Vicious Bonds

The Tether Trilogy #1

by Shanora Williams

An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.

NOW A COMPLETE SERIES!

THE WOMAN

When I’m sucked into a portal that takes me to another universe, it’s just my luck that not only am I greeted by an angry wolf, but there’s a man pointing a gun at me.

This man is the ruthless monarch of one of the most vicious kingdoms in this unknown world. And the craziest part about our encounter? I can hear his thoughts and he can hear mine.

Because of our telepathic abilities (and because he’s a broody, standoffish jerk), he wants me as far away from him as possible, so he agrees to help me find a way back to Earth.

Only what turns into a simple journey becomes one full of danger, magic, and corruption , leaving me no choice but to rely on him much more than I care to admit…

THE MONARCH

If I could rid myself of this woman from Earth, I would. But our bond, I realize, is rare and powerful and there are evil forces ready to kill us and harness that power the moment we mate.

For two people who dislike each other, not mating should be a simple endeavor…

But there is something about her–something that lures me in and demands I stay close. This part of me wants to make her mine, and what irritates me most is that I can’t resist the insatiable hunger reserved only for her.

Suddenly, not falling for her doesn’t sound so simple and I sense she feels the same way.

With death knocking at our door, we’re forced to make an impossible decision…

Choose to part ways with broken hearts while sparing our lives. Or seal our bond by staying together… and risk losing everything .

Genres: Fantasy, Dark Romance, Romance, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Dark, Paranormal

468 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2025

About the author

Shanora Williams is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty romance and diverse suspense novels.
She currently lives near Charlotte, North Carolina and is the mother of three amazing boys, has a fiercely devoted and supportive husband, and is a sister to eleven.
When she isn’t writing, she’s spending time with her family, binge reading, or running marathons on TV streaming services. Visit her at shanorawilliams.com or interact with her on Instagram @reallyshanora.

Follow me:
Instagram: Instagram.com/reallyshanora
Facebook: Facebook.com/ShanoraWilliamsAuthor
Facebook Fan Group: Facebook.com/groups/ShanorasSweethearts
Twitter: Twitter.com/shanorawilliams

Reviews

[Larissa Cambusano · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ I HAD SO MUCH FUN WITH THIS ONE. WOW.

this book had the perfect mixture of fantasy, plot, and romance!! i adored the characters and the entire concept. the world building didn’t even feel boring to me because the entire thing is so interesting.

some of the twists + turns were a lil predictable to me and that cliffhanger killed me a bit but it’s fine. everything’s fine.

caz + his family screamed thomas shelby + peaky blinders vibe which gave what it needed to give.

i am and always will be a whore for tommy shelby <3

[Just A Girl With Spirit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well hot DAMN!! Shanora really did it this time. She put her whole foot into it! She raised her own bar proving once again that she will not be boxed into what people expect her to write about. Add fantasy romance genre to her list please and thank you.

This story was PHENOMENAL. The plot fresh and original.
Tethered mates! Are you kidding me😫. I want what Caz & Willow have. It is very much you move, I move. And the telepathic s*x..that was a first!! I am so wrapped up and in love with these two. The fantasy element— what a rush!! This story had everything that I needed and can we talk about the audio? Hello, Shane East & Aure Nash, my new power duo. These two had amazing chemistry together and really complemented each other. I am beyond amazed with this whole experience. I need so much more. When is book 2 coming out?!

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS. To everybody who told me to read it I hope your next read is a 5 star. The world building, the character development ... the BOND between the two. The banter... the supporting characters down to the wolves.. this was just so good. I've already started book 2.

[The Love Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need the next book now!! Vicious Bonds is a romantic fantasy following Willow, a woman from North Carolina, and her fated mate, Caspian (Caz) who lives in another world called Vakeeli. Caz is the Monarch of his town, Blackwater. Don’t let the “Monarch” vibes fool you cause this man is RUTHLESS and sexy as hell. Both Willow and Caz have been hearing each other’s voice in their head, but have no clue who the other is. One day, a portal opens up and Willow lands in the Blackwater woods where she is almost killed by Caz and his wolf. But once he realizes she’s the woman in his head, it becomes a journey for answers neither of them were expecting.

This storyline was so intriguing! I loved learning more about Caz and Willow’s connection, and how rare their kind of bond is. Watching them slowly give into the connection was fun because they literally fought it for the first half of the book. Once they gave in, they gave IN. There’s a reason the series is called the “Tether” series!

The world building was easy to follow (the author stated it would be low fantasy), and I loved learning more about some of the characters and their pasts. I knew this book would end on a cliffhanger, and I have to say I didn’t see that ending coming. I got questions, and I can’t wait to have them answered in the next book!

TROPES: dark romantic fantasy; fated mates; dislike to lovers; interracial; morally grey hero; slow burn; angsty; ends on cliffhanger (first book in the series); hero with traumatic past; telepathic communication between H/h (including a telepathic sex scene!!!); possessive hero; pet wolves

TRIGGER WARNINGS: attempted sexual assault (not between H/h); graphic violence/murder

[Becky (romantic_pursuing_feels) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: First person from both the hero and heroine (probably more from the heroine)
When mains are first on page together: Chapter 11 of 81 for them to truly be together on page (It felt like forever to me)
Cliffhanger: Yes and as of this review, the next book is not out yet.
Epilogue: No
Format: bought audiobook (audible)
(Descriptions found at end of my review)

Should I read in order?
This is the first book of William’s The Tether Series so start here, but yes read in order as this is the beginning of the story and it ends on a cliffhanger.

Basic plot:
Willow is having dreams of a man who can read her thoughts, and is eventually pulled into his dimension.

Give this a try if you want:
- Fantasy romance (split between a contemporary Earth and a fantasy world with mixed technology)
- heroine describes herself as thick (though it’s not mentioned or talked about much)
- one room at the inn (not a big part)
- celibate hero – it’s been 6 months
- hero can’t abide being touched by anyone
- tethered mates (fated!)
- telepathy – they can hear each other’s thoughts and talk in their minds to each other
- pets – both hero and heroine get wolves they connect with
- mid steam – 3 full scenes but they are towards the end of the book and might feel like a slower burn

Ages:
- Hero is 112, didn’t catch heroine but want to guess mid to late 20s?

First line:
The gun is not my enemy.

My thoughts:
I wanted to love this one, but just never got full invested in Willow and Caz as a couple.

This one felt pretty slow to me – and I get that could just be me because it’s fantasy and I don’t usually read a ton of fantasy. I know they can be a bit slow, time spent on world building, the relationship slowly progressing and maybe ending on a cliffhanger and taking multiple books to complete. But the world building and relationship growth didn’t grab me so it felt even slower than what it was. I found myself wanting to start something else but told myself to stick it through to the end.

I did like some parts towards the end more, so I’m glad I did. The steam here was by far my favorite part, and the only time I really felt the mains were connecting (ahhhh, figuratively of course). In between that, I felt like they just kept pushing each other away, pushing each other apart. Trying to keep themselves separated and I wanted them together more and want to be together. I feel like they really seemed to hone in on them being apart being the answer to everything when I don’t see how it would keep either of them safe. Or even why the heroine would want to go back to her life on Earth.

There’s a bit of mystery going on around their cold tether and the danger to them regarding it. It’s so rare they can’t get good answers. I felt the ending revelations were kind of a let down. I also wished there had been more of a build up to the heroine being able to touch the hero. Sure, it took forever, but I wanted more of a...gut wrenching moment about it. Maybe more from his mind wanting and longing for her to touch him?

So I am not sure if I will continue this series. I’d consider it. I did like parts of this book, but I wasn’t in to the world building here or the society structure necessarily. So I think I’d like to try a different one of William’s books and see if I like that one more.

I sure did love Shane East as a narrator though. I will definitely be buying some more just for his voice.

World building

- There is a link between the hero’s world and Earth.
- People have been linked through the two worlds and traveled back and forth (if they are a tethered mate.)
- Cold tethers have to be together or they die
- Cold tethers are much more rare than a regular tether.
- In a cold tether, the two mate’s mind and body are instantly drawn to each other.
- Their senses are heightened.
- When separated they have great pain and misery.
- Something hunts cold tethers for their bond, joy, and love and sucks them dry.


Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- the heroine’s twin brother went missing while traveling 2 years ago
- abusive relationship
- scenes of alcohol, weed/bloom, and anti-depressant and other drug usage
- murder and gun violence on page
- remembrance of heroine’s mother ‘losing her mind’ and becoming suicidal when she was 3
- child rape – mentioned of happening to a side character and scenes of interactions with a character that committed it
- attempted rape on page
- forced drugging on page of heroine
- racism on page experienced by the heroine



Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

Safe sex: Hero pulls out and has been celibate for 6 months
Chapter 49 of 81 – kiss
Chapter 64 of 81 – kiss
Chapter 65 of 81 – 🔥 oral for her, doggy style, oral for her to finish at the cabin in the woods
”Turn over,” he commands, after wiping his come off my back with a towel.
“What?”
“Turn onto your back.”
“I thought we were finished.”
He cocks a brow. “Did you finish?”
I start to tell him no, but he grabs my hips and drags me towards the edge of the bed. To his knees he drops.
Chapter 70 of 81 – 🔥 fingering for her, counter sex in the armory, then he picks her up and holds her to fuck her, light praise, light holding/hand necklace, makes her beg

Her fingers comb through my hair and I reel her in by the hips, my tongue colliding with hers. She reaches down, groping my dick through my pants and I groan into her mouth, "Oh, your touch."
I groan, "Fuck, Willow, how am I so weak for it?" I unzip my jeans and lower them

Chapter 74 of 81 – 🔥 telepathy sex – mutual masturbation
”I can’t stop thinking about you, Willow.” His words make my heart hammer in my chest. I feel myself lowering my guard, anticipating his next words.
“Will you do me a favor?”
“What?” I wonder, as if bored.
“Slide your fingers into your panties and play with yourself.”
“Are you serious right now?”
“I’m dead serious.”
I fidget in the bed, then shake my head. “No. Why should I?”
“I want to try something.”
“Well, whatever it is, I’m not doing it.”
Caz is quiet again, and I think he’s not going to say much else, but then I feel a sensation down below and I squeeze my thighs together gasping.
“What the hell are you doing?” I whisper.
“You felt that, aye?”


Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs


Full break down on what my ratings above mean here:
Overall: How I felt about it everything considered!
Readability: How ‘readable’ was the book? Did I fly through it? Did I have to tell myself to pick it back up repeatedly? Were any passages confusing? (I will probably score like (1) is literally unreadable due to formatting/typing errors, etc (2) There were lots of errors that made it difficult to read OR It was extremely confusing and I had to reread passages to make sense of it OR I disliked it so much I had to bribe myself to keep reading (3) I didn’t really want to keep reading and would have preferred to abandon the read and start something else OR some minor continuity issues/confusion (4) I liked it fine, maybe a minor error or 2. I was happy to pick it up when I had time. (5) I never wanted to put this down. I thought about it when I wasn’t reading it. I hid in the bathroom from my kids to read. I threw inappropriate food at my children for dinner so I could read instead.)
Feels: Totally subjective to each person but did the book give me any tingles? Any butterflies? Did it rip my heart out (in a good way?)
Emotional depth: How well do I feel I know the characters at the end? How much did I feel their emotions throughout the story?
Sexual tension: Again, subjective, but how strong was the wanting and longing to me between the characters? A book might have strong sexual tension without a single touch.
Romance: Was there romance? Did romantic things happen? This can be actions/words/thoughts of the characters and again is subjective.
Sensuality: This is how the intimate scenes are written. Kisses and sexual scenes – how sensual were they? Were they on the mechanical side? Was there emotional pull tied in? Were the details explicit or flowery? These are subjective but generally (1) too short to get a good judgement (2) not all what I'm looking for - very vague or flowery prose (3) either not explicit enough or not enough emotional pull (too mechanical/physically descriptive without the emotions) (4) what I love in a scene (5) absolute perfection - perfect balance of emotional longing and explicit descriptions
Sex Scene Length: How long the bedroom scenes are (generally (1) is 1-3 sentences (2) is a few paragraphs to a page-ish (3) is about average, a few pages (4) more well developed scenes, quite a few pages with descriptions (4) the majority of the book takes place in the bedroom. This is always hard to tell for me on audio!
Steam Scale: Generally, each flame is a scene. If scenes are super close together I sometimes combine them. If a scene is super short or so vague I don’t know what’s happening, I don’t count it. There’s some levels of grey but generally the number of flames is how many sex scenes there are (I max out at 5 so I’ll put a + after if there’s more than that)


Find me
Instagram || The Storygraph || Bookbub ||

Book Clubs
The Ton and the Tartans (Historical Romance)
Upturned Petticoats and Undone Cravats (Historical Romance with Steam Requirements)
A Love Less Ordinary (Science Fiction, Paranormal, Monster, Fantasy)
Modern Manuscripts (Contemporary Romance)
Words for the Wicked (Contemporary Romance with Steam Requirements)
Vintage Romance (Old School Romance – published 2000 and prior)

[Tay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warning: Review will be long due to my disappointment at what could have been a fantastic story

If you’ve followed any of my prior reviews, you’ll know how much of a pet peeve first person narratives are for me. Faster way for me to lose interest in a book. Unpopular opinion: it’s quite a lazy way for an author to write. This is my view, so argue amongst yourselves if you disagree. That being said, an author has to be quite skilled in the literary arts to pull off an engaging first person narrative.

Vicious Bonds started off dragging its feet for the first couple of chapters. So much so that I kept checking my page number to see where I was and weighing that against, “Will there be enough time to develop the characters in the remaining pages left?”

The FMC, Willow, I understood right away she had depression and and what seems to be abandonment issues while suffering from low self esteem and quite possibly anxiety. That’s a LOT of baggage to attach to your main characters and I get it. You give this to your character and a part of their arc is to work through the issues you’ve given them. However, what really annoyed me was that she was apparently on antidepressants (taken with tequila) that were not prescribed by any therapists. Not sure how this works in America (where FMC is located) but here, that must be prescribed by a psychiatrist or a GP. How do I know this was not prescribed by any mental health professionals, because her friend Faye kept telling her she needs to go to therapy at least once. 🙃

Willow was down in the dumps and constantly being ragged on by apparently everyone in her life (boss, FWB, father,etc.). It did not make for a character you wanted to root for. I know that’s what author wanted to convey, but it all just felt too forced. Too contrived. Like, this character has so many things that the universe is throwing at them. Feel bad for them. Root for them. Instead it had the opposite impact on me. It just made me want to get her better friends and put her in therapy and tell her to not be the main character for any books until she got her crap under control. (Okay the last one wasn’t her voice, but still, lol)

Then there was the constant smoking and drinking. I just wasn’t into it. At all. It soured my perspective. A cigarette aka bloom, was being lit every second page and at one point I had to pause, inhale (or exhale because… second hand book smoking??) and resume.

Caspian, our tortured hero was not really better. He also felt somewhat contrived and kind of stiff as though he was formulated from author writing some words and playing “spin the wheel” Whichever words the wheel landed on became his personality. Think broody, needs a female heroine who can fix him. Only her love can rescue him from the cesspool of darkness, yada, yada.

Somewhat unrelated, but not entirely. This is the second book I’ve read where I was unable to put a picture to the face of my leading characters and it dimmed the experience several fractions. Authors, please bring back the seemingly dying art of describing the features of your characters. We want to be are to see them in our mind’s eye. Though it’s fun to picture Henry Cavill and myself in the MCs roles as I read, I would love to know how you, author, actually picture your characters. Not that hard.

There is an entire scene with the Rippies Monarch that was just. Ugh!!! Here’s the thing. Racism is a part of our everyday life in the REAL world. Why in the bloody hell do authors think we want to READ about it in our FANTASY romances too? It was very unnecessary. It also kind of came off as lazy. “How do you know these are the bad guys?” Easy! They’re racist and unhygienic! Oh and they rape women too! Good grief! Can I not have a villain that’s not black and white? 🙄

One thing that I was really quite stuck on, was the fact that Vakeeli was an entirely different world, but it was identical to Earth. There was literally nothing different. Everything was called by the same names (minus the fruits) and the fact that they didn’t have phones. They used transmitters, so there’s that, but, they called them taverns, cars, guns, oceans, wolves, you get the picture. There was LITERALLY a section in the library that said ‘Greek Mythology’ IN A NEW WORLD THAT HAS NEVER EVEN INTERACTED WITH EARTH!!!

One would think, a different world that has never come in contact with the other would have different names for items or rituals. Something. Hell, the various COUNTRIES on Earth share more of a difference among each other than Earth and Vakeeli. That you could step over from Earth into this unknown place and not feel anything amiss, was probably the most unbelievable thing in this entire book.

Gosh, it feels as though I’m ripping this book new one, but, I’m not doing it out of spite, I promise. These things stood out and made the read a bit of a chore. I did not hate the MCs, I didn’t even hate this book, but there was simply too much that me go, “huh?” I hate using the word lazy to describe an author’s work because I know it’s not easy to sit and write 400+ pages of a novel, but this book gave lazy.

Even the romance was lazy. I love a good fated soulmates trope, I do. However, fated soulmates and bonds should not be an excuse to lack development of the chemistry between the characters. These two constantly displayed their, dare I say, hatred, for one another, but because of the bond, they suddenly love each other. Especially Caz. He was so nasty to Willow 99% of the time until author decided it was time for them to quite literally kiss and fall in love. Bruvvvvvvvv!!! Come on!!! Let them learn about the other overtime and develop feelings organic outside of the tether.

I’ll end it here because it I continue, I’ll never write into next. These were just some of the points that stood out to me.

I’d like to point out that though this book has several glaring issues, I did enjoy enough of it to pick up the second instalment and see how it is followed up.

PS. I called the villain the moment they were presented on the page. It was obvious.

[arpit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is nice and the fantasy aspect was easy to get into especially for someone like me who doesn’t read fantasy often. The world building wasn’t complicated.

I just didn’t feel very invested in the characters’ lives. Their relationship didn’t have any depth so I couldn’t bring myself to care about them. I understand the whole tether concept but I still wanted to see some genuine connection between them instead of feeling like they were together because they had no choice.

[Melanie (mells_view) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Tether of any kind is inevitable.

Oh Caz. I enjoyed Vicious Bonds overall. It’s fantasy lite, so there is quite a bit of world building going on, but it was easy enough to follow as someone who does not read fantasy often. Like I said this is fantasy lite, so don’t let the fantasy part of the romantasy label scare you. Willow is your average woman, so we think, dealing with every day life stuff. You know, like a questionable ex, a job she loves with a boss who takes credit for her work, some stress nightmares, a voice in her head that she can’t stop hearing, and a side of abandonment issues from her family. So when she uses a little bit of *herb* to escape the hard parts of her life, she doesn’t expect to be dropped into another world. Another world where the voice in her head is a living breathing, broody, man. Caz is.. sigh. I can’t explain what he is really. He’s one you have to get to know as you read, and his world is interesting to say the least. I enjoyed following Willow as she learned the lay of the land and spent time getting to know the man behind the voice inside her head. This one is a bit of a slow burn, but once they get at it.. it’s on. There’s also quite a bit of violence and some darker themes in this one.

To end, this was an enjoyable read and I think a good one for people looking to try romantic fantasy without diving into the super deep end. It is a slowburn and it does end with a “to be continued…” there are your warnings, now I’m going to go bug the author for book two.

[Andra · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 80%
Just NO. I don't know how I managed to read that far. It's a poorly written fanfic of peaky blinders but with Kaz Brekker as a main character..it's a big no no for me. Doesn't ever deserve a star.

[Khadija · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 23%

The writing is actually unbearable, so choppy and aimless. It was giving me a headache.
The main characters were also a problem, annoying and depressed like I’m not tryna read about that, I’m tryna escape reality ok?!

It wasn’t interesting enough to continue as the issues I mentioned above kept taking me out of immersion and at that point why am I suffering

[Lamaya ꨄ︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn’t give what I expected. It was nice and easy to read, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression. I liked some parts but others didn’t do it for me. It read more like a mafia story instead of a fantasy. The book is a slow burn and I get that, but even when Willow and Caz finally came together (no pun intended) their relationship didn’t seem genuine. I think the focus was on the tether too much which made the romance aspect of it seem forced by the bond and not about how the MCs feel about each other. There are a lot of questions left unanswered and I don’t know if I will continue the series.

[GoldenEyeOfHorus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it but I do feel like there should have been more concentration on the romance between the MCs. Lots of drama, violence, and intrigue but not enough showing the two leads warm up to each other, it seemed too centered around the tether and "you'll die if you don't acknowledge it".

[Cloud · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

Kaz Brekker you have sons.

This was a fun time but the insta love and lack of any real connection/ mutual interests between the main couple had me lose interest in the relationship by the last 25%. This read like Kaz Brekker / Peaky Blinders isekai fanfic. Not to mention that the ML's name is “Caz”.

It had cute moments, some angst-filled side plots that really kept me engaged, and some interesting lore but ultimately it didn’t give me what I was hoping for.

[rapha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ the plot was good, willow and caz were really fucking cute but it got meh after 80% and I was deeply bored 😛😍

[amandathebookworm &#x1f4da;&#x1fab1; · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 for me that started out a solid 4 but fizzled a lil bit over time. This was def still fun & I’m continuing with the trilogy & I hope it picks back up in book 2.

PLOT
Willow’s is drowning her sorrows in booze & weed living a lonely life when one night she falls through a portal to another world, landing in front of a strange man & his strange wolf. This book has
- bonds & fated mates but done differently
- grumpy/sunshine-ishhhhh dynamic
- multiple universes/worlds
- vengeful gods
- found family
- med spice
- dual audiobook (which is how I read so please ignore any misspellings)


PROS
- This concept is awesome. I love the different take on bonds & mates in this world & I find that really unique & cool.
- Willow is pretty easy to root for & you completely get her mindset & want her to succeed.
- We’re introduced to Cas in a deeply vulnerable moment & I think that helped set the stage for his character quite well.
- Big fans of some of the side characters. Faye is the friend every girl should have & so is Juniper.
- The spice hits.


MIDS
- I’m not obsessed with either of the MCs just yet. They’re both fine, like no complaints, but I’m just not in love with either.


CONS
- I wish we had gotten more tension from our leads. I wasn’t really a fan of the pace in which their relationship developed. Things felt like they shifted very fast & it sort of gave me whiplash.
- The big surprise at the end was actually good but I feel like it wasn’t as impactful for me because I didn’t really have a lot of investment in the people involved. So something that should have been like “OH SHIT” was like “ohh”.


⚠️ SPOILERS ⚠️
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- W’s brother is going to come into play at some point. He def got pulled into another world to find his mate too so I wonder who & where.
- This was rather insta love for me. I know they’re mates & I know their tether strengthens when they’re together thus enhancing their bonds & feelings but they went from tolerating each other to obsessed rather quickly.

[Nash Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a black adult fantasy romance and really enjoyed it. We have some portal magic and a really cool plot. We have an extremely broody and tortured soul MMC. Our FMC is snarky and dealing with her own demons. The audiobook was done well and I loved both narrators. The magic and world building was set up really well in this book. The ending!!! I was absolutely not expecting that. Im honestly still shocked writing this.

[Ari]

DNF @37%

I am by no means DNF'ing this book because I disliked it. I've been enjoying it quite a bit (though the magic system still confuses me and I can only hope that's explained further down the line)--it's fast paced, the action scenes are fun, and the dialogue is oftentimes hilarious. But reading slumps suck, so I'll finish this one at a later date.

[amarachireads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

I can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series because i am hooked. This is a romantic fantasy. I enjoyed the plot, the romance and the emotions in this one. The characters are diverse and i love that the fmc is Black and that the book is written by a Black woman. The fmc Willow is a human who finds herself in another world with the broody mmc Caz. She needs his help and help to survive in Caz’s world which is full of violence, killers and so much chaos.

The plot was interesting with some common fantasy twists. I love the royalty and different world aspects along with the mental help rep which was a core aspect of this book. The romance was steamy and a bit slow, i liked the tethered aspect and that reminded me of mates. I always like books where characters can read each other’s feelings and thoughts sometimes. Overall a good read and I’m excited to get into the other books!

Read for:

- Dark romantasy
- Dislike to lovers
- Slow burn
- Traumatic past
- Black fmc
- Interracial romance
- Morally grey characters

[Abstract ♥ Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS



Star Rating : 4 / 5 Stars

POV : Dual

Cliffhanger : Yes

Pace of the story : Moderate

Angst Rating : 5/10

Heat Rating : 5/10

Overall Opinion :
It has been a long time since I have picked up this author and damn she never fails to charm me. This is a new genre for her and she still aced it 🔥🔥

I love the mafia Romances by this author and all the dark romances too because of the heroes she creates. They are just so intense and amazing. And that was the same case for this book as well. I picked it up and finished it in a couple of days because the story is compelling and there is just enough suspense to keep you hooked! I totally want more from this world now 🔥

Definitely recommending this one to all the contemporary romance loving people out there!

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[PP's Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know where to start. Vicious Bonds by Shanora Williams was unexpected, addictive and all consuming. This dark romantic fantasy has captured my heart and soul instantly. The twisted and layered plot was executed in a fantastic and mindblowing away. Caz and Willow made my heart ache, break and sing. It gave me all kinds of epic feels. The action and suspense kept me glued to the pages. And even now, after leaving them at that massive cliffhanger, the story is occupying all my thoughts.

I always feel a bit unsure when I review romantic fantasy because one, the plot has too many twists to summarise and second, it's so hard to capture the effects! So in short, Willow was transported to a different dimension called Blackwater where she meets Caspian Edgar Harlow who is the monarch there. There are different kingdoms here like Vanora, Ripple Hill, Luxor, and Blackwater. And there are constant violence and tension. Magic flows through their kingdoms. And it is found out that Caz and Willow have Cold Tether. The purest and most powerful mating bond ever existed. And the same bond that put them at danger. Caz tried to send her away but it almost killed them both.Time is really running out for Willow and Caz as they try to find a way to be together. And it ends in a major cliffhanger.

So I was completely sucked inside the story from the first chapter. It was incredibly detailed. Each territory with their different characteristics and different people with their different power and needs. It was a colorful and enigmatic world with magic and madness. And in middle of this, an epic love story blooms. Willow has been living a gloomy lonely life in earth and this world ignited something special in her. She has sass and sweetness in her. She also showed so much bravery in face of adversity. She has been thrown into this chaotic world where every moment is a fight for survival and she kept on fighting. She was hurt and confused but she didn't lose her compassion. Caz is the perfect brooding alpha hero. He didn’t want to accept their bond as he has so many responsibility and he sees Willow as distraction. He tried to kept her away. But their bond made it impossible. I love the fated mate trope because there is something so heartaching to see two soul mates trying to deny their feelings but inevitably falling in love. That happened here too. The core of the story is angsty love story. The fantasy just enhanced the beauty of this love story! It was action packed too and the secondary characters were incredible. I am still reeling from the adrenaline rush and emotional overload and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

[Natalia]

I'm putting it on hold @30%

The idea of the story is interesting, but some parts didn't do it for me.

The h is very depressed, she is in an relationship that she wants to end but doesn't because she's affair of being alone. There's a part were she had to mentally prepare herself to have sex with the guy and counts the minutes that lasts.

After she "crosses" over she's just gets very annoying and I started to lose interest and skimming...

[Dora · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf at 50% 🙃

this is the worst self insert peaky blinders but with kaz brekker fanfic i ever read.

[Amy Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF - there were a couple petty issues I had, but if I’m already skimming by chapter 3 I’m not going to finish the series so why finish the first book

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS WHAT I WANT WHEN IT COMES TO ROMANTASY! Chefs freaking KISS!!!!

[Tee Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

umm.. just amazing.. I am speechless

[Read What I Like Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

VICIOUS BONDS (THE TETHER SERIES BOOK ONE)

Release Date: 02/09/23
Kindle Unlimited: [X]YES [ ]NO
Stand-alone: [ ]YES [X]NO
Author: Shanora Williams
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Spiciness rating: 🌶️🌶️/5
POV: Dual, first person
Main Characters: Willow & Caz
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance
Tropes: enemies to lovers, fated mates, antihero, forced proximity, tragic past, heroine in danger, interracial/multicultural

Review:

“Look at us,” he sighs. “Two damaged people from two different worlds, with one major thing in common.”

“What’s that?”

“We’re lonely in heart.”

Willow, a lonely depressed woman, who is in a toxic relationship and has only her job (and her recreational substances) as a distraction, one day starts to listen to the voice of a mysterious man, that’s when out story begins.

You may expect here a journey to a new world with people who are really different, but also similar to us. A curse that may finish our man characters. A hero who has a tragic past that made him a hard rude man. New friendships, lots of action, a fast paced story.

It was a really enjoyable tale and that cliffhanger in the end… I couldn’t have seen that coming, not in a billion years. So be prepared…

*** I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ***

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 "Tethered" Stars!

As a reader that absolutely loves a fated mates story, the idea of tethers was a super interesting concept. This dark and dangerous world was fascinating. Shanora Williams did and excellent job of building this world and getting me completely vested in these characters, both Cas and Willow as well as all the side characters. Beward there was a pretty dangly cliffhanger. We do get some answers, but there has to be so much more ahead. I can't wait. Happy reading!

[Cindy Wiltz · Rating 2 out of 5]

didn’t require a cliffhanger or smoking

I was genuinely excited about this book but it was full of unnecessary smoking…comical gratuitous violence….and smoking…and confusion…and confused smoking only to come to a cliffhanger.

[Olivia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I keep picking up romantasy books hoping I’ll like them, and I never do… I love romance books and I love fantasy and I love romance in my fantasy books but I’m not in love with the romantasy genre.

I didn’t connect with the characters, didn’t love the writing, and the plot was weird.

1 Star

[Angelique · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this one was a DNF at 17%. I really wanted to love this because it was pitched as a Peaky Blinders/Tommy Shelby type book but I just could not get into it at all.