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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
I’ve never been so grateful to get on a book bandwagon once it’s finished - I’m not forced to wait to see what’s next! The cliffhangers in The Affiliate and The Bound would have given me severe anxiety if I’d had to wait for resolution!
I have a lot of strong thoughts about the Dremylons, and tbh I harbor ZERO trust for either of them at this point. Kael is obviously Viktor reincarnated and Edric’s instruction for Cyrene is a destructive obsession. He appears willing to burn the world down to get what he wants - Cyrene - and he has zero regard for her. I may be overreacting, but I get a sick feeling in my stomach when either of these men are near her.
The introduction of Dean also makes me wary. All these Royal men willing to go to whatever lengths to be with Cyrene feels almost Mary Sue. Every man wants her, whilst women either want to be her or undermine her. Can she actually trust anyone?
That being said, the world building is exquisite, the bulk of the plot is riveting, and I can’t wait to dive into the third book.
I have a lot of strong thoughts about the Dremylons, and tbh I harbor ZERO trust for either of them at this point. Kael is obviously Viktor reincarnated and Edric’s instruction for Cyrene is a destructive obsession. He appears willing to burn the world down to get what he wants - Cyrene - and he has zero regard for her. I may be overreacting, but I get a sick feeling in my stomach when either of these men are near her.
The introduction of Dean also makes me wary. All these Royal men willing to go to whatever lengths to be with Cyrene feels almost Mary Sue. Every man wants her, whilst women either want to be her or undermine her. Can she actually trust anyone?
That being said, the world building is exquisite, the bulk of the plot is riveting, and I can’t wait to dive into the third book.
I love the way K.A. Linde builds these worlds that just suck you in and hold you there. There is so much detail and emotion and you can't put the story down. She makes you feel as if you are a part of this world and interacting with these interesting characters and environments. I am loving this series and it just keeps getting better. I can't wait to read more!!
4.5 STARS
I have been patiently waiting for this book for over a year. I enjoyed the first installment of this series, but The Bound is on a completely new and intense level. I was riveted from the first pages and could not put it down. It was one thrilling roller coaster ride, and The Bound is one of my top fantasy reads for the latter half of 2016.
The Bound picks up right after The Affiliate ends, but everything from the first book is completely turned upside down in the prologue. I was in complete shock and still can’t fully wrap my mind around everything that transpires. The action is nonstop throughout the book. Several new characters are introduced and older characters are seen in an entirely new light. Cyrene continues to become more confident in herself and her abilities, and I loved seeing her character emerge and grow more powerful.
As shocking as the beginning is, nothing compares to the closing chapters. I was reeling and still can’t stop thinking about it several days later. This book has it all; magic, action, betrayal, shifting alliances, and romance. It is everything fantasy readers live for in a series.
I will be in agony waiting for the third installment of this series. The most powerful books are those that continue to reveal secrets with each reread. I’ve already discovered new things I missed in the first read while preparing my review and know there are more hidden gems yet to be discovered. I RECOMMEND this series to any fantasy reader.
I have been patiently waiting for this book for over a year. I enjoyed the first installment of this series, but The Bound is on a completely new and intense level. I was riveted from the first pages and could not put it down. It was one thrilling roller coaster ride, and The Bound is one of my top fantasy reads for the latter half of 2016.
The Bound picks up right after The Affiliate ends, but everything from the first book is completely turned upside down in the prologue. I was in complete shock and still can’t fully wrap my mind around everything that transpires. The action is nonstop throughout the book. Several new characters are introduced and older characters are seen in an entirely new light. Cyrene continues to become more confident in herself and her abilities, and I loved seeing her character emerge and grow more powerful.
As shocking as the beginning is, nothing compares to the closing chapters. I was reeling and still can’t stop thinking about it several days later. This book has it all; magic, action, betrayal, shifting alliances, and romance. It is everything fantasy readers live for in a series.
I will be in agony waiting for the third installment of this series. The most powerful books are those that continue to reveal secrets with each reread. I’ve already discovered new things I missed in the first read while preparing my review and know there are more hidden gems yet to be discovered. I RECOMMEND this series to any fantasy reader.
Find this review and more at Ramblings From This Chick
I will admit that I am not a huge fan of the fantasy genre. While I do enjoy some, I find that there is usually so much world building and stuff going on that it is hard for me to keep it all straight, especially when there are usually so many players involved. I love K.A. Linde's books though, and I really enjoyed the first book in her Ascension series, The Affiliate. So after the cliffhanger ending, I was dying to see what would happen next.
If you haven't read The Affiliate yet, you are going to want to start there as The Bound picks up right where The Affiliate left off, and these books cannot be read out of order. Cyrene Strohm is an Affiliate to the queen, but while she has more power and privilege than most, she also is in danger because of the secrets that she keeps. Not only does she have the King's heart, but she also has magic in a world where that is no longer possible. Without knowing much about it, Cyrene sets out to Eleysia, a place forbidden to Affiliates, to discover more. As if the journey wasn't dangerous enough, Cyrene quickly discovers that everything that she has been lead to believe for her whole life is nothing but a lie.
I love Cyrene's character. She is so strong and determined, and I felt that in The Bound more than ever before. She is one of those characters that you can't help but admire because not only is she good, but she stands up for her beliefs no matter what the consequences may be. The cast of characters that we were first introduced to in The Affiliate grew here, and I liked Dean a lot. It was great to see familiar faces though as well. I was on the edge of my seat throughout this entire book though, never knowing exactly who was on Cyrene's side and who wasn't.
K.A. Linde has done such a fantastic job of creating this fascinating and unique world unlike any I have read about before. Everything is so vivid and beautiful, and is truly an experience that I think readers of all genres can appreciate. If you are a fan of the fantasy genre, this series is one I highly recommend. If you are like me though and you tend to shy away from fantasy novels, I recommend giving this series a shot as it is so different from anything I have read before. Linde is a truly gifted writer and while I love her angsty novels, I am really loving this series from her as well. I will warn readers that these books leave you hanging on the edge with cliffhangers, and I can hardly wait for the next book after finishing The Bound. But these books are well worth the read, and I will be anxiously awaiting the next in this series and can't wait to see what lies ahead for these characters that I have come to know and love.
**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**
I will admit that I am not a huge fan of the fantasy genre. While I do enjoy some, I find that there is usually so much world building and stuff going on that it is hard for me to keep it all straight, especially when there are usually so many players involved. I love K.A. Linde's books though, and I really enjoyed the first book in her Ascension series, The Affiliate. So after the cliffhanger ending, I was dying to see what would happen next.
If you haven't read The Affiliate yet, you are going to want to start there as The Bound picks up right where The Affiliate left off, and these books cannot be read out of order. Cyrene Strohm is an Affiliate to the queen, but while she has more power and privilege than most, she also is in danger because of the secrets that she keeps. Not only does she have the King's heart, but she also has magic in a world where that is no longer possible. Without knowing much about it, Cyrene sets out to Eleysia, a place forbidden to Affiliates, to discover more. As if the journey wasn't dangerous enough, Cyrene quickly discovers that everything that she has been lead to believe for her whole life is nothing but a lie.
I love Cyrene's character. She is so strong and determined, and I felt that in The Bound more than ever before. She is one of those characters that you can't help but admire because not only is she good, but she stands up for her beliefs no matter what the consequences may be. The cast of characters that we were first introduced to in The Affiliate grew here, and I liked Dean a lot. It was great to see familiar faces though as well. I was on the edge of my seat throughout this entire book though, never knowing exactly who was on Cyrene's side and who wasn't.
K.A. Linde has done such a fantastic job of creating this fascinating and unique world unlike any I have read about before. Everything is so vivid and beautiful, and is truly an experience that I think readers of all genres can appreciate. If you are a fan of the fantasy genre, this series is one I highly recommend. If you are like me though and you tend to shy away from fantasy novels, I recommend giving this series a shot as it is so different from anything I have read before. Linde is a truly gifted writer and while I love her angsty novels, I am really loving this series from her as well. I will warn readers that these books leave you hanging on the edge with cliffhangers, and I can hardly wait for the next book after finishing The Bound. But these books are well worth the read, and I will be anxiously awaiting the next in this series and can't wait to see what lies ahead for these characters that I have come to know and love.
**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**
I have to say...I'm lost. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, but I feel like the author changed up all the characters for no reason. What in the world??? I wanted to see how the relationship with King Edric played out. Instead, we get time fast forwarding, then going slow, then... I don't know. The whole beginning was completely confusing! I won't be reading the rest of this series. Too bad, too, because it started so well.
DNF at around 34% (chapter 21). I just cannot get into this book because it moves SO slowly. I want to find out what happens to the major characters but I can't sit through all this pointless discussion and political evasions. I feel like they're never going to get anywhere.
This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books
I really enjoyed the Affiliate when I read it last year. I loved the world that KA Linde had created and was invested in Cyrene, Kael and Edric. But when I jumped into the pages of THE BOUND I didn't find myself as engrossed by this portion of the series, instead feeling like it was dragging a bit.
In THE BOUND Cyrene is traveling to Eleysia where she hopes to understand more about her magic. But nothing with Cyrene ever goes as planned. She soon discovers that people she assumed were parts of fairy tales exist and everything she has been taught in Byern may not be true. Cyrene and her group of friends have to figure out who they can trust on their journey because not everyone is friendly to their cause.
We spent a lot of time with Cyrene in Eleysia, which meant having another "world" built for us. We had to get to know new characters and dynamics while Byern was left behind. I enjoyed watching Cyrene get to understand her powers and about the world outside of Byern, I missed Edric. I missed him with Cyrene. And as move of the story unfolded, I wondered how the information Cyrene learns will change how she feels about the King of her home country.
The pace of the book definitely picked up with the later half. A lot happens to Cyrene and we're left wondering what the heck just happened at the end. I'm anxious to see what KA Linde gives us next.
Staggering down the hallway, she didn’t even look up when she heard her name.
“Hmm?” she asked.
“Cyrene, there you are!”
Someone grabbed her shoulders, and she tipped her head to look up into the most beautiful face. She smiled and felt a renewed burst of energy flow through her.
“Hey,” she whispered.
“Hey,” he said, threading his fingers through hers. A shiver ran up her back. He glanced around the empty hallway and then tugged her away from the main corridors. She turned a corner, and he pressed her back into a darkened alcove. His mouth was only inches from hers.
Her exhaustion was wearing off from the excitement of being with him.
“I was really worried about you,” he breathed.
“You don’t have to worry about me,” she said, trapped in his gaze. She teetered on her tiptoes and nearly brushed their lips together. Her heart was racing ahead of her. This felt almost better than reaching for her magic. Definitely better than moving one drop of water at a time all day.
“You’re wrong.” Then, he softly dropped his mouth down on hers. His lips were tender and slow as they caressed hers. “I will always worry for your safety.”
Cyrene’s cheeks heated, and she sighed, leaning back against the hard stone of the alcove. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”
His hands pushed up through her hair and tilted her head back up to look at him. She closed her eyes and sighed. She was so tired, and just the feel of his fingers was lulling her to sleep.
“That feels good.”
His mouth found hers, and despite her exhaustion, she pushed back against his lips with more force. She refused to let the fact that she was tired get in the way of her time with him.
“Whoa,” he said, pulling back from her. He rested his forehead against hers, and she could tell he was breathing heavily. “As much as I want this, and I do, I want to make sure you’re okay. This didn’t scare you away?”
She shook her head. “This, most certainly, does not scare me.” Then, she kissed him again for good measure.
He laughed. “Good. Because I’ve been wanting to kiss you since I first met you.”
“You have not!” she insisted.
“Are you kidding? A gorgeous, feisty woman who wasn’t afraid to put me in my place the first time she met me? I mostly certainly have.”
The Affiliate: Book 1
"With rich romance and twisty political intrigue, THE AFFILIATE is a breakneck fantasy ride that's perfect for fans of THE SELECTION or THRONE OF GLASS." --Susan Dennard, NYT bestselling author of TRUTHWITCH
On the day of her Presenting, in front of the entire Byern Court, seventeen-year-old Cyrene Strohm's lifelong plans come to fruition when she's chosen for one of the most prestigious positions in her homeland--an Affiliate to the Queen.
Or so she thinks.
When Cyrene receives a mysterious letter and an unreadable book, she finds nothing is as it seems. Thrust into a world of dangerous political intrigue and deadly magic, Cyrene's position only grows more treacherous when she finds herself drawn to the one man she can never have...
King Edric himself.
Cyrene must decide if love is truly worth the price of freedom. Find out in this first book in USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde's new Ascension series. Great for fans of Game of Thrones, Tudors, and Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series.
✦ Amazon ✦ iBooks ✦ B&N ✦ Kobo
K.A. Linde grew up as a military brat and created fantastical stories based off of her love for Disney movies, fairy tales, and Star Wars. In her spare time, she is an avid traveler, loves reading young adult novels, and dancing. Additionally, K.A. has written more than a dozen adult novels and is a USA Today bestselling author. She lives in Lubbock, TX with her husband and two super adorable puppies.
K.A. Linde loves to hear from her readers!
You can contact her at [email protected] or visit her online at one of the following sites:
www.kalinde.com
www.facebook.com/authorkalinde
@authorkalinde
I really enjoyed the Affiliate when I read it last year. I loved the world that KA Linde had created and was invested in Cyrene, Kael and Edric. But when I jumped into the pages of THE BOUND I didn't find myself as engrossed by this portion of the series, instead feeling like it was dragging a bit.
In THE BOUND Cyrene is traveling to Eleysia where she hopes to understand more about her magic. But nothing with Cyrene ever goes as planned. She soon discovers that people she assumed were parts of fairy tales exist and everything she has been taught in Byern may not be true. Cyrene and her group of friends have to figure out who they can trust on their journey because not everyone is friendly to their cause.
We spent a lot of time with Cyrene in Eleysia, which meant having another "world" built for us. We had to get to know new characters and dynamics while Byern was left behind. I enjoyed watching Cyrene get to understand her powers and about the world outside of Byern, I missed Edric. I missed him with Cyrene. And as move of the story unfolded, I wondered how the information Cyrene learns will change how she feels about the King of her home country.
The pace of the book definitely picked up with the later half. A lot happens to Cyrene and we're left wondering what the heck just happened at the end. I'm anxious to see what KA Linde gives us next.
✦ Amazon ✦ iBooks ✦ Kobo ✦ Goodreads
Excerpt
Staggering down the hallway, she didn’t even look up when she heard her name.
“Hmm?” she asked.
“Cyrene, there you are!”
Someone grabbed her shoulders, and she tipped her head to look up into the most beautiful face. She smiled and felt a renewed burst of energy flow through her.
“Hey,” she whispered.
“Hey,” he said, threading his fingers through hers. A shiver ran up her back. He glanced around the empty hallway and then tugged her away from the main corridors. She turned a corner, and he pressed her back into a darkened alcove. His mouth was only inches from hers.
Her exhaustion was wearing off from the excitement of being with him.
“I was really worried about you,” he breathed.
“You don’t have to worry about me,” she said, trapped in his gaze. She teetered on her tiptoes and nearly brushed their lips together. Her heart was racing ahead of her. This felt almost better than reaching for her magic. Definitely better than moving one drop of water at a time all day.
“You’re wrong.” Then, he softly dropped his mouth down on hers. His lips were tender and slow as they caressed hers. “I will always worry for your safety.”
Cyrene’s cheeks heated, and she sighed, leaning back against the hard stone of the alcove. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”
His hands pushed up through her hair and tilted her head back up to look at him. She closed her eyes and sighed. She was so tired, and just the feel of his fingers was lulling her to sleep.
“That feels good.”
His mouth found hers, and despite her exhaustion, she pushed back against his lips with more force. She refused to let the fact that she was tired get in the way of her time with him.
“Whoa,” he said, pulling back from her. He rested his forehead against hers, and she could tell he was breathing heavily. “As much as I want this, and I do, I want to make sure you’re okay. This didn’t scare you away?”
She shook her head. “This, most certainly, does not scare me.” Then, she kissed him again for good measure.
He laughed. “Good. Because I’ve been wanting to kiss you since I first met you.”
“You have not!” she insisted.
“Are you kidding? A gorgeous, feisty woman who wasn’t afraid to put me in my place the first time she met me? I mostly certainly have.”
The Affiliate: Book 1 "With rich romance and twisty political intrigue, THE AFFILIATE is a breakneck fantasy ride that's perfect for fans of THE SELECTION or THRONE OF GLASS." --Susan Dennard, NYT bestselling author of TRUTHWITCH
On the day of her Presenting, in front of the entire Byern Court, seventeen-year-old Cyrene Strohm's lifelong plans come to fruition when she's chosen for one of the most prestigious positions in her homeland--an Affiliate to the Queen.
Or so she thinks.
When Cyrene receives a mysterious letter and an unreadable book, she finds nothing is as it seems. Thrust into a world of dangerous political intrigue and deadly magic, Cyrene's position only grows more treacherous when she finds herself drawn to the one man she can never have...
King Edric himself.
Cyrene must decide if love is truly worth the price of freedom. Find out in this first book in USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde's new Ascension series. Great for fans of Game of Thrones, Tudors, and Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series.
✦ Amazon ✦ iBooks ✦ B&N ✦ Kobo
About the Author
K.A. Linde grew up as a military brat and created fantastical stories based off of her love for Disney movies, fairy tales, and Star Wars. In her spare time, she is an avid traveler, loves reading young adult novels, and dancing. Additionally, K.A. has written more than a dozen adult novels and is a USA Today bestselling author. She lives in Lubbock, TX with her husband and two super adorable puppies.K.A. Linde loves to hear from her readers!
You can contact her at [email protected] or visit her online at one of the following sites:
www.kalinde.com
www.facebook.com/authorkalinde
@authorkalinde
What in the Creator did I just read?!
The Bound picked up right where we left off in The Affiliate. Cyrene is on the quest to find out more about her magical powers. During the quest she finds out about herself and people who can help control her new magic. In this book we are introduced to some new characters. We also have our regulars from book one. I really enjoyed this book and the journey Cyrene went through discovering her new powers. Some of the revelations that came in this book had me gasping!! Back home in Byrene there is a lot of lies and deception going on!! The scandals are out of this world. This book was very captivating and I found myself not being able to put the book down. I wished we had more King Edric and Cyrene time! After the last book I was hoping for more because I really enjoy the chemistry with these two. Prince Dean is nice but I'm on Team Edric. Let talk about the last few chapters!! After reading those chapter my jaw literally dropped. I was not expecting this and I honestly can't wait to see what direction Linde it going to take this series! I'm normally more of a romance fan and prefer her other books but this series has grown on me! So even if you are a romance buff like me please give it a shot!!
*an arc was given for an honest review*
For more reviews check me out at: http://www.shellysbookcorner.com
The Bound picked up right where we left off in The Affiliate. Cyrene is on the quest to find out more about her magical powers. During the quest she finds out about herself and people who can help control her new magic. In this book we are introduced to some new characters. We also have our regulars from book one. I really enjoyed this book and the journey Cyrene went through discovering her new powers. Some of the revelations that came in this book had me gasping!! Back home in Byrene there is a lot of lies and deception going on!! The scandals are out of this world. This book was very captivating and I found myself not being able to put the book down. I wished we had more King Edric and Cyrene time! After the last book I was hoping for more because I really enjoy the chemistry with these two. Prince Dean is nice but I'm on Team Edric. Let talk about the last few chapters!! After reading those chapter my jaw literally dropped. I was not expecting this and I honestly can't wait to see what direction Linde it going to take this series! I'm normally more of a romance fan and prefer her other books but this series has grown on me! So even if you are a romance buff like me please give it a shot!!
*an arc was given for an honest review*
For more reviews check me out at: http://www.shellysbookcorner.com
Probably mild spoilers.
I love the storyline of this series. I also love the world building.
I won't lie.. I didn't like this book as much as first one. I felt like it was a little slow at first. BUT I like that the king wasn't the main love interest in this one. I was not a fan of him at all in the first book... like I straight up hate him. And I also loved all the traveling in this book and the closeness of the friends as they search for the 2 women.
Dean was amazing. Honestly he's way too good for Cyrene. Cyrene isn't all that great, lets be honest here. She's kissing the king, the prince and now another prince. And trouble follows her everywhere.
What I did not like about this book was the ending. I mean that was ridiculously mean and now I have to wait. There is a reason why I usually wait to start a series until most of the books are out.
I love the storyline of this series. I also love the world building.
I won't lie.. I didn't like this book as much as first one. I felt like it was a little slow at first. BUT I like that the king wasn't the main love interest in this one. I was not a fan of him at all in the first book... like I straight up hate him. And I also loved all the traveling in this book and the closeness of the friends as they search for the 2 women.
Dean was amazing. Honestly he's way too good for Cyrene. Cyrene isn't all that great, lets be honest here. She's kissing the king, the prince and now another prince. And trouble follows her everywhere.
What I did not like about this book was the ending. I mean that was ridiculously mean and now I have to wait. There is a reason why I usually wait to start a series until most of the books are out.
Good story.
Lots of characters.
Multiple POV.
Lots of mystery esp as to peoples motives.
Faster pace than book 1.
Book 2 of a 5 part series.
Closed door intimate scenes.
Cliffhanger ending.
Lots of characters.
Multiple POV.
Lots of mystery esp as to peoples motives.
Faster pace than book 1.
Book 2 of a 5 part series.
Closed door intimate scenes.
Cliffhanger ending.