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Shadow Bound
She saw something she shouldn't. Now the monsters see her.
In the hidden world beneath modern Boston, power is currency-and blood is never just blood. Shadow Bound is a dark, slow-burn urban fantasy about dangerous alliances, buried truths, and the thin line between hunter and prey. With sharp dialogue, layered politics, and a supernatural mystery at its core, this is a story where no one is safe, nothing is as it seems, and survival means choosing who to trust before the shadows close in.
Madison Callahan doesn't believe in monsters. She manages a Boston tanning salon, juggles rent and bad memories, and tries not to think about the ex who left her hollow. Life is predictable, practical-until a strange customer vanishes mid-session and leaves behind nothing but ash. That night, Maddie's routine cracks open. Her only mistake? Asking questions. Now something ancient and dangerous has noticed her-and it won't look away.
Gideon Blackwell has seen centuries of war. As a vampire Elder, Gideon walks the tightrope of supernatural politics, managing factions, finances, and the rising threat of a rival who wants his seat of power. But when a low-level vampire vanishes under impossible circumstances, Gideon is forced to investigate the one thing that still terrifies his the unknown. What he finds at a rundown Boston salon shouldn't be possible. And yet, it changes everything.
A human caught in the dark. A vampire chasing the truth. Maddie and Gideon were never supposed to meet. But when a single mystery ties their fates together, they'll uncover secrets buried deep in the bones of the city-and in themselves. Because in a world where shadows hide ancient enemies, survival depends on trust, and the line between human and monster is thinner than anyone dares to admit.
In the hidden world beneath modern Boston, power is currency-and blood is never just blood. Shadow Bound is a dark, slow-burn urban fantasy about dangerous alliances, buried truths, and the thin line between hunter and prey. With sharp dialogue, layered politics, and a supernatural mystery at its core, this is a story where no one is safe, nothing is as it seems, and survival means choosing who to trust before the shadows close in.
Madison Callahan doesn't believe in monsters. She manages a Boston tanning salon, juggles rent and bad memories, and tries not to think about the ex who left her hollow. Life is predictable, practical-until a strange customer vanishes mid-session and leaves behind nothing but ash. That night, Maddie's routine cracks open. Her only mistake? Asking questions. Now something ancient and dangerous has noticed her-and it won't look away.
Gideon Blackwell has seen centuries of war. As a vampire Elder, Gideon walks the tightrope of supernatural politics, managing factions, finances, and the rising threat of a rival who wants his seat of power. But when a low-level vampire vanishes under impossible circumstances, Gideon is forced to investigate the one thing that still terrifies his the unknown. What he finds at a rundown Boston salon shouldn't be possible. And yet, it changes everything.
A human caught in the dark. A vampire chasing the truth. Maddie and Gideon were never supposed to meet. But when a single mystery ties their fates together, they'll uncover secrets buried deep in the bones of the city-and in themselves. Because in a world where shadows hide ancient enemies, survival depends on trust, and the line between human and monster is thinner than anyone dares to admit.
234 pages, Paperback
Published July 29, 2025
About the author
Adam Gaffen
162 books117 followersCome for the starships. Stay for the soul.
Adam Gaffen is the award-winning author of the Cassidyverse, a genre-blending universe where science fiction, fantasy, romance, and rebellion intertwine. His books span centuries and genres but share a common thread: characters with grit, stories with heart, and futures worth fighting for. Recognized across multiple indie award platforms, his work includes sweeping sagas, pulse-pounding missions, and mythic romances with cosmic consequences.
Every book stands on its own—each a gateway into a world where chosen family matters, love defies expectation, and change is always possible.
Start anywhere. You’ll find your people.
Adam Gaffen is the award-winning author of the Cassidyverse, a genre-blending universe where science fiction, fantasy, romance, and rebellion intertwine. His books span centuries and genres but share a common thread: characters with grit, stories with heart, and futures worth fighting for. Recognized across multiple indie award platforms, his work includes sweeping sagas, pulse-pounding missions, and mythic romances with cosmic consequences.
Every book stands on its own—each a gateway into a world where chosen family matters, love defies expectation, and change is always possible.
Start anywhere. You’ll find your people.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 26, 2025
Warning: Tanning Beds May Harm Vampires
Madison Callahan, a manager at a tanning beauty shop, is thrust into the world of vampires after her old friend- Livi- is taken by the creatures after her boyfriend (a vampire himself) is incidentally unalived. Madison is a mere human, yet when Gideon Blackwell shows up with questions and an authoritarian demeanour Maddie isn't one to back down, if fact even when she finds out what Gideon is she still takes the information in stride.
Gideon is not your typical vampire, these types of vampires are a lot more human than most book/tele vampires. They still drink blood but the consumption of animal blood is applied and they have rules against harming humans and keeping their kind a secret, he still has the comfortable cliche back story of a human forcibly turned against his will. Gideon is handsome, an elder vampire in charge of a clan- called the Covenant- so he has an attractive aura about him, he's also a green flag so I very much like his character in the book.
"Madison Callahan had been a whirlwind from the moment I met her—tenacious, quick to challenge, and unshaken by things that would leave most humans reeling. She was frustrating, yes, but there was something captivating about her refusal to be cowed by the impossible."
"Madison was sharp, determined, and utterly unrelenting. She was a wild card—a liability, maybe, but also a resource I couldn’t afford to ignore. A strange tangle of emotions stirred in me: frustration, admiration, and something I didn’t want to name."
I liked Maddison as well, however one of the things that bugged me was her reaction to the paranormal, she's so quick to believe it true without any real proof and most would by hysterical. Also, she has guilt after a certain ethical scene in her tanning shop with a captured enemy vampire but she chose to go down that route which irritates me slightly since Gideon said she didn't have to and she insisted. I liked her character at first and at the very end, I like strong and confident FMC's and I hope she gains some of this smart and brave energy back for good despite plot necessities.
The ending of them trying to be together because let's face it we all knew it was leading there, love interests are easy enough to see when the book has two POV's and one being hers whilst the other is his. I feel like they needed more development, courting, more dates before getting to a point where they truly like each other, more chemistry, but the slow pace was refreshing in comparison to other rushed relationships in other books so that was nice.
Victor, the villian in this book, has no qualms about hurting humans, I liked vampire Victor as a villain to start since it seemed members of Covenant clan was hyping him up as a big baddie to defeat since he was repeatedly portrayed as smart and cunning right up until he stupidly fell for Gideons trap which I think was beneath him and I was expecting more of a vampire vs vampire battle that turned a little violent, also I was expecting things to go horribly wrong before they became right again since that's usually how books go so this was oddly satisfying and anticlimactic at the same time.
The side characters are intriguing, I like Gideons subordinates- Dante and Alistair and such- and I hope to see more from them as this modern vampire world builds over future Covenant books since this is merely book 1 in the series.
Essentially, this book includes mild nudity, a few lovely kisses, threats from villains and mentions of disintegration, etc.
It's short and sweet and easy to read, a beginning to a bigger series as a whole where we will perhaps get more and more of the pieces of this world and these characters.
Overall, a good first book.
Thank you, Adam Gaffen, for this ARC opportunity.
Madison Callahan, a manager at a tanning beauty shop, is thrust into the world of vampires after her old friend- Livi- is taken by the creatures after her boyfriend (a vampire himself) is incidentally unalived. Madison is a mere human, yet when Gideon Blackwell shows up with questions and an authoritarian demeanour Maddie isn't one to back down, if fact even when she finds out what Gideon is she still takes the information in stride.
Gideon is not your typical vampire, these types of vampires are a lot more human than most book/tele vampires. They still drink blood but the consumption of animal blood is applied and they have rules against harming humans and keeping their kind a secret, he still has the comfortable cliche back story of a human forcibly turned against his will. Gideon is handsome, an elder vampire in charge of a clan- called the Covenant- so he has an attractive aura about him, he's also a green flag so I very much like his character in the book.
"Madison Callahan had been a whirlwind from the moment I met her—tenacious, quick to challenge, and unshaken by things that would leave most humans reeling. She was frustrating, yes, but there was something captivating about her refusal to be cowed by the impossible."
"Madison was sharp, determined, and utterly unrelenting. She was a wild card—a liability, maybe, but also a resource I couldn’t afford to ignore. A strange tangle of emotions stirred in me: frustration, admiration, and something I didn’t want to name."
I liked Maddison as well, however one of the things that bugged me was her reaction to the paranormal, she's so quick to believe it true without any real proof and most would by hysterical. Also, she has guilt after a certain ethical scene in her tanning shop with a captured enemy vampire but she chose to go down that route which irritates me slightly since Gideon said she didn't have to and she insisted. I liked her character at first and at the very end, I like strong and confident FMC's and I hope she gains some of this smart and brave energy back for good despite plot necessities.
The ending of them trying to be together because let's face it we all knew it was leading there, love interests are easy enough to see when the book has two POV's and one being hers whilst the other is his. I feel like they needed more development, courting, more dates before getting to a point where they truly like each other, more chemistry, but the slow pace was refreshing in comparison to other rushed relationships in other books so that was nice.
Victor, the villian in this book, has no qualms about hurting humans, I liked vampire Victor as a villain to start since it seemed members of Covenant clan was hyping him up as a big baddie to defeat since he was repeatedly portrayed as smart and cunning right up until he stupidly fell for Gideons trap which I think was beneath him and I was expecting more of a vampire vs vampire battle that turned a little violent, also I was expecting things to go horribly wrong before they became right again since that's usually how books go so this was oddly satisfying and anticlimactic at the same time.
The side characters are intriguing, I like Gideons subordinates- Dante and Alistair and such- and I hope to see more from them as this modern vampire world builds over future Covenant books since this is merely book 1 in the series.
Essentially, this book includes mild nudity, a few lovely kisses, threats from villains and mentions of disintegration, etc.
It's short and sweet and easy to read, a beginning to a bigger series as a whole where we will perhaps get more and more of the pieces of this world and these characters.
Overall, a good first book.
Thank you, Adam Gaffen, for this ARC opportunity.
June 22, 2025
First I want to let you guys know I received this book free to review. But OMG!!!! Am I happy that I did. I flew through this book couldn’t put it down!!! I love the banter between Gideon and Madison.. she has a sarcastic spiciness I feel that we need in our heroines. If you’re looking for steamy Vampire romance this isn’t it. But the build up of the MMC and MFC relationship is so good. I’m hoping in the next book we get more info on Dante, how Livi is fairing, and of course the scoop on Maddie and Gideon.
July 7, 2025
This was a fun book. I mean a vampire murdered by a tanning bed and a human who gets roped into the supernatural world because ya know wrong place wrong time what’s not to like about that. It’s a supernatural murder mystery with a dash of humor and adventure in it.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews