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    Blood Bound
    Blood Bound
    Blood Bound
    Ebook471 pages

    Blood Bound

    By Rachel Vincent

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    “A gritty, dangerous world of sorcerous bindings and forbidden love”—first in the Unbound series from the New York Times–bestselling author of Fat Cat (Shelf Awareness).

    By blood, by word, by magic . . .

    Most can’t touch the power. But Liv Warren is special—a paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood.

    Liv makes her own rules, and the most important one is trust no one.

    But when her friend’s daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the girl. Thanks to a childhood oath, Liv can’t rest until the child is home safe. But that means trusting Cam Caballero, the former lover forbidden to her.

    Bound by oath and lost in desire for a man she cannot have, Liv is racing to save the child from a dark criminal underworld where secrets, lies, trauma and danger lurk around every corner . . . every touch . . . every kiss.

    And more blood will be spilled before it’s over . . .

    “With Blood Bound, Vincent has created an original new paranormal universe full of interesting characters with awesome powers or Skills, as they are called in the book. Readers will enjoy getting to know Liv, an exciting heroine with a complicated past.” —RT Book Reviews

    “Vincent weaves a most convincing world for her characters . . . Blood Bound is a strong, cohesive work founded on a unique paranormal premise and will lead nicely to the rest of the trilogy.” —Fresh Fiction

    “Action-packed, clever, and full of twists . . . a series into which everyone interested in the paranormal genre can sink their teeth.” —The Romance Reader Reviews
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Integrated Media
    Release dateSep 1, 2011
    ISBN9781459211773
    Blood Bound
    Author

    Rachel Vincent

    New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent loves good chocolate, comfortable jeans, and serial commas. She’s older than she looks and younger than she feels, but is convinced that for every day she spends writing, one more day will be added to her lifespan. Now absorbed in the dark, tangled loyalties of her UNBOUND world, as well as the travails of a teenage banshee in her SOUL SCREAMERS world, Rachel can be found online at www.rachelvincent.com or urbanfantasy.blogspot.com.

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    Reviews for Blood Bound

    4/5

    135 ratings21 reviews

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    • 4/5


      Blood Bound is a new adult urban fantasy series by Rachel Caine, I haven't read much by this author before and was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the world building, it reminded me of old school fantasy but with a contemporary twist.

      Liv and Cam both are great characters, Liv is willing to risk everything for the people she loves even though she feels betrayed and Cam is willing to go against his oaths to help her hoping that they could get back together despite the many obstacles in their way.

      The story is gritty, fast paced and kept me hooked from the beginning and the twist at the end was icing on the cake. A must read and a series I will be following in the future.
    • 4/5
      Liv Warren is Skilled. She can track someone down if she has some of their blood or knows their full name. In this world the Skilled are not publicly recognized or legal. What has happened is that two rival organizations have divided up the city into thirds and control Skilled people by means of magically binding contracts. In order to protect the man she loves, Liv has entered into a contract with Ruben Cavazos who controls one-third of the city. She needs to find his missing son before six months are up or spend the rest of her life as his virtual slave bound to follow his every order.One night old friend Anna Liang comes to see Liv and demands that she help her find the man who murdered her husband. When they were twelve, four good friends with the assistance of one of the friend's younger sisters signed an oath in blood that compels them to help each other if they are asked. Now Anna is asking. Not only is she asking but she is demanding that Live work with Cam Caballero, the man she left to save his life but never stopped loving. Cam is also a tracker though his strong suit is finding someone by name. Unfortunately Cam is already bound to Jake Tower, Cavazos's rival who controls one of the thirds of the city. When they learn that the wrong person was kidnapped, that they really wanted Anna's daughter, they find themselves in a situation that pits them against their bosses and looking for loopholes in their contracts. This was an interesting urban fantasy with wonderful world building. I liked Liv very much and thought her relationship with Cam was nicely complex. I was curious about a world where Skilled people could track someone by blood or tell if they were lying or write a contract that a person couldn't break or travel from place to place in shadows. This is the first book in a three book series. I can't wait to read the rest.
    • 3/5
      OK, I admit, I fluctuated between 2 and 3 stars. I have more of a tendency toward 2 than 3, just because the whole concept made me rather ill. I walk into the room in my mind where the story lies, and I cannot bear to be there. The reek of blood and ashes, desperation and greed fills the air. Shadows crawl and roll, and the taste of bitterness lies upon the tongue. Overwrought? Possibly. I can say that I had nightmares after reading the book. I do think it was the whole concept of being subject to total control by others of power. The concept of a world where mafia type people take total control of your life, down to being able to control you like a puppet, with no ability to make any decision of your own. The total power to make you do things that you would never, EVER do of your own free will - things that destroy your mind and soul . . . Creepy scary beyond words.

      I will give Ms. Vincent kudos for developing such a creepy, frightening, sleezy world. The lady is definitely creative! Her ability to switch POV's between the two main characters is better than most, but left me confused a few times. If she continues practicing, I would be greatly interested to see how she develops. I couldn't, however, actually like any of the people in the story. Olivia had good qualities, but she blew it for me by making such bad decisions. OK, so her buddy tells her she or her boyfriend will kill one another if they stay together. With the Seers, etc., you don't get with your boyfriend and discuss the problem, discuss the problem between the three of you to find a way to fix things? You run off to someplace you KNOW is run by two of the most vicious crime lords in the US and put both yourself AND your boyfriend into the position to be owned by one or the other, or both, and then you are all whacked out because you walk right into a trap. Sigh.

      The whole 'controlled by others' thing is, I suppose, the reason that the book creeped me out so much. This is, of course, my own opinion, as is any review, therefore, take it as it comes. I won't read the next book, but if you like creepy, this might be just the book for you.
    • 4/5
      Books like this make me want to crawl into the fetal position in a cave faaaar away from humans for the rest of my life.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this new book from Rachel Vincent. The new world brings in a group of complex characters in a mafia type setting. Only this is even more difficult to get out of than even the mafia. You are bound by blood and cannot go against orders upon pain of a slow death.

      I was not a huge fan of the first person dialog from two different questions. I would prefer stories that have more than one point of view to be written in third person. At the beginning of each chapter you had to take a second to figure out who was talking. That is really my only complaint about the book, and it is not a big complaint. I love Rachel Vincent's work. Someone else wrote that she can do no wrong and I am inclined to agree.
    • 4/5
      There were some good ideas here and some pretty good world building but somehow I felt that this didn't live up to the promise. I wanted to know more about how the world worked, how it differed from ours and how the mob bosses managed to keep politics from getting caught up with them.I liked Liv, a tracker, who is trying to find her bosses child, trying to keep old promises from her youth and trying to keep alive, all of which are full-time jobs! She has to enlist the help of an old flame, Cam, whose life choices complicate things and keep her bosses wife from killing her, all messy, all complicated, all interesting, this world of blood oaths and tattoos and psychic abilities is interesting and show a lot of potential for the future. I'm holding fire on some of my dislikes from this until I read more and see if they answer some of my niggles.Irish Geis brough into urban fantasy... with more blood.
    • 4/5
      I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Fast-paced action with a dose of romance and intrigue kept me glued to the pages until the end. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.
    • 4/5
      An excellent read, kept me riveted all the way through. From the first chapter this book arouses some very strong emotions (I wasbeyond pissed at Anna at the start), and Vincent does a great job fostering those emotions without going overboard. Though I normally don't like the melodrama of a secret impediment keeping lovers apart, the action of this book moves fast enough to float Cam and Olivia's mysterious past. As I was reading I had some issues with the results of Noelle's mysterious pronouncement, but the story as a whole is strong enough to hold together the parts that felt weak.
    • 4/5
      First off: I tried to read STRAY, the first of Rachel Vincent's Shifters series, and put it down about halfway through, equally disgusted with the main character and her love interest. I haven't felt the slightest desire to return to the Shifter books but I was impressed with Vincent's talent enough that, combined with the very interesting premise of BLOOD BOUND, I decided to give it a try. And I have to say, all other thoughts aside, none of the things that frustrated me about STRAY were present in BLOOD BOUND.

      BLOOD BOUND is fascinating and very dark. It presents a world full of people with Skills who live underground, most of them bound by nefarious means to cruel mafia lords. And while the Skills themselves sound pretty cool at first - Trackers can track people, Seers can see the future, etc. - they cause more harm then good. Vincent has played out the implications of these nifty superpowers to the point of creating a terrifying dystopia, and the best case in point forms the fulcrum around which the rest of the novel turns: at the age of twelve, the heroine, Olivia, and her three best friends all swore a vow to help one another whenever asked for the rest of their lives. The presence of a Binder in their group made the vow binding, and permanent. Sounds great, right? Nope. The vow ruined their friendship, and very nearly their lives.

      When Olivia's friend Anne knocks on her door and demands that she drop everything in order to find and murder the person who killed Anne's husband, Olivia has no choice but to agree. She has a very difficult time negotiating, or even hesitating. If she resists for long enough, she dies. And actually, I thought Anne was the weakest link in the whole novel. Anne is the least sympathetic grieving widow/protective mama that I've ever had the displeasure to encounter in a book. Her husband's body is barely cold on the floor but the first thing she thinks to do is force Olivia into an immoral act, despite her protests? It's gross, and when Olivia calls her on it, asking Anne to at least take some time to reflect, this is Anne's reply: "I would rather have this whole thing over with before I go pick up Hadley. I don't want to have to think about this while I'm trying to decide how best to explain what happened to her father without scarring her for life." Ugh! So smug and self-righteous. I hated Anne.

      Anyhow: the real take home point there is that most of the characters, even the villains, are at least a touch more sympathetic.

      So Olivia is off to find the dead husband's killer, in the company of the old flame she's suffered much to protect. They work out their old issues only to discover that bigger ones have risen up in the meanwhile. They find the killer only to get some unpleasant news about what his real goal was, and who he worked for. Again and again, those nifty Skills that ought to make the world a better place just turn the screws tighter and make things worse.

      I ended up finding the story and the relationships really compelling. But...I'm going to spoiler tag this. I'm not giving away anything specific, but my impression of the end The conclusion really hit me like a sucker-punch to the gut. Such a devastating cliffhanger. After having gotten all excited about this new series I turned the last page thinking: nope, I don't want to read about that, it will be too awful. Who knows if I'll be able to resist temptation but, man, I am not a happy camper right now.. Aside from that, anyhow, BLOOD BOUND is worth a try.
    • 1/5
      I hated this book the story line was ok but the characters were flat
    • 4/5
      The central premise of this book and the world it creates is that people can be bound by magical contracts to do as others command them. They literally must obey. These contracts normally must be entered into willingly, and can of course have limits, restrictions, expiration dates, etc.

      In the shadowy underworld, entire mafia-esque enterprises are built with everyone sworn to obey those of higher rank than them. This leads to some very interesting possibilities and twists, some of which are almost reminiscent of Asimov's thought experiments with the Three Laws of Robotics.

      If you like the premise, you'll like the book. If the premise makes you uncomfortable, you'll relate perfectly to the main character, and like the book. If you don't like the premise, don't bother to read it.

      The world is well built, the characters fairly fully fledged. I find the premise fascinating, and I enjoyed the read.
    • 4/5
      I really like Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers series, so I was eager to read Unbound, her adult urban fantasy series. Blood Bound follows the tenacious and brave Olivia Warren and the witty and sexy Cam Caballero as they race to recover a little girl. In a world where oaths and contracts are magically enforced and betrayal has deadly consequences, they must find the child before their respective pasts catch up with them.The world building in this book took me by surprise - it is well thought out and intricate, and readers are introduced to it a little at a time so it's not overwhelming. The Skilled are a cool addition to the world - people who have magical powers such as Tracking, Seeing into the future, Travelling using shadows and Binding people into magically enforced contracts. They have formed a black market, where their Skills are made available to the general public, for a price. Blood Bound is set in a city that where the Skilled are largely controlled by two rival gangs, and independents, like Liv, are hard to find and constantly in danger. The danger increases when her search for the child lands in the crosshairs of both gangs. I love the dark new world that Vincent has created and am looking forward to finding out more of the secrets and history behind the two gangs.I instantly liked Liv when I met her. It would have been so easy for her come across like many other female protagonists in urban fantasy, but I found her strength realistic given her past and present predicaments. She's jaded, but not so much that it's tiring to read about how she doesn't believe in anything good anymore, and I think the reintroduction of Cam into her life makes Liv question a lot of things. Her Skill - the ability to track anyone by using their blood - is really interesting and I liked how it complimented Cam's Skill in finding people using only a name. She also has a vulnerable side and although she's never playing a helpless damsel in distress, its nice to see her acknowledge that she does need help sometimes.The tension and romance between Cam and Liv is perfect : while they are focussed on their goal of saving their friend's daughter, but can't deny that their attraction to one another, six years after their break up. The story is told from both their perspectives so it's easy to sympathise with them. Cam is understandably confused about why Liv left him all those years ago, and wants to convince her to try again, while Liv is hiding a secret from him that could threaten their whole relationship. The dual perspective is potentially confusing it changes without warning, but I quickly got used to it. It is also nice to know what the guy is thinking for once, instead of having to guess like in most other novels.An enjoyable book set in a vivid new world, Blood Bound will be enjoyed by fans of Rachel Vincent's previous works and those looking for new and unique urban fantasy. I enjoyed the book immensely and look forward to reading the sequel, Shadow Bound, soon.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.
    • 5/5
      4.5/5 stars!Note that this is a review for both books one and two, so it will be posted at both listings.I'd say I'm a casual fan of Vincent's work - I only skimmed the first two books of the "Alphas" series (it didn't hold too much interest for me), but I do really like the "Soul Screamers" series. Then I heard about this one, and decided to pick it up. And I'm really glad I did, because I think I can safely say that this series is some of her best work yet. The intensity and unflinching grittiness that begins in book one ("Blood Bound") continues with no middle book syndrome whatsoever. If you're just getting into the urban fantasy genre, I HIGHLY recommend the "Unbound" trilogy as it stands right now.It feels like Vincent has improved leaps and bounds when it comes to worldbuilding and character construction. The world, though small, blew me away in "Blood Bound" in it's tiny simplicity - there are the Skilled, those who have supernatural abilities that make them very desirable to certain parties, and the unSkilled - normal human beings. There are no shapeshifters or werewolves, and that alone in a paranormal story these days seems to be getting rarer and rarer. There's only the fear of one's blood being spilt - it can bind you to someone and make you do anything they want, whether you're aware of it or not. And then there's one career path - the US government will not acknowledge the Skilled even if they've been out of the collective social closet for over 30 years, so your job path is one of two things - you either freelance it and use your Skill that way, or you join the mob.What's wonderful about this worldbuilding is that there are so few choices and everything is very clearly defined and labeled, severely limiting the characters' behaviors and choices. This is great for putting one's characters under pressure and seeing what comes out of it - and what comes out of it, in both books, is nothing short of a story so good you're willing to lose good-sized chunks of sleep for each book.If you've read some of Vincent's other work, you know that she's really good at killing her darlings in order to really emotionally connect with the audience and have her characters really take wonderful journeys through their individual character arcs. She sets it all up beautifully in "Blood Bound", where both Kori and Cam have no choice but to obey conflicting orders and go through a ridiculous amount of pain in the process in order to accomplish what each person wants. Olivia is a wonderful heroine in the first book, but with "Shadow Bound", Kori has become my favorite for her sheer willpower to survive and protect her sister. The storyline that took up most of book one - that of the accidental BFFs Forever Pact - isn't really up at the forefront in book two. Book two deals with the fallout from the end of book one, which is directly linked to the Pact, though the Pact itself isn't really explicitly discussed. Book two is all Kori, and everything she's willing to do to keep going, keep surviving. There is no love triangle, there is only duty - duty to the syndicate that has tortured her, and duty to her family (and to a lesser part, to the teenage pact). Book two has some very triggery material - that of torture and rape - and I'd say that Vincent handled those PTSD flashbacks very appropriately. They weren't graphic, but they were just enough to make you realize how bad things got for Kori, and how much it took for her not to break into millions of pieces. It's hard to handle material like that in any book, and I think Vincent pulled it off very well and then made it loop back into the teenage pact where Olivia and Cam are asked for help, bringing us back full circle into what got everyone into this mess in the first place. It was beautifully outlined and written and everything tied up rather neatly. If this weren't a trilogy, I'd be convinced otherwise that this is the last book in this series. But it's not. And writing a series book to read as if it were a standalone is one of the most difficult things one can do as an author.Overall? I adore these two books, and I can't wait to own them. Vincent's worldbuilding and characters make this series unforgettable, and absolutely unputdownable (I usually cringe at that term, but it's entirely correct here). But the worst part? Waiting for book 3, "Oath Bound" - it's going to be published sometime in early 2013, and I don't want to wait that long!So if you want something new and fresh in this genre to read by an old hand, pick up the first two "Unbound" trilogy books "Blood Bound" and "Shadow Bound". Both have made my best of 2012 list so far and it's well-deserved. Both are out now from Mira/Harlequin books in North America, and "Shadow Bound" will be released on June 1, 2012 in the UK by Harlequin UK. Be sure to check them out - especially if you're getting tired of the same ol' plots and tropes in the urban fantasy genre. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!(posted to goodreads, shelfari, librarything, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)
    • 5/5
      Well, I can say with absolute certainty that my worries were completely and utterly unfounded. Within the first few pages, I knew that this was the sort of urban fantasy that would sweep me off my feet. And sweep me off my feet it did! As I said, the first chapter told me that this would be the sort of book that I love but it took a couple more chapters until I was so caught up in the action that there was no way to extricate myself until I’d finished the book.The synopsis is a little misleading. Everything mentioned in it does take place, yes, but the action is really kick-started by the murder of this same friend’s husband, which precipitates the kidnapping of her child much later on in the story.Anne, the friend, and Liv have a contract along with two other friends that requires them to help in any way they can if it is asked of them. In the context of the novel, should they refuse to help their body will start to systematically shut down until the heart stops beating. Certainly far from a comfortable way to die.As Anne specifically asks Liv for help, there’s not much Liv can do other than accept. When Anne expands this request that she work with Cam – the man she’s been avoiding due to a foretelling that they will kill each other – Liv is catapulted into a world of syndicate secrets that she’d done her very best to steer clear of all these years.I’m not entirely sure that I bought the relationship between Liv and Cam. Obviously the romance was already there so there was no budding relationship. She walked out on him six years ago, though, and six years is a very long time to not move on from a three year relationship. Stukkm their interactions were often intense and leant a very different aspect to the book.The story is written in the first person and follow’s both Liv and Cam’s PoVs. I would have liked to have seen Cam’s reaction to how things played out in the climax but the story stayed in Liv’s PoV at that point. At first, I transferred this hope to getting this from him in the next book in the series but the sequel is going to follow Kori, another of the four friends contracted to help each other. Then again, maybe Kori’s story will also showcase Cam and Liv a bit just as she featured in theirs. A girl can hope! I’d say that Cam and Liv’s story is far from over, though, so maybe things will come back to them in a future book. I certainly hope so.Occasionally, the characters were somewhat slow on the uptake. Not too-stupid-to-live slow, but slow nonetheless. I’d find that I had pegged the next reveal as obvious but Liv or Cam (or both) would continue to blunder about in blissful ignorance until the obvious really would not be ignored anymore. When I see things like this, it makes me wonder whether I’m sometimes just as slow when faced with the facts. I’d guess that I probably am but it can still be frustrating in novels when the characters are blind to what’s staring them right in the face. As I said, at least the characters weren’t stupid – just a bit slow at putting two and two together.The world that Rachel Vincent has dreamt up here is fascinating. There’s no specific era or setting (other than it being in the US) but I’m tempted to imagine it being in the near future somewhere near the East Coast. I don’t know why, that’s just where I situated it in my head.In this reality, certain people have what are called Skills and these Skills have led to the rise of two crimes bosses in “the City”. It was very mafia-esque in this dog-eat-dog world where allegiances collide quite spectacularly at times. I love the idea that a tattoo on your arm could bind you so tightly to a syndicate that any attempt to go against your boss’s orders would result in your body killing itself. Certainly a very bleak image of life though I have no doubts that this is what organised crime would become in such a world.I really enjoyed my foray into Liv’s life and I hope that the series will return there in a future book. As it is, I’m looking forward to learning more about Kori later this year.
    • 4/5
      As a dedicated fan of Vincent other series it was a no question that Blood Bound would be a must read. This debut reminded me a lot of Faith in the Shifters series; with a history of romance between the main characters it is easily to jump right into the story without a lot of detail. As the story progresses readers will learn the ins and outs of the characters while experiencing their powerful and intense journey. Blood Bound is an adult paranormal romance, and in comparison to her shifters series is seems to hold back, so of the intensity that I have come to expect. That being said I must also note the the potential is obvious, and I look for more in Shadow Bound. Unfortunately, I after concluding I discovered that book two is about Kori, rather than Liv and Cam, but after one book under belt I look for the comfort to display in the installments to come.  
    • 5/5
      Blood Bound is the beginning to a very interesting urban fantasy series. Liv Warren lives in a very dangerous world where the city is controlled by two different power houses and their leaders. Liv is a skilled blood tracker who tries to stay on the outside fringes of the city and live in the neutral zone. Unfortunately, her talents have brought her to the attention of both sides of the city, and a friend from childhood brings her in the midst of a heap of trouble. But the trouble really begins when her ex-lover Cam Cabellero shows up....Blood Bound was everything that a good urban fantasy should be. Vincent has created a unique, dangerous world that swept me away within the story. Liv lives in a city that is basically ruled by two "mob like" bosses who both want her skills under their control. These bosses use "binders" (another type of skill that certain individuals have) to bind people with prized skills to them to help keep them under their control. This caused a constant tension throughout the story that had me reading this book as fast as I could. Liv had a skill talent that was stronger than most which had me curious as to how it will play out in future books. And in typical Vincent style, the author kept me off balance as there were many surprising twists and turns that I definitely didn't expect throughout the book. I liked the idea that there were different skills that people could have and I am looking forward to learning more about these skills in future books. The whole world and storyline was such a unique concept. I just loved it! The ending of the book blew me out of the water. It took me by complete surprise and left me wanting more.All in all, this was a great addition to the urban fantasy genre and a great beginning to this series! This book was SO close to landing on my top 10 reads from last year.....and I can't wait to read the second book when it comes out. Highly recommended to fans of urban fantasy.Bottom Line: A must read for urban fantasy fans!Disclosure: I checked this one out at my local library!
    • 5/5
      I have been looking forward to this book coming out since the moment Rachel Vincent announced there would be a new series. I'm not sure I knew what to expect or even if I cared what the book was about, all that mattered was Shifters was coming to an end and this new series meant I got to keep reading Rachel Vincent's words. It's funny that I didn't panic a little that the books had nothing to do with the typical supernatural creature, a big departure from the were world Vincent had already created, but I have never not liked anything I have read of Vincent's so I knew it was going to be good, thankfully it was.If I had to pick one thing as Vincent's best writing skill is she is great at world building. She never throws it all at the reader, she gives just enough a little at a time. I never feel confused by whatever world I enter when reading one of her books, and the same was true for this one. The concept was really interesting, everyone is human, but some of those humans are Skilled. It's kind of like magic with a weird twist, only some people have certain skills. Liv and Cam (main characters) being different forms of trackers, blood and names respectively. I don't know if the Skilled people would be nearly as interesting if they didn't live in a city that can only be described as mob controlled times 10. The difference is being in the mob is taken to the extreme because you can be bound to that organization by blood, meaning not fulfilling your contract means death.Talk about intense.Liv is a great lead character, she's broken to an extent but still fighting as hard as she can. She can dish it out and she can take it, as shown numerous times throughout the book. Cam is also broken to extent, losing Liv before the events take place. Them separating ultimately ends up with them being on two different sides of the city and in one way or another bound to a different syndicate. This certainly complicated every aspect of the plot.Liv and Cam come together for the first time in six years in order to do a favor for a mutual friend, a friend that Liv happens to be bound to help. The events that happen all happen very quickly, in the course of maybe a day and half. Books that move that fast almost always make me wonder how the following book is going to be, will it be months into the future, or will the main characters just live an insane month over the course of several books, makes me wonder how Vincent is going to handle the second book. I think one of my favorite things about this book is so many people within the book betray each other in so many different and sometimes terrible ways, and as a reader you want to hate those people and then you have to remind yourself, they did all those terrible things against their will. I have to admit being rather annoyed at some people and then being annoyed that I couldn't really fault any of these people for their actions, because they were compelled to do; especially since most of the characters in the book fought their bonds and found as many loop holes as they possibly could. Although towards the end on the "mob" bosses said something that stuck with me, that while people are just following orders they all entered into their bonds on their own, and everyone was responsible for their actions. As much as know some of the actions were done against their will, they all made the decision to give up their free will, so that has to be considered. I makes for quite a quandary when trying to decide if I like a character.I loved the book, like seriously loved this book, I literally had to resist the urge to read it a second time immediately after I finished reading it in one sitting the first time. I don't know why by Rachel Vincent's writing sucks me in more than any other author I have read. Her books are not just an enjoyable read, but they make me think. No one is ever perfect in any of the world's she creates, and it's those imperfections, both big and small that make me enjoy her characters so much. I love the dimension of the characters, that everyone is in one way or another a little broken or jaded from life. I also love that even though this book is one of a series she wraps up the plot. Nothing is more annoying than when I have to wait an entire year for one plot to be concluded. Sure in the last two pages it is clear that there are going to be new challenges for Liv and Cam, they are going to be new challenges, and I am not going to have to wait a year to find out how the first plot ends (thank you so much for that Rachel). I would recommend this book to anyone, even those who aren't really big on the supernatural, while this book does give some humans a type of power, they are still human and I think it would make a great read for people who aren't into vampires and weres. Already looking forward to the next installment.
    • 4/5
      I am a fan of Rachel Vincent's Werecat series, although I found it frustrating at times. I also enjoy her YA "Soul Screamers" series. So I was excited to know she was releasing a new adult series starting with "Blood Bound". The world is unique and has rules unlike any I've read before so Vincent certainly gets points for her creativity. The basic story is about Liv who can track people through blood samples. She is forced to help find an old friend's child because of a pact they made with some other friends when they were children. Unfortunately in this world people have special 'skills' and one of their group was a Binder. This physical made a child's promise and unbreakable oath. Liv has to work with her ex-boyfriend Cam to find the child. Cam has a skill also. He can track and find people by their name. There is a reason why the two broke up years before and one of the mysteries readers start off trying to solve is finding out what happened out of the blue to make Liv leave Cam the night he was planning to propose to her. This world is very inventive in its set up. Besides having groups of people who have these skills, or special powers, the city is also divided into three areas. One is run by Ruben Cavazos and another by Jake Tower. A very small third area is mostly neutral. Ruben and Jake are like mafia bosses, controlling trade and underground activities. Both are dirty as they come. To survive in this world, most people have to side with one of the men or the other. There is much hostility between the two factions. This creates a very unstable, unique world for our characters. There are a tons of rules Cam and Liv have to play by. While this makes things pretty darn interesting it also was confusing to me as the reader for awhile as I came to terms with the logistics at play. As intriguing as all the action was, and there WAS a lot of action, the inter-play between the characters was what really had me invested in the novel. I don't think any of the characters were good or bad. The characters are all shades of gray. That actually served to make them feel real. The book reads very quickly and I actually NEEDED to find out how things ended up being resolved. Unfortunately the book ends with one heck of a cliffhanger. I think Rachel Vincent's writing has definitely tightened up over the last several years and she has always been excellent with building memorable characters. I recommend this book to urban fantasy lovers but I do caution them to hang on for a rough beginning as Vincent sets up the rules of the world. This wasn't the best book I have ever read but it was very good and I am determined to read the next one.
    • 5/5
      In a word? Wonderful. This book is a wonderful start to a new series. Rachel Vincent could probably write mindless ads and I would somehow be sucked in. I've read both her Shifters series and her YA Soul Screamers series and just like those I couldn't stop reading until I had the answers and I couldn't get them fast enough. That is always a plus when reading one of Vincent's books. It doesn't take long for you to be hooked. I loved the gritty and dark world she's created for these characters. It's a world where names hold true power, promises are binding oaths, and there really can be "monsters" appearing from the shadows. The characters themselves are easily likable. The main characters Liv Warren and Cam Caballero are intriguing. The flipping of viewpoints between the two gives insight to bigger questions that appear in their mutual story. There are so many layers to their lives it is hard not to want to be tangled up in the mayhem of their lives.I find books where I truly like the "villain" to be my favorites. This book is among those. The last few pages sealed that deal.
    • 5/5
      Sir Walter Scott's quote "What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!" came to mind when I read Blood Bound. Layers upon layers of lies and oaths bind this story together.In the Unbound world, you are bound by your word. Whether by blood or verbal oath, you are compelled to keep your promises. Going against your word can be hazardous to your health and even deadly. This world is filled with Skilled and un-Skilled humans. Most Skilled humans align themselves with one of two mob-type bosses, sometimes against their better judgment or even against their own will.Liv Warren's life isn't always her own. A school girl promise, has Liv using her Blood Tracking Skills to help a childhood friend against her will. Liv is also forced to team up with he oh-so-sexy x-boyfriend Cam. He’s the one man she can’t live without, but has to. She is also secretly bound to a syndicate that basically owns her body and mind.I absolutely loved the dynamic between Liv and Cam. They have a sexual tension that is so electric it jumps off the page. You can feel it in every word shared and even in every casual touch. I enjoyed uncovering their past while reading the story, it make me root for them more and more. Liv is strong both physically, mentally, and emotionally. She’s willing to give everything for the people she cares about. She isn’t a victim, like most modern female characters. You can’t help but fall in love with her character. I also enjoyed the secondary characters, and cannot wait to read more about them in Rachel’s Unbound upcoming books.In true Rachel Vincent fashion, the ending of Blood Bound left me aching for more. She writes the most dramatic endings, that leave you torn between throwing the book at the wall and selling your first born for an advanced copy of the next book.Rachel has an amazing knack for building unique fictional worlds. In a sea of carbon copy urban fantasy series, Blood Bound is a breath of fresh air. Her writing is both multifaceted and brilliant!Overall, Blood Bound is a dark and seductive thrill ride. I found myself getting pulled in the Rachel’s Unbound world, and not wanting to leave. I enjoyed untangling the web that is Blood Bound! MY RATING:Plot: 5/5Setting: 5/5Writing: 4.5/5Originality of Plot: 5/5Characters Development: 4.5/5Ending: 4.5/5Cover Art: 4.5/5Likelihood to Recommend: 5/5Overall: 38/40 = 95%
    • 5/5
      *NEW* Will you work for books? We are looking to add a blogger to ATUF. Fill out the applicationCheck out August's Hot Off The Press post with 82 new titles with covers, descriptions, & pre-order linksAll the Deadly Destinations prizes have been claimed Aug 15, 2011 Early 5bat! Review: Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent6:31 AM | by Abigail | | Edit Post*This title will be released on August 23, 2011*Title: Blood Bound Author: Rachel Vincent Series: Unbound #1 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Urban Fantasy Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher Reviewed by: AbigailMass Market Paperback: 400 pagesPublisher: Mira (August 23, 2011)ISBN-10: 0778312550ISBN-13: 978-0778312550Sexual Content:Kissing. References to rape. References to sex slavery. Sexual assault. A couple sex scenes Rating:Review courtesy of All Things Urban FantasyI can’t remember the last time I got this excited over an urban fantasy debut. I already knew that Rachel Vincent was a paranormal master thanks to her increasingly good paranormal YA Soul Screamers series and adept at injecting just the right amount of romance into urban fantasy in her Shifters series, but her new Unbound trilogy, which begins with BLOOD BOUND, promised a much darker, much grittier story that breaks way outside the box. And having now read it, she may have just set a new standard for the genre.Comprehensive and inventive worldbuilding, strong yet flawed characters, surprising and fast paced plot, and a dash of romance are what I always hope for in urban fantasy. BLOOD BOUND gave me all that and more. The worldbuilding is staggeringly good. After thirty years, the world’s worst keep secret is that there are certain individuals who posses Skills. These can range from Trackers (those who can find people with just a name or a smear of blood), Binders (those who can broker magical contracts), Travelers (those who can cover any distance by moving between shadows), and several others. Since the government refuses to acknowledge Skilled individuals, organized crime has made excellent use of them. The details of this world are so finely nuanced and so well thought out that I’d believe in a heartbeat that Rachel Vincent had been planning this series for decades.The main character is a blood Tracker. She works freelance for one of the nastier crime bosses in her city. Liv has a lot of secrets. Deep ones that have started to eat her soul by the time we meet her. She is sinking further and further in a pit of filth that she willingly entered and with each passing day, it becomes less likely that she’ll ever get out. The phrase ‘hitting rock bottom’ was made for characters like Liv Warren. Liv’s co-narrator is Cam Cabrillo, the only man she ever loved. Cam is a name Tracker. He’s been driving himself half mad trying to figure out why Liv left him six years ago. Cam has his own secrets and ties to a rival crime boss, but none of that matters when Liv’s best friend from high school invokes a magical Binding that Liv can’t ignore if she wants to live and Cam is the only one who can help her.I stopped counting after the third punch-you-in-the-gut shocker that was revealed in BLOOD BOUND, not because I suddenly saw them coming—the entire book was one unbelievable yet totally believable scene after another—but because I realized that I’d have been better off counting the scenes that didn’t steal my breath away. The romance is so well paced too. Cam and Liv have a lot resentment and stubbornness between the two of them, as well as secrets that Liv is keeping that are every bit as terrible as you suspect from her behavior, but once revealed, they shed an entirely different light on everything that has happened up until that point. I kept telling myself I’d only read one more chapter and then I’d quit for the night. I kept making that same bargain with myself until the very end of the book when suddenly it was light enough outside that I couldn’t call it night anymore. But I don’t even care that I’m tired today, because BLOOD BOUND was exactly the kind of book that’s worth robbing you of sleep. I’d be ready to forgo sleep again tonight if it meant I could read the next book in the Unbound trilogy, SHADOW BOUND, which is scheduled to be published in 2012.Sexual Content:Kissing. References to rape. References to sex slavery. Sexual assault. A couple sex scenes

    Book preview

    Blood Bound - Rachel Vincent

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