Review: Bound

Bound by Benedict Jacka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh, poor Alex Verus life just keeps getting worse for him.

As the book opens Alex and Anne have been blackmailed into working for Dark Mage Richard Drakh and his right hand, the first Dark Mage representative on the Council, Morden. The gang of four: Alex, Anne, Lunar and Variam are broken and isolated, forced to align with the Dark Mages against their wishes and villified by the Light Mages they walk a deadly line. Even Drakh and Morden's Chosen and other cohorts loath and detest Alex. His home and livelihood have been razed to the ground. Can you understand why I pre-ordered this book and then didn't have the heart to read it? Yep, every book Alex's life gets worse and he gets boxed into helping the Dark Mages with their evil plots.

I wouldn't imagine anyone would start reading this series at book eight, but if you did, imagine Harry Potter being forced to work for Voldemort and you get the picture.

This is a pivotal book for Alex, he learns a lot about his magic, his weaknesses, magic in general and the motivations of Drakh and Morden. He also comes to some depressing conclusions about the efficacy and motivations of the Council and the Light Mages. It seems sometimes the only people he can trust are the Dark Mages - if only most of them weren't also murderous psychopaths who believe they are entitled to do whatsoever they please!

This is Alex Verus at his best, fighting shoulder to shoulder with his friends, never sure of the right course of action, never able to trust any but a small handful of people. Ever fearful for his life and the lives of those that he cares about.

And that ending! Wow! I only saw it coming a few pages before it happened but what a game-changer!

CAN NOT wait for the next one.

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