Reviews with content warning for Death - The Binding

excellent pacing, immersive and lush prose, and a very interesting premise. i enjoyed the complex bonds woven between characters and the incisive commentary on abuse of power and cycles of harm. the POV shift was very expertly done, it came at the perfect moment. it was a nice touch how

both Emmett and Lucian came off better and were portrayed more flatteringly in the other's POV than in their own - a beautiful and subtle way to show their feelings for each other.

that being said, the book was 4 stars for me until its extremely abrupt and unsatisfying ending, and Lucian spent too much of his half behaving in a way that made it hard to really root for him.

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a_alves00's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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gladiolus17's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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thecheshire_cat's review

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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jamielou's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I became very attached to the characters and I loved the style of writing, more than once there was a phrase that made me stop and think for a while. It was a bit slow in the middle and I found the ending to be a little disappointing- I felt a lot was unresolved, but it was happy nonetheless. I had expected it to be more heartbreaking from what I had heard, so maybe it was just not what I was expecting. I did enjoy it though, it drew me in which hasn’t happened with many books in a while. It also touches on so many themes like homophobia, trauma, depression, suicide, grief, recovery, and abuse, and it was all so well-written and impactful, and you could truly empathise with what the characters were going through. The overall message that we are more than our trauma was really meaningful to me. Also it was gay so it gets points for that

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svblvna's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

this book was beautifully written, the concept and the whole idea of binding are amazing, the characters are fun and loveable, the plot is intriguing but God, the first part dragged on for so long.

the first part is the only thing i didn't like. although some lines stuck with me and it helped understand the world, it felt so info-dumpy while also having nothing happening and no story actually being told? i liked getting into Emmett's character and getting glimpses of binding but that was about it.

the rest of this book, though! the rest of this book!! the writing is enchanting, the story gripping and the characters know just how to tug at your heartstrings. it's a very atmospheric adventure: you get drawn into this world as much as Emmett gets lost in the memories bound into the pages. frustration and misunderstandings are all over our main characters' relationship but it makes every twist and turn more exciting.

if you couldn't tell, i loved it!

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vigil's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.0

i read this entire book in one day. something about it immediately pulled me in from page one.

it does leave several things up to interpretation for the reader. binding is the main characters true calling, and it’s repeatedly emphasized throughout the story. despite this, binding is given a very conflicting portrayal, and its more negative than you’d think. we don’t get to see really anything of the magical portion of emmett’s binding despite the concept being central to the plot.

this book is split up into three parts, all interconnected, but so varying in tone it can seem like you’re reading a different book.

if you enjoy character driven stories, heavy introspection, ambiguous interpretations, and a book more focused on a journey than an ending, i’d recommend this.

this book is pretty difficult to write a review about, and i suggest you go in knowing as little as possible. that being said, heed all content warnings.

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