Synopsis:
Those bound by blood leave no lines left uncrossed.
Aemun’s actions months prior ripple beyond Danica’s borders as an oblivious Lin struggles to retain some sense of self. He’s little more than a glorified captive as he waits for the Fentian Scholars to decide— will they abstain from the upcoming war or choose a side?
Then a Ladrican Emissary snatches Mellyr.
Lin escapes Fentis to rescue her. Tylle’s secrets only scratched the surface of the hidden truth, and to make matters worse, he must work out the answers alone this time. Can Lin save Mellyr before he loses himself entirely? Or will he finally become the monster he always feared he was?
Review:
The first book in The Binding Tenets trilogy, Bloodwoven, was one that really took me by surprise. Not because it was an earth-shattering novel with so many insane new ideas or because the setting was just incredibly nuanced/unique, no, it was because it took a very simple premise and essentially deconstructed a main character’s belief system, reforming (I could’ve said re-weaving but I’ll leave the book lore puns out) him into something greater. I live for stories like that.
It’s safe to say, Bloodbound picks up right after Lin’s rebirth, if you will, and with out a doubt, brings the revelations up a few notches. Simple works, friends.
Lin, our main character and sole POV, is pretty much stuck with some scholars and is itching for them to make a decision on plot points. Some time passes, nothing happens, so what does a resourceful, now changed-from-cult-like-beliefs dude do? He goes and tries to find out what’s up, and yeah, the weaves fall apart quickly. Mellyr (the cute little baby from book 1 and Lin’s semi-adopted daughter) is taken as a bargaining chip to clear up the fallout from BW‘s climax. Lin goes on a one man mission to get her back. He also learns a few drastic things along the way, a few schemes to thwart, lots of untethered/humans to Weft through (book specific magic attack). Pretty easy peasy plot, definitely…
…but what makes this sequel stand up just as high, if not higher, than the first, is the journey Lin takes. And I’m not talking about the physical one (sure that’s the plot) but instead the emotional one. Just like in BW, Lin unravels so many mysteries about his beliefs, the Binding Tenets, and life in general here. No one would call Lin the smartest man or the bravest man in the room, but he’s got a perseverance that is quite admirable. Any obstacle put in his way, he’ll find a way to overcome it. And there are many in this middle book. There’s no shortage of character growth, and that’s what makes Bloodbound successful in my humble opinion. Plus, Lin is just one of those characters you cannot help but root for.
One thing I really admired Mr. Terral doing in this follow-up is that Tylle (Lin’s probably unrequited love interest from Bloodwoven) is completely absent in this book. Because we are only with Lin and his thoughts (there are a looooot of pining moments here), plus the fact that Tylle is in a different part of the world, much of the emotional load is given to this reader’s personal ship, Denny. Denny returns with aplomb and she is just this spitball of wieved energy and snark. I just love Denny. Aside from Pael (who doesn’t love an old grumpy bastard?), Denny is my favorite character in the series. I’m team DenLin all the way (I also may have prodded Mr. Terral into giving them a tender moment near the end…). #FreeDenny
Another aspect of this book that gets a lot of love is the expansion of the magical lore. I won’t go into a ton of details because that’s quite spoilery and integral to Lin’s arc, but this system of threads/weaves magic really takes a turn away from WoT and veers into Mistborn territory (hint, it has to do with metals within the body, just not the same type as Mistborn). It does get pretty visceral, brutal even, so seeing an expansion of the magic is a major win for me.
As with BW, this book has a bevy of battle scenes with the creepy untethered (as seen on the back cover) as well as with enemies of a mortal, human nature. Like mentioned above, there are a number of schemes and plots hovering around Lin at all times and most come to fruition in very satisfying ways. And, again, just like BW, the pace is very steady, the prose regularly solid to excellent. I never felt a moment of boredom while reading. Being fairly straightforward of a plot, the pages just fly by, bringing us to a rollicking conclusion that sets the stage for a big finale in book 3.
Most middle books tend to flag or are used as a bridge to the epic conclusion, but I wouldn’t put Bloodbound in that category. While it is clearly part of an arcing series, the plot stands on its own, as does Lin’s growth as a character. If you enjoyed Bloodwoven, then strap in, get cozy, and read Bloodbound!
Bloodbound releases on Friday, November 8th.
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