Review: Blood Bound - Rachel Vincent

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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 . . .

Unbound Trilogy:
Blood Bound
Shadow Bound
Oath Bound

Visit Rachel Vincent's website for more information

Review:
I'm a massive fan of Rachel Vincent's Shifters series so I couldn't wait to get my hands on Blood Bound and as soon as it arrived it jumped immediately to the top of my to read pile.  The world she has created in this new series couldn't be more different from the Shifters books, the story is much darker but it has everything you would expect from this author - strong characters, plenty of action and twists that will knock you sideways.  Blood Bound is a must for any urban fantasy fan and this has the potential to become one of my favourite series, my only disappointment is that I'll have to wait a year before I can get my hands on the next book!

The world may have known about the Skilled for 30 years but governments and the law still refuse to publicly acknowledge they exist which has created a black market for anyone with enough money who wants to use their abilities.  Some of the Skilled have the ability to track anyone by either a name or a tiny sample of their blood, some of them can travel through shadows to any destination and others have the ability to bind you to a magical contract that will cause you physical pain and even death if you try to break it.  As you can imagine these skills are highly sought after and 2 main crime syndicates will do whatever it takes to have control of the most powerful Skilled and earn money by using them. 

Liv is one of the most powerful blood trackers, going on her official range she can track anyone in an 80 mile radius using just a drop of their blood but in reality she can find you even if you are much further away.  Liv has been running from her past for 6 years now but it is about to catch up with her when her ex Cam arrives on the scene bringing with him one of her oldest childhood friends.  Thanks to a blood oath between Liv and her friends she is unable to refuse Anne's request for help even if getting involved is the last thing she wants to do.  Liv resents her friend for forcing her into something but as much as she hates the position she finds herself in she does feel sorry for Anne and deep down she wants to help her.  What she really doesn't want is to accept Cam's help to do it, although Cam is the love of her life she walked out on him 6 years ago without giving him any kind of explanation and Cam is determined to win her back.  That is something that Liv can't risk but it takes a while before the reason for this becomes clear.

The story is told from both Liv and Cam's perspectives and I loved that we get to see both of their sides of the story.  Liv is a strong character but she also has a vulnerability to her that makes you feel protective of her.  She is keeping a lot of secrets but as you learn more about her past her actions become much more understandable.  Cam is someone I loved as soon as I met him, he is so sweet and protective of Liv but he sees her how she truly is and knows she doesn't need to be looked after.  He has never gotten over her leaving him and is still crazy about her, he can tell she has feelings for him too and doesn't understand why she keeps pushing him away.  He uses her bond with Anne as a way to get back in her life and isn't going to let her get away from him this time, he wants an explanation and will do whatever it takes to get it.  The chemistry between Liv and Cam was fantastic and I loved watching these two together.  There is just enough sexual tension and romance for an urban fantasy - it never takes over the main storyline though, just enhances it.

When it comes to the plot I have to admit I found things a little confusing for the first few chapters but this is often the case when you're starting a new series and trying to become familiar with a new world.  Once the story takes off it will have you gripped to the pages and you won't want to put it down.  Liv and Cam find themselves caught between the two main crime syndicates and there isn't going to be an easy way for them to resolve things.  While they care for each other they both have big secrets and if they are revealed it will change everything.  Can they find a way to help Anne and a way to be together again or are they destined to be pulled in different directions?  You'll have to pick up a copy of Blood Bound to find out, in the meantime I'll be sitting here desperately waiting for Shadow Bound!

Source: ARC received from Rachel Vincent in exchange for an honest review

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