Publication Date: September 28, 2012
In Blood Bound by Sharon Stevenson, Shaun and Sarah are teen demon hunters. When on a routine vampire hunt, they come across a fairy only to discover that she’d been held and tortured for months by one of their fellow demon hunters, Melissa Carling. Sarah wants Melissa to pay but Shaun’s not so sure. There are indicators that hint at Melissa as Shaun’s soul mate. Seems the Council is also convinced that Shaun and Sarah should forget they ever met Melissa Carling. Can Sarah convince Shaun to fight his inner demon and do what she feels is right?
My first thought on closing the novel was that this was a book the CW should pick it. It’s exactly the sort of thing they produce. Blood Bound (A Gallows Novel) was reminiscent of Supernatural or Buffy the Vampire Slayer or other shows that I would know if I were in the demographic to watch them. It was action packed, teen angst (and not in the annoying Twilight kind of way) and dealing it all in a way that would be attractive to an older teen, or person who enjoys YA or paranormal characters.
Stevenson doesn’t take the time to set the stage for us. She very wisely seems to believe that we will go with the flow in what she shows us her world is like. Demon hunters? Why not. Witches? Okay. Fairies? There’s a Council? A Council means laws so the paranormal is regulated, which opens up a new world that any of us can probably picture. We see them as the characters see them. Shaun and Sarah aren’t new to the world and they convey that instant knowledge to us in what they see. Stevenson in no way cheats us of setting with this technique. We are in England today.
Blood Bound (A Gallows Novel) isn’t all heavy plot and dark characters. Humor shines through the narrative in the relationship between Shaun and Sarah. They may be 19-year-old demon hunters but they’re also siblings and they battle like siblings. Sarah throws a nasty name at Shaun and Shaun throws one right back. Neither sibling is mean-spirited in their taunting, it’s all in good fun and their fun lightens the tone for the reader. These characters are there for each other but they don’t have to pretend to be happy about it.
In the end, there’s really nothing negative to say. I enjoyed this novel. The second novel in the series, Demon Divided (A Gallows Novel) was out in November with the plot line continuing the story of the first with Sarah dealing with choices she’s made. I won’t rush out to get it. It was above average good but not the sort of thing where I have a burning need to know what comes next.
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