Review: Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent

Title: Blood Bound
Author: Rachel Vincent
Series: Unbound #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: 08/23/11
Reviewed by: Sara
But the Book:

Summary:

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...

Plot: 5 Stars
The talents that the author introduces in this novel are very interesting. Trackers can find anyone if they have their name or their blood. Binders can bind a person to a contract, sometimes without their knowledge. Travellers can move through the shadows, kind of like teleportation. If there is a shadow big enough, a traveller can enter the room. Being in the proximity of a jammer makes it impossible to be tracked. Others can see into the future or tell if a person is lying. All of these talents comes together to create a complex world with new rules. Promises cannot be broken, if made with the wrong people, unless you want to live with crippling pain. Anyh blood spilled must be destroyed. Complete names are never shared, even between parents. Rooms must stay lit at all times so that there are no unexpected visitors. Throw a couple of mob-like bosses into the mix, and you've got some of the best world-building I've read all year.

Pace: 4 Stars
This was a long book. It took a bit for me to finish it, but not because it was slow. It was just a bit longer than the average novel. Liv and Cam are on a wild goose-chase across both sides of the city. Each have their own bindings to deal with, which complicates some of their actions and decisions. I also like how the author alluded to their past, without giving everything away too quickly. I really enjoyed the multiple points of view. Getting to read from both Liv and Cam's point of view gave the story more depth, and allowed the reader to learn more about both characters.

Characters: 4.5 Stars
Liv was a very no-nonsense, kick-ass heroine. She could definitley take care of herself. Although some of the choices she made weren't in her best interest, she often made them to save her friends from a worse fate. It was very interesting to learn about how Liv and her friends accidently bound themselves to help each other whenever asked. It was especially interesting to see how what seems like a good idea, slowly turns into the dissolution of their friendship. She was also very headstrong, especially when backed against the wall. Cam is in my top five list of awesome heroes because he was very real. Yes, he had tracking powers. Yes, Live found him gorgeous. But he didn't seem too good to be true like many heroes. Instead, he came across as very real and genuine.

Cover: 4.5 Stars
I like the soft purple color of the cover. It works very well with the other elements. My favorite part is the placement of the cover models. I like how the covers models of Liv and Cam are standing so close to each other. It almost looks like they're starting to blend into one person. I'm a tiny bit confused by the trees in the background though, considering most of the novel takes place in the city. The setting is definitely a bit more urban than the trees on the cover lead you to believe. The way the letters of the title are linked is reminiscent of the marks given to employees of the mob-like bosses that run the city, and are also very eye-catching with the light around them.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this novel for my own reading pleasure.