Bloodbound: Bloodbound #1 (The Bloodbound Trilogy)

The Bloodbound starts on a battlefield as King Erik of Alden is betrayed by his brother, and left to die at the hands of the Oridian enemy. Alix Black, a scout in the King’s army, leaves her post to give aid and ends up saving the King’s life. For her efforts, Alix is made head of the King’s personal guard, but there’s no time to become complacent. Trying to root out usurpers and spies among those who call themselves loyal to the crown, Alix struggles with becoming the King’s confidant as her feelings for him are headed in a direction that feels more like a betrayal, as her heart already belongs to another.When information comes to light that the enemy may be employing a previously unknown magic on their troops enabling them to fight without compunction, Alix will have to put aside her uncertain feelings and work with both men in order to ensure the survival of their kingdom.If you’re someone who likes their fantasy but wishes it were heavier on the romance The Bloodbound is the book/series for you. Politics, while still a huge story thread, take a backseat to Alix’s romantic entanglements.Unfortunately, if you couldn’t tell from the description above, this also means the use of the dreaded love triangle. I’ve never really been a fan of the triangle, but Erin Lindsey spins things in a way that, while I’m not a love triangle convert now by any means, I find myself very interested in how this one will play out in the remainder of the series. Said triangle consists of Alix, her best friend Liam, and of course King Erik. I liked that Erin Lindsey decided to not just make things from Alix’s point of view. We get King Erik’s viewpoint as well, and with that spin—understanding his feelings for Alix—the kind of queasy feeling I oftentimes get with love triangles was considerably muted. It wasn’t an angst-fest and it wasn’t ‘who can be more manly and win the fair maiden’s hand’ either, which made me like both suitors equally for Alix.Romance aside, the rest of the story flowed really nicely. As I said, we start in battle and pretty much end in battle, but the pathway leading from one to another, as we learn of treacheries and strategies, was really smooth. There’s a lot of terminology thrown at readers with not much in the way of explanation, but in not trying too hard to decipher what every phrase or sect means, things fall into place naturally and, for me, with little to no confusion. I think this also lends itself well to those in which fantasy is not their go-to genre.One of the standouts of the story is, of course, Alix. I loved that in this world there are no reservations about women being on the battlefield alongside the men. Alix is pretty much a badass. She knows how to handle herself, and let’s just say she does good work in her job as personal guard to the King as she saves his life multiple times over the course of the story. For all that she has conflicted feelings for her friend and the King, she doesn’t let them get in the way of doing her job and doing it well.Overall, I really enjoyed The Bloodbound and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Bloodbound is a different kind of fantasy. and that is a very good thing. although i love Tolkien, as was purportedly said by another Don at a reading of the latest chapter of the Ring: "Please!! no more f$%#ing elves!" as a fantasy writer myself (under the penname Ajax Minor), i like 'different'.in a very good sense, it is a 'quiet' fantasy. while there is plenty of action in Bloodbound, the most satisfying reading involves being drawn into the emotional lives of the characters. some have objected to 'love triangles', but this one involves not just the heart, but adherence to duty and tradition. it is engaging to participate in Alix Black's emotional evolution.and the theme of duty is reflected as well in the difficult calculus of adherence to one's word, by treaty, and commitment to country aver allegiance to a sovereign. it is difficult to parse the ethical conflict inherent in the rift between Prince Tomald and his brother King Erik. the author's long experinece in the nuances of international relations and the ethical questions of 'good and evil' that are not simply determined served her well n this story.one final note. another aspect of this fantasy that is noteworthy is the simplicity of the 'magic' in the story. often fantasy writers endow their characters with magical powers, rings or wands or staffs, that conjure up all sorts of solutions to the jams into which their characters find themselves. Lindsey uses one: Blood, for both antagonist and protagonist. it is refreshing. perhaps that is because it is the kind of 'magic' i prefer to have my characters employ.in short, Kudos!! read the book

Ahoy me mateys. I am sad I actually spent me money on this book. This book betrayed my enjoyment so it must walk the plank . . . Arrrrgh!It has been on me list forever and I wanted so badly to read the first novel. However, local libraries in port didn’t have the first novel (just the second! Grrrr!). It seemed to have all the elements of fantasy that I love: Awesome cover, magic swords, fantastic heroine, a bit of romance, epic battles, etc. So after hemming and hawing, I gave in and got me a copy.To be fair, I loved the author’s characters. The main character was a noble lady named Alix. She is funny and resourceful and clever. The scout, Liam was funny and sweet. The king, Erik, commanding and charming. Even the side characters like General Green and Kerta were likeable and fun to read about. I loved how the various banner houses were set up. I loved how women were respected and held high positions in the kingdom. I even appreciated how one of the bad dudes was conflicted and yet a little more complicated than I expected. I didn’t abandon this book because I enjoyed the characters a lot individually.The problem was in the plot. A spy that shows up and is just trusted for no reason. Alix making dumb choices that went against her seeming intelligence. Other bad dudes who have no real reason for being evil. Complicated situations that are just fixed with almost no effort. Magic that almost seems pointless. And the love triangle from hell.I liked Alix. I liked Erik. I liked Liam. How this triangle was set up was fine. It being in the book didn’t even bother me at first. But as the triangle continued to drag on, the plot surrounding it grew more and more ridiculous. The resolution was just plain horrible. Personally, Alix could have ended up with either of them. That was unusual for me and was due to the author’s characterizations. The conflict of Alix’s choice seemed realistic enough at times. However, the major “reveal” in the middle of the novel to how Alix makes her choice is what ruined the book for me. That and the love story taking center stage.I wanted more complex politics and battles, a story that didn’t get bogged down because the king broke his leg and was castle bound forever, for the magic to be better explained and used, and for problems not to be solved with a wave of the hand. I will not be reading the rest of the series but would be willing to give the author’s next one a try if the love stuff could be toned way down and her plots tightened.Just because I didn’t like it doesn’t mean that it won’t float yer boat. Give it a try if ye dare!

Enjoyed it immensely, with strong, realistic and humorous female and male characters. Easy flow and good pace. Looking forward to the next book.

Erin Lindsey's vocabulary and way with words makes this a very delightful read. I am really looking forward to the next two!

https://lynnsbooks.wordpress.com/2015...The Bloodbound is one of my backburn books. I’ve had it waiting for quite some time after picking up a copy following glowing reviews. Why I waited so long remains a mystery but I’m very pleased to have finally started this series. How would I describe Bloodbound – I would say it’s the perfect beach read for fantasy lovers! There’s action, blood magic and romance and, yes, I would say that the romance does play a fairly central role but I enjoyed it.The Bloodbound gets off to a fairly intense start. We begin the book as a bloody battle rages. Alix is a scout. At the start of the story she watches the battle from afar and realises with horror that her King (Eric) has been betrayed on the war field. The aid he is expecting is not going to arrive and he stands on the brink of massacre. Completely disobeying orders Alix rushes to King Eric’s aid dragging along with her Liam, another scout. What you must remember is that these are scouts and don’t normally make up part of the fighting contingent but Alix is bloodbound to her blade which does help to give her ferociousprecision with the sword. Unwittingly, Alix becomes the saviour of the moment and although she’s never sought any particular attention or regard finds herself newly elected to the position of bodyguard to the King. Eric has been betrayed by his own brother, who, expecting that Eric is dead has returned home to claim the crown effectively making Eric an exile. In order to regain that which is his right he must bide his time and form a plan, all the while trying to keep the enemy at his door from swooping through his kingdom and massacring everyone.That’s all I’m going to go with in terms of plot.World and characters. The world has an Arthurian feel to it almost. Knights in armour, heavy warhorses and swords. The difference here is that women go to war in this kingdom as well as the men. In terms of the fantasy elements these are fairly thin on the ground and are mainly related to the blood magic that binds weapons to their owners. This also plays a huge part in the dark magic that is used by the enemies in the story.The main characters are of course Alix, Eric and Liam with a few peripheral figures that make up the King’s advisors and such like. Alix is a very easy character to like. She stands behind her own beliefs and isn’t afraid to speak up and make her thoughts known. She’s certainly not perfect and very capable of making mistakes – particularly where her love life is concerned! What I particularly like about the way Alix is written though is that she isn’t dainty or meek and mild (and let’s face it – it wouldn’t do to be so when fighting on a battlefield). She’s tall and strong and has a fiery character that matches her hair. Eric is also a character that I found easy to like – in fact truth be told I probably felt a little bit sad for him in more ways than one. And then we have Liam, who yes, makes up the love triangle that develops. Liam and Alix have a strong friendship developed over time that has forged something strong between them. They’re in a little bit of denial about their own feelings at the start but things are beginning to change.Now, I’m not usually for love triangles but I do think that this story is well executed. I think my biggest problem with love triangles is that it makes me all judgemental (sorry but it’s true) about the person who is stuck in the middle. I confess I don’t like it, probably because I wouldn’t want to be played like that. That’s not to say that I don’t have sympathy for how the situation could occur it just tends to make me cross at the pinnacle character (that being Alix) and sad for the eventual character that will be left out in the cold. (And, can I just say, I would have chosen differently than Alix – there, I said it!)All that being said though, it would be difficult to not like Alix and like her I did. It’s great to have such a tough female character who isn’t weak, can stick up for herself and isn’t afraid to play her part – even if it could mean a one way ticket to a tea party with the grim reaper.So, in summary. This is a fast paced, fun read with plenty of action tempered with a little romance. I very much look forward to No.2.

A lot about Alix Black, the heroine of „The Bloodbound“, reminded me at times of E. Moon's Paksenarrion or one of T. Pierce's heroines. But then there were moments, she so did not.The setting is classical fantasy, but with interesting twists, for example a form of gender equality not common in a romantic high-fantasy: women are fighters alongside the men and are put to work where they are best and not where they are safest. And although marriage is fraught with politics insofar that high ranking houses in the rather feudal realm mostly inter-marry and lower houses try to gain an advantage at court by marrying up and so on, there is a freeing view on s** before marriage. And that goes for men and women. So, that was pretty refreshing. And Alix Black is a noble woman from a high ranking house, getting into the king's service kind of by accident: she saves his life in a battle where the king is betrayed by his own brother and ends up being his bodyguard. She fills that role wonderfully: starting out awkward in the beginning, because of her age and her self-doubts, she rapidly grows into the job and I liked watching her doing what is needed. Those were the moments, she reminded me of the heroine Paksenarrion.And it could have gone on like that, but if you've read „The Deed of Paksenarrion“, you know it's not a romance, no, none to be found at all. Only the epic journey of a young woman becoming a genuine heroine. Alix is on that journey a lot of times, and those were good moments in the book, were it battles, personal growth or Alix and the king strategizing. But then there was the „romance“ part and don't get me wrong, I like romance and believable love and stuff.And I detest love-triangles and sadly, this took a lot of page time here. And although it was sufferable because of its final solution, there were a lot of things [besides the fact that I really can't read any more love triangle stuff] that bothered me.Firstly, Alix falls for her fellow army scout Liam and this felt real. They both act on it, but she does so knowing that it will bring them only a world of hurt, because Alix is very high born and Liam a bastard. And there are no marriage prospects for them. Ever. And Alix goes for it the moment she is told so. So if she weren't the great heroine character that would be believable. But she is and so it's totally out of character that she would forget duty and how hard it would be for Liam in the end. But, yeah. It happens. They have a kind of relationship, however doomed. But then the king falls for Alix and virtually overnight and that I was told, but did not feel at all. The way it all progresses is well done, but then it was resolved by pieces falling rather conveniently into place. That had a deus ex machina feel to it that I did not care for.The plot as such is pretty awesome, especially if you like the classical fantasy plot as I do: epic battles, heroism, heroes and cowards... everything is found here. The pacing is all right, the book covers many months, so progress in the realm's war against the attacking empire and the king working to save his throne from his treacherous brother is visible and it brings colour to the story. And although I guess there will be more Bloodbound-books, the story is fully wrapped up so it could be read as a satisfying standalone novel as well.So to sum it up: Alix is not Paksenarrion or any of Tamora Pierce's heroines. But she comes close at times and that is a quality commendation. The world building is scarce, but I prefer that to info-dump, even if it's harder to orient oneself in it. And if you can live with a bit of angsty love-triangle addition to your feisty heroine, this book is for you. It surely was an enjoying read and I will read any sequels as well.

Alix Black, one of the scouts for the Kingdom of Alden, is watching a battle unfold. Her king is being overwhelmed by the invading forces of the Oridian empire, and, much to her horror, she can see that the King's brother is very much not executing his part of the plan. Treason is afoot, and both the King and the Kingdom are at risk.In move that defines Alix - and to some degree, the entire series - Alix plunges recklessly into battle. There's only the slimmest chance of victory. Hell, there's only a fractional chance of survival, but Alix makes up her mind, trusts her gut and goes barrelling forward.From its initial, breath-taking charge, Bloodbound never slows down. The book isn't wall to wall warfare, as the early pages might indicate, but Alix has a wonderful knack for getting into trouble. In her defense, that's apparently a family tradition, and, before long, we're introduced to her equally headstrong brother, who becomes a (scene-stealing) secondary character throughout.After the initial battle, Alix is reappointed as a member of the King's bodyguard. Through her eyes the reader gets a front-row view of the political and military action, as King Erik tries to juggle an invading army, his own retreating army, and the betrayal of his brother (and his army). Add to that assassination attempts, espionage and a hint of black magic, Erik and Alix have their hands full.To add one final ingredient into the mix - Alix is a member of one of Alden's noble banner houses. Although she's more or less 'slumming it' as a scout (she should be all armoured-and-horsed-up as a knight with the other nobility), she still has all the perks - and responsibilities - of one of the kingdom's elite. In the perks category: a magic sword and the ability to hob-nob with the Kingdom's ruling class. In the responsibilities? Try as she might, she's not 'one of' her comrades, and, somewhere on the horizon looms the inevitable arranged marriage. Alix is fairly understanding of the situation - that's just what happens with people of her rank, men and women alike - but it does cast a pall over her budding frisson with Liam, a fellow scout. Or, for that matter, King Erik.On paper, here's what we've got: the heroic remnants of a noble army, an invading empire of oppressive evil, a love triangle involving three people and sixteen thousand crossed stars, an dark sorcerer, a magic sword and a fairly Chosen sort of heroine that's a multiclass noblewoman/spy/scout/strategist/swordswoman/everything.That is to say, nothing new under the sun. And there's nothing wrong with these particular plot points and set-pieces. Skilfully combined, as they are here, it turns Bloodbound is one of the most enjoyable fantasies I've read in a long time; a book I cheerfully devoured in a single sitting.The various cultures and kingdoms are brought to life through details like the above or the occasional conversational snippet. No appendix. No map. The way magic works is explained in a matter of sentences, not chapters. Even the names are almost ridiculously simple, take, for example, the banner houses of Green, Grey, Black, White and Gold. The plot is complex, the characters are deep - but the world itself is there to support, not distract. Just as Bloodbound hits the ground running with its opening battle, the decision to keep everything uninterrupted by exposition helps the pace immensely. Bloodbound isn't a dense doorstopper of an epic, it is fast, fun and - despite being the first in a series - self-contained.This is an ideal gateway series for new fantasy readers, and something pleasantly fresh for existing fans.