Oath Bound: Review

Synopsis:

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 Tower Syndicate 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....

*** 

(This review contains spoilers of Shadow Bound)

I'm not sure what kind of feelings I hold for this book. It's just as complicated as Shadow Bound, yet... less exciting and more exciting at once. I never felt truly attached to the book like I did when I was reading Blood Bound. There's something really odd and OFF but I can't figure out what that is.

Logically it's more exciting than Shadow Bound, because... come on, you read the synopsis. The Tower Syndicate is going to fall in this book, and there's nothing more exciting than seeing that bitch Julie Tower fall from her throne of mafia. And in one way it's really fast-paced, especially when you're talking about the epic finale. But sometimes I feel like it's dragging on somewhere in the middle of the book, and that's where I slowly detached from the plot. I have to say Blood Bound is much better because... well, even though the ending is not as exciting as this one, the whole book could catch my full attention, while Oath Bound can't.

Kristopher is kind of surprising to me. I mean, he's Kori freaking Daniels' brother. But he's a very nice guy actually. He's a total badass, but he's... not as badass and snarky as I thought he would be. And he's quite honest to his feelings too. That's a good thing. I'm getting a little tired of seeing guys hiding his truly feelings for a girl.

Sera is another fresh character too. Normally heroines are too nice and too trusting and always get into trouble because of their naivete. But no, Sera is exactly the opposite case. She's really skeptical. In a way that's a good thing... for her at least, because she's living in a world where trust is damned deeper than the soil on earth. But sometimes her skepticism bugs me a little bit. Come on, no one's gonna hurt in the... House of Crazy :)

I think there's not enough steamy scene in the book, at least not as much as in Blood Bound and Shadow Bound. Okay... I'm not a big fan of steamy scenes when I read Unbound series. But this time there's truly not enough intimate and intense moments. That's a little disappointing. Maybe that's because I thought something epic will happen between Kris and Sera with Kris... nice nature. But apparently there's not enough between them. Sigh. Anticipation is damned.

I don't know if Oath Bound is the last book. But if it is, I'm a little bit sad and a little bit relieved that the series is over. I kinda wanna move on to something new these days, especially when I'm planning to read... The Gone series by Michael Grant. Yep, you heard me right.

Rating: 7/10

Shadow Bound: Review

Synopsis:

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....

***

Shadow Bound is just as good as Blood Bound. Maybe even better. There are infinitely more action scene and more blood are spilled. Things are really fierce in Shadow Bound. Unlike Blood Bound, there's already a potential danger right from the start of the book, and it always act like a subconscious reminder that just how fast-paced and dangerous the book is. I love this book just as much as Blood Bound. I can't wait for Oath Bound and the fighting scene that come along.

Kori is a very interesting character. She's extremely fierce and fearless. I can practically compare her with Tris. They are just as dauntless and... in a way, selfless. But there's one thing I love about Kori, and that is her colorful words. Yep, I've never been more awed and amused by her use of words. It's just so brilliant and fun. When she cusses, she's more real than ever. It's like she's a real person instead of a character. Vincent chooses the exact right character to improve the book's awesomeness.

Ian is another story. Don't get me wrong, he's an awesome character as well, and I really like him. He's just as badass as Kori in more ways than one, and he's protective to the ones he loves (just like Kori). But he's softer. Not the insecure kind of soft, but the kindness that makes him a little bit soft. That's the exact part why I like him so much. Yes, he's torn between protecting his brother and Kori, but when his humanity shine through, it's utterly fascinating. Another character that makes the book epic.

The plot is awesome. You can't imagine how fast-paced the plot is. It's... it's like you're watching the best action movie in the world. There are countless fights, distrust, suspicion, and smokey hotness. But the ending is slightly disappointing, because it's... kind of a rush, and a little too fast. I wish I can see more struggle in the finale. But it's a minor problem compare to the awesomeness of the book.

I love Unbound series because it's just so real. Yep, the Trackers, the Readers, the Travelers... they are not real. But Vincent make all these so real that it's just one step from actually believing those Skills exist. The truly fascinating part is, the problems the characters faced in the books are actually mirror images of what we faced in the real world. There are struggles, betrayal, heart-break, and so on. All because of the limit of choices we have. It's a very good reflection, only in the books, they are more bloody :)

Rating: 8.5/10

Blood Bound: Review

Synopsis:

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…

***

I love Blood Bound. It's really exciting and fast-paced. And way, way better than Soul Screamers series! I can't believe this only has a rating of 3.93 out of 5 in Goodreads. Blood Bound deserves way better than that! I rate it 5 on Goodreads. For very good reasons.

The best thing in the book is the world Liv lives in. It's a world that is filled with Skilled people like Trackers, Readers, Binders, etc. But don't get it wrong. It's not a book about mythical creatures. Well, they are obviously paranormal things. But they are so real. It's like... it's like you could accidentally run into one Skilled person without realizing that. And honestly, this book isn't really about how those Skilled people use their abilities. 'Cuz the book is way too brilliant for just that. It's about a world where no one trust one another, and people are bound by contracts, oaths and bindings. It's a world full of conflicts, hard decisions, and really infuriating moments. Just one of the books I want.

The characters are surprisingly strong in Blood Bound. Surprising, because when I first read it, I didn't expect much from Blood Bound. Turns out Liv is truly a heroine. One of the strongest and fiercest character I've ever read, and I like her from the very start of the book. Cam is another strong character. Not as strong as Liv, though, because he's slightly softer and emotional than Liv is. There's one thing I've never dreamed that will exist in Blood Bound, and that is strong supporting characters. I mean, few can make an impression on readers using SUPPORTING characters, and Rachel Vincent did it brilliantly. Kori, Anne, and Cavazos. They are really outstanding supporting characters. Almost as strong as the two main characters, Liv and Cam. 

The plot is one thing that I absolutely love while reading it. The book is full of secrets, hidden dangers and distrust. There's this... unfinished "business" between Liv and Cam, and the thread that connects all the clues in the book, and so on. They are just awesome. Brilliant. It's just like... reading a totally different version of Beth Revis' Across The Universe, because they have one in common: a plot with so many plot twists and yet make sense and the whole book becomes amazing.

If you guys are struggling between reading Soul Screamers and Unbound, read Blood Bound, and you will never regret it.

Rating: 8/10

Legion: Unbreakable and Unbound Info

Like her co-writer Margaret Stohl, Kami Garcia will also write a series on her own after Beautiful Redemption!

Series: Legion

Book 1: Unbreakable

Summary:

Kennedy Waters’ entire life changes when she finds her mother dead and discovers she is a member of a secret society formed two hundred years ago to protect the world from a powerful demon determined to find a way out of his dimension and into ours, and from the dangerous spirits he controls.

Well, I think it will be a good story. But it's not as thrilling as Icons for me. I think the short summary is a little bit like Mortal Instruments. And I LOVE Mortal Instruments. I think Icons is more random, and more unique on its own. But still, I look forward to see how they work on their own.


Expected Publication: 2013



The Sequel of Legion, Unbound, will be released in 2014.