Book: Bound by Alyson Dawn
Reviewed by Halliday in the Books
Rating: 3.5/5
After the events of Marked , Blair and her friends are still on the run from Hunters. They’ve won their battles, but not without cost. But it looks like they’ll soon be able to turn the tide. Their abilities have been growing, and new allies will teach them even more. Once their strength has grown enough, they’ll be able to take the fight to the Hunters. Potentially, they could even take on the King himself. It’s the only path they can see toward a future where Shadowborn like themselves can be free to live openly. For now, they live in fear of incarceration or death over the circumstances of their birth.
I liked that we got a much deeper view into the magic system this time around. I finished the first book feeling like the shadow magic was unique and versatile and I wanted to see more. Dawn definitely delivered on that front. The action this time around is set at a much slower pace. The majority of the book focuses on the characters training and developing their skills, so we as readers get to see their abilities in intricate detail.
We also spend a lot more time with the characters getting to understand their motivations and backstories. This includes a few new additions to the core team as well, who are all equally as fun as its original members. However, these explorations into their histories reveal serious trauma for more than one of them. The book does not shy away from describing these ordeals, so it’s a good idea to heed relevant content warnings.
Because there’s so much focus on character development and the magical system, there’s less space for action. It is still present, though. There’s a little bit sprinkled throughout the book, but the majority takes place in the very climactic final 15 percent. Up until that point, I was wondering whether there would be a book three, because I didn’t see how the story could be resolved before the end of this one. This led to the ending feeling a lot more sudden when it did arrive than it likely would have with more consistent pacing throughout.
I had a good time with this one. This author has created a world and characters that are a lot of fun to read. I’m looking forward to seeing what she comes out with next.