Angelbound (Angelbound Origins, #1)

by Christina Bauer

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Angelbound Enhanced is a partially illustrated edition with additional chapter samples of the first book of the Angelbound Origins series by Christina Bauer. Originally released in 2013, this reformat and enhanced re-release is 388 pages and is available in paperback format. Other editions available in most formats.

This is a YA/NA fantasy romance series with lots of angst and drama. Protagonist Myla is a kickass fighter whose day job is to fight opponents who seek redemption in the arena in Purgatory. She's a human demon hybrid (and she's got a tail, which is pretty cool). She's good at her job, undefeated in fact, but that doesn't stop her from having to get through her senior year of Purgatory High School.

The world building and story set up are competent, although I struggled to really build a rapport with Myla. I freely admit that I'm several decades outside the target audience, but the first third of the book dragged for me. The pacing does get better toward the middle, so I would encourage readers to stick around past the first parts of the book.

The language is surprisingly rough for a YA book, although again, I'm certain that no high schooler would blink an eye at the f-bombs and physical descriptions.

The ebook format contains hyperlinks and searchable text (I really enjoy this feature). The audiobook format has a run time of 14 hours 48 minutes and is capably narrated by the author herself.

Three and a half stars for this entry, rounded up for the competent writing and plotting. I would imagine it will likely be higher for the target audience.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.