The Bloodbound was a different kind of read for me. It's fantasy with a bit of romance but the characters are the draw.

What I liked: The Bloodbound feels like a historical fantasy and maybe it is but is struck me as much more. There are a few magics involved but with this first book, the magic is being able to forge a blood bond with a particular weapon. The weapon is more an extension of the individual using it. There are not that many blood binders left in the Kingdom of Alden.

The main characters are Lady Alix from the Black Banner house, who is a scout under the King's forces, LIam, a fellow scout for whom Lady Alix has feelings but he's bastard born and cannot hope to become involved with her; and finally the King of Alden, Erik White. Lady Alix has saved his life and feels drawn to him.

I found The Bloodbound to be very well written. The pacing was good and it seemed as if the action never stopped. The characters are on their way to being very well developed and I sincerely enjoyed the setting. I used to love historical romance mainly because of the settings but over the years got away from them. This is by no mean a historical romance as the women in this setting are as smart, cunning and lethal as the men. The good thing, the women are treated as pretty much equals.

The heroine, Lady Alix Black is involved in just about everything happening in the story. She's smart, knows her way around the politics of court and she's lethal. The only fault I could find with her was her waffling on which male she sincerely cared for. There is a reason for that but....spoiler.

What I didn't like: There was nothing not to like but the reader will need to hang in there with the world building. There are a lot of different Banner Families to keep track of and the politics to learn. 

As I said The Bloodbound would not normally have caught my attention but I found the second book in the series, The Bloodforged, on NetGalley and wanted to read the first in the series before trying it. Now I can't wait to get started!!

Recommended!!!!

The Bloodbound is a fantasy with some romance thrown in and I absolutely loved it. I thought it had the perfect balance of fantasy and romance. The romance did not take over the book which was good. The romantic scenes were not fade to black, but were tastefully written without all the over the top words and descriptions that I dislike so much. This book included a love triangle, but I didn't hate it. I thought it worked well with the plot, and both love interests were equally appealing. I would have been happy if it had ended up either way.

I would have loved to have had a map in the book, but I'm one of those people that feels every fantasy novel should include a map. Overall a very good read that I could not put down. I think anyone who enjoys the Green Rider series might enjoy this one. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

(Description nicked from B&N.com.)

 

“Of all those in the King of Alden’s retinue, the bloodbinders are the most prized. The magic they wield can forge invaluable weapons, ones that make soldiers like Lady Alix Black unerringly lethal. However, the bloodbinders’ powers can do so much more—and so much worse.

 

A cunning and impetuous scout, Alix only wishes to serve quietly on the edges of the action. But when the king is betrayed by his own brother and left to die at the hands of attacking Oridian forces, she winds up single-handedly saving her sovereign.

 

Suddenly, she is head of the king’s personal guard, an honor made all the more dubious by the king’s exile from his own court. Surrounded by enemies, Alix must help him reclaim his crown, all the while attempting to repel the relentless tide of invaders led by the Priest, most feared of Oridia’s lords.

 

But while Alix’s king commands her duty, both he and a fellow scout lay claim to her heart. And when the time comes, she may need to choose between the two men who need her most.”

 

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