The Bloodbound

Written by Erin Lindsey

Narrated by Jill Tanner

Of all those in the King of Alden's retinue, the bloodbinders are the most prized. The magic they wield can forge invaluable weapons, ones that make soldiers like Lady Alix Black unerringly lethal. However, the bloodbinders' powers can do so much more-and so much worse . A cunning and impetuous scout, Alix only wishes to serve quietly on the edges of the action. But when the king is betrayed by his own brother and left to die at the hands of attacking Oridian forces, she winds up single-handedly saving her sovereign. Suddenly, she is head of the king's personal guard, an honor made all the more dubious by the king's exile from his own court. Surrounded by enemies, Alix must help him reclaim his crown, all the while attempting to repel the relentless tide of invaders led by the Priest, most feared of Oridia's lords. But while Alix's king commands her duty, both he and a fellow scout lay claim to her heart. And when the time comes, she may need to choose between the two men who need her most .

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 21, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490657615

Erin Lindsey

ERIN LINDSEY has lived and worked in dozens of countries around the world, but has only ever called two places home: her native city of Calgary and her adopted hometown of New York. In addition to the Rose Gallagher mysteries, she is the author of the Bloodbound series of fantasy novels from Ace. She divides her time between Calgary and Brooklyn with her husband and a pair of half-domesticated cats.

Reviews for The Bloodbound

[stefferoo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Erin Lindsey is also E.L. Tettensor, author of the mystery-fantasy Darkwalker that I enjoyed so much last year. So needless to say, I was really excited to read her new novel The Bloodbound, a sword and sorcery adventure with a more romantic bent.The book introduces readers to Alix Black, a soldier and scout in the king’s host. I always enjoy it when I come across fantasy stories that feature both men and women fighters, and seeing someone like Alix, who is a noblewoman of a sort, in the army is doubly refreshing. Despite being one of the Greater Houses, the power and influence of the Blacks have waned over the years, leaving only Alix and her older brother Rig. Alix has left the life of luxury behind, trading in her gowns and lavish balls for leathers and her blood blade, swearing her service to King Erik.But what she didn’t expect was actually becoming Erik’s bodyguard. When the king is betrayed on the battlefield by his own brother Prince Tomald, Alix rescues Erik and is named his protector. Leaving her comrades in the scouts behind, Alix becomes Erik’s personal guard but also a trusted confidante as the two grow closer. Complicating matters is Alix’s relationship with her former fellow scout and more-than-just-a-friend Liam, but what is a loyal soldier to do when her sovereign ruler requires her protection and the fate of their entire kingdom rests on the outcome of a brutal war?While The Bloodbound might not be breaking new ground, it has all the ingredients for a winning fantasy novel. It has a strong female protagonist, who is deadly capable without being a cutting, embittered warrior. No damsels in distress here; we see a gender role reversal from the norm, with Alix doing her fair share of the rescuing, saving Erik’s kingly hide time and time again. There’s also an intriguing, fast-paced plot involving a traitorous royal brother and an invading foreign army. The world building is also rich but subtle, with plenty of the magic, history and politics of the book’s world getting through to the reader without ever becoming overbearing. And then, of course, there’s the romance.I’ll admit, I had my reservations when I first encountered the love triangle. Torn between Erik and Liam who have both expressed their true feelings to her, Alix knows that eventually she will have to choose between them. But love is not as important as duty when you’re a king, a noblewoman, or even a common soldier who may be more than he appears. Meanwhile, a usurper threatens to take the throne and an attacking enemy force has the dark magical power to do great evil, so the Alix-Liam-Erik situation is further muddled by political need. While I knew going in that The Bloodbound would have strong emphasis on romance, the love triangle still threw me off a little. Considered a staple of the Young Adult novel, at first I wasn’t sure how I felt to see it in my adult epic fantasy. However, after pondering the matter, I realized that even though love triangles are a common trope, my problems that stem from them have nothing to do with the love triangles themselves, but actually how they are written. Erin Lindsey ends up avoiding a lot of the common pitfalls, opting to forego the angst and melodrama, sparing me a lot of frustration and eye-rolling. Without the drawn-out dramatics of your typical love triangle, I ended up enjoying this one quite a bit. The romance is almost in perfect balance with the rest of the novel, and doesn’t distract too much from the overall bigger story. All in all, this makes The Bloodbound a very special book. It mixes the modern with the classic, with the result being an epic fantasy type novel that would also be very easy to get into for fans of YA romance or Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance. An engaging love story is something I feel is missing in a lot of epic fantasy, so this book worked very well for me. It gives equal weight to both the romance and the fantasy world-building elements.All told, this is a very well-written novel that I believe has wide appeal as well as the potential to connect with many kinds of readers. It can be read as a standalone, with a satisfying story and no cliffhangers, though it does keep the door open for future possibilities. I love the author’s style: simple and elegant, which is how I like it. No matter what name she writes under, I’m a fan.

[capnrandm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.allthingsuf.comSword and sorcery with a kickass heroine that would do any urban fantasy proud, THE BLOODBOUND offers romance, intrigue, and a fast moving plot that will immerse readers in this new world. I've read quite a few fantasy novels in my day, and Erin Lindsey's mix of historical noble houses with a modern sense of gender equality was an enjoyable surprise.Perhaps what makes THE BLOODBOUND such a light, enjoyable adventure is Lindsey's deft touch with familiar tropes. Though the nobility bears a less gendered burden of fidelity than usual, after flirtation actual marriage is still dictated more by duty and politics than love. And while this familiar problem creates more than one love triangle in THE BLOODBOUND, these thwarted lovers are never bogged down with melodrama. Even familiar Urban Fantasy tropes are sprinkled in with just enough vigor to offer spice, but not distraction. Alix's impulsive nature, as evident on the battlefield as it is in the bedroom, often lands her in peril but never tips into Too-Stupid-To-Live territory. While this light touch is generally a positive, it also creates a little less emotional weight in the dramatic moments, but that trade off that didn't detract much from my enjoyment.Blending all the hallmarks of sword and sorcery with the modern, romantic feel of urban fantasy, THE BLOODBOUND is an effortless adventure that will sweep readers away. I only hope that Lindsey brings us back to this world for more happily-ever-afters.Sexual Content: Non explicit sex scenes.

[darkfaerietales_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Fantastic high fantasy that has a captivating world, interesting characters, and non-stop action. I would highly recommend this to all fantasy lovers!Opening Sentence: Smoke crawled up the side of the bluff, carrying with it the screams of the dying.The Review:Lady Alix Black is a member of the noble Black House in the kingdom of Alden. As is custom for all nobles, Alix is currently serving time in the king’s army as a scout. Alden is currently at war with a very formidable foe, the Oridians. They are from a neighboring kingdom and have a very lethal priest that works strange magic. Magic that no one in Alden has ever seen and it may cause them to lose the war if they can’t figure out how to stop it.When the king of Alden is betrayed by his own brother in the midst of battle, Alix ends up saving his life, and is appointed to be his personal bodyguard. Now most of Alden believes the king to be dead and his brother has taken the throne. To reclaim his throne the king will have to not only battle his brother, but also the enemies ravaging through his kingdom. Being the king’s bodyguard is no easy feat, but Alix will do anything to protect the king and save the home that she loves.Even though Alix was raised as a Lady she has never really acted like one. She has a quick mouth and witty personality that comes in very handy at times. She acts impulsively at times, but she generally doesn’t make stupid decisions like most impulsive characters do, which I really liked. She is not someone that is afraid to speak her mind and the advice she gives is always very intuitive. I love kick-butt female characters and Alix falls into this category. She can wield a sword better than most men and is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. I admired her strength and her courage, it made her someone you can easily look up to. But Alix also had flaws, which made her much more relatable as a character. She is not always the best about expressing her feelings and she has insecurities like most girls do. Overall, I thought that Alix was a very well rounded character and I really loved her.Like the description says there is a love triangle in the story. But I want to point out that for the most part this was a very small part of the book. In all honestly there is actually very little romance at all, so I don’t think that this particular triangle will bother most people. I’m not going to go into a lot of detail about the boys because I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will highlight some of my favorite things about them.King Eric is the current king of Alden and his life has not gone as planned lately. Going to war was the right decision to make, but it has cost his kingdom dearly and now he also has to deal with the betrayal of his only family. Eric is a strong, loyal man that has had to make a lot of tough decisions in his life, but he is a good leader. He is kind, charming, and an all around genuine person. He doesn’t hesitate to admit when he is wrong and he welcomes council from others. From the moment I met Eric, I instantly like him, but I also felt really bad for him. He hasn’t had the easiest time dealing with everything that has happened, but he stayed strong and optimistic no matter what challenges he had to face. His relationship with Alix was sweet and mostly just flirtatious. I loved how Eric would turn to Alix for advice and he always treated her with respect. I think that Eric is a great character and I can’t wait to see where his story goes next.Liam is also a scout in the king’s army and has gotten to know Alix very well over the last little while. They have worked together on many missions and started to grow close over time. But Alix is a noble and is expected to marry well, and Liam is a bastard which basically means they have no future together. I loved Liam, he is funny, charming, and intelligent. He has a contagious smile that always brightens everyone around him. He has something about him that just made him so likeable but there were moments when he could be a little frustrating as well. He and Alix have great chemistry and who doesn’t love a forbidden romance. Personally, I was cheering for them from the very beginning and I still am.The Bloodbound is an epic high fantasy with a captivating world, interesting characters, and non-stop action. The plot had some interesting twists and was full of great suspense that keeps you interested throughout the whole story. Like I mentioned earlier, there is very little romance in the story but there was just enough to keep me satisfied. The one thing this story does not lack is intense battle scenes and there were many of them throughout the story. I also loved all the politics and court drama that was weaved into the story; it gave it an extra element of intrigue. Another thing I loved was that the girls in the kingdom are trained and expected to fight just like all the men, which is very unique for a high fantasy. There were a few moments when the story dragged a little bit for me, but for the most part the pacing was great. Things were wrapped up nicely at the end but there is still tons more to the story and I personally am very excited to read the sequel. Overall, I thought that this was a terrific high fantasy and I would highly recommend it to all fans of the genre.Notable Scene:She fought shoulder-to-shoulder with Liam, beating them back as best she could, but she knew they couldn’t hold out for long. Thralls were piling up at the choke point, jostling to get by one another in their frenzy. It was like holding back a riot. A thicket of blades flashed in every direction. Blood spattered across Alix’s chest as the Oridian she was fighting lost an arm to the man behind him. Men in full plate armour waded out into the river, only to be dragged under by the current. Others tried to scrabble up the embankment. Alix and Liam fell back again, but they were running out of room, and still the crowd pressed in. They’re going to trample us, she thought dully.Suddenly, thralls began to stagger and fall. It took Alix a moment to understand what was happening; then she spied the arrows raining down from above, and she looked up to find the top of the bluff studded with archers. A war cry sounded, then another, and Kingswords poured down the embankment with sword and axe and mace.FTC Advisory: Ace/Penguin provided me with a copy of The Bloodbound. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.