Bound

by Kira Saito

• ASIN: B0060EHJX6
• Publish Date: 2011
• Publish Status: Unknown
• Format: eBook (Kindle)
• Pages: 153
• Language: English

Reviews

[goodnghtmoonx]

Bound has an interesting premise behind it, and the fact that it's free on Amazon is nice. However.... it's possible that it's free for a reason.

A lot of this book seemed weirdly paced. So much information was crammed all at the beginning in an unrealistic manner that it was difficult to comprehend. There was very little lead up to a lot of the events that happened, and a lot of it seemed rushed. The book is also incredibly short. I was able to finish it within two hours this morning. Characters were borderline flat. Motives seemed to be mixed, or nonexistent.

My biggest problem with this story is the fact that this "novel" only feels like it's half done. Everything from 70% on feel like they're the build up to the climax. That they should be at the half way point, not the ending.

The writing is not too, too bad. I have definitely read better, and have also read worse. Characters are flat, but they're enough to provide for an quick and easy read. I"ll probably end up reading the second one just to see if the story actually gets the conclusion that this book deserved.

[bryannaleigh]

Bound has an interesting premise behind it, and the fact that it's free on Amazon is nice. However.... it's possible that it's free for a reason.

A lot of this book seemed weirdly paced. So much information was crammed all at the beginning in an unrealistic manner that it was difficult to comprehend. There was very little lead up to a lot of the events that happened, and a lot of it seemed rushed. The book is also incredibly short. I was able to finish it within two hours this morning. Characters were borderline flat. Motives seemed to be mixed, or nonexistent.

My biggest problem with this story is the fact that this "novel" only feels like it's half done. Everything from 70% on feel like they're the build up to the climax. That they should be at the half way point, not the ending.

The writing is not too, too bad. I have definitely read better, and have also read worse. Characters are flat, but they're enough to provide for an quick and easy read. I"ll probably end up reading the second one just to see if the story actually gets the conclusion that this book deserved.

[chymerra]

Arelia was different. She can see and communicate with spirits and unfortunately, living in New Orleans, there are a lot of them floating around. She has learned to ignore them, for the most part, and to hide it when she has to communicate.

Deciding to take a summer job at a local historical mansion with her best friend Sabrina, Areilia is resigned to watch Sabrina hook up with every available male there. But, to her surprise, Areila catches the attention of Lucus LaPlante.....the mysterious son of the owners of the mansion. From there, she realizes that something is happening and she is part of it.

I enjoyed this book and I think I learned more about vodoo then I have ever know...lol. The sparks between Areila and Lucus flew off the page and I genuinely got annoyed when Sabrina entered the picture.

Will I read this book again? Yes and I want to read the 2nd and 3rd books badly.

Will I reccomend this book to family and friends? Yes.

[Kim Deister]

(cross-posted from The Caffeinated Diva reads blog)

The good...

I really enjoyed this book, despite the mixed reviews on Amazon. The voodoo mythology behind the story is fresh and unique, a twist on the witchy theme. It had a very real flavor to it, a lot of attention paid to incorporating true voodoo beliefs. Much of the story centers around Arelia and her dealings with the spirits, the ceremonial aspects of asking for and receiving favors very well done. Some of these spirits were clearly of the higher level, while many were simply the spirits of those who have passed.

The various relationships within the story were also dynamic and interesting, even those that were rather unhealthy. The friendship between Sabrina and Arelia, although it annoyed me, was very real. It took a lot for me to harbor anything but negative feelings for Sabrina! Lucas and Arelia were an interesting couple, blowing hot ad cold throughout this first book. The Dumptys, although minor characters, added to the story as well. The parents wre awful, but their son Ben was adorable and the mother in me wanted to take him home and take care of him.

One of the things that I liked about Arelia's character was the very thing that I have seen denounced in many reviews of this book and series. Her mercurial mood swings throughout this book. From moment to moment, she either believed or didn't believe in voodoo and her abilities. From moment to moment, she blew hot and cold. In my opinion, this worked. She was brought up to respect, but not embrace voodoo. She came to the plantation and was suddenly immersed in a world she really didn't understand. It was a lot for her to handle. She blew hot and cold with just about everyone for most of the book, but that, too, worked for me. She knew her grandmother was keeping secrets, Mae wanted things from her, James was constantly in her face, Sabrina was arrogant and dismissive, and she was fighting an attraction to Lucas. Any one of these things is explanation enough. For me, the mood swings supported her struggle to accept voodoo and to find herself.

The bad...

My only issue was in editing errors. There were quite a few of them. That can be distracting, but in this case, it was less so for me. The story was strong enough that it was easier to get past those things. The other thing was the conclusion. I didn't like where it ended. Even knowing there was a next book, it was a bit awkwardly placed.

Diva notes

Aside from the novel itself, the cover is gorgeous. Dark and mysterious, it fit the storyline and the location. Will I read more of Arelia? Absolutely!