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Review

4.5 stars!

I am a mad fan of Larissa Ione’s Demonica / Lords of Deliverance series, so when I discovered she was writing a series about vampires I was ridiculously excited. And she did not disappoint. Not linked to her previous books, this is a standalone series that has the same, unique ‘Larissa Ione’ feel to it, but with less ‘in your face’ action and more emotion. And I absolutely loved it!

Bound by Night gives us a unique twist on the vampire story, with vampires enslaved to humans and, with the exception of rebel clans living in the forests, strongly controlled by the ominous Daedelus Corporation.

Following a vampire attack which wiped out her entire family when she was a child, Nicole is the Daedelus heiress and recently appointed CEO of the organisation. Having been raised her whole life to believe that vampires are evil, and having witnessed the vicious attack where she lost not only her family, but also her beloved vampire nanny, Nicole has a strong hatred of the race, and still suffers from the after-effects of that terrible night. Following her family’s legacy, she has dedicated her life to researching vampire physiology and is an expert in the field, using her knowledge to cure human illness, and understand more about the race that took everything from her. But, to the vampires, her family name and position make her the prime target for all that is evil in their world, and her life is whipped out from under her when she is kidnapped by the MoonBound Clan of vampires – specifically, badass vampire, Riker – to be held for ransom for one of their own.

Riker is rugged, gorgeous and all kinds of awesome. He blames humans, specifically Nicole’s family, for the death of his mate, and is cold, ruthless and angry – most of that directed at Nicole. But as the two of them are forced to spend time together, they feel a dangerous attraction that grows into a begrudging respect and an understanding of each other’s situations as they start to open up to each other.

And the more they get to know each other, the more they fall for each other, and the chemistry between them is sizzling! Seriously, Larissa Ione knows how to write a hot love scene, and I was fanning myself as these two finally caved in.

“You wondered why sex with a vampire was such a big deal. I’m going to show you.” He moved toward her, slowly, like a cat sneaking up on a bird. “Stamina.” He stepped closer. “Multiple orgasms.” Closer, and her mouth went dry. “Flexibility.” Closer. Her skin flushed hot. “Strength.” Closer. Her stomach did a flip-flop. “The ability to sense heat so we know what parts of the body are the most sensitive at the right time.” Closer. A throbbing ache started low in her pelvis. “The ability to hear the slightest change in the tempo of your pulse so we know exactly how every stroke, kiss, and lick affects you.”
Oh. Dear. Lord.”

Yup, it is hot, hot, hot! But with Riker still holding on to his past, and Nicole still coming to terms with her new reality, there are a lot of barriers standing in their way, and I loved watching them battle it out only to be drawn back together, pulled apart and drawn back together again. It’s definitely not an easy road for them, but there is no denying the intensity and growing emotion between them. Their romance is realistic (given the unrealistic circumstances), and I loved watching them work to overcome their issues, uncover aspects of themselves that they didn’t know existed, and find their way to each other.

And while Riker comes to realise that Nicole is not to blame for the evil that humans have perpetuated on his race, Nicole’s exposure to Riker and the vampire clan gives her the opportunity to see things from the other side. And, using her knowledge of vampires to work with the clan, she is slowly accepted into their world and comes to truly understand the atrocities being carried out by Daedelus without her knowledge. And it is horrifying.

“Now the blinders had been ripped off, and her new experiences and new knowledge were making her head spin.”

Add to that the daily struggle to exist, the discovery of dark family secrets, revenge, torture, an impending war with a neighbouring clan, and a couple of REALLY big surprises, and this book is a great ride. As usual, Ione doesn’t hold back on the brutality and violence of her world, but I felt that, while there is definitely action, it’s not as prominent as her other books (not that this is a bad thing!). Instead, there is a stronger focus on the developing relationship between Nicole and Riker, and the interactions with the other clan members. This is a great bunch of characters, and the banter and dynamics between the group are really well written. With multiple POV we are never left wondering what somebody is thinking, and we get a little glimpse into the lives of other characters, seeing several more stories set up for future books.

And as events unfold, the drama intensifies, and the emotion is really strong. The supernatural element is not especially ‘super’, with vampires not being that different to humans and there is more mythology to be explained. The epilogue hints at what is to come, and I have no doubt that all of the key elements of the story will be continued on and explored more throughout the series.

Overall I thought this was a great intro to what is sure to be another fantastic series, and I can’t wait to read more.

4.5 stars.

 

MoonBound Clan Vampires series