Bound by Duty (Bound, #1)

by Stormy Smith

• ISBN10: 0692259015
• ISBN13: 9780692259016
• Publish Date: 31 July 2014 (first published 23 July 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Perfect Storm Publishing, LLC
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 390
• Language: English

Reviews

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

Bound by Duty seemed to take me forever to read. I have admitted before that audiobooks tend to take me awhile because of my short commute, but I think there was something more at play with this one than just my short commute.

Bound by Duty felt too formulaic for me. The young girl with mysterious powers growing up in a single parent household goes off to school (college in this case) and is suddenly at the center of a love triangle and a huge power struggle where everyone is a knowledge hoarder. It’s obvious what the young girl needs to do and who she will end up with. I didn’t feel compelled to move forward with the story and I kept thinking, “I know how this ends. This is not a surprise.”

I also think that the audio version of the book perhaps did the story some injustice. Right from the start Kristin James’s narration grated on me. Everyone had husky voices and talked in whispers or lower tones. The story is told from the first person point of view and there was this weird echo effect used when Amelia would have an internal monologue. As if there were not enough textual clues given so the reader/listener would know that Amelia was thinking these thoughts and not speaking them out loud. A few of the characters had British accents, and I was never sure why. Their ethnic origins were never explained and there were times where the accents seemed to slip a bit. In the end, I regretted taking advantage of the audiobook sale.

While the story was formulaic and the narration didn’t jive with me, I did love Amelia’s best friend, Bethany. She was the picture perfect Southern Belle who infused a lot of life and confidence into Amelia’s life. Not much fazed Bethany, to Amelia’s benefit, and Bethany was a fighter. I wanted more Bethany.

I think fans of urban fantasy might find this story intriguing especially if you are looking for straightforward read with few surprises. I would shy away from the audiobook version, no matter how good the deal is, as I feel, perhaps, it doesn’t do the story justice. In the end, Bound by Duty was not a good fit for me, but others might like this foray into the paranormal with a new adult bent.


This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews

[whisperingchapters]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange of my honest opinion.

I dived into BOUND BY DUTY not really knowing what to expect. The cover had really caught my attention. I went to Goodreads to see the feedback this book had and realized it has a 4.47 out of 5 in rating! I was blown away! Most of the books in Goodreads have a much lower rating, so for this book to have that much and has 47 reviews, I just knew it had to be good and I am happy to say, Stormy Smith delivered it!

It started with a prologue that was short yet straight to the point and with a hook, good enough to give the readers the want to keep reading right from the start. This story has surprises everywhere you read. When you think you have some things figured out, Stormy does a 180° and changes everything—the reader ends up with mouth wide open and scratching the head a couple of times trying to figure out what is going on. The suspense in the book is not that intense but it is palpable enough to keep you guessing.

I got frustrated at times with Amelia because she would react way too strongly to situations but then I realized I would definitely do the same thing and probably do it more times than she did, so she is forgiven. Amelia is very strong for having to deal with every curve ball life is throwing at her from every angle. She doesn't have a break!

Aidan, the one Amelia wants but can't because he is human; Bethany, Amelia's best friend and roommate; Micah, Bethany's boyfriend and helps Amelia with her powers; Cole, Amelia's older brother—these characters play a big role throughout the whole story. I am Team Aidan all the way. I suffered with him a lot while reading the book and I just wish...*sighs*. Bethany is a country, hyper girl that gives the humor to the whole book and I love her for it. Micah is a character that I had my reservations with in the beginning and I shall say no more. Cole is the protective brother who was there for Amelia, helping her regain control of her powers until she turned 10, leaving Amelia with her father, whom is not so right in the head, or is he? Amelia decides to move to a college that is near Cole and once again he is there for her.

This story contains a lot of secrets. It gets to a point where the reader's brain will lead to explosion because there are a lot of secrets from the characters and they are very important so read carefully.

What I noticed and liked was how Amelia was introduced as already knowing she is not human, not like other book characters that don't know anything. BUT, Amelia doesn't really know how to control her powers, given that she wasn't taught how to, the proper way. Her powers had me so excited and I swear it was like the excitement was building up inside me every time she would use them half-way and even more when it was full force (even though she tried to control it but couldn't).

I HIGHLY recommend this book. It is definitely a nail biter and sitting on the edge of the chair kind of book just so you can jump when things get rough. The ending is so heart breaking and leaves you NEEDING that second book. This story was beyond amazing and exciting to read.

[cornerfolds]

This review is also available at Cornerfolds!

Okay, I'll admit I didn't expect to love this book. Don't ask me why - I just didn't go in expecting much.

I was wrong.

Bound by Duty was amazing from start to finish. There was romance, action, and magic. And it worked. The author writes beautifully and I was pulled into the world from the first page. Speaking of the world of the Bound series, it's unique! There are no vampires, werewolves, or fairies. There are mages. For those of you who aren't 100% sure where mages fall on the paranormal spectrum, have a couple definitions!

*A magician or learned person.
*An archaic word for magician.
*A skilled magic user who, unlike wizards and sorcerers, needs no staff as an outlet of his magic, but instead uses his hands.
*Wizard class in most role playing games.

So mages are wizard-like magical beings who have powers but do not require a wand. Alright, I can live with that. In this series there are Mages, Animages, and Hunters. The Animages turn into animals so they're like... weremages? And the Hunters work for the evil queen. Ah, yes, the queen. Well, she's bad, she's kind of a psycho, and she wants to use our heroine, Amelia, to secure her place forever. But Amelia is a badass who cannot allow this to happen. "How will she stop it?" you ask. Better read and find out, I guess.

The best part about this book is that the characters are believable, sympathetic, and they're all well written - even the secondary characters. Amelia is a strong heroine who must choose between love and duty as her mother did before her. She's likable and, most importantly, she's not whiney! Her best friend, Bethany, is equally lovable, though her "oh, honeys" started to grate on my nerves by the end (I was born and raised in North Carolina and people don't really talk like that in the South). The men in their lives, Aidan and Micah, were the kind you wouldn't be ashamed to bring home to your dad.

I did have the whole betrothal and mate thing pegged from about halfway through the book, but it certainly didn't detract from the story. When the end came I was at 94% on my Kindle, so be forewarned. I thought I had 6% of the story left to go when, suddenly, the "Acknowledgements" page was smacking me in the face. I'm not sure when the second book in the Bound series is going to be released, but it is definitely at the top of my to-read list.