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Bound Trilogy #1
Bound
Welcome to Darmid, where magic is a sin, fairy tales are contraband, and the people live in fear of the Sorcerers on the other side of the mountains.
Rowan Greenwood has everything she's supposed to want from life—a good family, a bright future, and a proposal from a handsome and wealthy magic hunter. She knows she should be content with what she has. If only she could banish the idea that there's more to life than marriage and children, or let go of the fascination with magic she's been forced to suppress since childhood.
When Rowan unknowingly saves the life of one of her people’s most feared enemies, that simple act of compassion rips her from her sheltered life and throws her into a world of magic that’s more beautiful, more seductive, and more dangerous than she ever could have imagined.
Rowan might get everything she ever dreamed of—that is, if the one thing she's always wanted doesn't kill her first.
Rowan Greenwood has everything she's supposed to want from life—a good family, a bright future, and a proposal from a handsome and wealthy magic hunter. She knows she should be content with what she has. If only she could banish the idea that there's more to life than marriage and children, or let go of the fascination with magic she's been forced to suppress since childhood.
When Rowan unknowingly saves the life of one of her people’s most feared enemies, that simple act of compassion rips her from her sheltered life and throws her into a world of magic that’s more beautiful, more seductive, and more dangerous than she ever could have imagined.
Rowan might get everything she ever dreamed of—that is, if the one thing she's always wanted doesn't kill her first.
398 pages, Paperback
First published June 11, 2014
485 people are currently reading
5225 people want to read
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November 20, 2017
Review to come!
July 23, 2014
The second book I've read this summer where I desperately wanted the saccharine heroine and broody hero to get eaten by the bad guy...
Hours of my life were spent waiting for something to happen. This book read more like a travel journal looking for magical help, and never finding it, and then on to the next destination with mini adventures in magic and near romance on the way. Then yup! Nothing happens.
Hours of my life were spent waiting for something to happen. This book read more like a travel journal looking for magical help, and never finding it, and then on to the next destination with mini adventures in magic and near romance on the way. Then yup! Nothing happens.
June 15, 2014
LOVED IT!
Enchanting from start to finish. "Bound" is a must read.
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
*NO SPOILER REVIEW*
Sparkes is an incredibly imaginative writer who has created a vivid and shimmering world with an intricately woven history that is both wholly believable and completely captivating. The protagonist, Rowan, is strong, insightful, generous, romantic, and funny. Sparkes' beautiful descriptive language, and informal sense of humour in the dialogue made Rowan seem so real. I felt connected to her and her struggles, and I am excited to see how her story continues in the next two books. It was refreshing to read about a female character who is tenacious and strong and is able to hold her own against a powerfully magical male protagonist. Their love story is compelling and endearing.
The many levels and layers of conflict in the plot make the story interesting and complex, but Sparkes writes with great clarity and intention so the story never seems to meander. The story unfolds at a pace that keeps you completely hooked.
Lately I've noticed that many authors in the Young Adult Fantasy genre are shying away from the creation of imaginary worlds. Protagonists all seem to hail from recognizable cities, and seem to deal with fairly mundane (and very human) conflicts. Occasionally they dip their toes in the magic pool, but it's not the focus of the story. After reading so many of these teen novels (with just a hint of magic) I found Kate Sparkes' debut novel, Bound, to be refreshing on so many levels. The whole experience was magical.
Enchanting from start to finish. "Bound" is a must read.
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
*NO SPOILER REVIEW*
Sparkes is an incredibly imaginative writer who has created a vivid and shimmering world with an intricately woven history that is both wholly believable and completely captivating. The protagonist, Rowan, is strong, insightful, generous, romantic, and funny. Sparkes' beautiful descriptive language, and informal sense of humour in the dialogue made Rowan seem so real. I felt connected to her and her struggles, and I am excited to see how her story continues in the next two books. It was refreshing to read about a female character who is tenacious and strong and is able to hold her own against a powerfully magical male protagonist. Their love story is compelling and endearing.
The many levels and layers of conflict in the plot make the story interesting and complex, but Sparkes writes with great clarity and intention so the story never seems to meander. The story unfolds at a pace that keeps you completely hooked.
Lately I've noticed that many authors in the Young Adult Fantasy genre are shying away from the creation of imaginary worlds. Protagonists all seem to hail from recognizable cities, and seem to deal with fairly mundane (and very human) conflicts. Occasionally they dip their toes in the magic pool, but it's not the focus of the story. After reading so many of these teen novels (with just a hint of magic) I found Kate Sparkes' debut novel, Bound, to be refreshing on so many levels. The whole experience was magical.
April 20, 2015
This a romance pretending to be a fantasy. Told in alternating POV between Aren, the male protagonist and a young killer sorcerer from Tyrea and his female counterpart, the naive but adventure seeking Rowan from magic-fearing Darmid. Their countries are sworn enemies and Aren is instructed by his evil older brother Severn to look for magic-user in her country. The first chapter started out promisingly and ominously. Then it slowly went downhill.
The world-building is threadbare with shallow descriptions of its peoples & customs: Tyreans speak with an accent and their men wear their hair long. Mermen have the same food and wardrobe just like land people. Every country talks the same language, and some of their expressions are very 21st century.
Characters appear and quickly disappear, most are unnecessary and add nothing to the plot. There's a lot of telling and no showing. If Harry Potter's world was like the artwork in the Sistine Chapel, this magic world would be like a child's crayon drawing of stick figures and their dog.
It doesn't help that Aren is the typical brooding, good-looking murdering anti-hero, and Rowen is a clueless, goody-two shoes Mary Sue. They are 20 somethings who act like teenagers. A boring couple in a thinly conceived fantasy. The only thing I liked is the cover which I think is really pretty.
The world-building is threadbare with shallow descriptions of its peoples & customs: Tyreans speak with an accent and their men wear their hair long. Mermen have the same food and wardrobe just like land people. Every country talks the same language, and some of their expressions are very 21st century.
Characters appear and quickly disappear, most are unnecessary and add nothing to the plot. There's a lot of telling and no showing. If Harry Potter's world was like the artwork in the Sistine Chapel, this magic world would be like a child's crayon drawing of stick figures and their dog.
It doesn't help that Aren is the typical brooding, good-looking murdering anti-hero, and Rowen is a clueless, goody-two shoes Mary Sue. They are 20 somethings who act like teenagers. A boring couple in a thinly conceived fantasy. The only thing I liked is the cover which I think is really pretty.
March 20, 2017
This one started out slow, but once I was in about 25%, I couldn't put it down!
Full of action and adventure with the right amount of romance!
Absolutely loved this series!
Full of action and adventure with the right amount of romance!
Absolutely loved this series!
March 7, 2015
As far as YA fantasy novels go, this is probably one of the most underrated read I have come across this year. I kept reading this piece wondering why had I not seen it advertised anywhere, displayed on your usual bookseller shelves, and why I still don’t. “Bound� is definitely on par with the most popular YA reads sold right now and can hold its own. I really feel that Kate Sparkes is an author to watch.
The world of magic and fairy tales is one that many authors venture in with repeated tried and tested formulae. What made “Bound� standout for me, is not the world where the story took place but the journey that the main characters are on. The tale focuses on the people and not necessarily on what they can do with their magical powers. This is the difference that essentially makes this book a great read.
You will still meet your “want to dominate the world� power hungry villains and Aren is maybe one of the cruellest sorcerers there is, until he is hit by a spark of compassion from Rowan, a young lady who is currently questioning everything she knows and seemingly has no idea about her magical heritage.
As a female character, I found Rowan refreshing. Watching her learning about this new world was like seeing everything through the eyes of a child. Aren’s journey however, is one of sacrifice and he is learning that his past actions have consequences in the present even if he is a radically changed man who has now learned to embrace an emotion he has been taught was a weakness all his life.
This piece would not have been complete if it was not for the right amount of humour and sexual tension between the characters dotted throughout the read. So thank God it has some of that too.
Bound is the perfect read for any YA fantasy & romance lover and I highly recommend it.
The world of magic and fairy tales is one that many authors venture in with repeated tried and tested formulae. What made “Bound� standout for me, is not the world where the story took place but the journey that the main characters are on. The tale focuses on the people and not necessarily on what they can do with their magical powers. This is the difference that essentially makes this book a great read.
You will still meet your “want to dominate the world� power hungry villains and Aren is maybe one of the cruellest sorcerers there is, until he is hit by a spark of compassion from Rowan, a young lady who is currently questioning everything she knows and seemingly has no idea about her magical heritage.
As a female character, I found Rowan refreshing. Watching her learning about this new world was like seeing everything through the eyes of a child. Aren’s journey however, is one of sacrifice and he is learning that his past actions have consequences in the present even if he is a radically changed man who has now learned to embrace an emotion he has been taught was a weakness all his life.
This piece would not have been complete if it was not for the right amount of humour and sexual tension between the characters dotted throughout the read. So thank God it has some of that too.
Bound is the perfect read for any YA fantasy & romance lover and I highly recommend it.
November 2, 2016
This is a cracking story. Fantasy romance is a tricky format. It can veer from straight fantasy with a little romance on the side, through to outright romance with a little arm-wavy magic or the occasional dragon thrown in for light relief. This book leans more to the relationship side of the equation, but there’s some solid world-building underpinning it.
Many elements of the story are quite conventional. Rowan is the teenage girl expected to do her duty and marry well, producing the babies in unexpectedly short supply in her country, Darmid. But she’s fascinated by magic, even though it’s illegal, and why does she have strange headaches? Aren is the royal from the neighbouring country, Tyrea, a powerful sorcerer whose even more powerful older brother now rules. When Aren is sent to capture a sorcerer from magic-less Darmid for experimentation, he meets Rowan and� Well, we can see where this is going, can’t we?
Despite the well-worn plotlines, the opening chapters draw the world and characters with deft brushwork, and if Rowan is a little too quick to help the injured Aren, and Aren is a little too easily drawn to Rowan, I can let that go for the depth of world-building below the surface. There are some nice details here: like the idea that eliminating magic in Darmid acts to weaken the magic in next door Tyrea, too. And women in Darmid are only fertile once a year. No wonder they have so much trouble producing babies. The author cleverly follows this through in logical ways: sex before marriage is positively encouraged, because it just might result in a successful pregnancy.
The middle part of the book sags somewhat, becoming a slightly dull travelogue, with various threats leaping out of the scenery to liven things up. In between dealing with these events, the two main characters angst about what they’re doing, and each other, and the future. The story is told from both Rowan’s and Aren’s point of view, in first person. Occasionally I found this confusing, but it did help to get under the skin of both characters. Both of them are smart and behaved sensibly, but Aren I found particularly fascinating. His background and history, his suppressed anger, his status as a loner and outsider despite his family connections - all made him far more interesting to me than Rowan, whose life was far more settled.
Aren’s history also made the romance difficulties work well. It’s a convention in a romance story that although the main characters are irresistibly drawn to each other, something prevents them from being together. And when one of them is a professional assassin and ruthless fixer-upper? Yes, I can see why Rowan might have second thoughts about a man like that.
The plot rolls along quite nicely, until� Look, I’m going to rant for a minute here, so you can skip ahead to the next paragraph if you want. So we have our plucky hero and heroine racing to escape a fate worse than death, chased by evil villains here, there and everywhere, things getting fraught, building nicely to a climax, and then what happens? There’s a ball, that’s what. Well, a party, anyway, with fancy frocks, and dancing, and general merriment. Guys, there are people out there wanting to kill you, probably painfully and very, very slowly - get a sense of urgency, for goodness sake. No, I get it, I really do, the two main characters have to have their Big Romantic Moment, but I do struggle with credibility here. As it happens, it was a particularly good BRM, so that’s fine, but please, authors, skip the frocks and dancing, OK?
The climax is a suitably dramatic confrontation with a fairly long-drawn-out post-dust-up scenario, which managed to bring some emotional resonance to bear without sacrificing common sense or betraying the characters of the principals involved. And needless to say, there are enough loose threads to continue the story into the next book. This is a particularly well written and well plotted fantasy romance, which finds a good balance between the two elements and has unusually strong characterisation. A good four stars.
Many elements of the story are quite conventional. Rowan is the teenage girl expected to do her duty and marry well, producing the babies in unexpectedly short supply in her country, Darmid. But she’s fascinated by magic, even though it’s illegal, and why does she have strange headaches? Aren is the royal from the neighbouring country, Tyrea, a powerful sorcerer whose even more powerful older brother now rules. When Aren is sent to capture a sorcerer from magic-less Darmid for experimentation, he meets Rowan and� Well, we can see where this is going, can’t we?
Despite the well-worn plotlines, the opening chapters draw the world and characters with deft brushwork, and if Rowan is a little too quick to help the injured Aren, and Aren is a little too easily drawn to Rowan, I can let that go for the depth of world-building below the surface. There are some nice details here: like the idea that eliminating magic in Darmid acts to weaken the magic in next door Tyrea, too. And women in Darmid are only fertile once a year. No wonder they have so much trouble producing babies. The author cleverly follows this through in logical ways: sex before marriage is positively encouraged, because it just might result in a successful pregnancy.
The middle part of the book sags somewhat, becoming a slightly dull travelogue, with various threats leaping out of the scenery to liven things up. In between dealing with these events, the two main characters angst about what they’re doing, and each other, and the future. The story is told from both Rowan’s and Aren’s point of view, in first person. Occasionally I found this confusing, but it did help to get under the skin of both characters. Both of them are smart and behaved sensibly, but Aren I found particularly fascinating. His background and history, his suppressed anger, his status as a loner and outsider despite his family connections - all made him far more interesting to me than Rowan, whose life was far more settled.
Aren’s history also made the romance difficulties work well. It’s a convention in a romance story that although the main characters are irresistibly drawn to each other, something prevents them from being together. And when one of them is a professional assassin and ruthless fixer-upper? Yes, I can see why Rowan might have second thoughts about a man like that.
The plot rolls along quite nicely, until� Look, I’m going to rant for a minute here, so you can skip ahead to the next paragraph if you want. So we have our plucky hero and heroine racing to escape a fate worse than death, chased by evil villains here, there and everywhere, things getting fraught, building nicely to a climax, and then what happens? There’s a ball, that’s what. Well, a party, anyway, with fancy frocks, and dancing, and general merriment. Guys, there are people out there wanting to kill you, probably painfully and very, very slowly - get a sense of urgency, for goodness sake. No, I get it, I really do, the two main characters have to have their Big Romantic Moment, but I do struggle with credibility here. As it happens, it was a particularly good BRM, so that’s fine, but please, authors, skip the frocks and dancing, OK?
The climax is a suitably dramatic confrontation with a fairly long-drawn-out post-dust-up scenario, which managed to bring some emotional resonance to bear without sacrificing common sense or betraying the characters of the principals involved. And needless to say, there are enough loose threads to continue the story into the next book. This is a particularly well written and well plotted fantasy romance, which finds a good balance between the two elements and has unusually strong characterisation. A good four stars.
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August 26, 2015
I'm sorry i'm not able to write a review. Until my vacations/holidays are over... nothing. Just know that i can't wait for the next book.
October 14, 2015
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
5 PERFECT STARS
Can I start this review off with HOLY COW THAT COVER...
I admit, I knew I was going to buy a paperback of this novel before I read it. What kind of book with this gorgeous of a cover could be bad, right?
Well... Kate certainly did not disappoint. This is definitely my kind of story.
"I'm not afraid."
"No. You're not allowed to be, are you?"
The story follows Rowan, a young sorceress, and Aren, who is one of the "evil" king's sons.
They are both beautiful people with extraordinary talents. Though, because of Aren's past, Rowan instantly despises him. The two are forced to work together to save Rowan's life. She doesn't know that she is saving him, just as much as he is saving her.
"I shouldn't... I shouldn't love you... But I think I do."
His gaze flicked away from mine. "In spite of what I am?"
"Because of who you are."
I am mesmerized by this novel. The story line is so wonderfully written, it blew me away. I did not think I would enjoy it as much as I did.
PRAISE TO THE AUTHOR for knowing how to write a book! It was so refreshing. I was constantly on the edge of my seat wanting more. When I wasn't reading I was wondering what was going to happen next. It takes a special kind of writer to bring that out in me.
The characters were absolutely spectacular. Their personalities were described amazingly and I knew exactly what they looked like.
The imagery was gorgeous as well. I could see EVERYTHING! It's like I was watching a movie.
If you aren't into magic this book definitely isn't for you... but if you do... then this is the JACKPOT. It has everything. There's dragons, potions, mermaids, faeries, sorcery, etc.
Seriously... If you want a well written novel filled with magic, suspense, adventure and romance... this is your book. TRUST ME!
"I tried to hold on, to watch what happened, but the white light ripped through me and stole my sight, leaving me blind and falling into a darkness I welcomed with everything that was in me. I was ready for the end..."
Rowan is such a strong willed character. She is amazing in every way possible. I was never once disappointed with her.
Praise to the author for making me fall in love with Eagles... and Aren. Yay.. another fictional crush to add to the list. sigh
I don't know if I can wait till March for the second novel to come out, but I suppose I don't have much of a choice. :P It's safe to say that it's being pre-ordered. Take my advice and read this. You won't regret it.
"We can have happily ever after later."
"Of course," I said.
I didn't believe it, but I wanted to.
5 PERFECT STARS
Can I start this review off with HOLY COW THAT COVER...
I admit, I knew I was going to buy a paperback of this novel before I read it. What kind of book with this gorgeous of a cover could be bad, right?
Well... Kate certainly did not disappoint. This is definitely my kind of story.
"I'm not afraid."
"No. You're not allowed to be, are you?"
The story follows Rowan, a young sorceress, and Aren, who is one of the "evil" king's sons.
They are both beautiful people with extraordinary talents. Though, because of Aren's past, Rowan instantly despises him. The two are forced to work together to save Rowan's life. She doesn't know that she is saving him, just as much as he is saving her.
"I shouldn't... I shouldn't love you... But I think I do."
His gaze flicked away from mine. "In spite of what I am?"
"Because of who you are."
I am mesmerized by this novel. The story line is so wonderfully written, it blew me away. I did not think I would enjoy it as much as I did.
PRAISE TO THE AUTHOR for knowing how to write a book! It was so refreshing. I was constantly on the edge of my seat wanting more. When I wasn't reading I was wondering what was going to happen next. It takes a special kind of writer to bring that out in me.
The characters were absolutely spectacular. Their personalities were described amazingly and I knew exactly what they looked like.
The imagery was gorgeous as well. I could see EVERYTHING! It's like I was watching a movie.
If you aren't into magic this book definitely isn't for you... but if you do... then this is the JACKPOT. It has everything. There's dragons, potions, mermaids, faeries, sorcery, etc.
Seriously... If you want a well written novel filled with magic, suspense, adventure and romance... this is your book. TRUST ME!
"I tried to hold on, to watch what happened, but the white light ripped through me and stole my sight, leaving me blind and falling into a darkness I welcomed with everything that was in me. I was ready for the end..."
Rowan is such a strong willed character. She is amazing in every way possible. I was never once disappointed with her.
Praise to the author for making me fall in love with Eagles... and Aren. Yay.. another fictional crush to add to the list. sigh
I don't know if I can wait till March for the second novel to come out, but I suppose I don't have much of a choice. :P It's safe to say that it's being pre-ordered. Take my advice and read this. You won't regret it.
"We can have happily ever after later."
"Of course," I said.
I didn't believe it, but I wanted to.
October 25, 2015
I think I would enjoyed this book more had I just read the book instead of playing the audiobook. I couldn't really connect with the female MC and I think that had to do with the narrator. She was whispering the whole book. And whenever she would do the male voice, I would picture him younger. But when the male took over, he made the male MC seem much older. It was all over the place. The story itself was pretty good, though. I think I'll just read the second in the series instead listening to it.
March 24, 2017
Bound was pretty middle of the road for me. It was good but not great. I enjoyed it but I didn't get overly invested in the characters or storyline. I liked Bound enough to be interested in continuing to book 2 of the series.
AUDIBLE: I added the wispersync audible narration to this Kindle book. The two narrators who covered the two different POVs did a great job. They were easy to listen to and understand.
AUDIBLE: I added the wispersync audible narration to this Kindle book. The two narrators who covered the two different POVs did a great job. They were easy to listen to and understand.
March 23, 2015
**I was kindly giving a copy of bound by the author in exchange for an honest review**
WOW HOLY HECK THIS BOOK WHERE TO START OMG!!!!!!!
I seriously can't get over this book in fact I loved it sooooo much I'm still reeling from the fact that I have to wait a WHOLE MONTH FOR TORN THE SECOND BOOK!!!!!! THAT'S RIGHT A WHOLE MONTH!!!!!!!
I knew instantly that I was going to love this the cover is gorgeous the characters are perfection and the story was just amazing. I have to admit I haven't read much fantasy but this is a fantasy book to be read and re-read over and over again.
While at the first chapter you're not meant to like Aren holy heck I couldn't help it right away you know there is something about him that will make you love him by the end of the book and boy did I he's charming at times, also infuriating, lovable, wicked just an amazing character.
And Rowan from her first chapter you can't not like her she's wonderful, stealing or borrowing magic fairy tale books she knows she shouldn't. Not wanting to marry a man she knows she should. Wishing for adventure that will do her no good and when she meets Aren for the first time boy does she get adventure by the bucket load.
The POV change throughout is a breath of fresh air to it totally allows you to really get inside the minds of Rowan and Aren who each have a wonderfully distinct voice.
Even the secondary characters, Kel and Cassia are fantastic. The world and the creatures the author has created are spellbinding pardon the pun. I can't possibly make anybody realise how good this book is just through this review but seriously read this book you won't be disappointed it's got character, magic, fantasy, romance, adventure and it's even got a soon to be wicked king on the hunt for out hero and heroine. You'll be itching for book two I know I'm desperate to get my copy on the 31st March. I'd recommend this to everyone and I will too once I finish this review. If I could give it more than five stars I would. I've just currently purchase this book because it's definitely one to own.
WOW HOLY HECK THIS BOOK WHERE TO START OMG!!!!!!!
I seriously can't get over this book in fact I loved it sooooo much I'm still reeling from the fact that I have to wait a WHOLE MONTH FOR TORN THE SECOND BOOK!!!!!! THAT'S RIGHT A WHOLE MONTH!!!!!!!
I knew instantly that I was going to love this the cover is gorgeous the characters are perfection and the story was just amazing. I have to admit I haven't read much fantasy but this is a fantasy book to be read and re-read over and over again.
While at the first chapter you're not meant to like Aren holy heck I couldn't help it right away you know there is something about him that will make you love him by the end of the book and boy did I he's charming at times, also infuriating, lovable, wicked just an amazing character.
And Rowan from her first chapter you can't not like her she's wonderful, stealing or borrowing magic fairy tale books she knows she shouldn't. Not wanting to marry a man she knows she should. Wishing for adventure that will do her no good and when she meets Aren for the first time boy does she get adventure by the bucket load.
The POV change throughout is a breath of fresh air to it totally allows you to really get inside the minds of Rowan and Aren who each have a wonderfully distinct voice.
Even the secondary characters, Kel and Cassia are fantastic. The world and the creatures the author has created are spellbinding pardon the pun. I can't possibly make anybody realise how good this book is just through this review but seriously read this book you won't be disappointed it's got character, magic, fantasy, romance, adventure and it's even got a soon to be wicked king on the hunt for out hero and heroine. You'll be itching for book two I know I'm desperate to get my copy on the 31st March. I'd recommend this to everyone and I will too once I finish this review. If I could give it more than five stars I would. I've just currently purchase this book because it's definitely one to own.
June 22, 2017
I got 0 time for protagonists who vocalize their every thought and 0 time for reading about a girl with a singular personality trait known as "wide eyed miss innocent never done anything wrong" or a guy with the singular personality trait known as "dark brooding mr. punches walls" and 0 time for the worst most basic plot line known to man
March 26, 2015
Bound is a very great YA-Fantasy book to read! At first I really don't know what it is all about but then when I read the prologue, I was hooked up. Definitely because it was just so fascinating and amazing that I couldn't help myself reading it and enjoying it.
So when I got the chance, I didn't think twice. I signed up already to review this book.
So the book is all about Rowan Greenwood. She's a very kind woman who is very considerate of other people's feelings. She is living in a country named Darmid.
In Darmid, magic was banned and when they knew that someone was doing any kind of magic practices they will punished him/her. They were also destroying every form of it. Rowan grew up with the thought that magic was a very dangerous thing. That they must not entertained themselves liking it or even thinking about it. But then Rowan finds herself enjoying and reading some fairytale stories and wanting to have a magical adventure of her own.
On the other hand, Aren Tiernal was sent to Darmid by his brother Severn who rules the country of Tyrea. Severn ordered Aren to get and bring him a magic user from Darmid.
Aren wants to be his brother's second so he went to Darmid to get what his brother wants.
There, Aren transformed into something and was shot by a magic hunter who happens to be the father of the another magic hunter that Rowan was gonna marry. Callum Langley.
Because Rowan wants space in order for her to think what she really wants. Rowan decided to come back to Stone Rodge where she grew up. In the road, she found an injured animal and decided to help it not knowing that it would change everything.
As the story goes on, you'll see what will happen to Rowan after helping her country's most feared enemy and on how she would deal also being in the world full of magic wherein she didn't know if she could find all answeres to her questions.
While reading this book I find myself enjoying it so much and I am looking forward on every adventure that Rowan gets herself into. Especially being with someone who happens to be your country's enemy. I just found that very interesting and very intriguing also in a way that I couldn't put down the book itself.
This story is much more amazing than what you expected it to be. Its far way more than that and this book will make you happy, sad, scared, angry but most of the time. Smile. :")
Kate Sparkes is such an amazing author for writing this kind of book that will really get you into it.
It's a very amazing book to read and I recommend all of you guys to read this one. Especially if you're a huge fan of YA-fantasy or if you just like to read something new.
All in all I love this book! I rated it 5 out 5. I'm looking forward reading the book 2 because book 2 will be published next month which is March. So yes. I wish that I could read the book 2 just after it had been released. :")
~yooheereads
So when I got the chance, I didn't think twice. I signed up already to review this book.
So the book is all about Rowan Greenwood. She's a very kind woman who is very considerate of other people's feelings. She is living in a country named Darmid.
In Darmid, magic was banned and when they knew that someone was doing any kind of magic practices they will punished him/her. They were also destroying every form of it. Rowan grew up with the thought that magic was a very dangerous thing. That they must not entertained themselves liking it or even thinking about it. But then Rowan finds herself enjoying and reading some fairytale stories and wanting to have a magical adventure of her own.
On the other hand, Aren Tiernal was sent to Darmid by his brother Severn who rules the country of Tyrea. Severn ordered Aren to get and bring him a magic user from Darmid.
Aren wants to be his brother's second so he went to Darmid to get what his brother wants.
There, Aren transformed into something and was shot by a magic hunter who happens to be the father of the another magic hunter that Rowan was gonna marry. Callum Langley.
Because Rowan wants space in order for her to think what she really wants. Rowan decided to come back to Stone Rodge where she grew up. In the road, she found an injured animal and decided to help it not knowing that it would change everything.
As the story goes on, you'll see what will happen to Rowan after helping her country's most feared enemy and on how she would deal also being in the world full of magic wherein she didn't know if she could find all answeres to her questions.
While reading this book I find myself enjoying it so much and I am looking forward on every adventure that Rowan gets herself into. Especially being with someone who happens to be your country's enemy. I just found that very interesting and very intriguing also in a way that I couldn't put down the book itself.
This story is much more amazing than what you expected it to be. Its far way more than that and this book will make you happy, sad, scared, angry but most of the time. Smile. :")
Kate Sparkes is such an amazing author for writing this kind of book that will really get you into it.
It's a very amazing book to read and I recommend all of you guys to read this one. Especially if you're a huge fan of YA-fantasy or if you just like to read something new.
All in all I love this book! I rated it 5 out 5. I'm looking forward reading the book 2 because book 2 will be published next month which is March. So yes. I wish that I could read the book 2 just after it had been released. :")
~yooheereads
April 6, 2015
I received this book in exchange for an honest review, and I honestly really liked it. :-)
Rowan and Aren are both wonderfully created characters. The author switches between their two points of view, using first person voice for each of them. Sometimes this can get confusing with some authors, but their voices and personalities are so distinct that it is perfectly clear who is speaking, even without the name labeling as part of the chapter title.
I love both of these characters. Rowan is a believer in fairy tales and magic and is fascinated by it while everyone else in her community abhors it and warns of its danger. Aren is the epitome of the danger in which Rowan has always been warned about. They are thrust together by circumstances and cannot seem to stop themselves from helping each other, despite the dangers that it presents for both of them.
Each of them are going through their own type of personal journey, and the author shares that journey beautifully through bits and pieces, making it impossible not to sympathize with each of them. And I love how the author throws curve balls of information here and there but then doesn't elaborate. I really, really love that! It's such a tease and lets my own imagination keep creating different scenarios of where she might be going with that tidbit of information. :-)
The world she has created is also magestic and beautiful. I love the dragon and cannot wait to see more of her in the future books (because there just has to be more of her). I love the merfolk and know we will see them again. I even hate to love Severn (lol) and cannot wait to see more of his story. And I truly hope that Rowan will be able to confront her own family when she learns the entire truth of who she is (because I just know that there must be more twists and turns in the next two books).
This book was great, and I am definitely intrigued. I cannot wait to read the rest of the books in this series! :-)
Rowan and Aren are both wonderfully created characters. The author switches between their two points of view, using first person voice for each of them. Sometimes this can get confusing with some authors, but their voices and personalities are so distinct that it is perfectly clear who is speaking, even without the name labeling as part of the chapter title.
I love both of these characters. Rowan is a believer in fairy tales and magic and is fascinated by it while everyone else in her community abhors it and warns of its danger. Aren is the epitome of the danger in which Rowan has always been warned about. They are thrust together by circumstances and cannot seem to stop themselves from helping each other, despite the dangers that it presents for both of them.
Each of them are going through their own type of personal journey, and the author shares that journey beautifully through bits and pieces, making it impossible not to sympathize with each of them. And I love how the author throws curve balls of information here and there but then doesn't elaborate. I really, really love that! It's such a tease and lets my own imagination keep creating different scenarios of where she might be going with that tidbit of information. :-)
The world she has created is also magestic and beautiful. I love the dragon and cannot wait to see more of her in the future books (because there just has to be more of her). I love the merfolk and know we will see them again. I even hate to love Severn (lol) and cannot wait to see more of his story. And I truly hope that Rowan will be able to confront her own family when she learns the entire truth of who she is (because I just know that there must be more twists and turns in the next two books).
This book was great, and I am definitely intrigued. I cannot wait to read the rest of the books in this series! :-)
March 1, 2015
There was more travel and world-building than action or villains. While the elements the heroes encountered were interesting, there was a lot of exposition and telling the reader what was going on than any actual action. I was also rather peeved that the first half of the book had the heroine going back and forth as to whether she would actually stay with her traveling companion. I would have liked more decisive characters, but overall the book was a quiet young-adult romp in a magical world that left me with neutral feelings rather than hate or excitement.
June 23, 2017
Enjoyable read. Some adventure and a little romance it'll be interesting to see what happens with Severn later on. I loved Rowan and Aren and their relationship I think I need more something. Not sure what.
December 26, 2014
I loved this book. Bound kept me enthralled and took me on a magical journey. I wanted it to go on forever. Can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy.
August 27, 2016
Review to come
January 2, 2018
January 2018 Re-Review:
Bound is one of my most beloved books. It has a permanent place on my Eternal Favorites shelf and definitely has become a book standard that I compare many fantasy novels to now. I whole-heartedly give it 5 stars and all of my love.
Told in alternating first-person points of view, Bound follows the tale of Rowan—a 19 year old magistrate’s daughter from the magic-fearing country of Darmid—and Aren—a 23 year old prince from the magic-embracing country of Tyrea. Bound chronicles how their chance meeting alters their lives forever—one discovering she’s a sorceress whose bound magic has been slowly killing her and the other discovering that he has no desire to live the dark life his family has always forced him to lead, and how they navigate their new circumstances to come out as stronger people.
Naturally, this means the story is very much character driven, and I absolutely love it! Dual POVs are my favorite type of narrative because they make even the shortest stories have so much more depth and complexity.
Rowan is a delightful heroine, full of life and kindness but not without fierceness or faults. She shows an immense compassion for everyone and her ability to see something worthy of love in Aren is extraordinary—he’s not been a very good man and she doesn’t condone what he’s done, but she gives him a greater amount of acceptance and understanding and forgiveness than he’s ever had before and he reveres that quality in her—because she was so kind to him without selfish motives, he finds he can’t ignore his conscience. Aren has everything to lose by being involved with Rowan, but he throws away everything he’d worked his whole life for—status, wealth, freedom, respect, his brother’s approval—because he knew he couldn’t live with himself if he let his brother hurt her for the sake of his own bid for power in Tyrea. I especially loved his POVs because he shifts so much throughout the book. His constant turmoil between doing the bad things he’s always done and listening to all the parts of him that he was told were weak and had beaten down was a super satisfying part of the story. He doesn’t feel redeemable, he hates what he’s done and has become, but when he looks at Rowan, he wants to try to make up for everything and be the person she deserves—the person she whole-heartedly believes he is underneath the wounds of a dark and cruel past. I couldn’t have been happier with their relationship. They have their ups and downs, but they’re done in a realistic way and for all their faults, they don’t stumble in any way that would have killed the romance for me—none of that forceful, abusive, awful stuff that so many romances try to throw it for edginess without realizing they kill reader’s abilities to sympathize with the characters. The author didn’t randomly toss in irritating obstacles for the sake of causing tension, but realistically has the characters overcome barriers—such as Aren struggling between trusting Rowan to do what she must to stay safe even with a truth she might not like and feeling compelled to manipulate her into doing what he believes is “for her own good� by lying to her. By the end of the story, it’s wholly believable that Aren and Rowan will continue forward past the trouble that’s sure to be coming their way—together.
The plot itself isn’t too complex. Outside of the character driven elements like Aren and Rowan’s relationship, the major goals of the story are pretty simple: avoid getting caught by Severn, Aren’s older brother who definitely wants to kill and/or torture our leads, and undo the binding on Rowan’s magic, since they discover the binding is negatively affecting her health and life. A lot of the book is dedicated to them traveling, with most of the longer scenes centering on the places they stop—a dragon’s cave, a Wanderer’s camp, a summer house by a lake, the mermaids� grotto, the island of Belleisle—and include a handful of worthwhile action scenes. There’s a big climax and the book concludes nicely with a few major things solved, but enough left hanging to lead us into the next book.
Overall, this is one of the more polished independent books I’ve read and it’s one of the longer ones too! My original file said it was around 500 pages long, but after an update it seems its truer length is ~400. The writing is excellent—Kate Sparkes definitely transports me to a new world each time I read this series—and it’s very well edited too. I think there is many one error in the whole book (a missing quotation mark, I believe) but I could be mistaken. The story arc follows a nice, traditional book layout so this doesn’t at all give readers that unfortunate “serialized� feel that a lot of indie ebooks suffer from. I have a handful of passages highlighted that I really enjoyed—the writing was pleasant, easy to understand, and often struck a chord as beautiful. It makes me hope that someday Kate Sparkes writes another fantasy-romance so I can be immersed in her writing and storytelling style once more.
I could really talk about all the great things I love in this book for a very long time, and while this review is longer than the one I posted after reading this book for the first time, my thoughts have only grown my fond and expansive with time. I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys fantasy-romances that are heavily character driven.
★★★★�
------------------------------------------------
My original review from Amazon that I copied/pasted and edited a little for goodreads:
This is what I like in a fantasy-romance novel! I was hesitant to read this at first; I stumbled across this on one of those hunts through Amazon's list of "frequently bought with this" titles under some book I'd bought and from that I'd assumed this was going to be another bad, low-quality adult-romance on the Kindle with too much sex and too many bad-characters but not nearly enough fantasy for it to be anything worthwhile (obviously, I've been burned before) and when I saw that the top review was lengthy 1 star review that threw some serious insult, I decided against it.
Yet the blurb of this story had me very interested and the cover was just too lovely to ignore. The next time it came up onto my radar, I gave it another look. I put aside my initial judgment because I saw all these positive reviews had come in (the little bar of "recent reviews" was nearly all 5 stars) and thought for ~$3 dollars this couldn't be THAT bad if it'd gotten nearly 200 very positive reviews (besides, I told myself could always return it if it ended up being a disgusting novel, so the risk was minimal).
Turns out I can't believe this book was THIS GOOD! I was wowed by this cheap, obscure little fantasy novel I found by chance one day.
Now, I didn't end up powering through this book in a single setting like I usually do with books, but that's just because a lot of this book is dedicated to traveling and setting up things (as it is the first of a series; it's to be expected that book #1 of a fantasy series requires lots of time spent to building things up and laying a foundation).
I loved the author's writing and her characters; Rowan and Aren are fantastic and I love the alternating point of views (and how the author will use the same perspective for several chapters when called for; some authors stick too heavily to the every other chapter change formula, which can cause problems if the other perspective is more appropriate for that scene). The literary universe set up in this book is pretty great too! It's simple, but enchanting. The author doesn't waste space giving us an incredibly complex history lesson or anything (which I don't mind; not every fantasy needs Tolkien level world-building) but she tells the reader enough that they don't feel lost or confused when reading the story (like I did with Truthwitch). The romance was excellent and while we don't get a lot of action in this book (there's some, but not what I'd considered "a lot" for a 500+ page book) I don't think the content suffers for it because we get more time for Rowan and Aren to develop something and to explore these people as individuals before they come together as a couple.
Rest assured, however, that the next two books have ample amounts of action and turmoil without sacrificing the intimacy we get with the characters or the enriching substance all the details of the story provide. I honestly have nothing negative to say about this book; I wouldn't say it is without flaw, of course, but I held no severe qualm with anything within it.
Overall: I loved this book; it was a nice long read, but it didn't ever drag or become cumbersome. I was thoroughly engaged and interested the whole time I was reading and I purchased books 2 and 3 immediately after finishing (and I have plans to someday purchase physical copies to display on my shelf because on top of being a favorite series I think the covers are lovely.)
If I went to her, I could be killed. If I didn't, I'd surely go mad. For the first time I truly understood why my father was so afraid of love.
Bound is one of my most beloved books. It has a permanent place on my Eternal Favorites shelf and definitely has become a book standard that I compare many fantasy novels to now. I whole-heartedly give it 5 stars and all of my love.
Told in alternating first-person points of view, Bound follows the tale of Rowan—a 19 year old magistrate’s daughter from the magic-fearing country of Darmid—and Aren—a 23 year old prince from the magic-embracing country of Tyrea. Bound chronicles how their chance meeting alters their lives forever—one discovering she’s a sorceress whose bound magic has been slowly killing her and the other discovering that he has no desire to live the dark life his family has always forced him to lead, and how they navigate their new circumstances to come out as stronger people.
Naturally, this means the story is very much character driven, and I absolutely love it! Dual POVs are my favorite type of narrative because they make even the shortest stories have so much more depth and complexity.
Rowan is a delightful heroine, full of life and kindness but not without fierceness or faults. She shows an immense compassion for everyone and her ability to see something worthy of love in Aren is extraordinary—he’s not been a very good man and she doesn’t condone what he’s done, but she gives him a greater amount of acceptance and understanding and forgiveness than he’s ever had before and he reveres that quality in her—because she was so kind to him without selfish motives, he finds he can’t ignore his conscience. Aren has everything to lose by being involved with Rowan, but he throws away everything he’d worked his whole life for—status, wealth, freedom, respect, his brother’s approval—because he knew he couldn’t live with himself if he let his brother hurt her for the sake of his own bid for power in Tyrea. I especially loved his POVs because he shifts so much throughout the book. His constant turmoil between doing the bad things he’s always done and listening to all the parts of him that he was told were weak and had beaten down was a super satisfying part of the story. He doesn’t feel redeemable, he hates what he’s done and has become, but when he looks at Rowan, he wants to try to make up for everything and be the person she deserves—the person she whole-heartedly believes he is underneath the wounds of a dark and cruel past. I couldn’t have been happier with their relationship. They have their ups and downs, but they’re done in a realistic way and for all their faults, they don’t stumble in any way that would have killed the romance for me—none of that forceful, abusive, awful stuff that so many romances try to throw it for edginess without realizing they kill reader’s abilities to sympathize with the characters. The author didn’t randomly toss in irritating obstacles for the sake of causing tension, but realistically has the characters overcome barriers—such as Aren struggling between trusting Rowan to do what she must to stay safe even with a truth she might not like and feeling compelled to manipulate her into doing what he believes is “for her own good� by lying to her. By the end of the story, it’s wholly believable that Aren and Rowan will continue forward past the trouble that’s sure to be coming their way—together.
I wanted to be angry with her for releasing the power she knew would kill her, but I couldn’t. Hadn’t I been willing to do the same for her?
The plot itself isn’t too complex. Outside of the character driven elements like Aren and Rowan’s relationship, the major goals of the story are pretty simple: avoid getting caught by Severn, Aren’s older brother who definitely wants to kill and/or torture our leads, and undo the binding on Rowan’s magic, since they discover the binding is negatively affecting her health and life. A lot of the book is dedicated to them traveling, with most of the longer scenes centering on the places they stop—a dragon’s cave, a Wanderer’s camp, a summer house by a lake, the mermaids� grotto, the island of Belleisle—and include a handful of worthwhile action scenes. There’s a big climax and the book concludes nicely with a few major things solved, but enough left hanging to lead us into the next book.
Overall, this is one of the more polished independent books I’ve read and it’s one of the longer ones too! My original file said it was around 500 pages long, but after an update it seems its truer length is ~400. The writing is excellent—Kate Sparkes definitely transports me to a new world each time I read this series—and it’s very well edited too. I think there is many one error in the whole book (a missing quotation mark, I believe) but I could be mistaken. The story arc follows a nice, traditional book layout so this doesn’t at all give readers that unfortunate “serialized� feel that a lot of indie ebooks suffer from. I have a handful of passages highlighted that I really enjoyed—the writing was pleasant, easy to understand, and often struck a chord as beautiful. It makes me hope that someday Kate Sparkes writes another fantasy-romance so I can be immersed in her writing and storytelling style once more.
I could really talk about all the great things I love in this book for a very long time, and while this review is longer than the one I posted after reading this book for the first time, my thoughts have only grown my fond and expansive with time. I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys fantasy-romances that are heavily character driven.
“Rowan, I—� he hesitated, then pulled me closer. “You know I’d do anything for you, right?�
“I know.� I smiled and kissed the underside of his jaw.
★★★★�
------------------------------------------------
My original review from Amazon that I copied/pasted and edited a little for goodreads:
This is what I like in a fantasy-romance novel! I was hesitant to read this at first; I stumbled across this on one of those hunts through Amazon's list of "frequently bought with this" titles under some book I'd bought and from that I'd assumed this was going to be another bad, low-quality adult-romance on the Kindle with too much sex and too many bad-characters but not nearly enough fantasy for it to be anything worthwhile (obviously, I've been burned before) and when I saw that the top review was lengthy 1 star review that threw some serious insult, I decided against it.
Yet the blurb of this story had me very interested and the cover was just too lovely to ignore. The next time it came up onto my radar, I gave it another look. I put aside my initial judgment because I saw all these positive reviews had come in (the little bar of "recent reviews" was nearly all 5 stars) and thought for ~$3 dollars this couldn't be THAT bad if it'd gotten nearly 200 very positive reviews (besides, I told myself could always return it if it ended up being a disgusting novel, so the risk was minimal).
Turns out I can't believe this book was THIS GOOD! I was wowed by this cheap, obscure little fantasy novel I found by chance one day.
Now, I didn't end up powering through this book in a single setting like I usually do with books, but that's just because a lot of this book is dedicated to traveling and setting up things (as it is the first of a series; it's to be expected that book #1 of a fantasy series requires lots of time spent to building things up and laying a foundation).
I loved the author's writing and her characters; Rowan and Aren are fantastic and I love the alternating point of views (and how the author will use the same perspective for several chapters when called for; some authors stick too heavily to the every other chapter change formula, which can cause problems if the other perspective is more appropriate for that scene). The literary universe set up in this book is pretty great too! It's simple, but enchanting. The author doesn't waste space giving us an incredibly complex history lesson or anything (which I don't mind; not every fantasy needs Tolkien level world-building) but she tells the reader enough that they don't feel lost or confused when reading the story (like I did with Truthwitch). The romance was excellent and while we don't get a lot of action in this book (there's some, but not what I'd considered "a lot" for a 500+ page book) I don't think the content suffers for it because we get more time for Rowan and Aren to develop something and to explore these people as individuals before they come together as a couple.
Rest assured, however, that the next two books have ample amounts of action and turmoil without sacrificing the intimacy we get with the characters or the enriching substance all the details of the story provide. I honestly have nothing negative to say about this book; I wouldn't say it is without flaw, of course, but I held no severe qualm with anything within it.
Overall: I loved this book; it was a nice long read, but it didn't ever drag or become cumbersome. I was thoroughly engaged and interested the whole time I was reading and I purchased books 2 and 3 immediately after finishing (and I have plans to someday purchase physical copies to display on my shelf because on top of being a favorite series I think the covers are lovely.)
August 4, 2019
There was so much I loved about this book. I loved Rowan’s adventurous spirit, and her willingness to open her eyes to the cruel truth of her world. Protagonists that doth protest too much always get under my skin. However, Rowan never shied away from following Aren or her new journey, albeit with some wariness about using her magic. Aren felt complicated, a man conflicted over the evil actions he’s done in the past, but completely willing to give up everything in order to reform. I was glad that they were surrounded by warm friends and family that supported them, though at times I thought they were a little too trusting to strangers.
However, this book had a lot of flaws. The most glaring one is that this novel suffers from a cardinal sin: it’s just plain boring.
While the start of the novel was promising, it quickly turned into a journey for Rowan and Aren. The entire plot plot with Rowan and Aren going from point A to point B, staying there briefly, and then moving on to point C. The novel keeps this up for literally 70 to 80% of the novel. A novel that can successfully pull off a “journey� typically has a guiding star that drives the plot forward, so that you feel the tension and the need for them to reach that end point.Bound didn’t give me that. I rarely felt like the characters were in true danger, and it was hard to focus on their aimless wandering.
While taking this approach did allow the relationship to develop between the two characters, the instalove made even that feel a bit cheap. Don’t forget that Rowan is engaged in the beginning of the book to another man, but she quickly falls for Aren, who should be her mortal enemy.
There’s a few other smaller points…the magic system is undeveloped, the villains are one dimensional, the countering narrations doesn’t do much for the book. I found it hard to believe that Rowan’s family and friends wouldn’t be charging in to rescue her, and it was hard to let them go after learning about them in the beginning of the book so much. Though we meet lots of other interesting characters, this same family never makes an appearance later in the book.
Bound could have been much better, but the result wasn’t terrible. Though this book had a whole lot of nothing, the characters still intrigued me enough to consider reading the sequels, so I know where Rowan and Aren’s story finishes.
However, this book had a lot of flaws. The most glaring one is that this novel suffers from a cardinal sin: it’s just plain boring.
While the start of the novel was promising, it quickly turned into a journey for Rowan and Aren. The entire plot plot with Rowan and Aren going from point A to point B, staying there briefly, and then moving on to point C. The novel keeps this up for literally 70 to 80% of the novel. A novel that can successfully pull off a “journey� typically has a guiding star that drives the plot forward, so that you feel the tension and the need for them to reach that end point.Bound didn’t give me that. I rarely felt like the characters were in true danger, and it was hard to focus on their aimless wandering.
While taking this approach did allow the relationship to develop between the two characters, the instalove made even that feel a bit cheap. Don’t forget that Rowan is engaged in the beginning of the book to another man, but she quickly falls for Aren, who should be her mortal enemy.
There’s a few other smaller points…the magic system is undeveloped, the villains are one dimensional, the countering narrations doesn’t do much for the book. I found it hard to believe that Rowan’s family and friends wouldn’t be charging in to rescue her, and it was hard to let them go after learning about them in the beginning of the book so much. Though we meet lots of other interesting characters, this same family never makes an appearance later in the book.
Bound could have been much better, but the result wasn’t terrible. Though this book had a whole lot of nothing, the characters still intrigued me enough to consider reading the sequels, so I know where Rowan and Aren’s story finishes.
May 21, 2017
This was just what I needed -- a nice, familiar book I could relax in while being comforted by the certainty that I wouldn't be disappointed by the story, which seems to be the theme of 2017 for me.
So... the story. Rowan, a seeming human, saves a sorcerer, and as if she isn't already aware, consorting with the enemy of her people is a big no-no, not to mention that her engagement with a magic hunter places her in the most precarious situation. Unwilling to let him die and driven by her fascination with magic, it all hits the fan.
She's on the run. With a sorcerer. Basically, her craziest fantasies have come true in a bizarre turn of events.
While the story was slow and largely uneventful, funnily enough I still found the book entertaining. The story isn't original, the characters are somewhat cliche and the romance dominates the fantasy element to an extent that others would probably find it unpleasant.
But I see a lot of potential for the series, and so much has been left unexplored -- the world, the magic, Rowan's abilities -- that I'll most likely be continuing the series to sate my curiosity.
So... the story. Rowan, a seeming human, saves a sorcerer, and as if she isn't already aware, consorting with the enemy of her people is a big no-no, not to mention that her engagement with a magic hunter places her in the most precarious situation. Unwilling to let him die and driven by her fascination with magic, it all hits the fan.
She's on the run. With a sorcerer. Basically, her craziest fantasies have come true in a bizarre turn of events.
While the story was slow and largely uneventful, funnily enough I still found the book entertaining. The story isn't original, the characters are somewhat cliche and the romance dominates the fantasy element to an extent that others would probably find it unpleasant.
But I see a lot of potential for the series, and so much has been left unexplored -- the world, the magic, Rowan's abilities -- that I'll most likely be continuing the series to sate my curiosity.
April 1, 2024
Rating: 3.5/5
It's more romance than fantasy and it spends a lot of time describing scenery and setting, but at the same time not giving a very clear view of the culture of the countries that exist in this world, nor does it go in depth with stuff. It all remains sort of at the surface level. And, while the first chapter lured me in and seemed promising, the rest of the book went into a different, fluffier direction. I feel like this book wanted to be a bit more grim and serious, but in the end all we got was a brooding hero and a heroine always getting into some sort of danger.
But the idea behind it is interesting and I enjoyed it, although I felt the urge to skim through some portions of it. I might come back to it someday, maybe, and read through the whole series. Maybe.
Until then, I'll leave you with my favorite quote:
It's more romance than fantasy and it spends a lot of time describing scenery and setting, but at the same time not giving a very clear view of the culture of the countries that exist in this world, nor does it go in depth with stuff. It all remains sort of at the surface level. And, while the first chapter lured me in and seemed promising, the rest of the book went into a different, fluffier direction. I feel like this book wanted to be a bit more grim and serious, but in the end all we got was a brooding hero and a heroine always getting into some sort of danger.
But the idea behind it is interesting and I enjoyed it, although I felt the urge to skim through some portions of it. I might come back to it someday, maybe, and read through the whole series. Maybe.
Until then, I'll leave you with my favorite quote:
"Excellent. You are as wise as you are beautiful."
I reached up to touch my pulled back, tangled hair and wondered how exactly I was supposed to take that.
April 13, 2024
Couldn't put it down.
Fantastic book. I remember reading after it came out and loved it. However, time has passed and I couldn't remember anything other than there was a man who could turn into an eagle and a woman who helped him.
Rowan is a young woman who read and loved fairy tales as a child, dreaming of adventures and wanting to find out what magic was really like.
Aren is a young man with a terrible and dark power, with a brother who will do anything to be the most powerful and rule the kingdom. Aren is tasked with finding people with magic and bringing them back to his brother.
Until he found Rowan that is.
Highly recommend this book for fantasy lovers.
Fantastic book. I remember reading after it came out and loved it. However, time has passed and I couldn't remember anything other than there was a man who could turn into an eagle and a woman who helped him.
Rowan is a young woman who read and loved fairy tales as a child, dreaming of adventures and wanting to find out what magic was really like.
Aren is a young man with a terrible and dark power, with a brother who will do anything to be the most powerful and rule the kingdom. Aren is tasked with finding people with magic and bringing them back to his brother.
Until he found Rowan that is.
Highly recommend this book for fantasy lovers.
June 6, 2017
This Kindke Freebie read like the kind of YA fantasy that aggravates with its eye-rolling moments. Aren, the hero had potential. His conflicts seemed juicy. I was hoping to pleasantly survived. Nope!
The heroine was naive but supposedly she's also clever. There was one especially irritating TSTL moment that was supposed to show how clever she was but it felt forced. This heroine hoped for adventure from her sheltered life. She's thrown into one one adventure after another. Eventually the stern hero is cracking Smiles at her silliness. That she has a bound great magical power made her an intriguing if character but the basic, perhaps lazy world building, and monotonous plot made "Bound" lack the epic-ness I was hoping for in this first-in-a-series book.
The heroine was naive but supposedly she's also clever. There was one especially irritating TSTL moment that was supposed to show how clever she was but it felt forced. This heroine hoped for adventure from her sheltered life. She's thrown into one one adventure after another. Eventually the stern hero is cracking Smiles at her silliness. That she has a bound great magical power made her an intriguing if character but the basic, perhaps lazy world building, and monotonous plot made "Bound" lack the epic-ness I was hoping for in this first-in-a-series book.
December 30, 2019
This is one of the best books that I’ve read in a while. Even though I picked it up mainly for the romance, the characters (main and side) and the interesting world (magical creatures and politics) will see that I continue on to book two.
I’ve already read the description for book two and it sounds like the two main characters in this book will be spending some time apart. Thankfully I like them enough on their own to be able to handle the separation for a time. That’s definitely a sign that this is an all around well-written book.
I’ve already read the description for book two and it sounds like the two main characters in this book will be spending some time apart. Thankfully I like them enough on their own to be able to handle the separation for a time. That’s definitely a sign that this is an all around well-written book.
June 9, 2017
Honestly, this is one of the best books I've read in a while.
Representation of this book in my life:
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Guess who got no sleep?
Representation of this book in my life:
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Guess who got no sleep?
August 30, 2017
I do love a good fantasy book that doesn't shy away from creating a world top to bottom. And I think there's something lacking in YA books these days, that Sparkes really brings back. It's not just romance, it's not just fantasy, it's not just character development and intelligent writing. It's the whole shebang that makes this book so wonderful to read.
It was fun, engaging, and entertaining. Definitely worth a read even if the main character could be a little "young" sometimes. That's alright, it's a young adult novel!
It was fun, engaging, and entertaining. Definitely worth a read even if the main character could be a little "young" sometimes. That's alright, it's a young adult novel!
did-not-finish
August 28, 2023DNF at 40%. Just not interesting enough to keep going.
June 25, 2024
Fun fantasy - magic, dragons, mermaids, etc
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