Review: Oath Bound - Rachel Vincent

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The Tower Syndicate will fall...

The secret daughter of the head of an infamous Skilled crime family, Sera Brandt has hidden her past, her potential and especially her powers. But when a tragedy strikes her other family, Sera needs justice. And the only way to get it is to reveal her heritage- including a rare Skill-and take the reins of the TowerSyndicate from her cunning and malicious aunt.

If he can figure out how...

Kristopher Daniels might have the answer. He's fought the syndicate to protect his sisters, but he'd never realized just how close to the new heir he needed to get...

And if they can survive

Neither is used to trusting. But there's something between them that can't be ignored. And so Sera is on the run with a man she can't figure out, a target on her back and the new knowledge of just how powerful she really is....

Unbound Trilogy:
Blood Bound
Shadow Bound
Oath Bound

Visit Rachel Vincent's website for more information

Review:
Oath Bound is the final book in Rachel Vincent's Unbound trilogy and it was another great story, this world has been absolutely fascinating and I'm actually sad that this was the last book because I'd have loved to spend more time here. Kris has seen first hand how the Tower Syndicate nearly destroyed both his sisters and he is determined to bring them down once and for all so they can't hurt anyone else. He has been working with Kori and Kenley to slowly release people from their bindings but when Kenley is kidnapped and taken back into syndicate control Kris will stop at nothing to get her back.

Sera was the only survivor in a tragedy that killed her entire family, she is desperate for revenge against the person who cost her everything but the only way she can make them pay is by asking the syndicate for help. It's a move that could cost her everything but she's desperate enough to take that risk. When Kris sneaks into the Tower headquarters looking for his sister he ends up taking Sera with him as a bargaining tool. Neither of them have any reason to trust the other, especially considering the circumstances of their meeting and the huge secret that Sera is keeping, but it quickly becomes clear that they're in over their heads and the only chance they have of rescuing Kenley and staying alive themselves is by working together to bring the syndicate down for good.

This was another fast paced story full of plenty of action and a nice amount of romance. I enjoyed the bickering between Sera and Kris and I loved that she didn't let him off the hook for effectively kidnapping her, even if he did save her life in the process. Their romance was a nice slow build which made it believable and they were a cute couple. I enjoyed getting the chance to catch up with previous characters from the series, they all have a part to play in this book and it was good to see them working together to fight a common enemy.

This series has been a lot of fun to read and it's one I'm sure I'll end up rereading in the future. My one minor complaint is that I felt like there was possibly going to be a fourth book at one point so I didn't think things were quite finished as far as the Cavazos Syndicate. Don't get me wrong there are no big cliffhangers and this story felt completely resolved but I would have liked to revisit Cam and Liv's situation and helped them get their freedom too. The way things were left made it clear that good things would happen in the future but I would have liked to witness that for myself. That's a really minor issue though because I loved the way things ended for the rest of the characters!

The Unbound books are definitely darker than Rachel Vincent's Shifters series but she's created another interesting world that had me hooked from beginning to end.

Source: Purchased

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Review: Shadow Bound - Rachel Vincent

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If you live in the dark long enough,
you begin to forget the light...

Kori Daniels is a shadow-walker, able to travel instantly from one shadow to another. After weeks of confinement for betraying her boss, she's ready to break free of the Tower syndicate for good. But Jake Tower has one final job for Kori, one chance to secure freedom for herself and her sister, Kenley, even if it means taking it from someone else....

The job? Recruit Ian Holt-or kill him.

Ian's ability to manipulate the dark has drawn interest from every syndicate in the world, most notably an invitation from Jake Tower. Though he has no interest in organized crime, Ian accepts the invite, because he's on a mission of his own. Ian has come to kill Tower's top Binder: Kori's little sister.

Amid the tangle of lies, an unexpected thread of truth connecting Ian and Kori comes to light. But with opposing goals, they'll have to choose between love and liberty....

Unbound Trilogy:
Blood Bound
Shadow Bound
Oath Bound

Visit Rachel Vincent's website for more information

Review:
I first read Blood Bound when it was published back in 2011 but for some reason I never got around to picking up the rest of the series as they released. I'm so glad I finally came back to the series though because it's so different from anything else I've been reading recently. It was a good job I reread Blood Bound first though because Rachel Vincent has created a complex world with a large cast of characters and I wouldn't have enjoyed Shadow Bound half as much if I'd not been able to remember everything.

I have to admit I was surprised when I realised this story was going to be told from Kori and Ian's points of view rather than those of Liv and Cam. I honestly thought this whole series was going to be about the same couple and it was a little weird to move on when it didn't feel like their story was finished. I should have known to trust Rachel Vincent though, switching to Kori's point of view allows us to see the inner workings of the Tower Syndicate, something we didn't see in the first book. We met Kori in the previous book, she risked a lot to help Liv and Cam and she has paid a very high price for that since the end of the first book. Jake Tower is every bit as ruthless as Ruben Cavazos and Kori has been made an example off because of her betrayal. It was actually pretty hard to read about everything she has been though so even though there was no gratuitous detail this series is definitely a lot darker than the Shifters series ever was.

Kori has been given one last chance to prove her usefulness to Tower, she has to recruit Ian to the syndicate and if she fails then not only will her life be forfeit but her sister will also suffer the same torture that Kori only just survived. Ian is a new character to the series, he has his own reasons to want to infiltrate Tower's syndicate. He has absolutely no intention of signing up but he does plan to bring Tower down and save his brother's life in the process. These two are both incredibly protective of the people they care about and unfortunately the only way they can save the siblings they love is to destroy each other. They are both strong characters, Kori has survived hell and always comes back fighting, she has done everything she possibly can to defy Tower even knowing what it could cost her but she would never risk her sister. Ian definitely has a bit of a hero complex, he just can't resist a damsel in distress and as it becomes clear how desperate Kori's situation is he realises he needs to come up with a new plan.

I'm not going to go into any more detail about the plot but I loved the slow build romance between these two. The physical attraction is there from the very beginning but it takes a long time for trust to build and for them to start sharing secrets. We get to see a couple of brief appearances from Liv and Cam which was nice but I have to admit it didn't show them in the best light because they are firmly Cavazos' thumb and have no choice but to follow his orders. What I'm REALLY hoping is that the final book (told from the points of view of Kori's brother Kristopher and new character Sera) will let us see all three couples working together and finally bringing down both syndicates once and for all. I desperately want them all to have the happy endings they deserve!

Source: Purchased

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Review: Blood Bound - Rachel Vincent

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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 . . .

Unbound Trilogy:
Blood Bound
Shadow Bound
Oath Bound

Visit Rachel Vincent's website for more information

Review:
I'm a massive fan of Rachel Vincent's Shifters series so I couldn't wait to get my hands on Blood Bound and as soon as it arrived it jumped immediately to the top of my to read pile.  The world she has created in this new series couldn't be more different from the Shifters books, the story is much darker but it has everything you would expect from this author - strong characters, plenty of action and twists that will knock you sideways.  Blood Bound is a must for any urban fantasy fan and this has the potential to become one of my favourite series, my only disappointment is that I'll have to wait a year before I can get my hands on the next book!

The world may have known about the Skilled for 30 years but governments and the law still refuse to publicly acknowledge they exist which has created a black market for anyone with enough money who wants to use their abilities.  Some of the Skilled have the ability to track anyone by either a name or a tiny sample of their blood, some of them can travel through shadows to any destination and others have the ability to bind you to a magical contract that will cause you physical pain and even death if you try to break it.  As you can imagine these skills are highly sought after and 2 main crime syndicates will do whatever it takes to have control of the most powerful Skilled and earn money by using them. 

Liv is one of the most powerful blood trackers, going on her official range she can track anyone in an 80 mile radius using just a drop of their blood but in reality she can find you even if you are much further away.  Liv has been running from her past for 6 years now but it is about to catch up with her when her ex Cam arrives on the scene bringing with him one of her oldest childhood friends.  Thanks to a blood oath between Liv and her friends she is unable to refuse Anne's request for help even if getting involved is the last thing she wants to do.  Liv resents her friend for forcing her into something but as much as she hates the position she finds herself in she does feel sorry for Anne and deep down she wants to help her.  What she really doesn't want is to accept Cam's help to do it, although Cam is the love of her life she walked out on him 6 years ago without giving him any kind of explanation and Cam is determined to win her back.  That is something that Liv can't risk but it takes a while before the reason for this becomes clear.

The story is told from both Liv and Cam's perspectives and I loved that we get to see both of their sides of the story.  Liv is a strong character but she also has a vulnerability to her that makes you feel protective of her.  She is keeping a lot of secrets but as you learn more about her past her actions become much more understandable.  Cam is someone I loved as soon as I met him, he is so sweet and protective of Liv but he sees her how she truly is and knows she doesn't need to be looked after.  He has never gotten over her leaving him and is still crazy about her, he can tell she has feelings for him too and doesn't understand why she keeps pushing him away.  He uses her bond with Anne as a way to get back in her life and isn't going to let her get away from him this time, he wants an explanation and will do whatever it takes to get it.  The chemistry between Liv and Cam was fantastic and I loved watching these two together.  There is just enough sexual tension and romance for an urban fantasy - it never takes over the main storyline though, just enhances it.

When it comes to the plot I have to admit I found things a little confusing for the first few chapters but this is often the case when you're starting a new series and trying to become familiar with a new world.  Once the story takes off it will have you gripped to the pages and you won't want to put it down.  Liv and Cam find themselves caught between the two main crime syndicates and there isn't going to be an easy way for them to resolve things.  While they care for each other they both have big secrets and if they are revealed it will change everything.  Can they find a way to help Anne and a way to be together again or are they destined to be pulled in different directions?  You'll have to pick up a copy of Blood Bound to find out, in the meantime I'll be sitting here desperately waiting for Shadow Bound!

Source: ARC received from Rachel Vincent in exchange for an honest review

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