Book Review and Giveaway: Bound

Bound

(The Crystor, #1)

By: C. K. Bryant

Published by: Dragonfly Press

Publication Date: October 8, 2011

Source: eBook provided by Author

Buy it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble

Genre: YA Paranormal Fiction

Audience: YA (13+)

My Thoughts:
Bound is C. K. Bryant's debut novel. It is the story of Kira, a young girl from a troubled home life who's world is turned upside down one afternoon when she discovers that her best friend is something more than human. An innocent afternoon photo shoot with Lydia turns quickly into danger and adventure. Kira is forced to make a decision that will change her life forever. When she risks her own life to save Lydia's life, she is thrown head first into a world that she never knew existed. Lydia and her brother, Octavian, are literally from another world. As their secrets are slowly revealed to Kira, and she finds herself falling in love with Octavian, she must adapt to their world, and the changes in herself as a result of her decision to save Lydia.

The world that Ms. Bryant creates is beautiful and lush, filled with mystery and danger. Her writing is vivid and fast-paced. We are introduced to Lydia and Kira in the very first scene, and the action begins almost immediately. On one hand, I loved that there wasn't a long introduction as in the case of some novels; that we were plummeted into the meat of the story right away. However on the other hand, in this case, I would have liked a little background on Kira and Lydia's friendship and also on Kira's relationship with her mom. I only say this because without that background, I found Kira's selfless act for Lydia a little hollow, and I was completely stupefied by the actions of her mom. I realize that her mom needed to be absentee and out of the picture for the story, but as a mom myself, I was just blown away by those actions. It also took me a little while to get use to the over-use of similes and metaphors, and at times very exaggerated scene building. Still, I was drawn in immediately to the story and the characters. 

This is a new take on the paranormal experience, and the mystery kept me reading. Not only the idea of beings from another planet (I hesitate to say aliens because I really didn't view them as aliens), but also the fact that we weren't dealing with your typical witches, faeries, weres, and vampires. I was intrigued by Lydia and her kindred spirit, the idea of two souls  housed in one body. And Octavian... I have to admit that it took me a while to like him. He was very stiff and formal at first and I found myself wondering what the heck was wrong with him. He reminded me a little of... dare I say it? Edward Cullen. He was obviously drawn to Kira and cared deeply for her, but he hid a secret even bigger than Lydia's. With the comments about Kira's scent and his need to feed, I was half expecting him to be a vampire. I was pleasantly surprised by the turn of events that outed his true nature.

There wasn't a slow moment throughout the book, and the ending left me wanting more. (Don't we all have a love-hate relationship with those cliff hangers? On one hand "Noooooo....don't leave it there!" ...but on the other hand, "Oh I can't wait for the next one!") The romance between Kira and Octavian was clean and sweet, with just the right amount of tension and build up. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good paranormal romance and is looking for one with a new twist and fresh outlook on the genre.

Giveaway!

Ms. Bryant has been gracious enough to offer a beautiful print copy of Bound to one lucky Reading Lark follower. And to make the winning even sweeter, Ms. Bryant will personalize and sign the book for our winner! 

You must be a Reading Lark follower and 13+ years of age to win.

Comment on this review for +2 entries in the giveaway!

Click HERE to enter.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
When a photo shoot ends in tragedy, Kira discovers her best friend, Lydia, has been keeping a secret. Knowing the truth, and accepting it, will change Kira’s life forever and thrust her into a world of ancient curses, magical objects, and savage enemies. What happens next will challenge everything Kira knows about her world, herself and the shape-shifting warrior she’s falling in love with. No longer the timid mouse her mother accused her of being, but a woman who finds the mental and physical strength to endure and survive. 

 BOUND is a heroic tale of true friendship, infinite sacrifice and untamed love.