently possess more knowledge than readers—a choice that creates distance and ultimately makes them less sympathetic.

Finally, there are seemingly supernatural elements that are never explained yet prove significant to the plot's climax, leaving me with no understanding of how Ruby, the other point-of-view character, escapes from her predicament. While she isn't the only character with mysterious abilities, her moment of taking control loses impact because readers have no insight into what she's actually doing. I'm not usually focused on plot—I'll happily read a book that's all atmosphere and overlook plot holes when the story prioritizes other elements. However, when a book is clearly plot-driven, these significant gaps become increasingly frustrating and steadily diminish my investment in the story.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book (particularly when I discovered this was all set-up for the sequel). I wanted to; there are many compelling elements that could’ve led to something really remarkable. The execution just fell too flat for me with an over-reliance on common dystopian tropes (particularly in characterization) and a lack of cohesion between plot and world.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kirsten K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. The Binding takes place in two neighboring nations built on foundations of entirely different goals and values. The contrasting lands are both beautiful, powerfully visual, and visceral and are at odds with each other. Tensions between the lands and the humans who are trying to bring about changes are compelling and kept me engaged and reading beyond "my bedtime." I wanted to know what would happen to the protagonist as she took risks to change her circumstances. I enjoyed this well-crafted, speculative fictional look at one way our world might have looked had history taken different turns.

[Khan Wong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one! Great for fans of alternate history/alternate present stories.

This gripping story, set in a world that might have been and a world that could yet be, is rich with detail and rife with incident. Deft character work and intriguing worldbuilding grounds this suspenseful, political, and ultimately bittersweet story about identity, loss, and doing what it takes to survive. A rousing read.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE BINDING is an engaging, grounded dystopian based in an alternative history with a fracture United States as our setting, following the interconnected lives of two young women facing an uncertain future and an unforgettable journey. Rural and real, THE BINDING is immersive, intelligent, and, at times, heartbreaking, with the alt-history skillfully woven into the narrative in a believable manner.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the change in history with this story. It was a different take than several books I have read. I loved the intriguing story and the characters. I would definitely reccomend giving this book a read. I would be interested in reading a sequel.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Maud Macrory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a captivating story with fascinating characters. I was hooked from the first few pages. Caldwell is masterful at world building and her pacing is impeccable. High recommend!