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30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A somber, yet darkly beautiful urban fantasy., June 28, 2010
This review is from: Shadow Bound (Mass Market Paperback)
Review courtesy of [...].
SHADOW BOUND is a shockingly good read. I mean, where did this book come from? I barely remember hearing about it before I saw it in my Shelf Awareness email. I actually thought it was a YA book based on the cover (it is definitely adult). Although the cover really does a poor job of capturing this often somber, yet darkly beautiful urban fantasy.
The prologue that sets up the mythology and history for the main character is nearly poetic. I reread it twice before continuing the story. I found my heartbeat actually racing and slowing along with the cadence of the prose. I was a little disappointed that the entire book was written the same way.
The actual story is told from the shifting POV of Talia O'Brien, a brilliant young doctor with a terrible secret, and Adam Thorne, a man consumed by guilt and rage driven to find the answers that will destroy his brother and save the world. I typically prefer female POV's but in SHADOW BOUND it was Adam's chapters that were strongest. Talia was so closed off in life, so cautious that at times I found her boring.
What was never boring was the world building. Made up of a combination of Greek mythology, Irish folklore, and traditional fey lore. The villains are the Wraiths, demon spawns who suck the soul from their victims via a Harry Potter-like Dementor's kiss. They cannot be stopped, they cannot be killed, and their numbers are growing.
Shadow Fall coverSHADOW BOUND is likely to appeal to UF/PNR lovers as well as fans of supernatural thrillers. The writing is evocative and lyrical, especially the prologue, and the mystery of the Wraiths and Talia is original and satisfying. The middle drags a bit, but that's when the romance really develops so not a bad trade. The next book in the Shadow series is called Shadow Fall and will be released next month on July 27, 2010 and I will definitely be reading it.
Sexual Content: References to sex. A scene of graphic sensuality. References to rape. Several graphic sex scenes.
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23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well-written, and a very interesting concept, June 15, 2010
This review is from: Shadow Bound (Mass Market Paperback)
I'm not ordinarily a fantasy fan, but "Shadow Bound" does an amazing job of blending current reality with the shadow world - this makes the story believable and gripping. The concept behind the book is extremely interesting, which makes for a definite page-turner (I read the entire book in two days). The characters are complex and appealing, and quickly get you emotionally invested in the story. I rarely get as absorbed into a book as I did with this one. My only complaint is that I have to wait until the follow-up book is released in another month or so. :)
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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful debut Urban Fantasy, June 28, 2010
This review is from: Shadow Bound (Mass Market Paperback)
I'm always happy to experience a new author's voice, it's exciting to read a debut, like trying a new wine or if you are not into that...a new dish with all your favorite ingredients. Sometimes these experiments leave you disappointed, running back to your old favorites...but other times they push aside the rest, soar to the top and leave you hungry for more. This, my friend, is what Shadow Bound did for me.
REVIEW: Talia O'Brien is the spawn of death himself. Half fae, whom are the guardian of the in betweens, and half human, Talia can wrap shadows around herself, more comfortable in the dark than she is in the light with the living.
On a day that changed her life forever, Talia came face to face with a monster and watched it suck the soul from her roommates body. The only thing that saved her was death - she has been running ever since. Now trapped in an alley with a wraith hunting her, on verge of heat stroke and dehydration, Talia must make a choice. Should she trust the man that has come for her? Should she put her life in his hands and her powers behind his cause? His natural charm and his casual good looks don't make it any easier for her and as more and more comes out into the open about both Adam and Talia it might not just be their lives on the line, but their hearts also.
This book had me saying "wow" as I scrolled through it. The author's tone drips with old world depth and verse that historical authors try but very rarely achieve, which was surprising for a modern urban fantasy. The tone was reminiscent of one of my favorite YA authors, Maggie Stiefvater. Like Steifvater you could almost drink in the words as if they were a humid evening instead of two dimensional words on a page. As the novel progresses the tone did evolve into a more modern narrative, but oddly I was not disturbed by the shift. It worked with the story. Much as the shifting POV did. The POV shifts seamlessly from Adam to Talia leaving the reader with a varied world view, yet it didn't lead to confusion like often happens in ambiguous POV changes. The storyline was also very original, I have read before of soul sucking, and kisses of death...but the author paired it together in an original way. I was highly impressed with Shadow Bound...and I can't wait to read the second installment Shadow Fall.
The one short-coming that I did find with the novel was more of a "taste" preference. The heroine was a little more malleable than I would have liked and the hero a bit too one-tracked, leaving the romance a bit on the fizzle side instead of the passionate. But, like I said this is a personal preference - reading too much PNR I like my girls with snark and my boys with bite. (Insert Kitty Rrrrr here)
RECOMMENDATIONS: Adult novel, for mature readers. This novel has a more fantasy feel than UF, even though it really is UF, so this might be a great transition book for fantasy lovers.
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