Donnielle Tyner

I would like to thank Donnielle Tyler for an e-ARC of this book to review. Though I received this e-book for free, that has no impact upon the honesty of my review.

Goodreads Teaser: "A boy without a voice.
A teen without a home.
A man without hope.

Kian knows the way his life is headed will be the death of him. It doesn't matter how many criminals he catches for Gordon's Bounty Detective Agency or how deep he tries to fall into the bottle - those eyes haunt him. All it took was one whisper of bad advice, one wrong choice, one mistake, to wipe out years of confidence he had struggled to build while living on his Grandmother's farm. The Kian found the box of files overflowing with unsolved crimes. Those cold cases jolted his soul from its vegetative state and awakened his resolve. Kian knew those cases were meant for him to solve, but the last thing he expected to find within a few wrinkled folders was his ultimate redemption."

Being a novella this is a short story, so it goes by quickly. I got my copy without the benefit of the teaser material, so this review is based upon a cold reading. Even though I've read the first two books in the Caelian Cycle series I had no real frame of reference for this story beyond the main character's name. At least not until a ways into the story. This is Kian's backstory, his background prior to meeting Sadie - that relationship is covered in book two, Bound. While he's also in Lost, this novella brings you right up to his first contact with Sadie.

While Kian is interesting I felt as if there wasn't enough to anchor me to his character. I didn't really understand why he was all over the map, and it was difficult to find a reason to care, or a reason beyond knowing the role he plays in both books in the Caelian Cycle. In my opinion this novella shouldn't be read immediately after the second book in the Caelian Cycle, as it won't mean as much without that frame of reference to work from. Even then the issue that drives him is left unspoken, and if it's covered in the prior books I can't say I can recall it. Given the fact that it motivates his every move I'd like to know exactly what happened, or at the very least be assured that it would become clear in the next book. It's quite possible it was covered in either Lost or Bound, but given the number of books I read and the amount of time between readings it would be useful to have a reminder if the information was included in one of those books.

All told I wish that this had been a bit longer, providing a stronger framework for the reader to pull from. I like Kian, but too much of his motivation was left unspoken and unexplained for me to really get him, or get emotionally invested in this story. So while I'd have preferred either a recap of information that came before, or more depth and details to help round out this aside, I am hopeful that this will provide necessary information going forward in the series. Guess I'll just have to wait and see.… (mais)

I would like to thank Ms. Tyner for granting The Cover Contessa a copy of this e-ARC to read in exchange for an honest review. Though I received this e-book for free that in no way impacts my review.

Goodreads Teaser: Bound by Vengeance.

Sadie has found the resolve to fight the man who caused so much pain in her life. Her tentative alliance with the HCA underground gives her the resources to train both her body and Talent for when she comes face to face with her grandfather.

Bound by Loss.

Being separated from her friends at St Vincent’s is harder than she could have ever realized and it doesn’t help that Kian has withdrawn from her as well. With help from a new friend, Sadie uncovers more about her past and that someone close to her has been keeping secrets from Sadie her entire life.

Bound by Fear.

Tragedy strikes close to home, giving a longstanding enemy, one desperate and willing to do anything to have Sadie on their side, an opportunity to arise. Allies and friends come together to stand against evil, but at a terrible cost. Sadie’s history and future collide while the world is thrown into chaos.

Sadie must overcome or forever be Bound.

As with the first book in this series the characters are unique, with each one filling a required role but being an independent being at the same time. They have a purpose outside of their role in Sadie's story, something rarely found in most novels these days. The main characters retain their individuality throughout this book as well, with each staying true to who they were initially introduced as, yet also having room and flexibility to grow and develop more depth.

Sadie's personal journey, both the internal and external aspects, remains fascinating. At times it moves slowly and languidly, but more often than not things around Sadie happen quite quickly, keeping the action intense and riveting. Even when delving into the emotional and romantic segments of her life things move pretty much at two speeds - full ahead or completely stopped. At least it feels that way to Sadie, which comes across loud and clear for the reader.

In this stage of her story Sadie's circle of friends has both expanded and contracted. While the additions are interesting it's the subtractions that really keep you turning the pages and leaving the light on long past when reality would dictate otherwise. For it’s the supporting characters that really help move this story along. That's not to say that Sadie has lost her appeal, if anything it's grown even larger. And that appeal is attracting both savory and unsavory elements to her - those that care about her, flaws and all, versus those that want to turn her into a weapon; a weapon that they control and therefore don't necessarily even view as a person but only a commodity or means to an end.

It is those very stark contrasts that make this such an engaging book. I found myself emotionally invested in Sadie and her friends, and rooting for them all. Of course being human sometimes a mistake gets made, but it's how the characters handle the mistakes that build upon their humanity and keep them firmly grounded in the 'real' world. With the grueling pace that is maintained by this book I often found myself surprised by the amount of time that actually passed, especially considering just how much had taken place already.

Even with all that has happened in this book and the first one, there is clearly more to come. More that doesn't just allude to thrills, chills, and excitement - it promises. And based upon what has come before I am confident that the third book will more than deliver upon the implied promise of yet another wild ride for the reader as we experience Sadie's life right along with her as it unfolds, bearing down toward the inevitable ultimate showdown that will either set her free in a world of ultimate acceptance or forever shackle her to a world of misery. Finding out what happens on the way to the answer is to be is possibly more exciting than learning what that answer itself is to be; what keeps bring us back to each new book with more built-up excitement and enthusiasm. Ms. Tyner is clearly not just on the right track, she's busy making a whole new track altogether!!… (mais)