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Unbound #3
Oath Bound
The Tower Syndicate will fall...
The secret daughter of the head of an infamous Skilled crime family, Sera Brandt has hidden her past, her potential and especially her powers. But when a tragedy strikes her other family, Sera needs justice. And the only way to get it is to reveal her heritage–including a rare Skill–and take the reins of the Tower Syndicate from her cunning and malicious aunt.
If he can figure out how...
Kristopher Daniels might have the answer. He's fought the syndicate to protect his sisters, but he'd never realized just how close to the new heir he needed to get....
And if they can survive
Neither is used to trusting. But there's something between them that can't be ignored. And so Sera is on the run with a man she can't figure out, a target on her back and the new knowledge of just how powerful she really is....
The secret daughter of the head of an infamous Skilled crime family, Sera Brandt has hidden her past, her potential and especially her powers. But when a tragedy strikes her other family, Sera needs justice. And the only way to get it is to reveal her heritage–including a rare Skill–and take the reins of the Tower Syndicate from her cunning and malicious aunt.
If he can figure out how...
Kristopher Daniels might have the answer. He's fought the syndicate to protect his sisters, but he'd never realized just how close to the new heir he needed to get....
And if they can survive
Neither is used to trusting. But there's something between them that can't be ignored. And so Sera is on the run with a man she can't figure out, a target on her back and the new knowledge of just how powerful she really is....
432 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2013
About the author
Rachel Vincent
64 books9,766 followers[Note: Though Rachel's blog entries are cross posted here, she does not frequent Goodreads. The best ways to contact her are FB, Twitter, or her Wordpress blog. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HER MESSAGES HERE. SHE DOES NOT CHECK THEM.]
A resident of Oklahoma, Rachel Vincent has a BA in English and an overactive imagination, and consistently finds the latter to be more practical. She shares her workspace with two black cats (Kaci and Nyx) and her # 1 fan. Rachel is older than she looks-seriously-and younger than she feels, but remains convinced that for every day she spends writing, one more day will be added to her lifespan.
A resident of Oklahoma, Rachel Vincent has a BA in English and an overactive imagination, and consistently finds the latter to be more practical. She shares her workspace with two black cats (Kaci and Nyx) and her # 1 fan. Rachel is older than she looks-seriously-and younger than she feels, but remains convinced that for every day she spends writing, one more day will be added to her lifespan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
May 5, 2013
Spoilers
-The plot was okay, although it was somewhat cliched. The heroine, Sera, finds out she's inherited her bio-daddy's criminal empire. Naturally, Sera doesn't care about the money, status or power.
We all know 'good' heroines have to be humble, and can't possibly be materialistic, money hungry or ambitious. Heaven forbid, a woman who craves money and power! Those kinds of women are all cold, evul and whore-ish… None of them have hearts! Why can male characters in fiction chase money and power yet still be seen as 'good'?
Also, if somebody found out they'd inherited loads of money they would be over the moon, especially if they were poor… They wouldn't be all 'Ooh I'm not interested in money.' Ugh.
-Anyway, Sera wants revenge on the person who killed her family so she goes to her mafia-like bio family for help. Blah blah blah. Then she gets kidnapped/'saved' by the boring hero (Kris)… This of course leads to Kris and Sera plotting to take down her sadistic bio family… And of course in between all the madness they manage to fall for each other in a matter of days. So yea… It was all rather predictable.
-Sera was the run of the mill UF/PNR heroine… She had little personality — she was basically a Mary Sue who had the occasional bout of feistiness and stubbornness (which isn't stereotypical at all, is it?). Meh, I was mostly indifferent to her.
-I disliked Kris. Why? 1. He was boring 2. Kris kidnapped and manhandled Sera, and that pissed me off and 3. I was annoyed that Kris kept banging on about wanting Sera to trust him yet he had no trust in her.
-Kris's love for his dead ex, Noelle, came across as bigger and better than his love for Sera. I got the impression that if Noelle had lived he wouldn't have looked twice at Sera.
-I've read loads of YA/UF/PNR books where the hero was madly in love with someone else before the heroine, and I find that really annoying. Why can't it be the heroine for once that has a great past love? Why aren't they allowed to love anyone but the hero?
Also, why are the heroes past love always described as epic and one of kind? It just ends up making his love for the heroine seem weak and less special. If the hero has to have a past love then it should be obvious that he loves the heroine a million times more! Honestly, why do authors think it's romantic that the hero had a love of his life that wasn't the heroine?
-The romance was shallow. Sera was kidnapped, threatened and grieving for her dead family yet she just couldn't help notice how sexy Kris was. Really?
-What happened to Noelle? Everyone presumed she was dead when she could have just been in hiding (with a jammer) because it was safer for her daughter.
-I still hated Anne, Cam and Kenley - they were vile. Also, Kori who I liked before was plain cruel in this one.
-Best characters: Gran and Van - both awesome.
-I noticed that there was a number of female characters that kept getting called bitch. A few times would have been okay, but because it was used repeatedly it ticked me off.
-How did Kris's notebook turn up in his room? He said it was in storage or something and then it magically appeared in his room, and he had no idea how it got there… Yet it was never explained how it ended up in his room.
I've read all of Vincent's series and I'm not sure if I'll read anymore. Her Shifter series was great, her Bound series was a bit of a hit and miss (mostly miss) and her Soul Screamers started off well but ended badly (mainly due to Kaylee's Mary Sue and martyrish ways)… So yea, I'm going to think twice before reading any new Vincent books.
-The plot was okay, although it was somewhat cliched. The heroine, Sera, finds out she's inherited her bio-daddy's criminal empire. Naturally, Sera doesn't care about the money, status or power.
We all know 'good' heroines have to be humble, and can't possibly be materialistic, money hungry or ambitious. Heaven forbid, a woman who craves money and power! Those kinds of women are all cold, evul and whore-ish… None of them have hearts! Why can male characters in fiction chase money and power yet still be seen as 'good'?
Also, if somebody found out they'd inherited loads of money they would be over the moon, especially if they were poor… They wouldn't be all 'Ooh I'm not interested in money.' Ugh.
-Anyway, Sera wants revenge on the person who killed her family so she goes to her mafia-like bio family for help. Blah blah blah. Then she gets kidnapped/'saved' by the boring hero (Kris)… This of course leads to Kris and Sera plotting to take down her sadistic bio family… And of course in between all the madness they manage to fall for each other in a matter of days. So yea… It was all rather predictable.
-Sera was the run of the mill UF/PNR heroine… She had little personality — she was basically a Mary Sue who had the occasional bout of feistiness and stubbornness (which isn't stereotypical at all, is it?). Meh, I was mostly indifferent to her.
-I disliked Kris. Why? 1. He was boring 2. Kris kidnapped and manhandled Sera, and that pissed me off and 3. I was annoyed that Kris kept banging on about wanting Sera to trust him yet he had no trust in her.
-Kris's love for his dead ex, Noelle, came across as bigger and better than his love for Sera. I got the impression that if Noelle had lived he wouldn't have looked twice at Sera.
-I've read loads of YA/UF/PNR books where the hero was madly in love with someone else before the heroine, and I find that really annoying. Why can't it be the heroine for once that has a great past love? Why aren't they allowed to love anyone but the hero?
Also, why are the heroes past love always described as epic and one of kind? It just ends up making his love for the heroine seem weak and less special. If the hero has to have a past love then it should be obvious that he loves the heroine a million times more! Honestly, why do authors think it's romantic that the hero had a love of his life that wasn't the heroine?
-The romance was shallow. Sera was kidnapped, threatened and grieving for her dead family yet she just couldn't help notice how sexy Kris was. Really?
-What happened to Noelle? Everyone presumed she was dead when she could have just been in hiding (with a jammer) because it was safer for her daughter.
-I still hated Anne, Cam and Kenley - they were vile. Also, Kori who I liked before was plain cruel in this one.
-Best characters: Gran and Van - both awesome.
-I noticed that there was a number of female characters that kept getting called bitch. A few times would have been okay, but because it was used repeatedly it ticked me off.
-How did Kris's notebook turn up in his room? He said it was in storage or something and then it magically appeared in his room, and he had no idea how it got there… Yet it was never explained how it ended up in his room.
I've read all of Vincent's series and I'm not sure if I'll read anymore. Her Shifter series was great, her Bound series was a bit of a hit and miss (mostly miss) and her Soul Screamers started off well but ended badly (mainly due to Kaylee's Mary Sue and martyrish ways)… So yea, I'm going to think twice before reading any new Vincent books.
Want to read
May 31, 20122013...
February 7, 2017
I love this author, so deciding that I wouldn't keep reading this book (which after having read half of it or so I kept pulling behind another one since July) was a hard decision, but I was delying its lecture so much that I guess it meant sth in itself.
May 1, 2016
Wow! This series is so unique and well-written... wow! I'm speechless.
I read the first two books in the series more than two years ago, and that's exactly the reason why I was dragging out reading this one: I was worried I wouldn't remember the story. I needn't have worried!!!
The writing took me back effortlessly into the urban fantasy world Rachel Vincent created.
Did I remember every single detail from the previous books? No.
But when Liv, Cam, Kori and Ian appeared on the pages, my heart remembered. I was happy to see them.
I give it four stars because the plot was a little too slow in places and Kris, the main hero was sometimes too sappy for my taste.
But other than that, this book was perfect!
I can't believe this series is over!
**** 4 stars ****
November 23, 2019
Read: February 2018
Rating: 3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 4/5 stars)
The couple: Kris & Sera
While I enjoyed this final book in the Unbound trilogy I thought the romance between the two leads was the weakest out of the three books; there was no real chemistry and I got the impression that had and ready to commit to Kris, he wouldn't really have looked at Sera. The plot was well written, I enjoyed seeing all the couples from the previous books working together and . One more book to actually show this happening would have been really good to read!
Rating: 3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 4/5 stars)
The couple: Kris & Sera
While I enjoyed this final book in the Unbound trilogy I thought the romance between the two leads was the weakest out of the three books; there was no real chemistry and I got the impression that had and ready to commit to Kris, he wouldn't really have looked at Sera. The plot was well written, I enjoyed seeing all the couples from the previous books working together and . One more book to actually show this happening would have been really good to read!
January 18, 2018
Oath Bound is the final book in Rachel Vincent's Unbound trilogy and it was another great story, this world has been absolutely fascinating and I'm actually sad that this was the last book because I'd have loved to spend more time here. Kris has seen first hand how the Tower Syndicate nearly destroyed both his sisters and he is determined to bring them down once and for all so they can't hurt anyone else. He has been working with Kori and Kenley to slowly release people from their bindings but when Kenley is kidnapped and taken back into syndicate control Kris will stop at nothing to get her back.
Sera was the only survivor in a tragedy that killed her entire family, she is desperate for revenge against the person who cost her everything but the only way she can make them pay is by asking the syndicate for help. It's a move that could cost her everything but she's desperate enough to take that risk. When Kris sneaks into the Tower headquarters looking for his sister he ends up taking Sera with him as a bargaining tool. Neither of them have any reason to trust the other, especially considering the circumstances of their meeting and the huge secret that Sera is keeping, but it quickly becomes clear that they're in over their heads and the only chance they have of rescuing Kenley and staying alive themselves is by working together to bring the syndicate down for good.
This was another fast paced story full of plenty of action and a nice amount of romance. I enjoyed the bickering between Sera and Kris and I loved that she didn't let him off the hook for effectively kidnapping her, even if he did save her life in the process. Their romance was a nice slow build which made it believable and they were a cute couple. I enjoyed getting the chance to catch up with previous characters from the series, they all have a part to play in this book and it was good to see them working together to fight a common enemy.
This series has been a lot of fun to read and it's one I'm sure I'll end up rereading in the future. My one minor complaint is that I felt like there was possibly going to be a fourth book at one point so I didn't think things were quite finished as far as the Cavazos Syndicate. Don't get me wrong there are no big cliffhangers and this story felt completely resolved but I would have liked to revisit Cam and Liv's situation and helped them get their freedom too. The way things were left made it clear that good things would happen in the future but I would have liked to witness that for myself. That's a really minor issue though because I loved the way things ended for the rest of the characters!
The Unbound books are definitely darker than Rachel Vincent's Shifters series but she's created another interesting world that had me hooked from beginning to end.
Sera was the only survivor in a tragedy that killed her entire family, she is desperate for revenge against the person who cost her everything but the only way she can make them pay is by asking the syndicate for help. It's a move that could cost her everything but she's desperate enough to take that risk. When Kris sneaks into the Tower headquarters looking for his sister he ends up taking Sera with him as a bargaining tool. Neither of them have any reason to trust the other, especially considering the circumstances of their meeting and the huge secret that Sera is keeping, but it quickly becomes clear that they're in over their heads and the only chance they have of rescuing Kenley and staying alive themselves is by working together to bring the syndicate down for good.
This was another fast paced story full of plenty of action and a nice amount of romance. I enjoyed the bickering between Sera and Kris and I loved that she didn't let him off the hook for effectively kidnapping her, even if he did save her life in the process. Their romance was a nice slow build which made it believable and they were a cute couple. I enjoyed getting the chance to catch up with previous characters from the series, they all have a part to play in this book and it was good to see them working together to fight a common enemy.
This series has been a lot of fun to read and it's one I'm sure I'll end up rereading in the future. My one minor complaint is that I felt like there was possibly going to be a fourth book at one point so I didn't think things were quite finished as far as the Cavazos Syndicate. Don't get me wrong there are no big cliffhangers and this story felt completely resolved but I would have liked to revisit Cam and Liv's situation and helped them get their freedom too. The way things were left made it clear that good things would happen in the future but I would have liked to witness that for myself. That's a really minor issue though because I loved the way things ended for the rest of the characters!
The Unbound books are definitely darker than Rachel Vincent's Shifters series but she's created another interesting world that had me hooked from beginning to end.
Want to read
October 9, 2012Dd Oct 9, 2012,
People in possession of time-travelling machines keep rating this book way before it is to be published :). 16 ratings are already here :) Thank goodness for time-travellers or we wouldn't know what to expect from the future!
BTW. Oath Bound (#3) is a definite to-read as soon as I get my hands on it)
People in possession of time-travelling machines keep rating this book way before it is to be published :). 16 ratings are already here :) Thank goodness for time-travellers or we wouldn't know what to expect from the future!
BTW. Oath Bound (#3) is a definite to-read as soon as I get my hands on it)
May 21, 2018
5 Star Oath Bound
Ok I know it has been a while since I finished this series and I just haven’t had the time to write my review but I have to say it these books surprised me in the most awesome of ways.
Not only did all three books keep my attention but I looked forward to them. And I will be the first to tell you when book three started I was a little skeptical because we have a new character but also Kris was only briefly mentioned in the other books so I wasn’t expecting him to get his own book. But again I am so glad he did.
The introduction of Sera was interesting and done in such a way that I couldn’t stop listening. I loved her feistiness and her spirit. Kris’s grandma had that kind of spirit and I liked the introduction of her as well. It fit with everything going on that was different from the other two books but it worked.
I am sorry to see this series come to an end, I really thought there would be one more to bring it full circle, maybe one day.
And I have to say I loved the narration, can’t think if I have ever listened to this narrator before but she really brought the books to life in my ears.
Ok I know it has been a while since I finished this series and I just haven’t had the time to write my review but I have to say it these books surprised me in the most awesome of ways.
Not only did all three books keep my attention but I looked forward to them. And I will be the first to tell you when book three started I was a little skeptical because we have a new character but also Kris was only briefly mentioned in the other books so I wasn’t expecting him to get his own book. But again I am so glad he did.
The introduction of Sera was interesting and done in such a way that I couldn’t stop listening. I loved her feistiness and her spirit. Kris’s grandma had that kind of spirit and I liked the introduction of her as well. It fit with everything going on that was different from the other two books but it worked.
I am sorry to see this series come to an end, I really thought there would be one more to bring it full circle, maybe one day.
And I have to say I loved the narration, can’t think if I have ever listened to this narrator before but she really brought the books to life in my ears.
Shelved as 'nope'
February 9, 2018Dropping this series and author. It's not like with Ward, like, I don't feel that Vincent is constantly on crack. I just profoundly dislike her ableism in previous works, and her writing-style doesn't work for me anymore at all. I really loved her previously, but the more I think about her works (and I did reread some of them to make sure) the more annoyed I get now, which definitely isn't the purpose of reading. If someone wants my copies of her books, let me know btw.
March 27, 2017
Review originally posted at RabidReads.com.
I’ve been on a bit of relisten kick lately, ever since late last year. I decided I would relisten to this series. It is one that I really loved and since wasn’t reviewing when I read them the first time, I thought now would be a great time.
So, the Bound series. It is a PNR series that takes place in a world just like the one we live in today. However, their are people in this world that have special abilities. These “skills” (not a complete list, but the most important ones):
Trackers, people who can try by blood or name
Readers, people who can tell when a person is lying
Travelers, people who can travel from one dark shadow to another
Blinders, people who can create darkness around them
Jammers, people who block the signature of other skilled people. Many hare highly paid nannies to help keep children from being found by trackers
Binders, people who can bind you a contract to the point that it can kill you to break that contract.
That last one is really important. There are two “leaders” in this city. Ruben Cavazos and Jake Tower. They each control about a third of the city, with the last third being “free”. These guys are kinda like mob bosses. They offer to help people who are desperate and then sign these people to an unbreakable contract. Their underlings get chainlinks tattooed on their bodies to show their affiliations. The more links, the longer you’re in the syndicate or how long you’ve signed up for.
I will also mention that names have a lot of power in them. Every Skilled person has four names, first, last and two middle. Each parent assigns a middle name, but they don’t tell the other. This way, only the actual person knows all four names. That is something that they hold close and rarely share. They even go so far as to name their children where the first name can be shorten, so that you aren’t using your full name on a daily basis.
In this story, we follow Kori’s brother, Kris. He’s a shadow walker just like Kori. He and his sister have been working to save people from the Tower syndicate. When he breaks into Jake Tower’s house and sees a woman in a yellow scarf. He grabs her and saves her from Tower’s men from shooting her. Sera has a lot of secrets. One is really big. She’s Jake Tower’s illegitimate child. He never even knew she existed. She goes to the Tower residence because she’s hoping that long lost family will help her track down the people who killed her family.
This book was a great wrap up to the series, though I would’ve loved to see more of this world. It is such an interesting world and great characters. This series is a fairly dark series (though not as dark as the series that comes after it, Menagerie, which I also love). There are some things that might trigger some people, but you don’t see the abuse on the page, just reference to it after the fact. It is also great that you see these characters overcome the horrors that they’ve had to deal with.
Narration
Gabra Zackman does an amazing job with the narration of this series. She keeps the voices consistent from book to book. I like her men and women’s voices. As these stories are told from first person POV that switches between the hero and heroine, Zackman even changes the narration parts so you can tell if the male or female is telling the story. Made the switch of POVs very easy to follow.
I’ve been on a bit of relisten kick lately, ever since late last year. I decided I would relisten to this series. It is one that I really loved and since wasn’t reviewing when I read them the first time, I thought now would be a great time.
So, the Bound series. It is a PNR series that takes place in a world just like the one we live in today. However, their are people in this world that have special abilities. These “skills” (not a complete list, but the most important ones):
Trackers, people who can try by blood or name
Readers, people who can tell when a person is lying
Travelers, people who can travel from one dark shadow to another
Blinders, people who can create darkness around them
Jammers, people who block the signature of other skilled people. Many hare highly paid nannies to help keep children from being found by trackers
Binders, people who can bind you a contract to the point that it can kill you to break that contract.
That last one is really important. There are two “leaders” in this city. Ruben Cavazos and Jake Tower. They each control about a third of the city, with the last third being “free”. These guys are kinda like mob bosses. They offer to help people who are desperate and then sign these people to an unbreakable contract. Their underlings get chainlinks tattooed on their bodies to show their affiliations. The more links, the longer you’re in the syndicate or how long you’ve signed up for.
I will also mention that names have a lot of power in them. Every Skilled person has four names, first, last and two middle. Each parent assigns a middle name, but they don’t tell the other. This way, only the actual person knows all four names. That is something that they hold close and rarely share. They even go so far as to name their children where the first name can be shorten, so that you aren’t using your full name on a daily basis.
In this story, we follow Kori’s brother, Kris. He’s a shadow walker just like Kori. He and his sister have been working to save people from the Tower syndicate. When he breaks into Jake Tower’s house and sees a woman in a yellow scarf. He grabs her and saves her from Tower’s men from shooting her. Sera has a lot of secrets. One is really big. She’s Jake Tower’s illegitimate child. He never even knew she existed. She goes to the Tower residence because she’s hoping that long lost family will help her track down the people who killed her family.
This book was a great wrap up to the series, though I would’ve loved to see more of this world. It is such an interesting world and great characters. This series is a fairly dark series (though not as dark as the series that comes after it, Menagerie, which I also love). There are some things that might trigger some people, but you don’t see the abuse on the page, just reference to it after the fact. It is also great that you see these characters overcome the horrors that they’ve had to deal with.
Narration
Gabra Zackman does an amazing job with the narration of this series. She keeps the voices consistent from book to book. I like her men and women’s voices. As these stories are told from first person POV that switches between the hero and heroine, Zackman even changes the narration parts so you can tell if the male or female is telling the story. Made the switch of POVs very easy to follow.
May 1, 2013
I was lucky enough to hear Rachel Vincent speak earlier this year at The Harlequin Blogger Summit. Having already enjoyed her Shifter's series, I ordered Blood Bound and Shadow Bound to read in preparation for her visit. Though I didn't have the time to review either novel I devoured them both and gave them each 41/2 stars.
In general I prefer urban fantasy to paranormal romance but what I love about this series is how well it combines the two. Oath Bound, like the other installments, is gritty, dark, fast paced and action packed. The development of the romance is an important element but it doesn't take precedence over the plot, which is complex and well thought out.
Oath Bound is the final novel in the adult paranormal romance trilogy which is set in a world where the 'skilled' population are forced to choose sides between two ruthless mafia-like syndicates. Jake Tower and Ruben Cavazos exploit the abilities of 'binders' to press those they find useful into servitude to ensure the operation of their criminal and business enterprises. The complex and creative world building quickly drew me in, much of the groundwork is laid down Blood Bound and the framework remains an important part of the story through the trilogy. In Oath Bound the a major part of the plot involves the characters actively working to dismantle the Tower group.
Blood Bound also introduces the core characters for the trilogy but each of the books in the Unbound series features a different couple who become romantically involved. In Oath Bound that is Kris and Sera, through whom the story unfolds with alternating first person points of view.
ris's sister, Kori, a Shadow walker, was featured in Shadow Bound developing a relationship with Ian Holt. Kenley, their youngest sister and a gifted Binder, has been an integral cast member all the way through, and Oath Bound begins with her kidnapping.
Sera is a newly introduced character, the unacknowledged, illegitimate daughter of Jake Tower, who proves to be a vital linchpin in the group's plans to destroy the Tower Syndicate. Sera has made the mistake of approaching her Aunt Julia for help when Kris interrupts Sera's meeting with Julia after Kenley is taken. In the firefight that follows, Kris takes Sera with him as he escapes into the shadows. Sera is incensed, certain she is being held hostage while Kris can't properly explain his compulsion to take her.
Various story arc's span the trilogy so I would recommend starting at the beginning if you are interested. I have really enjoyed the Undone series and while Oath Bound provides closure, I'm sorry the author chose to end it. Still, Rachel assured me when I had the opportunity to ask, that a new adult audience series would be launched later this year and I am looking forward to it.
July 24, 2013
A mostly fun book, but not as good as the first two. The twist is fairly predictable. The end is full of holes and pretty contrived.
Rachel's writing remains technically sound. I really enjoy how she develops the romantic angles in these books and this one is no different, although I'm not as in love with Sara and Chris as I am with Olivia and Cam or especially Cory and Ian.
Definitely a worthwhile read.
Rachel's writing remains technically sound. I really enjoy how she develops the romantic angles in these books and this one is no different, although I'm not as in love with Sara and Chris as I am with Olivia and Cam or especially Cory and Ian.
Definitely a worthwhile read.
December 12, 2018
3.75 - Good series. I enjoyed Oath Bound, but I feels like there should be more. No cliffhangers, but the overall story arc seems a bit incomplete. I feel like an epilogue could have tied it up nicely. Regardless it was an interesting read.
September 9, 2013
For some reason I have some weird pattern with each book in this series. I pre-order the book, then when I receive the book I am all happy and put it on my shelve and then months later I finally start it, a bit hesitant being afraid it is not as good as I hope it will be. That also happened with this book, it was there on my shelve for quite some time before I finally picked it up.
I think Oath bound is the my least favourite book in this series so far. It just missed something and while I hoped it would be as good as the first 2 books, I actually was a bit dissapointed by this book. The story starts off interesting, get's a bit slow, get's interesting again and then get's slow again and then ends action packed. It just felt a bit off, like something was missing. My favourite part of the story were the parts about Noelle, for some reason I really like her character and the whole storyline about her prophecies. I don't know for some reason it's really done well, I normally don't like books about prophecies and predictions, but it really worked in this book. I wished that there was more about her in this book, because I really liked the parts about her and I would've liked getting to know more about her, but I realize this isn't her story even though she saw it all and did so much to make it happen. She has a really important role in this story even though she isn't in it.
The main storyline in this book felt a bit weird, something happens really early in the book that influences the rest of the story, but it felt a bit off (yeah I am saying that a lot in this review). I thought the focus would be more on destroying the Tower syndicate, but it wasn't, well not totally at least.
I did like the characters, but they just weren't as good as the characters in the earlier books. I liked Sera and her combination of being broken and being fierce. Kris was a nice guy and though too, but they just weren't that interesting as the main characters in the earlier books. I did like the romance, but again it just wasn't as good as in the earlier books. Also their relationship developed a bit weirdly. I don't know, I just wasn't really feeling their romance sometimes, although there where some really sweet moments too. There are a few scenes between them I really liked, especially those in which they finally talked (something that didn't happen often).
I did like seeing Kori from another perspective after having read a book from her perspective. I really like her and she has this distinct personality, a combination between fierce but still caring. We don't get to see a lot about Liv and Cam, but they make some appearances. I also really liked Hadley and Gran, both added something special to the storyline.
There isn't a whole lot of world building added in this book, actually almost none at all, only a few tidbits of info are added. I really liked how this book expanded a bit about Noelle her prophecies and how there was even more to it. Also there is some tidbit added about a Skill, but really I didn't see how this had added value to the story. It just didn't add anything, except for a few sort of funny scenes.
At the end, there are still a lot of things that aren't wrapped up nicely. I am still left with a whole of questions and I would like to get a view of the future, there is still so much that is going to happen in their world. It just wasn't a really satisfying ending for me.
To conclude: I really enjoyed this book, it is really good and I love Rachel her writing style, but I was also a bit disapointed sometimes. This book just isn't as good as the two previous books, it just misses something. There where some great parts and scenes, but there where also some slow moments. I did like the characters, but I liked the main characters of the earlier books better. The ending didn't resolve as much as I hoped it would and the ending is still pretty open.
I think Oath bound is the my least favourite book in this series so far. It just missed something and while I hoped it would be as good as the first 2 books, I actually was a bit dissapointed by this book. The story starts off interesting, get's a bit slow, get's interesting again and then get's slow again and then ends action packed. It just felt a bit off, like something was missing. My favourite part of the story were the parts about Noelle, for some reason I really like her character and the whole storyline about her prophecies. I don't know for some reason it's really done well, I normally don't like books about prophecies and predictions, but it really worked in this book. I wished that there was more about her in this book, because I really liked the parts about her and I would've liked getting to know more about her, but I realize this isn't her story even though she saw it all and did so much to make it happen. She has a really important role in this story even though she isn't in it.
The main storyline in this book felt a bit weird, something happens really early in the book that influences the rest of the story, but it felt a bit off (yeah I am saying that a lot in this review). I thought the focus would be more on destroying the Tower syndicate, but it wasn't, well not totally at least.
I did like the characters, but they just weren't as good as the characters in the earlier books. I liked Sera and her combination of being broken and being fierce. Kris was a nice guy and though too, but they just weren't that interesting as the main characters in the earlier books. I did like the romance, but again it just wasn't as good as in the earlier books. Also their relationship developed a bit weirdly. I don't know, I just wasn't really feeling their romance sometimes, although there where some really sweet moments too. There are a few scenes between them I really liked, especially those in which they finally talked (something that didn't happen often).
I did like seeing Kori from another perspective after having read a book from her perspective. I really like her and she has this distinct personality, a combination between fierce but still caring. We don't get to see a lot about Liv and Cam, but they make some appearances. I also really liked Hadley and Gran, both added something special to the storyline.
There isn't a whole lot of world building added in this book, actually almost none at all, only a few tidbits of info are added. I really liked how this book expanded a bit about Noelle her prophecies and how there was even more to it. Also there is some tidbit added about a Skill, but really I didn't see how this had added value to the story. It just didn't add anything, except for a few sort of funny scenes.
At the end, there are still a lot of things that aren't wrapped up nicely. I am still left with a whole of questions and I would like to get a view of the future, there is still so much that is going to happen in their world. It just wasn't a really satisfying ending for me.
To conclude: I really enjoyed this book, it is really good and I love Rachel her writing style, but I was also a bit disapointed sometimes. This book just isn't as good as the two previous books, it just misses something. There where some great parts and scenes, but there where also some slow moments. I did like the characters, but I liked the main characters of the earlier books better. The ending didn't resolve as much as I hoped it would and the ending is still pretty open.
June 7, 2013
While this book's plot may have been somewhat predictable, it was still a passable read. Unfortunately, I couldn't bring myself to rate it more than 3 stars.
Honestly, it wasn't bad, and there were actions, there was angst, there were laughters, there was banter, and there was suspense. So why I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I should have? It was pure and simple - the key elements i.e. the relationship development between the main characters, Sera and Kris - felt shallow and lip service.
Sera's mother married Sera's step-father and they built a quiet family outside the range of influence of the syndicate. They lived secretively and moved often, because they wanted to hide Sera's existence from Jake Tower, who was the head of the Tower syndicate and also her biological father. The story began with Sera seeking the help of her evil and ruthless aunt, Julie Tower, to avenge her family - they were murdered by someone who invaded their home some months before.
To make a long story short, Sera met Kris under unusual circumstances and Kris took her to his secret home location without her consent (i.e. kidnapping). After spending time together, they found themselves falling for each other. Kris, when he was young, he was involved with Noelle (the gifted Seer who planned and started the whole chain of eve ts for the key characters in the Unbound series). He documented some of the predictions that Noelle made and he realized that Sera was mentioned that book diary of predictions. It was like they were destined together right?
Anyway, the shallowness came from the fact that the events in this book occurred over the course of a few days. Sera and Kris went from complete strangers to wary friends to lovers very quickly. It was somewhat hard to believe given the circumstances - that Sera was the ultimate heir to the Tower syndicate and suffered a horrible trauma watching her family die. Kris seemed to be very much hung up on his love for Noelle too. Suddenly, they went from grieving to obvious attraction.
It just wasn't that convincing for me.
Characterization-wise, the author attempted to paint a heroine who had an innocent and pure heart, fiery temper, stubborn attitude, and a smart mouth. At times I thought Sera was quite interesting but other times she was just plain frustrating and naive. As for Kris, he wasn't really an outstanding guy - he seemed pretty ordinary actually. I wasn't sure why Sera found him attractive to begin with.
Their romance wasn't very believable or enticing for me.
As I mentioned in the previous installments of this series, all the most powerful Skilled people seemed to all congregate together to form Kris' little circle of friends. Sera also happened to be powerfully and unusually Skilled (having both Jamming and Blocking Skills). I just thought it was way too convenient. Meh.
Something that I did enjoy was the funny parts where Kris' grandma was involved. Grandma suffered Alzheimer's and thus she often had trouble differentiating past versus present. She had an attitude and she was a funny old lady. She made me laugh-out-loud in several places.
Besides that, there wasn't much to speak of this book. It was a more-than-average read, but something about it was lacking which didn't wow me at all.
3 stars only.
Honestly, it wasn't bad, and there were actions, there was angst, there were laughters, there was banter, and there was suspense. So why I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I should have? It was pure and simple - the key elements i.e. the relationship development between the main characters, Sera and Kris - felt shallow and lip service.
Sera's mother married Sera's step-father and they built a quiet family outside the range of influence of the syndicate. They lived secretively and moved often, because they wanted to hide Sera's existence from Jake Tower, who was the head of the Tower syndicate and also her biological father. The story began with Sera seeking the help of her evil and ruthless aunt, Julie Tower, to avenge her family - they were murdered by someone who invaded their home some months before.
To make a long story short, Sera met Kris under unusual circumstances and Kris took her to his secret home location without her consent (i.e. kidnapping). After spending time together, they found themselves falling for each other. Kris, when he was young, he was involved with Noelle (the gifted Seer who planned and started the whole chain of eve ts for the key characters in the Unbound series). He documented some of the predictions that Noelle made and he realized that Sera was mentioned that book diary of predictions. It was like they were destined together right?
Anyway, the shallowness came from the fact that the events in this book occurred over the course of a few days. Sera and Kris went from complete strangers to wary friends to lovers very quickly. It was somewhat hard to believe given the circumstances - that Sera was the ultimate heir to the Tower syndicate and suffered a horrible trauma watching her family die. Kris seemed to be very much hung up on his love for Noelle too. Suddenly, they went from grieving to obvious attraction.
It just wasn't that convincing for me.
Characterization-wise, the author attempted to paint a heroine who had an innocent and pure heart, fiery temper, stubborn attitude, and a smart mouth. At times I thought Sera was quite interesting but other times she was just plain frustrating and naive. As for Kris, he wasn't really an outstanding guy - he seemed pretty ordinary actually. I wasn't sure why Sera found him attractive to begin with.
Their romance wasn't very believable or enticing for me.
As I mentioned in the previous installments of this series, all the most powerful Skilled people seemed to all congregate together to form Kris' little circle of friends. Sera also happened to be powerfully and unusually Skilled (having both Jamming and Blocking Skills). I just thought it was way too convenient. Meh.
Something that I did enjoy was the funny parts where Kris' grandma was involved. Grandma suffered Alzheimer's and thus she often had trouble differentiating past versus present. She had an attitude and she was a funny old lady. She made me laugh-out-loud in several places.
Besides that, there wasn't much to speak of this book. It was a more-than-average read, but something about it was lacking which didn't wow me at all.
3 stars only.
May 13, 2013
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
In true Rachel Vincent fashion, Oath Bound weaves a complex tale where relationships go from every day complicated to an unravelable tangle of blood oaths and family ties. A small oversight quickly snowballs into the biggest blunder in Tower Syndicate history and Sera gets swept away into a world she’s spent her whole life hiding from and knows absolutely nothing about, and that’s only chapter 1! The romance is understated yet equally as significant as the action-driven plot which makes this book a well-rounded read that’s immensely satisfying on all fronts.
Kris’ first love was a Seer and even though she passed away years ago, he’s convinced that the predictions Noelle made in her sleep were meant for him and him alone. So ever since her death he’s been trying to change the future and beating himself up over every failure even though Elle’s late night ramblings were about as clear as mud. He sees Sera as an opportunity to make amends for all the lives that he failed to save and when things go horribly wrong he can’t help but feel responsible. I really liked Kris because he’s the epitome of “nice guy” with an interesting mix of badass gunslinger thrown in for good measure. He has a lot of men-are-from-Mars moments which frustrated me at times but he never fails to come through when it really counted and, at the end of the day, that’s all that really matters.
I liked Sera’s innocence and the fact that her morals take precedence over everything, even money and power, which are two very tempting lures. Experiencing the story from her POV was a great refresher to Vincent’s Unbound world too because of how new Brandt is to the Syndicate way of life. Revisiting the differences between Skilled and unSkilled was as helpful was it was interesting. She’s also a fighter in spite of her past and I admired her refusal to give-up no matter how impossible the task. Kris and Sera’s relationship progresses at a natural pace and also mirrors the plot well without ever overshadowing the latter which is exactly what you want in a well-written Urban Fantasy novel.
Liv/Cam, Kori/Ian, and Kenley/Van all have their roles to play in this installment as well and I loved that Vincent gave readers one last chance to say goodbye to these beloved characters. I’m surprised and a little saddened that Rachel decided to make Unbound a trilogy because there’s still so much story to tell. What about the Cavazos Syndicate and Liv & Cam? Oath Bound is complex, gritty and original; a definite must for all Urban Fantasy readers. But as much as I enjoyed Sera and Kris’ HEA, I wish that Liv and Cam had gotten theirs too.
In true Rachel Vincent fashion, Oath Bound weaves a complex tale where relationships go from every day complicated to an unravelable tangle of blood oaths and family ties. A small oversight quickly snowballs into the biggest blunder in Tower Syndicate history and Sera gets swept away into a world she’s spent her whole life hiding from and knows absolutely nothing about, and that’s only chapter 1! The romance is understated yet equally as significant as the action-driven plot which makes this book a well-rounded read that’s immensely satisfying on all fronts.
Kris’ first love was a Seer and even though she passed away years ago, he’s convinced that the predictions Noelle made in her sleep were meant for him and him alone. So ever since her death he’s been trying to change the future and beating himself up over every failure even though Elle’s late night ramblings were about as clear as mud. He sees Sera as an opportunity to make amends for all the lives that he failed to save and when things go horribly wrong he can’t help but feel responsible. I really liked Kris because he’s the epitome of “nice guy” with an interesting mix of badass gunslinger thrown in for good measure. He has a lot of men-are-from-Mars moments which frustrated me at times but he never fails to come through when it really counted and, at the end of the day, that’s all that really matters.
I liked Sera’s innocence and the fact that her morals take precedence over everything, even money and power, which are two very tempting lures. Experiencing the story from her POV was a great refresher to Vincent’s Unbound world too because of how new Brandt is to the Syndicate way of life. Revisiting the differences between Skilled and unSkilled was as helpful was it was interesting. She’s also a fighter in spite of her past and I admired her refusal to give-up no matter how impossible the task. Kris and Sera’s relationship progresses at a natural pace and also mirrors the plot well without ever overshadowing the latter which is exactly what you want in a well-written Urban Fantasy novel.
Liv/Cam, Kori/Ian, and Kenley/Van all have their roles to play in this installment as well and I loved that Vincent gave readers one last chance to say goodbye to these beloved characters. I’m surprised and a little saddened that Rachel decided to make Unbound a trilogy because there’s still so much story to tell. What about the Cavazos Syndicate and Liv & Cam? Oath Bound is complex, gritty and original; a definite must for all Urban Fantasy readers. But as much as I enjoyed Sera and Kris’ HEA, I wish that Liv and Cam had gotten theirs too.
Read
October 17, 2018With Kenley and Kori no longer bound to the Tower Syndicate, they set out to free everyone else from under the Tower syndicate. Then Kenley disappeared, so Kori along with all of her family of friends, goes to search for her and take down the Tower syndicate while she is at it. I would recommend this book to those who like to read about people who have skilled yet the government doesn't want to recognize what they are and what they can do.
May 30, 2022
Proceed With Caution:
This book contains blood, violence, kidnapping, Alzheimers, mentions of rape and death.
The Basics:
Oath Bound is the third book of the series and picks up four months after the ending of Shadow Bound. I'd definitely recommend reading at least that one to get the full picture here. This time we're following, newcomer Sera, and Kori's brother Kris. Sera has just arrived in town to ask Julia Tower for a favor when she's interrupted and kidnapped by Kris who was looking for his kidnapped sister, Kenley. From there it's a battle of wills as both try to get what they want without revealving too much about themselves.
My Thoughts:
Oath Bound started out very frustrating. Well, it actually started out intriguing, as I wanted to know about about the long-lost Tower heir and how she'd be connected to the characters from the previous books. But after Kris snatches her from her meeting with Julia, I quickly got annoyed. Over 100 pages in and they were still going in circles.
Sera doesn't know Kris. She doesn't know Kenley. She's not from around here and just met Julia Tower five minutes before Kris burst in. She keeps telling him this, and he keeps insisting that he didn't kidnap her, he saved her, she's not a hostage, but she might know how to get his sister back. How in the world is she suppose to help him get his sister back when she doesn't know anything about anyone, and it's not like Julia would trade Kenley for her either. Yet, Kris is adament that he's in the right and can't let her go. On and on. Back and forth. For 100 pages. Seriously.
Whenever Sera tried to get Kris to take her back because she's useless to him, and tried to get an answer as to why he grabbed a random woman, he can't answer. He tells her to be quiet so he can think. He ties her up and tries to convince her (and himself) that she's not a hostage, she hasn't been kidnapped, he can't trust her. To me, it seemed like it was the author who didn't have an answer to Sera's questions. She just needed to force them together. There is a convenient one paragraph explanation after all this. But did we need 100 pages to get there?
Once we get past that nonsense, I really enjoyed Oath Bound. It was nonstop twists and turns. Every chapter added a little bit to the puzzle that is Sera's complicated life and connection to the Tower syndicate. Of course, there's also her growing relationship with Kris. Yes, it's basically insta-love, as they go from kidnapping to sexing to i-love-you-ing over the course of three days. There's a surprise ending which I though was really good! I didn't see that one coming. But there wasn't really a sense of closure. Kris was obsessed with Elle's journal and what it all means, but we never get that answer.
Read more at Pinkadot Pages.
This book contains blood, violence, kidnapping, Alzheimers, mentions of rape and death.
The Basics:
Oath Bound is the third book of the series and picks up four months after the ending of Shadow Bound. I'd definitely recommend reading at least that one to get the full picture here. This time we're following, newcomer Sera, and Kori's brother Kris. Sera has just arrived in town to ask Julia Tower for a favor when she's interrupted and kidnapped by Kris who was looking for his kidnapped sister, Kenley. From there it's a battle of wills as both try to get what they want without revealving too much about themselves.
My Thoughts:
Oath Bound started out very frustrating. Well, it actually started out intriguing, as I wanted to know about about the long-lost Tower heir and how she'd be connected to the characters from the previous books. But after Kris snatches her from her meeting with Julia, I quickly got annoyed. Over 100 pages in and they were still going in circles.
Sera doesn't know Kris. She doesn't know Kenley. She's not from around here and just met Julia Tower five minutes before Kris burst in. She keeps telling him this, and he keeps insisting that he didn't kidnap her, he saved her, she's not a hostage, but she might know how to get his sister back. How in the world is she suppose to help him get his sister back when she doesn't know anything about anyone, and it's not like Julia would trade Kenley for her either. Yet, Kris is adament that he's in the right and can't let her go. On and on. Back and forth. For 100 pages. Seriously.
Whenever Sera tried to get Kris to take her back because she's useless to him, and tried to get an answer as to why he grabbed a random woman, he can't answer. He tells her to be quiet so he can think. He ties her up and tries to convince her (and himself) that she's not a hostage, she hasn't been kidnapped, he can't trust her. To me, it seemed like it was the author who didn't have an answer to Sera's questions. She just needed to force them together. There is a convenient one paragraph explanation after all this. But did we need 100 pages to get there?
Once we get past that nonsense, I really enjoyed Oath Bound. It was nonstop twists and turns. Every chapter added a little bit to the puzzle that is Sera's complicated life and connection to the Tower syndicate. Of course, there's also her growing relationship with Kris. Yes, it's basically insta-love, as they go from kidnapping to sexing to i-love-you-ing over the course of three days. There's a surprise ending which I though was really good! I didn't see that one coming. But there wasn't really a sense of closure. Kris was obsessed with Elle's journal and what it all means, but we never get that answer.
Read more at Pinkadot Pages.
July 28, 2013
This series kept surprising me. Each time I went in thinking that I might not like the book that much because they're really paranormal romances with a lot of insta-love that happen to be set in the same world more than urban fantasy books that follow one couple as the relationship grows and develops over several books, and that just isn't normally my favorite thing. Or I'd even like to read a story that isn't about romance at all, how's that for revolutionary? But these stories manage to make insta-love feel genuine and possible, at least more than most books I've read. This one didn't do it as well as the other two, but at least there were real qualities that I could see that were drawing the characters to each other, not just hot bodies or chemistry. I just didn't love Kris and Sera as much as the other characters in the series, they didn't have as much depth. The author tried to fill in Kris's background, but the only thing that felt 3D for me was his relationship such as it was with Noelle and his love for Kenley and Kori. His jobs felt flat. And Sera was too idealized. She's so young, sheltered and naive, where did all of the bravery come from? Most sheltered young women would not able to attack someone with a knife, even if they did feel threatened; that's why they need to take self defense classes, to learn to be able to strike out in their own defense. I liked them well enough, but I wasn't passionate about them because I didn't really believe in them.
But there is a very strong urban fantasy story that is being told in the series on addition to the romances when it comes to the syndicates that were controlling these people's lives, and that provided consistency through the series and a lot of interest as well. The dark, gritty story is a big part of what made the series work for me. The end wasn't exactly the most believable, it was a bit pat and easy, but it was also only the beginning of that phase, who knows what would really happen next. Good intentions are one thing, implementing them are something else, life has a way of challenging even the best of intentions.
But there is a very strong urban fantasy story that is being told in the series on addition to the romances when it comes to the syndicates that were controlling these people's lives, and that provided consistency through the series and a lot of interest as well. The dark, gritty story is a big part of what made the series work for me. The end wasn't exactly the most believable, it was a bit pat and easy, but it was also only the beginning of that phase, who knows what would really happen next. Good intentions are one thing, implementing them are something else, life has a way of challenging even the best of intentions.
August 25, 2017
Oh thank goodness. Characters of light and shade. People who aren't afraid to show their feelings. Good people (or people doing good) who aren't likeable (or necessarily completely sane). Violence, real violence not PG-rated, Sunday afternoon made for TV violence, horrific actions. Grown ups.
Having said all that, I think this was probably for me the most light and fluffy of the three books as (I believe) it concludes the trilogy. The first book for me was sooo dark and hopeless I felt quite ill just thinking of the ending.
So, the plot
I really enjoyed this, fast-paced and gritty with no-one posturing or making stupid assumptions (the Pride and Prejudice failing).
Having said all that, I think this was probably for me the most light and fluffy of the three books as (I believe) it concludes the trilogy. The first book for me was sooo dark and hopeless I felt quite ill just thinking of the ending.
So, the plot
I really enjoyed this, fast-paced and gritty with no-one posturing or making stupid assumptions (the Pride and Prejudice failing).
July 23, 2015
I liked that this third novel had a lot of crazy moments with dashes of humor thrown in and the drama of bringing down the Tower syndicate. Some of my favorite statements/moments;
"This man may have been a killer, but he was no murderer. The distinction was small, but important." - Ch. 3, Sera describing Kris when they first met during a showdown at the Tower estate.
"My sister's missing, my grandmother has Alzheimer's, Julia Tower wants me dead and you're turning out to be a pain in the ass." - Ch. 3, Kris to Sera
"Why do women always err on the side of UNDERestimation?" and, "My skill could be HUGE, for all you know." - Ch. 3, Kris responding to Sera on how far he'd shadow-walked them from the Tower estate.
"I tried not to dwell on the fact that way too many of the women in my life communicated at top volume and maximum ridicule." - Ch. 4, Kris in response to a conversation with his Gran and his sister, Kori
"Safety is an illusion, even in the best of times. The only true defense is vigilance, but that wasn't something a daughter/sister in mourning needed to hear. Yet I wasn't going to insult her with polite platitudes, either. Those hadn't helped me when my parents died." - Ch. 12, Kris reflecting on a conversation with Sera about her past tragedy
"Kris was a package deal. He came with sisters, and friends, and a grandmother. A ready-made family with tempers, and hugs, and dementia, and chili and arguments, and laughter, even in the worst of times, and a shared mission I believed in." - Ch. 18, Sera
This is the last book in the series and Rachel Vincent wraps things up nicely. There are a lot of surprises and twists that ultimately help to make the conclusion very satisfying.
"This man may have been a killer, but he was no murderer. The distinction was small, but important." - Ch. 3, Sera describing Kris when they first met during a showdown at the Tower estate.
"My sister's missing, my grandmother has Alzheimer's, Julia Tower wants me dead and you're turning out to be a pain in the ass." - Ch. 3, Kris to Sera
"Why do women always err on the side of UNDERestimation?" and, "My skill could be HUGE, for all you know." - Ch. 3, Kris responding to Sera on how far he'd shadow-walked them from the Tower estate.
"I tried not to dwell on the fact that way too many of the women in my life communicated at top volume and maximum ridicule." - Ch. 4, Kris in response to a conversation with his Gran and his sister, Kori
"Safety is an illusion, even in the best of times. The only true defense is vigilance, but that wasn't something a daughter/sister in mourning needed to hear. Yet I wasn't going to insult her with polite platitudes, either. Those hadn't helped me when my parents died." - Ch. 12, Kris reflecting on a conversation with Sera about her past tragedy
"Kris was a package deal. He came with sisters, and friends, and a grandmother. A ready-made family with tempers, and hugs, and dementia, and chili and arguments, and laughter, even in the worst of times, and a shared mission I believed in." - Ch. 18, Sera
This is the last book in the series and Rachel Vincent wraps things up nicely. There are a lot of surprises and twists that ultimately help to make the conclusion very satisfying.
September 8, 2013
*Genre* Paranormal Romance
*Rating* 3.5-4
*My Thoughts*
It's actually a shame that this was only a 3 part trilogy with Oath Bound being the conclusion. I would have liked to see if Cam and Olivia found a way to get out from under Cavozos thumb and find their own brand of HEA.
Normally, I'm one that finds alternating POV's irritating and loathsome. There have been some exceptions to my complaining recently and this is one of them. I don't think the story would have worked otherwise had we not been able to follow the story from both Sera and Kristopher's POV's.
Oath Bound introduces readers to Sera (Serenity) Brandt who has a few surprises up her sleeve and is looking out for some serious payback to what happened not only to her family, but to her as well. Sera is by far a Mary Sue or helpless character. She has a few surprises up her sleeve and ends up being a major player in the crime syndicate.
We also get a better look at Kenley & Korrine's brother Kristopher who is definitely a bad ass with some past baggage that continues to drive his every movement including the fact that a seer once prophesied some interesting twists that Kris never thought he'd see coming.
Can I admit that I absolutely loved Gran? She has to be one the wisest, funniest, and adorable characters that I've read about in recent memory. I also adored Hadley who apparently is a very powerful Seer. It's always fun when a series brings all the cast members together and has them play fairly substantial role in the outcome of a series.
Published April 30th 2013 by Harlequin MIRA
*Rating* 3.5-4
*My Thoughts*
It's actually a shame that this was only a 3 part trilogy with Oath Bound being the conclusion. I would have liked to see if Cam and Olivia found a way to get out from under Cavozos thumb and find their own brand of HEA.
Normally, I'm one that finds alternating POV's irritating and loathsome. There have been some exceptions to my complaining recently and this is one of them. I don't think the story would have worked otherwise had we not been able to follow the story from both Sera and Kristopher's POV's.
Oath Bound introduces readers to Sera (Serenity) Brandt who has a few surprises up her sleeve and is looking out for some serious payback to what happened not only to her family, but to her as well. Sera is by far a Mary Sue or helpless character. She has a few surprises up her sleeve and ends up being a major player in the crime syndicate.
We also get a better look at Kenley & Korrine's brother Kristopher who is definitely a bad ass with some past baggage that continues to drive his every movement including the fact that a seer once prophesied some interesting twists that Kris never thought he'd see coming.
Can I admit that I absolutely loved Gran? She has to be one the wisest, funniest, and adorable characters that I've read about in recent memory. I also adored Hadley who apparently is a very powerful Seer. It's always fun when a series brings all the cast members together and has them play fairly substantial role in the outcome of a series.
Published April 30th 2013 by Harlequin MIRA
August 7, 2013
I’d liken this to a B-movie. Some interesting bits, whole stretches of fast (too fast) whatever’s all the while riddled with, and I’m sorry here, but cheesy lines of the aw shucks variety. Case in point: him calling her the human superlative… being the most… everything. I think I was supposed to hear my heart go pitter-patter for him/her/them, instead… well, gag me, is all.
But credit where it’s due: this whole world is an interesting one of world of specials and killers who don’t want to be killers: Kris, Kori and Ian and Liv and Cam are very blasé about what they have to do and what kind of people they are, each with their own brand of kick ass. I loved each of them at one point or another. Except when I wasn’t loving them because at some point between book one and this, well they’ve all lost authenticity. We know Kori and her tortured past. We know Liv and the new badness she’s knee deep in, but I wanted more.
Worse though is all the corny simply had me pulling back from what could have been good. It was good ‘till it wasn’t. The same can be said for the sexy (or what little there was of that type interaction here). This is an OK starter for anyone jumping form YA to Urban Fantasy.
But credit where it’s due: this whole world is an interesting one of world of specials and killers who don’t want to be killers: Kris, Kori and Ian and Liv and Cam are very blasé about what they have to do and what kind of people they are, each with their own brand of kick ass. I loved each of them at one point or another. Except when I wasn’t loving them because at some point between book one and this, well they’ve all lost authenticity. We know Kori and her tortured past. We know Liv and the new badness she’s knee deep in, but I wanted more.
Worse though is all the corny simply had me pulling back from what could have been good. It was good ‘till it wasn’t. The same can be said for the sexy (or what little there was of that type interaction here). This is an OK starter for anyone jumping form YA to Urban Fantasy.
July 30, 2013
This is one of the neatest series I've read in a while. You have a group of people with Talents such as Finders, Travelers, Binders, Jammers, and Seers. These people work for one of two large mafia-style families. These people are bound into servitude and can not go against their masters. There are loopholes - and they are quite clever. Even the devil can't write contracts like these.
In this third book of the Unbound series, the focus is on Kris Daniels and his love interest Sera. The battle is against the ridiculously evil Julia Towers. It's jam packed with action, suspense, and some pretty hairy situations. The story is told from both Kris and Sera's point of view and I adored these two. While their relationship is rocky at first - he "rescues" her (she thinks it's kidnapping) from Julia Towers. Sera's impressions of the House of Crazy (The Daniels family home) are quite funny.
The premise of this book is intriguing. The contracts are so convoluted that all you really need to know is that they are totally in the favor of the mafia family and are iron clad and extremely difficult to get out of.
If you haven't yet had a chance to read this series, give it a try.
In this third book of the Unbound series, the focus is on Kris Daniels and his love interest Sera. The battle is against the ridiculously evil Julia Towers. It's jam packed with action, suspense, and some pretty hairy situations. The story is told from both Kris and Sera's point of view and I adored these two. While their relationship is rocky at first - he "rescues" her (she thinks it's kidnapping) from Julia Towers. Sera's impressions of the House of Crazy (The Daniels family home) are quite funny.
The premise of this book is intriguing. The contracts are so convoluted that all you really need to know is that they are totally in the favor of the mafia family and are iron clad and extremely difficult to get out of.
If you haven't yet had a chance to read this series, give it a try.
October 29, 2021
Oath Bound is a difficult book to review because it is the final book in the Unbound trilogy and I don't want to spoil anything. So, this review will be brief and to the point.
There is nothing better than finishing a fantabulous series with a great big smile on your face. After soooo much tragedy in the Unbound trilogy, it was nice to see the walls come tumbling down in Oath Bound.
Rachel Vincent is dark, twisted, skilled-beyond-belief, incredibly creative, bloody brilliant, and has grown to be one of my top urban fantasy authors. I can't wait to read her next project. I don't care what she's selling, I'm buying it!
There is nothing better than finishing a fantabulous series with a great big smile on your face. After soooo much tragedy in the Unbound trilogy, it was nice to see the walls come tumbling down in Oath Bound.
Rachel Vincent is dark, twisted, skilled-beyond-belief, incredibly creative, bloody brilliant, and has grown to be one of my top urban fantasy authors. I can't wait to read her next project. I don't care what she's selling, I'm buying it!
May 7, 2013
Overall, wasn't too impressed. I loved Kori but the whole fact that they pretty much ended her character and put a new one in her place, made me turn away from the novel. This whole novel is pretty much a walking cliche. I think Rachel screwed the pooch on this one.
September 20, 2013
Romance, sexiness, violence, mystery and amazing twists and turns!
Full review to come soon...
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews
Full review to come soon...
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews
August 30, 2016
4.5
This book had a good story,it continued where shadow bound left off, and it had me laughing from the beginning to the end. I'm sorry to say bye to this series, the flow between the characters and the flow of the plot were great.
This book had a good story,it continued where shadow bound left off, and it had me laughing from the beginning to the end. I'm sorry to say bye to this series, the flow between the characters and the flow of the plot were great.
August 24, 2014
Review to come.
December 10, 2023
4.5 stars
I've really enjoyed this trilogy. I think this world is very interesting. I love the characters. I'm sad that this was only a trilogy. I think Ms. Vincent could've gone further with it. I love the Skills that people have and how it is a blessing and a curse. The end of this particular story has a big twist that I didn't see coming.
Once again, Rachel Vincent is great at world building. In this world, some people are born with Skills. There is a mafia of sorts (also called syndicates) that is always on the lookout for these Skilled people. Usually they are tricked into Binding contracts that they cannot get out of, but there are some people who are so Skilled at Binding that they they can Bind people against their will. This is why being a Skilled person is a blessing and a curse. In this trilogy, we meet many people who are part of either one of the two syndicates in town or are hiding from the syndicates. The books are told in first person by the two characters who will come together in that book. The author is kind enough to inform you which character is talking at the beginning.
I love this series. I've read the books and listened to them as well. I highly recommend this series. It was great to read some PNR that is set in a completely new type of world.
I've really enjoyed this trilogy. I think this world is very interesting. I love the characters. I'm sad that this was only a trilogy. I think Ms. Vincent could've gone further with it. I love the Skills that people have and how it is a blessing and a curse. The end of this particular story has a big twist that I didn't see coming.
Once again, Rachel Vincent is great at world building. In this world, some people are born with Skills. There is a mafia of sorts (also called syndicates) that is always on the lookout for these Skilled people. Usually they are tricked into Binding contracts that they cannot get out of, but there are some people who are so Skilled at Binding that they they can Bind people against their will. This is why being a Skilled person is a blessing and a curse. In this trilogy, we meet many people who are part of either one of the two syndicates in town or are hiding from the syndicates. The books are told in first person by the two characters who will come together in that book. The author is kind enough to inform you which character is talking at the beginning.
I love this series. I've read the books and listened to them as well. I highly recommend this series. It was great to read some PNR that is set in a completely new type of world.
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