The Change

Unbounded #1

by Teyla Branton

There are only two ways to kill Unbounded, and fire isn’t one of them—as law school dropout Erin Radkey learns the hard way. By fluke of a recessive gene, she has become Unbounded, a nearly immortal being with paranormal abilities.

Erin’s Change separates her from her loved ones and alters everything she believes to be true. A week earlier she was considering a marriage proposal; now she contemplates the best way to stay alive. Caught in a battle between two Unbounded groups, she is also hunted by a secret mortal society sworn to eradicate the Unbounded gene. Worse, a new identification software could mean death for all Unbounded—or enslavement for the entire mortal world.

As Erin plunges into this dangerous new life, she must carve out her own place in the madness, protect her mortal family, and decide which group she should join. Her powerful attraction to Ritter Langton, whose family was massacred by opposing Unbounded two hundred and forty years ago, complicates her choices. There are no second chances. Death, life, or love—Unbounded always play for keeps.

Non-stop action, terrifying consequences, and powerful romance make this an exciting addition to the world of urban fantasy.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Ebooks, Fiction, Science Fiction

358 pages, ebook

First published November 29, 2013

About the author

Teyla Rachel Branton grew up avidly reading science fiction and fantasy and watching Star Trek reruns with her large family. They lived on a little farm where she loved to visit the solitary cow and collect (and juggle) the eggs, usually making it back to the house with most of them intact. On that same farm she once owned thirty-three gerbils and eighteen cats, not a good mix, as it turns out. Teyla always had her nose in a book and daydreamed about someday creating her own worlds. She is now married, mostly grown up, and has seven kids, so life at her house can be very interesting (and loud), but writing keeps her sane. She thrives on the energy and daily amusement offered by her children, the semi-ordered chaos giving her a constant source of writing material. Grabbing any snatch of free time from her hectic life, Teyla writes novels full of mystery, romance, and imagination. She warns her children that if they don’t behave, they just might find themselves in her next book! She’s been known to wear pajamas all day when working on a deadline, and is often distracted enough to burn dinner. (Okay, pretty much 90% of the time.) A sign on her office door reads: DANGER. WRITER AT WORK. ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK. She loves writing fiction and traveling, and she hopes to write and travel a lot more. She also loves shooting guns, martial arts, and belly dancing. She has worked in the publishing business for over twenty years.

Reviews

[Jilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book isn't perfect, but it has high entertainment value. If you like plot twists and reveals, you have come to the right place. There are more twists and *gasp!* moments than in a Mexican soap opera.



We have Erin, a girl who gets into a fatal car accident but doesn't die, as our heroine. She learns she is "Changed" into an immortal. Well, kind of immortal. They live about 2,000 years. Good enough. Personally, I can't really imagine how boring life would get living that long. I can't even get excited over the ice cream truck anymore, but as a kid I would lose my shit over that sound. How jaded would I be at the age of 1,000? I bet even chocolate wouldn't give me the thrill I need by then. I'd probably be mainlining sugar just to feel anything at all.

Anyway, there are three groups fighting and killing each other in this world - two of them are the immortals who have divided into X-Men type of teams, and one is a group that wants to kill all immortals. The good X-Men team is where Erin lands at first, but it doesn't take long for her to encounter the others. And, X-Men is a good way to describe them because they all get some sort of super-power when they get their immortality which doesn't happen until their 30's.

So, basically, it's a war over who "gets" Erin.
Now, I don't want to question the taste of these immortals, but let's just say Erin isn't the brightest bulb in the pack. She supposedly went to law school, but acts like a moody teenage girl most of the time and can't seem to put two and two together. Maybe she went to one of those online universities that promises you a "law degree" in 6 weeks from an unaccredited university in the Nigeria for just five thousand dollars. You could hang your degree on the wall, or you can use it as kindling for starting that fire you need to keep yourself warm since you can't pay your bills. Either way, that's the usefulness of it.


Next time my hubs needs heart surgery, I've got him covered. Thanks, Google!

The story mainly consists of Erin being shocked. First she finds out she is immortal, then she is constantly learning new reveals that shock her and change the story. It is one thing after another until you really have to laugh when the next "dead person" comes back to life or someone else reveals their secret plot to take over the world. It's like a combination of a soap opera and a room full of magicians trying to dazzle each other with their tricks. After a while you are really expecting alien babies and evil twins. You wouldn't bat an eye if they showed up. But, that made it fun for me. I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to laugh at the latest parental reveal and not-death, but I did. It was just tooooo much.


Okay, I'm interested...

There is also a romance between Erin and the guy who manhandles her in the beginning of the story and treats her like shit, because who doesn't fall for that guy? You know, the one who's holding you prisoner and hurts you by restraining you? Sexxxxy!
He turns out okay, but still... my frustration over her immediate attraction to him was high.

All together, the book is fun if you can suspend all belief in..... well everything.... and just enjoy the stupid ride. Oh, and it ends on a cliffhanger. Well, more like the middle of a sentence. To be honest, I don't care enough to read on, but I am curious if the author goes so batshit crazy with the twists in the next book too.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the plot and the action and even the characters. And I particularly liked how thoroughly Branton imagines a world where those with hyper-extended lifespans and regenerative capabilities extend into an enhanced virility that defeats all known methods of birth control. As one character put it, "so much for the sexual revolution." It makes sense to me that these people would have both an enhanced sense of family (since all sex pretty much has to be committed sex) and an expanding sense of loss after centuries of death and conflict.

Unfortunately that thoroughness also leads me to wonder if I can take continuing with the series. I'm a romantic at heart, and I just don't see relationship written in Erin's stars. Not just because the most available hottie is an emotionally-distant wreck living off a century+ of vengeance, but also because romantic success (even if it includes marriage and commitment) means a kind of vulnerability that would ruin any chance I have of enjoying the relationship's culmination. What I mean is that pregnancy and child rearing would make Erin so vulnerable (both herself physically during pregnancy as well as by proxy through children later) that I'd have a hard time engaging with whatever plot existed after that.

I guess what I'm saying is that my romantic instincts are turned against themselves here. On the one hand, I can't stop hoping for the love connection of my characters and their happiness through it. But for Erin, that culmination leads to a personal end of the story as I don't think I'll enjoy the results of that culmination--i.e. vulnerability or disaster. Children under threat are an emotional tie that I can only take in small doses. Mothers who have children and who must battle evil need to have a haven where those children are out of combat or I get very tense. Branton's world has no safety for children of the "Unbounded". There is no haven as the children are explicit targets of all the foes arrayed against them. I can't take that and the very threat means I can't even hope for a romantic connection between Erin and the supremely yummy Ritter. That tension sapped my enjoyment of the story.

So yeah, good story. Good characters. And I thoroughly enjoyed the plot twists as both unlikely and completely justified by the story's internal logic. Fantastically well done for a series I can't see pursuing.

[Monty Cupcake ☠ Queen of Bloodshed ☠ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good enough pnr book about a girl who finds out she can't die, at least not without being chopped up into a lot of pieces. That's a nice surprise, but it as always it comes with a price - there's a bad organization after these Unbound people and she happens to be on the good side.

Pretty good pacing, some little twists, action, and a possible love interest. Pretty good start.

[Merric Blackman · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a book about the Machiavellian schemes of a bunch of immortals, "The Change" rather lacks subtlety, both in what is going on and in its writing style. While it isn't horribly bad, neither does it have the spark needed to make it a great book, or even a book that I want to spend a lot of time with.

There is something frightfully shallow about the heroine. Although there are attempts to give her depth - an abandoned law degree, a mention of a job - none of these actually show up in her actions or, more importantly, her thoughts. When someone so bland is acting as the narrator of the book, the action better be pretty spectacular to make up for it.

However, despite the layering of plot twist on top of plot twists, the characterisation seems off; these immortals are too easily deceived. There's a lot of exposition in the middle of the book, and it weights it down badly.

Ultimately, I found "The Change" disappointing. It's not a bad book, but the writing doesn't match the ambition of some of its ideas.

[Kathy * Bookworm Nation · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised with this one! It seems whenever I tip my toes into the Urban Fantasy genre I either find a lot of YA books or NA/Adult books that aren't very clean. So, I was happy to find a UF that has grown up and likable characters with a well developed paranormal mythology and worldbuilding that also has no questionable content. And bonus, the series is all complete so I can dive right in!

This one sucked me in from the beginning and kept me glued to the pages throughout. I really enjoyed the idea of the Unbounded and their own unique abilities. Erin Radkey's life is thrown upside down when after an accident she learns she is one of the rare Unbounded. Thrown into a war between The Emporium and the Renegades, where both are fighting to get her on their side, she really doesn't know who to trust and has to learn to trust herself. I liked Erin's character quite a bit and thought she grew a lot throughout the story. There is an interesting cast of characters and lots of things going on. I liked that I could guess somethings but there were still some twists that kept surprising me.

This is the start of a series so the romance isn't really the focal point, but it does play an important role. I thought it could have been developed a little more. It seemed their connection felt a little to insta-physical to me, but at the same time they are in some high stress situations so it makes sense that feelings can develop quickly. I look forward to seeing where their story goes.

Overall, a great start to hopefully a fun new series. I thought this one stood well on its own, but definitely leaves things open that I'll want to keep reading to see what happens next.

Content
Romance: Clean, kissing and very mild innuendo
Language: Very mild, maybe one mild curse word
Violence: Mild-moderate, not overly graphic but lots of fighting, killing, regenerating, etc.
Series: Unbounded, Book One

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[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was free. I hate myself. I'll hate myself more when I read the sequels. There's something wrong with my love for hate-reads.

[Debra Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finished Reading July 23, 2013

2.5 Stars
Was interesting but also disjointed in places.
Also, no sex scenes. Just a lot of build up that goes no where.
Cliffhanger & 'CLEAN'. Yuck!
Book Rejected. Not For Me.
Wish I had know that Before I read it.

Prch Amz July 13, 2013

[Jeanny · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 the last 45% of the book moved it up that .5% above average. I'll be reading the next series installment.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/14/2019)! 🎁

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just have to say how surprised I am by how much I love this series. I came in late, though, and read the second, third, and fourth books, and had missed reading the first. It didn't seem to matter at first, as I had no trouble understanding those last three, but when I finally read the first book, everything I'd read in the others really had more of a foundation, and details I didn't really understand suddenly made perfect sense. So, so good.

The first book, The Change, introduces us to the cast of characters and what Unbounded people really are. I love the character of Erin. Her bewilderment and then acceptance was so realistic. There are some great plot twists that kept me up for several nights to see how it would be resolved. I mean, who's betraying who, will Erin reconcile with her mortal boyfriend, will the Emporium lure her to their side, it was all so exciting. There are some great action scenes and the writing was stellar. The plot was original, the characters believable, and the tension high throughout. And this one is free currently, so hurry and go pick it up!

Originally reviewed on http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com

[Evelyn Doyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this one. Mostly I feel played. The author went a little nuts with her plot twists and surprises. So many things were discovered to be lies that I was dizzied with the back-and-forth effect, and learned I couldn't trust anything that was said or discovered, as it would likely change within a chapter or two.

Perhaps the author meant this happen as a way of nurturing suspense, but that was a big backfire—all it actually did was rob me of the satisfaction one gets by compiling suspicions from foreshadowing and suggestion (no foreshadows to be had in this one, folks).

It made me impatient and frustrated, which are not emotions I go for in my leisure reading. Despite that though, I was interested enough to read it to the end—and while I'm unlikely to seek out its sequels, I could recommend it to someone who'd enjoy a spec-fic action story, but is feeling too lazy to invest their cognitive involvement. Appropriate to read at the end of a long and difficult day, when one's brain has already gone to bed anyway.

[Greg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know how experienced Branton is, but although The Change (Unbounded #1) shows some promise in it's creativity and world building, it is far from polished. The characters are shallow , the plot simplistic, and the dialogue stilted. As another reviewer put it, the novel lacks the "spark" needed to turn it from an amateur attempt to a polished, readable, attention-grabbing effort. Hopefully the author will get some help refining her writing, because (as I said) the idea for the series has promise.

[Scribblegirl · Rating 1 out of 5]

No. So much no. It's lazy, badly written, angsty where angst makes no sense, has a main character too stupid to live, downplays slavery and euphemizes slaves into employees and plantations into lovely places where the character in question enjoyed having her employees wait on her. There's even a line about how well her family treated their "workers." It's just flatout racist. There was more, but I finished it over a month ago and can't remember everything I hated about it. Suffice to say I won't be reading any of the sequels.

[Mark Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

An afternoon of shopping with her best friend, followed by an explosive accident on the way home, Erin Radkey watches her friend burn to death and in the process is near death from massive burns, herself. Waking in a hospital, Erin can only see from one eye. Unable to talk and swathed in bandages from head to toe, she hears voices saying they had to amputate most of her left arm, the left side of her face is completely destroyed and she’s on death’s doorstep. Big bummer.
Fading in and out of consciousness, she wakes to find the doctor covering her over with a sheet as though she’s dead. Unable to communicate, she passes out. The next thing she’s aware of is being set into a coffin, naked, and covered completely with a slimy substance. Unaware of how long she’s unconscious, she wakes to find her body once again restored, in a warehouse, still in the coffin and strange people staring at her.
Wary of her situation, she’s told she has a recessive gene, making her nearly immortal, the term used is Unbounded. Erin soon finds out there are two groups of Unbounded fighting to claim her, not only because of the power she possesses but also she’s prime material for breeding as both groups of unbounded are being killed off from constant attacks by a group of humans known as the Hunters, dedicated to wiping out all unbounded.
Without giving too much away, Erin struggles with deception from both groups of unbounded vying for her, trying to save her human family from danger as hostages of the Hunters and her strong attraction to and unbounded mercenary by the name of Ritter, who continually saves her from the precarious situations she keeps getting into.
I found the story line interesting, the plot twists keeping the pages turning and tension steady. Fortunately, the story has a completed ending, with a natural segue into the next book of the series. I would recommend this book to fantasy lovers and intend to follow the series.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Erin wakes up from a car accident that should have killed her, her life changes. She is an Unbounded, she will live for 2,000 years, have some kind of special ability, and now has not 1 but 2 groups that want to kill or use her. Then there's the Rengades, another group of Unbounded who wants to help her. But with the Renegades comes Ritter The tortured bad boy who she defiantly shouldn't fall for but is totally attracted to. There is also her fourth-greatgrandmother. Yeah, life just got complicated.

This book was an ok read for me. The beginning was a little dragged out and there was lots of necessary plot twists. What? There is a mole in the Renegades, wait nope. That one isn't the mole this one actually is. *gasp* The man that raised me actually isn't my father? My father is the evil leader of Emporium? Wait no, hes not my father Demitri is. My best friend died in the car accident that I should have died in. Wait, nope never mind, she's actually Unbounded and is also Tom's mother not sister. Really, was all of that really necessary??

And the heart thing? Can Erin really just give her heart to her father? Like its just the easiest thing in the world? Oh yeah, I'm just going to give my adoptive father my heart now, see you tomorrow! Um, no.

Then there's Ritter. The tortured soul who is dead set on revenge. Yeah, I get what he had to go though was really bad. But does he have to self sabotage himself by no letting himself be with Erin? It's killing me. They need get over everything and follow their hearts.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Erin miraculously survives a car accident that should have killed her, she learns that she carries a rare recessive gene that has made her an Unbounded - a nearly immortal being who will soon develop some manner of supernatural power. A group of fellow Unbounded, including a distant ancestor, takes her in, explaining her new world and its dangers to her. This group calls itself the Renegades and is at war with a second group of Unbounded as well as a bunch of mortals who want all Unbounded eradicated. Amidst all the chaos, Erin has to choose a side, and while she's still trying to figure out everything that's going on, her family ends up in mortal danger.

I liked the premise and the story started out quite intriguing, but it all went downhill after a while. I mean... good grief. This thing contains more ridiculous far-fetched plot twists than the most obnoxious of soap operas. At some point I was just rolling my eyes almost constantly at all the oh-so-dramatic and unexpected revelations.

[Heather Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting concept

This slow burn Urban Fantasy has a bit of a Highlander feel, blended with the ambiance of a vampire (there are no vampires here) novel, and mixed with the action and danger of a secret society infused with world ending potential. Got it? Good. It’s, in a word, unique. A fairly decent read, even though there were some emotional moments that I questioned - not that I didn’t understand them, but that the characters didn’t seem to understand them. Trust is earned, right?

First person, single POV, episodic ending with a tense, slowburn M/F romantic undertone, though this is a UF, so romance is not the plot driver. Characters are 30+ (add many, many +’s for some of them). I would rate it adult reading for violence alone, though not graphic.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good story! I read this one on my flight to and from Cleveland over the weekend. Definitely kept my interest. I love the storyline and look forward to seeing what is in store for Erin and Ritter.

[Witchmetal]

DNF 20% I didn't connect with any of the characters and the story was so slow

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this fantasy YA. Good character and plot development. Definitely willing to read again.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! Loved writing style characters story. Reading others in series right away.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah immortality

Ah immortality … This book is a different take on immortality. For once, and thank goodness, they are not zombies nor are they vampires. This immortal bunch depends wholly upon a mutated gene, so more X-Men than anything else.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book read by this author. Different story line than what I am used to with other paranormal but I enjoyed it! I was hoping for Erin and Ritter's plot to develop more but not! I plan to read the second book.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really didn't know what to think of this book as I was first starting to read it. The idea of immortals can generally be pretty hard to write about, especially when they are living among humans in secret. The combining of mass amounts of money and advancement of technology was also I found common in such types of books, so that wasn't much of a 'game changer' for me. I did however, thought the way to kill the unbounded-- immortals-- was interesting. As the book was reaching towards the end and the plot twists were emerging, the book did pick up pace and kept my interest. What irked me was the excessive amounts of 'twists' there were. It got to the point where I really couldn't take all the misleading information seriously. A small thing that- for some irrational reason- also irked me was the implement of some historical or dead icons that were also part of the unbounded. The book continued on to talk about the high fertility rate of the unbounded, stating that most birth control methods do not work. For some reason, I was under the impression that condoms also would not work, though I am not sure if this is true or not. Weird images then ensued...

Anyway, the book also talks about how the unbounded absorb nutrients and energy from their environment. I think I could believe that to a point, but for them not needing to eat since they can absorb food particles was a bit too much for me. They have this weird photosynthesis thing going on at all times. As I thought about them being able to absorb such things as food and coffee/liquid particles, it also dawned on me that if they can absorb those types of particles, what about the other particles are they absorbing too? You know, like the bad/gross fecal type? More weird images ensue...

I felt the book was overall an interesting read in the end, even with a few minor errors and some- what I thought were- out of place sentences. The love square was a bit interesting, though I wasn't really feeling it with the character the main character, Erin decides to go for at the end of the first book. I don't believe I will seek out buying the next sequels to the series, even though I am interested in knowing what happens to some of the other side characters. All-in-all it wasn't my favorite book to read, but I also did not dread reading it at some points.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Change" has one of the most unique plots that I've read in a long time. Author, Teyla Branton has the unique gift of weaving an incredible world that includes rare individuals who discover they have unusual abilities and will live centuries that is if they are not taken out by other power hungry factions.

Thirty five year old Erin was riding in the car with her best friend, Justine when they were hit by another vehicle causing their car to burst into flames. Justine dies and Erin is barely hanging on with the extensive burns on most of her body. However, through her drug induced haze she realizes something is wrong when she is whisked away to some unknown location and placed in a vat of a jello like substance. Days later when she emerges almost fully healed, she begins to question her strange captors.

As Erin discovers who and what she is, she refuses to accept her captors reasoning that her family must believe she is dead. Her single act of defiance soon places them at risk and some may not survive. As she grapples with what she has done. she also must learn to maneuver in the new shark infested world in which she lives all while trying to deal with newly emerging abilities and strengths. To make matters worse, Erin finds herself attracted to one of her captors who is so angry and set on revenge he has no room in his life for love or does he?

There are plenty of twists and turns, action scenes, betrayals and sexy attractions in this book and I can't wait for the next one. The only reason I didn't give this book five stars is because we are told that the Unbounded are rare but in the end so many people began exhibiting the trait that it was almost comical. However, don't let that one criticism stop you from reading a wonderfully good read.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel almost like I've been on a roller coaster finding out I have a bad case of vertigo.

I started out with that excitement you feel in your gut as you move closer to getting to the front of the line and you'll have a shot at the first seat. Yes!!.

The book started out with a fast climb to the top and the first major thrill. Holy spit! Crash, fire, death and critically burned. I couldn't even imagine the shock it would be to become partially conscious and try to come to term with something so horrendous.

Woops. Are we still in the same story? This bit about smuggling our heroine out of the hospital was more slapstick than the Three Stooges. If my sister/daughter/niece/friend was kidnapped out of a hospital, I would climb the Empire State Building in my search for her. I would not be pacified by some pith poor excuse she had been transferred to a special clinic.

Even more down was that our heroine wasn't even bothered very much about dumping everyone she had ever known because she was one of the "Unbounded". Maybe it's just me, but even their name is a poor choice of grammer. How about just the "Unbound"?

Thereafter, the book became a cliché of twists and turns of surprise. I wondered if it was just me, or maybe if Paul Newman was standing. next to me muttering, "What we have here, is a failure to communicate".

It left me with a feeling of disappointment. I couldn't trust anything that was said or any of the action because everything was a lie to set you up for the next session - like the season of dreams experienced in "Dallas".

I don't think I'll be following this series.

[Mandy Saial · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tried to read Erin's story , the blurb actually pulled me in and she is a strong female lead , but I couldn't quit get into the rest of the storyline . I actually zoned out a few times, but maybe I'm more of a paranormal reader and not an urban fantasy reader .

[Cheryl Landmark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

This was a pretty engaging read for the most part. I liked the premise, the world building and the characters. There were plenty of thrilling action scenes and compelling twists and turns to keep me reading avidly to the end.

What I didn't like so much was the rampant sexual attraction between the main character, Erin, and practically every hot-blooded male in her vicinity! Well, at least four of them, anyway. I really dislike the love triangle trope in books, but a pentangle is even worse. :) Ritter was the yummiest of the lot, and who doesn't love a dangerous bad boy? But, he was almost too damaged and singlemindedly focused on bitter revenge. It's hard to tell if he would ever commit wholeheartedly to a romantic relationship. Darn!

The other issue I had with this book was the ending. It was a little too abrupt and unsatisfying. And, the final big showdown scene seemed anticlimatic. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story enough that I already have the second book in the series. Hopefully, many of the unanswered questions and plot threads will be wrapped up satisfactorily in that one.

[David Teachout · Rating 4 out of 5]

A race of immortals? They can only be killed by being sliced apart? At first I was worried about the potential Highlander/vampire rip-off, but then the subtle differences were explored and the result was quite a bit of fun. Branton has taken the genre into new-ish territory and made it her own even in the first book. The central character, a strong female, is willing to explore her world and remain human enough to engender empathy. Yes, yes, there's some ridiculous romantic issues that are a tad over-the-top, but considering the world created it makes some sense and the reaction is hardly as crazy as some others in the urban fantasy genre where the woman can't help but want to be overshadowed by a hulking neanderthal with delusions of poetry. Instead we have some real emotional reactions, a depth of introspection that is meaningful without being tiring, and supporting characters that are more than cutouts. With non-stop action, intrigue and varying factions to keep in mind this is a solid fun read.

[lorraine tall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant

Great story, absolutely loved it. Great characters, interesting storyline. Cannot wait to read the rest of the series. One to recommend.