Shadow Bound [NOOK Book]

Great New Fantasy/Paranormal Romance Author

Looking for a great dark fantasy read this summer?

Ever heard of author Erin Kellison? Neither had I, until I clicked on a banner ad and ended up with a copy of her book Shadow Bound on my doorstep...

Shadow Bound is one of those unexpected great reads that you would never see coming. Look at the cover - does that look like the cover of a great book? Unfortunately not... it's a very nice image, but I don't think it accurately conveys the theme and intensity of the story. It looks more like... something for a YA Romance. Which this is definitely not.

Here's the Publisher's Weekly synopsis:

Kellison's debut, a blend of suspense and paranormal romance, follows Adam Thorne as he attempts to unravel the mystery of the wraiths, possessed humans who feed on human souls. Desperate to free his brother from possession, Adam follows a flimsy lead to half-Fae Talia O'Brien, a young woman with a newly minted doctorate, a mysterious past, and magical abilities that stop wraiths in their tracks.

As the wraiths pursue Talia, determined to destroy her in retribution for her father daring to love and impregnate a human woman, Adam tries to protect her and understand her powers, and finds himself falling in love. Fast-paced without being frenetic, interesting and entertaining if not particularly challenging, this tale deftly avoids romance cliches while delivering plenty of action.

Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?

And it is! It delivers on all counts. The characters are interesting and multi-dimensional (though it takes awhile to get much from Talia, but I think that's simply due to the personality of the character), and the plot is fast-paced and action-driven.

I also loved the concept of the wraiths, which seemed like a combination of Dementors from Harry Potter and the wraith from Stargate: Atlantis - very creepy, and truly evil. In a way, it's very refreshing to see truly evil villains, because as great as it is to have villains with pathos, I think recent paranormal/fantasy has got away from that Truly Bad Villain that readers simply want to see destroyed at all costs.

A word of warning to the sensitive, however - there are two sex scenes in this book, but if you're not comfortable reading these, it's very easy to flip the page and get on with the story. Just something I thought worth noting, as I don't want to scare anyone off the book for the sake of missing such a great story.

I should also mention that Kellison is on Twitter, and seems to love interacting with her readers! If you read the book and enjoy it, pop over there and send her a note.

And one final thing... when you get to the end and think "Oh noooes, a cliffhanger?!?", never fear! Book two, Shadow Fall, releases this month - some places are even putting it out early, so keep your eyes open.

21 out of 21 people found this review helpful.

Great Book

Such a great book. Loved it. Awesome read

10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.

Intense and dark romance

Shadow Bound is based on a very different point of view towards the world of the Fae and their existence. This story starts out strong and dark with a primary character known as Shadowman. Shadowman is also known to some as Death or the Grim Reaper. He lives in the Shadows, the world between ours and heaven. The atmosphere is immediately seductive and darkly intense, thus setting the pace for Shadow Bound.

The romance between Talia and Adam was palpable to me, with each having their own personal demons to deal with before they can decide on each other. Talia is the type of heroine you can grow with through the story and Adam was such a strong and stead-fast hero that you can't help but fall for him.

If your looking for something different in the world of Fae with a healthy dose of suspense peppered with villains that are truly treacherous and deadly and a romance that will fill you with hope, I highly recommend Shadow Bound. I can't wait to dive into Shadow Fall this coming weekend!

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Unexpectedly good read

I was intrigued by this book in stores, and almost bought it there, but felt a bit turned off by the cover: the romance font and blank stare of a ditzy teen had me concerned. Grabbed it when it went to free ebook, though, and I'm VERY glad I did: although there are some elements of paranormal romance, this is really more of a modern fantasy horror.

The writing style is excellent (particularly the prologue, which was more like poetry than prose) and the plot was well constructed, fairly logical, and usually pretty well paced: it didn't rush through action nor feel a constant desperation to get back to it. Kellison also resisted the genre's pervasive need to implant every type of fantasy creature in a mishmash of overkill. Not everyone is delighted with unnaturalness, and some of the heroes die.

Only complaints: although the adventure is very good, the plot twists were few and generally predictable; and the second quarter of the book, which exists solely to develop the main relationship for the later novel, needs some paring. These are just marks of a rookie author, though, and I really look forward to the rest of the series.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Uninspired

From the beginning its obvious the author is too eager to impress her worth as a new author, this proves to be a weakness that takes poorly crafted characters to an even lower point by the middle of the book.
The cover is poor to say the least leaving it lost among the more skilled publishers who know what romance fans gravitate toward. I cant give it more than one star and will not recommend it to my reading group.

4 out of 12 people found this review helpful.

heeellllo shadow man!

the first 2 pages had me hooked, never have i read this twist they put on death himself. This book starts off from the beginning and just keep going, if you like high pace and exciting plots then this is for you. Its definitely a page turner, although I feel the ending was a bit rushed, but it left you wanting more. I hope there is another book that takes off where this one ends. Its definitely worth the free download to your nook.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Not So Impressed

The plot and originality easily earn 5 stars. Everything else gets 2. Other readers seem to be gushing about the writing style, characters and world-building but I can't because none of those were more than mediocre. Situations and dialogue were barely plausible, even for fiction. I lost count of my own eye rolls. Secondary and peripheral characters were more interesting than the leads. Conflicts and problems were solved too quickly, easily, magically and conveniently. Also, the person responsible for that cover should be fired. It was too easy for me to put the book down to do other things. I didn't hate the book; it just didn't meet my expectations.

3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

fascinating urban romantic fantasy

In Appalachia, West Virginia, Adam Thorne is an obsessive dreamer wanting his Segue Institute to succeed. He has put up his vast inheritance to fund the foundation and backed that with time. His personal goal is to kill his brother Jacob a former CEO turned wraith; who he has incarcerated for six years with little success; while the institutes' mission is to study vampiric wraiths.

Adam believes he has found the solution in Talia O'Brien who suffered a near death experience. She has the uncanny paranormal ability to cloak herself in the darkness so that neither humans nor wraiths can detect her. However, she must learn to use her ability, but loathes applying it as she detests being different. Adam mentors Talia but conceals from her is motive with a caring nurturing veneer.

This is a fascinating urban romantic fantasy starring an obsessed lead male and the woman he plans to use as a tool to achieve his immediate objective of fratricide though he knows his sibling is no longer human. The story line is fast-paced, but the criticality that makes it fun to read is that wraiths and an enigmatic Shadowman seen genuine. Fans will relish this entertaining tale as Adam begins to fall in love with his latest weapon to kill his wraith sibling.

Harriet Klausner

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Bound to read the rest

I have to admit, I wasn't quite sure whether I liked Kellison's main characters. It took most of the book before I could decide I did. At times it felt like the book couldn't decide which it wanted to be--romance or fantasy. However, Kellison does manage to blend the two together nicely toward the end and her follow up, Shadow Fall, reads much smoother.

With a cast of characters struggling for survival--let alone love--I can't wait to see who meets their match next or what happens to the mysterious "Shadowman" who set all these terrible events in motion unwittingly just for love.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Good story

I thought that being a free book it was great.lots of action and some romance.Well worth the read, very interesting story.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Shadow Bound

I had a little trouble getting into this book but a few chapters in and I was totally hooked and couldn't put it down.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Interesting concept. Slow start. Romance fizzles out.

I would say overall, this book was okay. It took me a while to get interested into and I felt like I really had to push myself through the first three chapters. I liked the concept the author was exploring but I spent most of the time wondering "What is going on?" It feels like it took forever for my questions be answered. The author is technically a much better writer than Charlaine Harris or Stephanie Meyer, hands down, but unfortunately, she isn't as great at communicating her story. I hope that makes sense. I thought to myself several times "Wow, I really like that analogy" or "Good use of words here" but at the same time "What is in the world is going" or "What is she talking about?" She tends to be very vague. As for the romance, I could feel the passion at first but it sort of fizzled out unfortunately. I also felt like the main character's personality kept changing and the author couldn't decide what kind of attitude she was going to have.

Overall, it was just "eh." Not bad but not great either. I don't think I'll pick up the sequel unfortunately, as much as I really wanted to like this. It was good for a free book though.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Love this story!

Free book and new author - what to expect? I loved this book from the start. As a reader of sf/fantasy and paranormal romance, I am pleased to find a new author with fresh ideas and a compelling voice. I was engaged from the start and loath for the book to end. I eagerly await more from these characters and from Erin Kellison.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Interesting Read

A very interesting and original concept with fun characters--worth the free read. I likely would have given it four stars if not for the rather liberal use of the "F" word and the three explicit sex scenes I had to skip over (just not my thing). If that kind of stuff doesn't bother you, check this one out for sure; if it does, be forewarned.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

One of the best books I have read! Finished in 1 day!

One of the best books I have read! Finished in 1 day!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Thirsty for more

I never wrote a review before, but felt compeled to on this one. The story felt fresh. Probably the most original story line I have seen in a little while. I totally fell for shadowman. So glad he got his own book. Can't wait to read it.

The cover does suck. It implies its a cheap romance novel (wich is why I bought it), but it was so much than that.
I want more.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Awesome!

I know, the cover is deceptive, depicting more of a teen story. Not!!!! I loved this story, full of action, mystery, and romance. Of course, I'm an Anita Blake, Black Dagger Brotherhood fan as well as Historical romance fan. This story had it all, I totally recommend and look forward to more from this arthur!!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great book!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Gripping story

This one is a great read for fantasy lovers! Don't want to put it down.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Just me

Really enjoyed this read, i guess in the end it,s what one believes. I am a great fan of vampire and other world read and this one was different. Enjoyed

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.