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Cursed Covenant #1
Blood Bound
A debut high-stakes fantasy trilogy set against a once-in-a-generation duel to the death between rival witches and dragon riders as they battle to control the source of all magic in their kingdoms. Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, and Red Queen.
You duel or you die.
Astrid has always known she is destined to die. She is the last Nachstern witch and heir to the Queendom of Arturea, cursed by a centuries-old covenant to duel the heir to the Kingdom of Vatra for the source of all the Heart. And now Astrid’s time is up. She is heading into enemy territory to face Prince Zryan, the most powerful dragon rider in eons, with only her familiar, her potions, and her wits to aid her. She is going to die, and any chance her queendom has of curing the Blight that’s ravaging the lands and killing her people will die with her.
Meanwhile, deep in dragon country, Skylar and her travelling troupe arrive in Vatra’s capital, ready to profit off the legions of spectators swarming to the city ahead of the duel. She despises the royals and all they stand for, especially as the King’s guard murdered her mother. But when her best friend disappears, suspected to have been taken in the conscription, her search takes her closer to the royals than she ever could have imagined
As the duel looms over the kingdom, Skylar and Astrid’s fates intertwine. They must battle a growing rebellion, their inner demons, and ultimately, those they love most, to determine if together they will save—or doom—their world.
You duel or you die.
Astrid has always known she is destined to die. She is the last Nachstern witch and heir to the Queendom of Arturea, cursed by a centuries-old covenant to duel the heir to the Kingdom of Vatra for the source of all the Heart. And now Astrid’s time is up. She is heading into enemy territory to face Prince Zryan, the most powerful dragon rider in eons, with only her familiar, her potions, and her wits to aid her. She is going to die, and any chance her queendom has of curing the Blight that’s ravaging the lands and killing her people will die with her.
Meanwhile, deep in dragon country, Skylar and her travelling troupe arrive in Vatra’s capital, ready to profit off the legions of spectators swarming to the city ahead of the duel. She despises the royals and all they stand for, especially as the King’s guard murdered her mother. But when her best friend disappears, suspected to have been taken in the conscription, her search takes her closer to the royals than she ever could have imagined
As the duel looms over the kingdom, Skylar and Astrid’s fates intertwine. They must battle a growing rebellion, their inner demons, and ultimately, those they love most, to determine if together they will save—or doom—their world.
496 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 28, 2026
2007 people are currently reading
63825 people want to read
About the author
Ellis Hunter
1 book335 followersEllis Hunter is the pen name for Katie Ellis-Brown and Becky Hunter, two friends who wanted to write about two friends. Katie Ellis-Brown is an Irish British writer and editor who lives in Cornwall with her husband, daughter, and two familiars (black cats). Becky Hunter is a Bristol-based author, book publicist and romance reader – who is currently ruled by her two rescue ponies. They met while working in publishing and bonded over their shared obsession with fantasy. BLOOD BOUND is a love letter to the genre and their debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,757 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Book of the Month
2⭐️ (DNF @ 62%)
I really have not had the best luck with reads lately and this is no different. I wanted this to work so bad...so so bad. But I had quite a few personal issues with it which I'll go over. Now, I know I'm rating this 2 stars and it's still a DNF, but let me explain.
While I did DNF this book, I don't think it was bad enough to give it one star. I think that a lot of people would really enjoy this, but I did not. I don't think this book was a train wreck and deserves to be slandered, but I just could not bring myself to drag along with this book anymore. I really wasn't enjoying it.
The first thing I noticed was how much this book absolutely dragged on. There were so many words but felt like nothing of actual value was said. We kept going in circles over and over and over and it was exhausting. I'm known to be a very fast reader, right. The fact it took me 5 days to get to nearly 300 pages is unheard of for me. That's how much I really didn't wanna pick up the book. I had no desire, no inkling to want to continue this story. At the point where I decided to DNF is when it was slowly starting to pick up, but I didn't care enough to want to continue.
Another issue I had with this book was the characters. They felt shallow as all get-out. I couldn't find myself getting attached or liking just about any of them. You'd think that getting halfway would give you something....right?
Wrong.
There was no substance to them, no personality, no uniqueness that would make them standout from each other. It was disappointing. The chemistry between the characters, too? God, it was so bad. No build-up, no yearning, no wanting. It was completely back and white and I personally don't enjoy this in a romantic fantasy.
I've talked about all the things I didn't like so far, but let me touch on what I did for a second and why I'm giving this 2 stars. I enjoyed the CONCEPT of the book itself. I think it had a lot of potential and the direction of the plot had promise. That in itself is what kept me going for as long as it did. I was holding out for nearly 300 pages hoping that the pace of the plot would speed up, but that, like most of this book, fell short.
I think overall that this book felt very cliché and didn't live up to the hype I wanted it to. Maybe others will get more enjoyment out of this than I did, but if you're looking for a recommendation on this book, I will not be the one to give it to you. I think it is incredibly slow, boring, and repetitive. I think, no I know, there are better romantic fantasies out there compared to this book. If you do end up reading this, I hope you like it a lot more than I did. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: ❤️🐉
I'm actually so excited to read this??
I need a good fantasy book like I need blood flowing through my veins 🙂↕️
I really hope this delivers like I want it to 😗
I really have not had the best luck with reads lately and this is no different. I wanted this to work so bad...so so bad. But I had quite a few personal issues with it which I'll go over. Now, I know I'm rating this 2 stars and it's still a DNF, but let me explain.
While I did DNF this book, I don't think it was bad enough to give it one star. I think that a lot of people would really enjoy this, but I did not. I don't think this book was a train wreck and deserves to be slandered, but I just could not bring myself to drag along with this book anymore. I really wasn't enjoying it.
The first thing I noticed was how much this book absolutely dragged on. There were so many words but felt like nothing of actual value was said. We kept going in circles over and over and over and it was exhausting. I'm known to be a very fast reader, right. The fact it took me 5 days to get to nearly 300 pages is unheard of for me. That's how much I really didn't wanna pick up the book. I had no desire, no inkling to want to continue this story. At the point where I decided to DNF is when it was slowly starting to pick up, but I didn't care enough to want to continue.
Another issue I had with this book was the characters. They felt shallow as all get-out. I couldn't find myself getting attached or liking just about any of them. You'd think that getting halfway would give you something....right?
Wrong.
There was no substance to them, no personality, no uniqueness that would make them standout from each other. It was disappointing. The chemistry between the characters, too? God, it was so bad. No build-up, no yearning, no wanting. It was completely back and white and I personally don't enjoy this in a romantic fantasy.
I've talked about all the things I didn't like so far, but let me touch on what I did for a second and why I'm giving this 2 stars. I enjoyed the CONCEPT of the book itself. I think it had a lot of potential and the direction of the plot had promise. That in itself is what kept me going for as long as it did. I was holding out for nearly 300 pages hoping that the pace of the plot would speed up, but that, like most of this book, fell short.
I think overall that this book felt very cliché and didn't live up to the hype I wanted it to. Maybe others will get more enjoyment out of this than I did, but if you're looking for a recommendation on this book, I will not be the one to give it to you. I think it is incredibly slow, boring, and repetitive. I think, no I know, there are better romantic fantasies out there compared to this book. If you do end up reading this, I hope you like it a lot more than I did. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: ❤️🐉
I'm actually so excited to read this??
I need a good fantasy book like I need blood flowing through my veins 🙂↕️
I really hope this delivers like I want it to 😗
November 26, 2025
Hugeee thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for a chance to review this ARC!!
3.25✨
Blood bound is a very ambitious debut. The plot is intriguing and the series has potential.
This book incorporates a lot of interesting & unique elements. There are some structural, pacing & writing flow issues that could be fixed in editing. There were lots of elements thrown into this story and they sometimes didn’t flow with one another.
The action scenes were underwhelming and I think it could’ve been edited down. I wish we would’ve gotten more interactions with Baxter, he was a very nice addition to the story.
The set of characters is intriguing but not quite fleshed out. It was interesting to find some mental health representation with Astrid. I do believe more focus could’ve been included. She also had an intriguing element for me ; potions. Though they were mentioned a few times, I wish more parts would’ve included the preparation and making of. Zryan was a fickle character, Skylar was interesting and Axel was underdeveloped. The best character ARC was Skylar. Astrid’s mom is one character I didn’t quite grasp. The secondary characters could’ve been more fleshed out. They were on page when they were convenient to the storyline, which is why I felt indifferent towards them.
It’s very insta-lust/love between Astrid & Zryan and all of their first conversations were extremely sexual. It didn’t fit right with the slightly juvenile writing. The fact that he was so beautiful is mentioned a lot and it was repetitive.
I will admit I was a little thrown off by the nicknames (Lar Lar, little dragon, little witch, dimples…). The ending was also semi-predictable and some structural issues remain. I’m left with a lot of unanswered questions.
I did like how the climate changes were woven into the story. I think this series has a lot of potential.
3.25✨
Blood bound is a very ambitious debut. The plot is intriguing and the series has potential.
This book incorporates a lot of interesting & unique elements. There are some structural, pacing & writing flow issues that could be fixed in editing. There were lots of elements thrown into this story and they sometimes didn’t flow with one another.
The action scenes were underwhelming and I think it could’ve been edited down. I wish we would’ve gotten more interactions with Baxter, he was a very nice addition to the story.
The set of characters is intriguing but not quite fleshed out. It was interesting to find some mental health representation with Astrid. I do believe more focus could’ve been included. She also had an intriguing element for me ; potions. Though they were mentioned a few times, I wish more parts would’ve included the preparation and making of. Zryan was a fickle character, Skylar was interesting and Axel was underdeveloped. The best character ARC was Skylar. Astrid’s mom is one character I didn’t quite grasp. The secondary characters could’ve been more fleshed out. They were on page when they were convenient to the storyline, which is why I felt indifferent towards them.
It’s very insta-lust/love between Astrid & Zryan and all of their first conversations were extremely sexual. It didn’t fit right with the slightly juvenile writing. The fact that he was so beautiful is mentioned a lot and it was repetitive.
I will admit I was a little thrown off by the nicknames (Lar Lar, little dragon, little witch, dimples…). The ending was also semi-predictable and some structural issues remain. I’m left with a lot of unanswered questions.
I did like how the climate changes were woven into the story. I think this series has a lot of potential.
May 3, 2026
2.5 🌟 “𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐢𝐞.”
🖤⚔️ 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚢 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚋𝚙𝚕𝚘𝚝
🐉✨ 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜 𝚡 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚘𝚗 𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜
🧑🧑🧒🧒👩🏻🤝👩🏼 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 + 𝚜𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚍
🐈⬛💭 𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚕 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚛𝚜
let me start off by saying this is not a slow burn romance, this is more insta lust to love. it’s also not an epic romantasy, it’s more a YA vibe fantasy with a romance subplot. where this book really shines is its female and animal friendships which i did love 💖
we follow 3 characters in this:
𝙎𝙠𝙮𝙡𝙖𝙧 our performer
𝘼𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙙 our witch
𝙕𝙧𝙮𝙖𝙣 our dragon rider
this is dual pov between our fmcs but i think this would of been so much better with three povs to include the mmc
unfortunately i didn’t feel too connected to any of the characters. i did love the friendship between 𝙎𝙠𝙮𝙡𝙖𝙧 + 𝘼𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙙 and 𝙅𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖 + 𝘼𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙙 🫶🏻 and the animal bonds??? the sass?? LOVE LOVE!! (best part fr) but i just wasn’t obsessed by the end.
the magic system in this book is something i enjoyed while not unique it’s still really cool. the plot was okay, some of the twists were a bit too predictable. i also thought the writing and pacing was off and it dragged too much at times.
overall this book was a miss for me, but also i think i went in with too high of expectations + i was expecting way different tropes due to the marketing. plus the romance and the world building were such a let down. the ending was partly meh partly i’m intrigued 👀 also not sure how i felt about that take on that trope or how it was executed.
🖤⚔️ 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚢 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚋𝚙𝚕𝚘𝚝
🐉✨ 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜 𝚡 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚘𝚗 𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜
🧑🧑🧒🧒👩🏻🤝👩🏼 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 + 𝚜𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚍
🐈⬛💭 𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚕 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚛𝚜
let me start off by saying this is not a slow burn romance, this is more insta lust to love. it’s also not an epic romantasy, it’s more a YA vibe fantasy with a romance subplot. where this book really shines is its female and animal friendships which i did love 💖
we follow 3 characters in this:
𝙎𝙠𝙮𝙡𝙖𝙧 our performer
𝘼𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙙 our witch
𝙕𝙧𝙮𝙖𝙣 our dragon rider
this is dual pov between our fmcs but i think this would of been so much better with three povs to include the mmc
unfortunately i didn’t feel too connected to any of the characters. i did love the friendship between 𝙎𝙠𝙮𝙡𝙖𝙧 + 𝘼𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙙 and 𝙅𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖 + 𝘼𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙙 🫶🏻 and the animal bonds??? the sass?? LOVE LOVE!! (best part fr) but i just wasn’t obsessed by the end.
the magic system in this book is something i enjoyed while not unique it’s still really cool. the plot was okay, some of the twists were a bit too predictable. i also thought the writing and pacing was off and it dragged too much at times.
overall this book was a miss for me, but also i think i went in with too high of expectations + i was expecting way different tropes due to the marketing. plus the romance and the world building were such a let down. the ending was partly meh partly i’m intrigued 👀 also not sure how i felt about that take on that trope or how it was executed.
Did Not Finish
April 2, 2026despite having my arc for much too long, i have been inspired to read this because a bestie is reading it too.
Did Not Finish
April 11, 2026DNF 36%
I can see this book being very popular, but unfortunately it didn’t work for me. I was interested in the deadly duel premise, but ended up bored. It’s marketed as adult, but reads like your typical YA Romantasy, full of clichés and overused tropes.
The characters felt generic and the world-building is flimsy and has modern phrases like 'sports bras' and 'crop tops' which pulled me out of the story. The romance is insta-lust, with their very first conversation being sexual. There’s also plenty of juvenile nicknames and repetitive descriptions.
I think this book will find its audience, but it’s not me.
I can see this book being very popular, but unfortunately it didn’t work for me. I was interested in the deadly duel premise, but ended up bored. It’s marketed as adult, but reads like your typical YA Romantasy, full of clichés and overused tropes.
The characters felt generic and the world-building is flimsy and has modern phrases like 'sports bras' and 'crop tops' which pulled me out of the story. The romance is insta-lust, with their very first conversation being sexual. There’s also plenty of juvenile nicknames and repetitive descriptions.
I think this book will find its audience, but it’s not me.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
MARK MY WORDS, THIS WILL BE THE FANTASY BOOK OF THE YEAR AND IT'S GOING TO BE BIG.
You've got everything you could want in a perfect romance fantasy: dragons, fully fleshed out characters, a new hot book boyfriend with the best slowburn, destined enemies to friends, unique rich worldbuilding and the most adorable familiars. And did I already mention dragons??
If you liked Fourth Wing, read this because this is even better.
Blood Bound is an incredibly fresh debut within all the fantasy releases we've been getting. I know books can easily feel repetitive when they follow the same formula, but this one massively stands out.
The main reason being the friendship that forms between both main characters. Having a dual POV format only adds to it and you can't help but fall in love with Astrid and Skylar and root for them. Them and their familiars/dragons who have their own unique personalities and will quickly win you over.
The world building itself is rich and unique with a plot you can not look away from and a plot twist you won't see coming. And even though friendship is the core of the story, we've also got the best romance with fun banter and an insanely well written slowburn that will make you ache for more. (Zryan, the man you are...)
So yes, add this to your TBR, because this is going to be BIG. And I'm already in dire need of book 2.
You've got everything you could want in a perfect romance fantasy: dragons, fully fleshed out characters, a new hot book boyfriend with the best slowburn, destined enemies to friends, unique rich worldbuilding and the most adorable familiars. And did I already mention dragons??
If you liked Fourth Wing, read this because this is even better.
Blood Bound is an incredibly fresh debut within all the fantasy releases we've been getting. I know books can easily feel repetitive when they follow the same formula, but this one massively stands out.
The main reason being the friendship that forms between both main characters. Having a dual POV format only adds to it and you can't help but fall in love with Astrid and Skylar and root for them. Them and their familiars/dragons who have their own unique personalities and will quickly win you over.
The world building itself is rich and unique with a plot you can not look away from and a plot twist you won't see coming. And even though friendship is the core of the story, we've also got the best romance with fun banter and an insanely well written slowburn that will make you ache for more. (Zryan, the man you are...)
So yes, add this to your TBR, because this is going to be BIG. And I'm already in dire need of book 2.
Review of advance copy received from Book of the Month
(3.25/5) Honestly, I think I went into this book with too high of expectations, and it hurt my reading experience.
Note for transparency: I was gifted a special edition from Allurial
❤️ Fantasy romance
❤️ 3rd person POV
❤️ Reluctant allies
❤️ Found family
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️
The premise of this book is interesting and immediately had me dropping my TBR to read it. With so many people screaming that this is the next big romantasy, I was cautiously optimistic.
What this book does well: unique spins on certain popular romantasy tropes (fated mates, reluctant allies). Where I would've expected the authors to be a bit more cliche, they intentionally put a unique spin which I applaud them for. I also love that we really focused on Astrid and Skylar's POVs.
What I struggled with: the pacing and writing style. Specifically, the pacing of the beginning dragged on for me. I found it hard to settle into the world and magic system, and ultimately it impacted the rest of this book for me. I hit a point where I just struggled to remain invested in the story altogether. I know a book ultimately isn't for me when I'm looking to see how many pages I have left (in a bad way).
Unfortunately, I do not plan to continue this series.
Note for transparency: I was gifted a special edition from Allurial
❤️ Fantasy romance
❤️ 3rd person POV
❤️ Reluctant allies
❤️ Found family
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️
The premise of this book is interesting and immediately had me dropping my TBR to read it. With so many people screaming that this is the next big romantasy, I was cautiously optimistic.
What this book does well: unique spins on certain popular romantasy tropes (fated mates, reluctant allies). Where I would've expected the authors to be a bit more cliche, they intentionally put a unique spin which I applaud them for. I also love that we really focused on Astrid and Skylar's POVs.
What I struggled with: the pacing and writing style. Specifically, the pacing of the beginning dragged on for me. I found it hard to settle into the world and magic system, and ultimately it impacted the rest of this book for me. I hit a point where I just struggled to remain invested in the story altogether. I know a book ultimately isn't for me when I'm looking to see how many pages I have left (in a bad way).
Unfortunately, I do not plan to continue this series.
March 30, 2026
Blood Bound was such a strong debut—and one that completely pulled me in, even with a few bumps along the way.
Right away, the worldbuilding stood out. The combination of witches, dragon riders, familiars, and a deadly, centuries-old covenant felt really unique, and the magic systems were thoughtfully woven into the story. There’s a lot going on—political tension, rebellion, history—but it all comes together in a way that feels immersive rather than overwhelming (for the most part).
Astrid and Skylar’s dual POVs worked really well for me. I loved how their stories slowly intertwined, especially given how different their backgrounds and motivations are. Their dynamic added a lot of emotional depth to the plot beyond just the central conflict.
And Zryan… omg did I love Zryan. He was easily one of the highlights of the book for me—complex, compelling, and way more layered than I expected going in.
That said, the writing can feel a bit clunky at times, which occasionally pulled me out of the story. It’s not constant, but it’s noticeable in certain sections, especially earlier on. The pacing also takes a bit to pick up, though once it does, it really does.
The ending is where things got a little messy for me. There were some genuinely unexpected turns that I didn’t see coming, which I appreciated, but it also felt like the story was trying to juggle too many competing plotlines at once. It made parts of the finale a bit confusing, even though the overall impact still landed.
Overall, this was an impressive debut with a rich world, compelling characters, and a lot of potential for what’s to come. I’m definitely excited to see where the series goes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Right away, the worldbuilding stood out. The combination of witches, dragon riders, familiars, and a deadly, centuries-old covenant felt really unique, and the magic systems were thoughtfully woven into the story. There’s a lot going on—political tension, rebellion, history—but it all comes together in a way that feels immersive rather than overwhelming (for the most part).
Astrid and Skylar’s dual POVs worked really well for me. I loved how their stories slowly intertwined, especially given how different their backgrounds and motivations are. Their dynamic added a lot of emotional depth to the plot beyond just the central conflict.
And Zryan… omg did I love Zryan. He was easily one of the highlights of the book for me—complex, compelling, and way more layered than I expected going in.
That said, the writing can feel a bit clunky at times, which occasionally pulled me out of the story. It’s not constant, but it’s noticeable in certain sections, especially earlier on. The pacing also takes a bit to pick up, though once it does, it really does.
The ending is where things got a little messy for me. There were some genuinely unexpected turns that I didn’t see coming, which I appreciated, but it also felt like the story was trying to juggle too many competing plotlines at once. It made parts of the finale a bit confusing, even though the overall impact still landed.
Overall, this was an impressive debut with a rich world, compelling characters, and a lot of potential for what’s to come. I’m definitely excited to see where the series goes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 28, 2026
Blood Bound
by Ellis Hunter
Cursed Covenant #1
Fantasy Romance
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Apr 28, 2026
Atria Books
Ages: 18+
Because of a centuries-old covenant, the firstborn heirs of the Queendom of Arturea and the Kingdom of Vatra must duel to the death to gain control of the Heart, the source of all magic, magic that seems to be failing, believed to be the cause of a blight in Arturea, because it has been centuries since the Heart was in the Queendom.
Astrid has trained all of her life for the duel, and as the last of her line, if she fails, Arturea will never get the Heart again. But she knows she is going to die because Prince Zryan is a powerful dragon rider, and her potions, cat familiar, and education are no match.
Performing as a knife juggler in a traveling troupe, already hating the king for the death of her mother, when Skylar's best friend disappears, rumored to have been taken by the King's Guard and conscripted into his army, she will do anything to discover his fate and make the King pay. But unknowingly to her, her fate and Astrid's are destined to meet.
This book started right off, pulling me into this world of magic. The world and character building are wonderful. My only issue was the lack of mention of Astrid's familiar; it was just suddenly there without much backstory of it and why. It just felt dropped in as an afterthought. The dragons were a little bit more explained, but they too felt like a last-minute add.
While reading, I could think of ways to end this story with just this book, but it is the first of the series, and there are so many ways of growing this world and its characters.
But.... yeah... I did not care for the ending/twist. It was a disappointment. No reasoning at all why it happened. Maybe a hint or two about it, but I don't remember a single one, so it was out of the blue.
And yes, it did lower my opinion of the story, as did the adult content, which makes it unsuitable for readers under 18. There is violence, but it's not that bad.
I was going to rate this higher... As for reading the next book, now I don't know.
3 Stars
by Ellis Hunter
Cursed Covenant #1
Fantasy Romance
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Apr 28, 2026
Atria Books
Ages: 18+
Because of a centuries-old covenant, the firstborn heirs of the Queendom of Arturea and the Kingdom of Vatra must duel to the death to gain control of the Heart, the source of all magic, magic that seems to be failing, believed to be the cause of a blight in Arturea, because it has been centuries since the Heart was in the Queendom.
Astrid has trained all of her life for the duel, and as the last of her line, if she fails, Arturea will never get the Heart again. But she knows she is going to die because Prince Zryan is a powerful dragon rider, and her potions, cat familiar, and education are no match.
Performing as a knife juggler in a traveling troupe, already hating the king for the death of her mother, when Skylar's best friend disappears, rumored to have been taken by the King's Guard and conscripted into his army, she will do anything to discover his fate and make the King pay. But unknowingly to her, her fate and Astrid's are destined to meet.
This book started right off, pulling me into this world of magic. The world and character building are wonderful. My only issue was the lack of mention of Astrid's familiar; it was just suddenly there without much backstory of it and why. It just felt dropped in as an afterthought. The dragons were a little bit more explained, but they too felt like a last-minute add.
While reading, I could think of ways to end this story with just this book, but it is the first of the series, and there are so many ways of growing this world and its characters.
But.... yeah... I did not care for the ending/twist. It was a disappointment. No reasoning at all why it happened. Maybe a hint or two about it, but I don't remember a single one, so it was out of the blue.
And yes, it did lower my opinion of the story, as did the adult content, which makes it unsuitable for readers under 18. There is violence, but it's not that bad.
I was going to rate this higher... As for reading the next book, now I don't know.
3 Stars
April 14, 2026
I enjoyed this very much, I am looking forward to the next book, I will not give too much away but I will say the characters and the story were very interesting and imaginative, I always enjoy a story with dragons and witches and this one didn’t disappoint.
December 15, 2025
Unfortunately could not get past the writing, this book was astronomically long and not interesting enough to retain my attention :( sorry!
April 2, 2026
While the first 30% was a little slow to get into. The last 100 pages had me in tears. The found family and female friendship in look had me hanging on each page!
January 8, 2026
Blood Bound has several things going for it - dragons, familiars, enemies-to-lovers, witches, and an intriguing hook. It's executed similarly to Fourth Wing, with accessible language and straightforward worldbuilding. While admittedly not the most fleshed-out fantasy story I've read, I was initially extremely hooked. For the first 85% of this book, I could not put it down - and I'm a new mom! Finding free time to read is rare, but I devoured this in just a few days. I blasted through chapters and ignored some of the more blatantly ripped scenes (there are Game of Thrones and Fourth Wing moments here that feel way too similar) because I was having so much fun reading it. Unfortunately, the last 15% of the book threw me completely off course. I was very much not a fan of the ending AT ALL, and I don't even know if I'll want to read the future books in this series. I was very much anticipating this to be one of my favorite books of the year, but I am so disappointed.
The spoilers below are all of the strange things that really threw me because I need to get them off my chest.
The spoilers below are all of the strange things that really threw me because I need to get them off my chest.
Did Not Finish
April 22, 2026DNF at 27%
I’m so sad this one isn’t working for me 😭 I was so excited for this ARC and unfortunately i can’t seem to get into the story. Somehow this isn’t YA but totally reads like one. The story doesn’t flow properly and I’ve just discovered this is two authors so maybe thats why? The familiars were my favourite part but not enough to continue this book. There was so much potential, oh well
Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC!
I’m so sad this one isn’t working for me 😭 I was so excited for this ARC and unfortunately i can’t seem to get into the story. Somehow this isn’t YA but totally reads like one. The story doesn’t flow properly and I’ve just discovered this is two authors so maybe thats why? The familiars were my favourite part but not enough to continue this book. There was so much potential, oh well
Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC!
April 11, 2026
Daaaaaaaaaaaang. Writing duo Ellis Hunter knocked their debut out of the park. High stakes, high energy, and high payoff is written into every single page. There’s an incredibly unique magic system, actually TWO systems that are linked to the two continents featured in the book. One centered around witchcraft and the other around wielding power through elemental dragons and Blooded gifts. There’s animal familiars, a whole ancient text mystery that needs solving, and some serious enemies to lovers action going on. All of which is based around a duel in which one of the main characters is not supposed to survive. It’s not “you duel or you die” for nothing.
I was rooted to my seat for the two days that I ripped through this book. I was mad I had to sleep, that’s how good it was. I was sunk in and that last page… they got me good. They got me forever. I adored the complex themes that were woven throughout the narrative, duty warring with tradition, breaking the molds between friendship and alliances, the push pull of wanting to rule a kingdom that is in dire need of saving along with some grade A bantering between couples. If I hadn’t read that this is a debut book for this writing team, I would not have known it. It was polished, fun, and the pacing was absolute perfection. I can’t wait for the next book in the Cursed Covenant series to come out!
Grab this one when it hits shelves April 28. You will be glad you did! (Bonus if you’re an Allurial or Book of the Month subscriber, since this book is a selection in both for this month!)
I am off to google how to give my cat wings.
Huge thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I was rooted to my seat for the two days that I ripped through this book. I was mad I had to sleep, that’s how good it was. I was sunk in and that last page… they got me good. They got me forever. I adored the complex themes that were woven throughout the narrative, duty warring with tradition, breaking the molds between friendship and alliances, the push pull of wanting to rule a kingdom that is in dire need of saving along with some grade A bantering between couples. If I hadn’t read that this is a debut book for this writing team, I would not have known it. It was polished, fun, and the pacing was absolute perfection. I can’t wait for the next book in the Cursed Covenant series to come out!
Grab this one when it hits shelves April 28. You will be glad you did! (Bonus if you’re an Allurial or Book of the Month subscriber, since this book is a selection in both for this month!)
I am off to google how to give my cat wings.
Huge thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
April 30, 2026
4/5
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
Wow. What an amazing debut from this author duo! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It distills a lot of great fantasy elements into a well thought out story.
Our two main characters, Skylar and Astrid, I liked equally. There is a certain strength that both of them have that makes them so easy to root for. If I had to choose, I’d probably say I do think Astrid’s storyline was more compelling. Her worries and doubts and fears bleed through the pages and are well developed. I feel like Skylar is more one note in a way with her rage. I wish we had gotten flashbacks of her past, because really her whole story revolves around choices she makes for the benefit of her best friend Cam. Unfortunately we never see Cam, and the lack of connection to him makes it hard to really see why Skylar is doing these things beyond the basics.
Our side character cast could be a bit larger I think k for a world of this scope, but I enjoyed all the ones we got. Jessa and Gwen were the highlights for me!
Astrid and Zy’s relationship is cute. I think it may be a bit too fast of a burn for my own personal taste, but they’re really cute together!
The plot itself is well paced and very engaging. There are several plot twists thrown into various spots in the book, which makes it super fun to theorize. The worldbuilding could be fleshed out a tad more (I feel we don’t really understand Astrid’s home country as we never really see it) but I loved the attention to history of the duel. It’s fascinating and the emphasis put on history that may not be true is something I ALWAYS adore in novels. The search for the truth is engaging and leads the plot in a direction I did not fully anticipate but fully love.
I did struggle with the writing style at the beginning. Third person present is a finicky POV to nail. I got used to it quickly enough but a few lines just seemed odd to have an objective narrator have.
The ending I think could have used maybe 20 more pages to really breathe with ALL of the reveals we get, but as I said, I’m all for the direction we’re going in.
If you’re a fan of fantasy romance, you’ll surely enjoy this book and probably be refreshed by its twists on certain classic tropes of the genre. I for one am so excited to read book 2!
Pre read comments haha:
This sounds so cool but I need to know….is it sapphic?? 🤞🏻🤞🏻
Edit: book 3 will have sapphic content!! ☺️☺️
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
Wow. What an amazing debut from this author duo! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It distills a lot of great fantasy elements into a well thought out story.
Our two main characters, Skylar and Astrid, I liked equally. There is a certain strength that both of them have that makes them so easy to root for. If I had to choose, I’d probably say I do think Astrid’s storyline was more compelling. Her worries and doubts and fears bleed through the pages and are well developed. I feel like Skylar is more one note in a way with her rage. I wish we had gotten flashbacks of her past, because really her whole story revolves around choices she makes for the benefit of her best friend Cam. Unfortunately we never see Cam, and the lack of connection to him makes it hard to really see why Skylar is doing these things beyond the basics.
Our side character cast could be a bit larger I think k for a world of this scope, but I enjoyed all the ones we got. Jessa and Gwen were the highlights for me!
Astrid and Zy’s relationship is cute. I think it may be a bit too fast of a burn for my own personal taste, but they’re really cute together!
The plot itself is well paced and very engaging. There are several plot twists thrown into various spots in the book, which makes it super fun to theorize. The worldbuilding could be fleshed out a tad more (I feel we don’t really understand Astrid’s home country as we never really see it) but I loved the attention to history of the duel. It’s fascinating and the emphasis put on history that may not be true is something I ALWAYS adore in novels. The search for the truth is engaging and leads the plot in a direction I did not fully anticipate but fully love.
I did struggle with the writing style at the beginning. Third person present is a finicky POV to nail. I got used to it quickly enough but a few lines just seemed odd to have an objective narrator have.
The ending I think could have used maybe 20 more pages to really breathe with ALL of the reveals we get, but as I said, I’m all for the direction we’re going in.
If you’re a fan of fantasy romance, you’ll surely enjoy this book and probably be refreshed by its twists on certain classic tropes of the genre. I for one am so excited to read book 2!
Pre read comments haha:
This sounds so cool but I need to know….is it sapphic?? 🤞🏻🤞🏻
Edit: book 3 will have sapphic content!! ☺️☺️
April 30, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
I really enjoyed this book. It hit so many of my favourite tropes and felt like a blend of Fourth Wing, His Dark Materials, and Throne of Glass. The pacing was fast, the friendships were enjoyable, and I loved that I was constantly forming theories (many of which actually turned out to be right — always a win).
I went into Blood Bound expecting the dual POV to be Astrid and the prince, so I was genuinely surprised (in a good way) that it was actually between two women. That alone felt refreshing and immediately pulled me in.
I loved the world-building and especially the visualisation - the dragons in particular were described so vividly.
The magic system and the world itself feel rich and immersive, and I absolutely adored Bastet’s sarcastic, sharp-tongued personality. He was such a standout for me.
That said, there were a few moments where the emotional beats didn’t quite land for me. Astrid’s familiar being a treated as this huge, shameful secret, something that would supposedly devastate her family, but when it’s revealed, it’s just a cat? And it’s brushed over surprisingly quickly which makes me think it’s not that big a deal for her to be worried about?
Similarly, the magic progression felt a little too smooth. The characters go from having no real grasp of their powers to using them with total confidence, and I found myself wishing for more struggle, mistakes, or training to make it feel earned. I know it’s fantasy, but that learning curve adds realism and depth for me.
The romance between Zryan and Astrid didn’t fully convince me either. I wanted more slow-burn tension, more vulnerability from Zryan that was reserved just for her, and more moments that made their connection feel earned rather than assumed. I also found it a bit jarring that Skylar and Astrid seemed shocked by Zryan being a rebel when it felt like that had already been pretty well established.
Overall, Blood Bound was a fun, addictive fantasy with strong world-building, compelling dynamics, and just enough mystery to keep me guessing. I’m definitely continuing the series and can’t wait to see where it all goes next!
I really enjoyed this book. It hit so many of my favourite tropes and felt like a blend of Fourth Wing, His Dark Materials, and Throne of Glass. The pacing was fast, the friendships were enjoyable, and I loved that I was constantly forming theories (many of which actually turned out to be right — always a win).
I went into Blood Bound expecting the dual POV to be Astrid and the prince, so I was genuinely surprised (in a good way) that it was actually between two women. That alone felt refreshing and immediately pulled me in.
I loved the world-building and especially the visualisation - the dragons in particular were described so vividly.
The magic system and the world itself feel rich and immersive, and I absolutely adored Bastet’s sarcastic, sharp-tongued personality. He was such a standout for me.
That said, there were a few moments where the emotional beats didn’t quite land for me. Astrid’s familiar being a treated as this huge, shameful secret, something that would supposedly devastate her family, but when it’s revealed, it’s just a cat? And it’s brushed over surprisingly quickly which makes me think it’s not that big a deal for her to be worried about?
Similarly, the magic progression felt a little too smooth. The characters go from having no real grasp of their powers to using them with total confidence, and I found myself wishing for more struggle, mistakes, or training to make it feel earned. I know it’s fantasy, but that learning curve adds realism and depth for me.
The romance between Zryan and Astrid didn’t fully convince me either. I wanted more slow-burn tension, more vulnerability from Zryan that was reserved just for her, and more moments that made their connection feel earned rather than assumed. I also found it a bit jarring that Skylar and Astrid seemed shocked by Zryan being a rebel when it felt like that had already been pretty well established.
Overall, Blood Bound was a fun, addictive fantasy with strong world-building, compelling dynamics, and just enough mystery to keep me guessing. I’m definitely continuing the series and can’t wait to see where it all goes next!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2026
⋆˙⟡ ── ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ 4.25⭐️
ⓘ 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸
This was an adventure! I am pleasantly surprised! Without spoiling anything, this book follows Astrid and Skylar as they face separate challenges and eventually a similar goal. Their stories eventually collide, and we follow them both as they navigate relationships, magic, and politics. There were so many twists and turns; I thought I had this figured out, but midway through I was surprised at where the story went and the end REALLY threw me!
The blurb does this book no justice. This book was unexpectedly funny, I really liked the writing style of these authors, and each chapter had me anxious for the next one. There are similar elements to The Empyrean series (even a Prince with an unnecessarily weird name), but I promise it isn’t a copycat. Even if you aren’t a fan of those books, you’ll eat this up!
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 •𖥔 ݁
🩸 Dual, third-person POVs
🩸 Soul-bonded familiars/animal companions
🩸 Elemental dragons, witches, and unique magic
🩸 Unlikely friendship
🩸 Slow burn rivals to lovers | 🌶️
ⓘ 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸
This was an adventure! I am pleasantly surprised! Without spoiling anything, this book follows Astrid and Skylar as they face separate challenges and eventually a similar goal. Their stories eventually collide, and we follow them both as they navigate relationships, magic, and politics. There were so many twists and turns; I thought I had this figured out, but midway through I was surprised at where the story went and the end REALLY threw me!
The blurb does this book no justice. This book was unexpectedly funny, I really liked the writing style of these authors, and each chapter had me anxious for the next one. There are similar elements to The Empyrean series (even a Prince with an unnecessarily weird name), but I promise it isn’t a copycat. Even if you aren’t a fan of those books, you’ll eat this up!
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 •𖥔 ݁
🩸 Dual, third-person POVs
🩸 Soul-bonded familiars/animal companions
🩸 Elemental dragons, witches, and unique magic
🩸 Unlikely friendship
🩸 Slow burn rivals to lovers | 🌶️
Did Not Finish
April 6, 2026DNF 70% I tried I really tried, this pains me because I requested a copy of this book and it was one of my most highly anticipated releases!
The concept of this book immediately had me intrigued, a dual to the death between a witch princess and dragon rider prince to control the magic of the heart for their kingdom. I did love the dual POVs, and obviously that there are dragons, the magic system was also interesting and unique.
What I didn’t like, it’s 3rd person POV, and it’s just a personal preference that I don’t prefer it. Usually I can push past that but with a lot of info dumping in the beginning it made it harder for me to really get sucked into the story. Insta-lust..no explanation needed, most interactions were lustful flirting. The MCs are in their 20s but the banter and most of their actions are very childish. The magic system while unique was not well explained and just sort of dumped on you, along with several character names that weren’t overall relevant to the story (at least in this book, so I’ll honestly have forgotten them by book 2). I also didn’t care for the fact that one of the FMCs while bonded to her own dragon could also ride the princes dragon, it feels like defeating the purpose of being bonded. Then my final straw was platonic fated mates…it was weird imo. I might eventually finish the last 30% but not right now.
Thank you so much to Atria books for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
The concept of this book immediately had me intrigued, a dual to the death between a witch princess and dragon rider prince to control the magic of the heart for their kingdom. I did love the dual POVs, and obviously that there are dragons, the magic system was also interesting and unique.
What I didn’t like, it’s 3rd person POV, and it’s just a personal preference that I don’t prefer it. Usually I can push past that but with a lot of info dumping in the beginning it made it harder for me to really get sucked into the story. Insta-lust..no explanation needed, most interactions were lustful flirting. The MCs are in their 20s but the banter and most of their actions are very childish. The magic system while unique was not well explained and just sort of dumped on you, along with several character names that weren’t overall relevant to the story (at least in this book, so I’ll honestly have forgotten them by book 2). I also didn’t care for the fact that one of the FMCs while bonded to her own dragon could also ride the princes dragon, it feels like defeating the purpose of being bonded. Then my final straw was platonic fated mates…it was weird imo. I might eventually finish the last 30% but not right now.
Thank you so much to Atria books for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A darkly enchanting tale with heart and bite
Blood Bound surprised me in the best way. Ellis Hunter blends danger, loyalty, and slow-building tension into a story that feels both intimate and cinematic. From the opening chapters, the atmosphere pulls you in with its moody forests, whispered secrets, and the sense that every choice carries a cost.
What truly elevates this book is the character work. The bond between the leads is layered and compelling, shaped by trust, sacrifice, and the kind of emotional gravity that makes you root for them even when the world seems determined to tear them apart. Their dynamic grows with a steady burn that never rushes and never drags, giving the story its emotional anchor.
The plot moves with purpose, weaving magic, danger, and political intrigue into a narrative that stays engaging from start to finish. Hunter’s writing is vivid without being overwrought, and the worldbuilding feels lived in and textured. A few pacing moments kept this from being a full five stars, but the payoff is absolutely worth the journey.
If you enjoy fantasy that balances shadow and heart, with characters who feel real and stakes that matter, Blood Bound is a standout. I am already eager for the next book in the series.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Blood Bound surprised me in the best way. Ellis Hunter blends danger, loyalty, and slow-building tension into a story that feels both intimate and cinematic. From the opening chapters, the atmosphere pulls you in with its moody forests, whispered secrets, and the sense that every choice carries a cost.
What truly elevates this book is the character work. The bond between the leads is layered and compelling, shaped by trust, sacrifice, and the kind of emotional gravity that makes you root for them even when the world seems determined to tear them apart. Their dynamic grows with a steady burn that never rushes and never drags, giving the story its emotional anchor.
The plot moves with purpose, weaving magic, danger, and political intrigue into a narrative that stays engaging from start to finish. Hunter’s writing is vivid without being overwrought, and the worldbuilding feels lived in and textured. A few pacing moments kept this from being a full five stars, but the payoff is absolutely worth the journey.
If you enjoy fantasy that balances shadow and heart, with characters who feel real and stakes that matter, Blood Bound is a standout. I am already eager for the next book in the series.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 30, 2025
Um how am I supposed to ever recover from this?!
This book is a powerhouse. We follow Skylar and Astrid on a journey of self-discovery, adventure, loss, acceptance and friendship through the span of 496 pages. I quite literally could not put the book down for the last 40%.
These characters are so lovable and well-rounded that it made for the best reading experience. Reading this book felt like coming home, sending me waves of nostalgia to all the fantasy books that got me into reading. I became fully emerged into a the world, it feeling refreshing and unique.
The themes of sisterhood and loss are woven so intricately throughout this book. I feel as though this made the characters feel even more real and impactful to me and I really do applaud Ellis Hunter for the way they handled this. Skylar's journey in particular meant a lot to me and I feel very connected to her character. The book really does highlight that you are never as alone as you think you are, and there will always be someone in your corner, even if that someone is who you least expect.
Get ready to meet your new book boyfriend because you are not ready for Zyran.
apologies to the authors for the insane number of DMs I sent them whilst reading this but I'm going to need book 2 immediately....
This book is a powerhouse. We follow Skylar and Astrid on a journey of self-discovery, adventure, loss, acceptance and friendship through the span of 496 pages. I quite literally could not put the book down for the last 40%.
These characters are so lovable and well-rounded that it made for the best reading experience. Reading this book felt like coming home, sending me waves of nostalgia to all the fantasy books that got me into reading. I became fully emerged into a the world, it feeling refreshing and unique.
The themes of sisterhood and loss are woven so intricately throughout this book. I feel as though this made the characters feel even more real and impactful to me and I really do applaud Ellis Hunter for the way they handled this. Skylar's journey in particular meant a lot to me and I feel very connected to her character. The book really does highlight that you are never as alone as you think you are, and there will always be someone in your corner, even if that someone is who you least expect.
Get ready to meet your new book boyfriend because you are not ready for Zyran.
apologies to the authors for the insane number of DMs I sent them whilst reading this but I'm going to need book 2 immediately....
May 8, 2026
what a book!!! Becky & Katie have created something so beautiful with Blood Bound.
Action packed, filled with dragons, friendship, family, mate bonds, political intrigue and magic.
Our FMCs Skylar & Astrid are set to duel. You duel or you die. In order to save their people.
Against all odds they forge a friendship, it's the epitome of sisterhood, full of funny familiars and bonded dragons.
I don't want to give anything away, but Prince Zryan….
I was giggling everytime this man spoke. And the banter between the characters was so much fun to read.
The PLOT?! incredible, i couldn't put this down, the twists gave me whiplash - and the last 20% of this book had my brain reeling, i simply need book 2 like i need air ?!
We had the best time at the launch last night, thankyou to Katie & Becky for the invite & US edition to celebrate this book and the book hitting the NYT best sellers list !!!!!
If you haven't read this - this is your sign !!!
Action packed, filled with dragons, friendship, family, mate bonds, political intrigue and magic.
Our FMCs Skylar & Astrid are set to duel. You duel or you die. In order to save their people.
Against all odds they forge a friendship, it's the epitome of sisterhood, full of funny familiars and bonded dragons.
I don't want to give anything away, but Prince Zryan….
I was giggling everytime this man spoke. And the banter between the characters was so much fun to read.
The PLOT?! incredible, i couldn't put this down, the twists gave me whiplash - and the last 20% of this book had my brain reeling, i simply need book 2 like i need air ?!
We had the best time at the launch last night, thankyou to Katie & Becky for the invite & US edition to celebrate this book and the book hitting the NYT best sellers list !!!!!
If you haven't read this - this is your sign !!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter
I have not read a book like this in a very long time. One that had me on the edge of my seat, smiling, crying (actual tears), squealing, and physically putting my Kindle down because I simply could not cope. In the best way possible, this book gave me whiplash — and now I desperately need the rest of the series so my brain can calm down.
I’m calling it now: Book of the Year.
No notes. Absolute perfection.
This story delivers the perfect balance of fantasy and romance. The dual POV was refreshing and unique, not your usual FMC/MMC setup, and it felt like reading two interconnected stories woven together seamlessly. Katie & Becky's writing completely clicked with my reading style and had me hooked from start to finish.
The fantasy elements are rich and immersive: witches, dragons and their riders, elemental and witchcraft magic, lore, prophecies, mysterious history, familiars, trials, betrayal, romance, spice, found family, and heartbreak — and not just once. This book puts you through every emotion imaginable.
The found family aspect is hands down one of the best I’ve ever read, and the emotional payoff hits hard. Multiple chapters broke me in different ways.
Favourite character: Astrid (though honestly, I love them all)
Standout chapters:
• Chapter 37 — if you know, you know 😭
• Chapter 48 🌶
• Chapter 51 — an absolute game changer
Tropes include:
Dragons, witches, familiars, prophecies, fight to the death, forbidden romance, tension and angst, betrayal, heartbreak, and found family.
Be prepared for a wild ride — this is not a book you can casually read. You will feel everything, and you will want more the second it ends.
Forever obsessed. 🖤
I have not read a book like this in a very long time. One that had me on the edge of my seat, smiling, crying (actual tears), squealing, and physically putting my Kindle down because I simply could not cope. In the best way possible, this book gave me whiplash — and now I desperately need the rest of the series so my brain can calm down.
I’m calling it now: Book of the Year.
No notes. Absolute perfection.
This story delivers the perfect balance of fantasy and romance. The dual POV was refreshing and unique, not your usual FMC/MMC setup, and it felt like reading two interconnected stories woven together seamlessly. Katie & Becky's writing completely clicked with my reading style and had me hooked from start to finish.
The fantasy elements are rich and immersive: witches, dragons and their riders, elemental and witchcraft magic, lore, prophecies, mysterious history, familiars, trials, betrayal, romance, spice, found family, and heartbreak — and not just once. This book puts you through every emotion imaginable.
The found family aspect is hands down one of the best I’ve ever read, and the emotional payoff hits hard. Multiple chapters broke me in different ways.
Favourite character: Astrid (though honestly, I love them all)
Standout chapters:
• Chapter 37 — if you know, you know 😭
• Chapter 48 🌶
• Chapter 51 — an absolute game changer
Tropes include:
Dragons, witches, familiars, prophecies, fight to the death, forbidden romance, tension and angst, betrayal, heartbreak, and found family.
Be prepared for a wild ride — this is not a book you can casually read. You will feel everything, and you will want more the second it ends.
Forever obsessed. 🖤
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐️ 3.75 ⭐️ Every fantasy story starts and ends with a journey. Blood Bound is no different and its journey is one of growing friendship between two very different people, Skylar and Astrid, whose fates converged into something much more than they anticipated. A once in a generation duel to the death between dragon riders and witches will hook you from the get-go and take you on a bumpy ride. But in order to reach the end-YOU MUST DUEL OR YOU DIE.
The book begins separately with two storylines, one of Astrids and one of Skylars, that eventually cross paths and once they do, thats where the plot really takes off.
ASTRID: She is the last Machstern witch and heir to the Queendom of Arturea, cursed by a centuries old covenant to duel the heir of the Kingdom of Vatra for the source of magic, The Heart. Her own kingdom is consumed by Blight so winning the duel is the only way to save her people and her life. The problem is--she's a witch who cannot summon her powers. She is however, excellent in combat and has excellent mastery of potions that can kill. She's headed into enemy territory to face Prince Zryan, the most powerful dragon rider, who she knows she stands absolutely NO CHANCE against. so she is ready to die and has accepted her fate.
MEANWHILE...
SKYLAR: Deep in the dragon country, Skylar is in a traveling troupe that arrives in Vatra's capital and ready to profit off legions of spectators. She is a tough cookie, has no family and despises the royals and all they stand for because they murdered her mother when she was only 10 years old. She's a skilled fighter with impressive skills of blade combat. When her best friend Cam disappears, she suspects that he is taken in the conscription (where the people gifted with powers, called 'The Blooded' are taken by the royal army) she starts her own search that takes her much closer to the royals until something unexpected happens.
COLLISION: Astrid and Skylars fates intertwine as the duel looms over the kingdom. Initially reluctant to converse with each other, their individualized paths make it hard for them not to. What starts as a rival relationship begins to unravel and turn into an amazing friendship. Each of their paths is full of twists and turns that brings them to a mutual understanding and eventually the realization that there is something WRONG with the source of magic, THE HEART.
Vatra and Arturea are going to duel over the Heart. The Heart has ambient magic that brings balance to the natural world and its available to everyone, but out of nowhere it stopped. Vitalas is what the continents fight for: the access to convert the Hearts magic into energy, into electricity. But the Heart is not as strong as everyone initially thought it to be. In order to survive, Astrid and Skylar must do everything in their power to find the ROOT of all the problems and fix it before everyone dies.
For a debut, this is a solid book with easy flowing storytelling, GREAT friendship/found family dynamics and mild spicy romance (treading more on an insta-love/lust side). At the heart of the story, two people who were supposed to hate each other get closer together instead and their friendship is beautifully portrayed, well explored and perhaps the strongest part of the story. For those that do not/did not know-- Ellis Hunter is actually a pen name for two best friends who wanted top write about two best friends. They met in publishing world and bonded over their fantasy obsession. How sweet is that?? Blood Bound lives and breathes friendship air and you can just tell that it's their love letter to the genre. Ellis Hunter masterfully explored personal struggles, grief, immense resilience!
SO WHY IS THIS NOT A 5 STAR BANGER FOR ME?
Well for starters, I thought Blood Bound treaded too closely to Fourth Wing and Game of Thrones, especially the scenes with talking dragons/mind reading, birth of a dragon and had a lot of overlap with some action scenes. I understand that previous fantasy novels and TV shows serve as inspiration for many debut authors, however, there should be some restraint when it comes to overlaps. As creative and heart pounding as this was, I saw a lack of originality in the concept and fantasy elements. I also can't exactly call this an "EPIC" romantasy/fantasy because in the grand scope of things, Blood Bound did not have a very diverse ensemble cast and archetypes. The powers and magic felt limited to certain elements and very basic. In addition, Blood Bound felt more like a YA novel, with a lot of repetition, frequent reminders and carried very simplistic ideas. That is not to say that it flopped, its just for a novel to really have "epic" ring to it, the heroes really have to risk it all--above and beyond to give it an epic feel. There was a lot of slow build up before the "duel" and the readers at this point expect a real duel, but the duel fell flat, short lived and really unimpressive.
Secondly, the romance between Astrid and Prince Zryan leaned closer to insta-lust and love and lacked a deep emotional connection overall. I felt more tension and chemistry with Skylar and her potential slow-burn, but that too didn't go where I expected it to land. I at least hoped that one romance would shine through, but overall it very lackluster, giving the novel overall more of a YA feel vs adult. Nevertheless I know many readers will revel in that slow-burn and whatever tension is offered.
Lastly, a very small part but not significantly enough that reduced my rating was character voices. They were not distinctive enough and felt like they were written in one voice. I'd like to think of myself as a seasoned fantasy reader, so I admit I am much harder to please, but Blood Bound would have benefited from a chapter or two of a male POV. It felt like we were reading about two women without really knowing their counterparts. In my opinion, that would have added more tension and reduced the predictability...Because let's just say that there is no one like a woman reading another woman and knowing and understanding what a woman is seeing or thinking.
This book is featured on BOTM for April! If you're interested, you can grab this deluxe edition for $1 using this code before end of the month: https://www.mybotm.com/bgnrjn6qk0o
Cancel the subscription anytime!
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books publisher and the author, Ellis Hunter for sending an early copy.
Publication date: April 28, 2026
The book begins separately with two storylines, one of Astrids and one of Skylars, that eventually cross paths and once they do, thats where the plot really takes off.
ASTRID: She is the last Machstern witch and heir to the Queendom of Arturea, cursed by a centuries old covenant to duel the heir of the Kingdom of Vatra for the source of magic, The Heart. Her own kingdom is consumed by Blight so winning the duel is the only way to save her people and her life. The problem is--she's a witch who cannot summon her powers. She is however, excellent in combat and has excellent mastery of potions that can kill. She's headed into enemy territory to face Prince Zryan, the most powerful dragon rider, who she knows she stands absolutely NO CHANCE against. so she is ready to die and has accepted her fate.
MEANWHILE...
SKYLAR: Deep in the dragon country, Skylar is in a traveling troupe that arrives in Vatra's capital and ready to profit off legions of spectators. She is a tough cookie, has no family and despises the royals and all they stand for because they murdered her mother when she was only 10 years old. She's a skilled fighter with impressive skills of blade combat. When her best friend Cam disappears, she suspects that he is taken in the conscription (where the people gifted with powers, called 'The Blooded' are taken by the royal army) she starts her own search that takes her much closer to the royals until something unexpected happens.
COLLISION: Astrid and Skylars fates intertwine as the duel looms over the kingdom. Initially reluctant to converse with each other, their individualized paths make it hard for them not to. What starts as a rival relationship begins to unravel and turn into an amazing friendship. Each of their paths is full of twists and turns that brings them to a mutual understanding and eventually the realization that there is something WRONG with the source of magic, THE HEART.
Vatra and Arturea are going to duel over the Heart. The Heart has ambient magic that brings balance to the natural world and its available to everyone, but out of nowhere it stopped. Vitalas is what the continents fight for: the access to convert the Hearts magic into energy, into electricity. But the Heart is not as strong as everyone initially thought it to be. In order to survive, Astrid and Skylar must do everything in their power to find the ROOT of all the problems and fix it before everyone dies.
For a debut, this is a solid book with easy flowing storytelling, GREAT friendship/found family dynamics and mild spicy romance (treading more on an insta-love/lust side). At the heart of the story, two people who were supposed to hate each other get closer together instead and their friendship is beautifully portrayed, well explored and perhaps the strongest part of the story. For those that do not/did not know-- Ellis Hunter is actually a pen name for two best friends who wanted top write about two best friends. They met in publishing world and bonded over their fantasy obsession. How sweet is that?? Blood Bound lives and breathes friendship air and you can just tell that it's their love letter to the genre. Ellis Hunter masterfully explored personal struggles, grief, immense resilience!
SO WHY IS THIS NOT A 5 STAR BANGER FOR ME?
Well for starters, I thought Blood Bound treaded too closely to Fourth Wing and Game of Thrones, especially the scenes with talking dragons/mind reading, birth of a dragon and had a lot of overlap with some action scenes. I understand that previous fantasy novels and TV shows serve as inspiration for many debut authors, however, there should be some restraint when it comes to overlaps. As creative and heart pounding as this was, I saw a lack of originality in the concept and fantasy elements. I also can't exactly call this an "EPIC" romantasy/fantasy because in the grand scope of things, Blood Bound did not have a very diverse ensemble cast and archetypes. The powers and magic felt limited to certain elements and very basic. In addition, Blood Bound felt more like a YA novel, with a lot of repetition, frequent reminders and carried very simplistic ideas. That is not to say that it flopped, its just for a novel to really have "epic" ring to it, the heroes really have to risk it all--above and beyond to give it an epic feel. There was a lot of slow build up before the "duel" and the readers at this point expect a real duel, but the duel fell flat, short lived and really unimpressive.
Secondly, the romance between Astrid and Prince Zryan leaned closer to insta-lust and love and lacked a deep emotional connection overall. I felt more tension and chemistry with Skylar and her potential slow-burn, but that too didn't go where I expected it to land. I at least hoped that one romance would shine through, but overall it very lackluster, giving the novel overall more of a YA feel vs adult. Nevertheless I know many readers will revel in that slow-burn and whatever tension is offered.
Lastly, a very small part but not significantly enough that reduced my rating was character voices. They were not distinctive enough and felt like they were written in one voice. I'd like to think of myself as a seasoned fantasy reader, so I admit I am much harder to please, but Blood Bound would have benefited from a chapter or two of a male POV. It felt like we were reading about two women without really knowing their counterparts. In my opinion, that would have added more tension and reduced the predictability...Because let's just say that there is no one like a woman reading another woman and knowing and understanding what a woman is seeing or thinking.
This book is featured on BOTM for April! If you're interested, you can grab this deluxe edition for $1 using this code before end of the month: https://www.mybotm.com/bgnrjn6qk0o
Cancel the subscription anytime!
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books publisher and the author, Ellis Hunter for sending an early copy.
Publication date: April 28, 2026
April 14, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
4.25 ⭐️
Hell ya!! This was such a fun time!! A brilliant debut!!! Dare I say this will be the next big romantasy??! I thoroughly enjoyed this!
I want to say was there a few problems? Certainly. At times the writing, and pacing was lacking. Plus the nicknames were a bit over redundant and cheesy. But for a debut … I mean the potential here is unmatched!!!!! Would I recommend this for fantasy romance lovers? Absolutely. Yes, this does follows the same formula as all the rest…. And yes I LOVED IT!!
I’m a true fan of “when the first book was good but the second book was better” mentality and this is set up for a successful trilogy… A plain old good time. The dialogue was so good!! The plot also so good!! Familiars, witches, found family, banter, female rage, magic, danger and political intrigue…. SOO GOOD!!! I love when you get into a book and you just want to keep reading… I kept saying, one more page, one more page…. Over and over again. I found both women’s stories very compelling. This definitely gripped me from the start.
This was top notch, and if you are a romantasy girl I think this will be your next fav read!!!
Pick this up if you love dragons, tropey books, magic, adventure, self discovery, a hot cast of characters, and reading about friendship. 🐉🖤
4.25 ⭐️
Hell ya!! This was such a fun time!! A brilliant debut!!! Dare I say this will be the next big romantasy??! I thoroughly enjoyed this!
I want to say was there a few problems? Certainly. At times the writing, and pacing was lacking. Plus the nicknames were a bit over redundant and cheesy. But for a debut … I mean the potential here is unmatched!!!!! Would I recommend this for fantasy romance lovers? Absolutely. Yes, this does follows the same formula as all the rest…. And yes I LOVED IT!!
I’m a true fan of “when the first book was good but the second book was better” mentality and this is set up for a successful trilogy… A plain old good time. The dialogue was so good!! The plot also so good!! Familiars, witches, found family, banter, female rage, magic, danger and political intrigue…. SOO GOOD!!! I love when you get into a book and you just want to keep reading… I kept saying, one more page, one more page…. Over and over again. I found both women’s stories very compelling. This definitely gripped me from the start.
This was top notch, and if you are a romantasy girl I think this will be your next fav read!!!
Pick this up if you love dragons, tropey books, magic, adventure, self discovery, a hot cast of characters, and reading about friendship. 🐉🖤
Did Not Finish
April 13, 2026dnf @ 25% i was super excited to receive an arc of this initially, but when i finally decided to pick it up it just didn’t hit as i expected it to. i couldn’t find myself getting interested in the plot or feeling any type of connection to the characters
January 22, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you Ellis Hunter for an early copy for review!
5⭐️| OUT May 7th 2026
It took me nearly 3 weeks to gather my thoughts for this review because I still think about this MASTERPIECE of a book everyday!
This is high-stakes fantasy with a sprinkle of romance at its very best. The dual POVs written by two authors lends itself to the two FMCs having a really strong voice, Having two FMCs is uncommon but boy did I love this. Ellis Hunter nails it on the head with the alternate POV chapters and the pacing really does pack a strong punch with building up the tension. This is really one of the best paced books I have read in a long time. Eventhough I guessed some of the twists the plot of this book was incredibly satisfying. The world building was truly immaculate.
What you can expect:
♥️ female friendships
💙 smart-arse cat, dragons and other familiars (who also talk!)
♥️ trauma
💙 twisty plot
♥️ big simp Zryan
💙 mental health representation
I highly recommend this book to anyone who can read, honestly you don't want to miss out on the biggest romantasy of 2026. I am truly lucky to have read this early!
Thank you Ellis Hunter for an early copy for review!
5⭐️| OUT May 7th 2026
It took me nearly 3 weeks to gather my thoughts for this review because I still think about this MASTERPIECE of a book everyday!
This is high-stakes fantasy with a sprinkle of romance at its very best. The dual POVs written by two authors lends itself to the two FMCs having a really strong voice, Having two FMCs is uncommon but boy did I love this. Ellis Hunter nails it on the head with the alternate POV chapters and the pacing really does pack a strong punch with building up the tension. This is really one of the best paced books I have read in a long time. Eventhough I guessed some of the twists the plot of this book was incredibly satisfying. The world building was truly immaculate.
What you can expect:
♥️ female friendships
💙 smart-arse cat, dragons and other familiars (who also talk!)
♥️ trauma
💙 twisty plot
♥️ big simp Zryan
💙 mental health representation
I highly recommend this book to anyone who can read, honestly you don't want to miss out on the biggest romantasy of 2026. I am truly lucky to have read this early!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wow?! What a book to start 2025 with. This book was full of tension and the writing was so addictive. The twists had me gripped and the plot was both fun and unique.
We have witches and their familiars and dragon riders and their dragons, and I have to say I bloody love magical animal companions. Bastet has my heart and I'll always have a spot for Quincy too. 💙
I loved the characters and really felt both their love and joy as well as their pain and fear. I'm not sure a book has ever made me giggle and kick my feet so much only to then to make me sob a few pages down the line. And I really think that is a testament to just how well connected to the characters I felt when reading this.
Reading a book with powerful female characters is always something I enjoy but the way the authors allowed so much of the focus of the book to be on platonic love, friendship and girlhood, not just intimate love, was clever and powerful and honestly, heart-warming in the best way.
I cannot wait to see this book get all of the lovd it deserves upon release, it was formidable and I'm ready to re-read already!
Thank you so so much to the incredible authors for sending me a proof copy of this book early.
We have witches and their familiars and dragon riders and their dragons, and I have to say I bloody love magical animal companions. Bastet has my heart and I'll always have a spot for Quincy too. 💙
I loved the characters and really felt both their love and joy as well as their pain and fear. I'm not sure a book has ever made me giggle and kick my feet so much only to then to make me sob a few pages down the line. And I really think that is a testament to just how well connected to the characters I felt when reading this.
Reading a book with powerful female characters is always something I enjoy but the way the authors allowed so much of the focus of the book to be on platonic love, friendship and girlhood, not just intimate love, was clever and powerful and honestly, heart-warming in the best way.
I cannot wait to see this book get all of the lovd it deserves upon release, it was formidable and I'm ready to re-read already!
Thank you so so much to the incredible authors for sending me a proof copy of this book early.
remind-me-once-out
November 7, 2025" rival witches and dragon riders as they battle to control "
I'm sat
I'm sat
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