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Shadow Bound (Shadow #1)

by Erin Kellison (Goodreads Author)

3.56 of 5 stars 3.56 · rating details · 1,132 ratings · 208 reviews

Death... Some people will do anything to avoid it. Even trade their immortal souls for endless existence.

Wraiths... Secretly, inexorably, they are infiltrating our world, sucking the essence out of unsuspecting victims with their hideous parody of a kiss.

Segue... Adam Thorne founded the Institute to study and destroy his monster of a brother, but the key to its success is...more

Mass Market Paperback, 1st edition, 322 pages

Published June 29th 2010 by Leisure

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Dec 24, 2012 Book Chick City rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-paranormal, book-list-2010, urban-fantasy

I gave this book 7/10 on my blog but Goodreads doesn't offer half stars!

Shadow Bound is the first book in a new series by Erin Kellison. It is also the authors debut. The press release states it's a fusion of "dark fantasy, science fiction, horror, religion and paranormal romantic suspense" - phew, that's a lot of genres! To me this book leans more towards one: paranormal romantic suspense, the other genres mentioned are a bit misleading.

However, I enjoyed Shadow Bound. I was sucked into this bo...more I gave this book 7/10 on my blog but Goodreads doesn't offer half stars!

Shadow Bound is the first book in a new series by Erin Kellison. It is also the authors debut. The press release states it's a fusion of "dark fantasy, science fiction, horror, religion and paranormal romantic suspense" - phew, that's a lot of genres! To me this book leans more towards one: paranormal romantic suspense, the other genres mentioned are a bit misleading.

However, I enjoyed Shadow Bound. I was sucked into this book from the prologue where we meet Shadowman and a mortal woman, Kathleen, who has been ill and close to death for many years. She knows he is there but has never seen him and yet through all this they have fallen in love. Against his better judgement, Shadowman reveals himself to her from the shadows even though he's not meant to until she passes away. They fall into each others arms and this one brief moment together produces a child called Talia.

From here time moves forward twenty six years, to the present day where Talia is at college and living a fairly normal life. Her mother Kathleen died while giving birth and Talia has been living with her aunt. Although Talia knows she's different because of the things she can do with the shadows, she tries to ignore it and lives her life as normally as she can, until one day, without warning, two Wraiths come into her life and kill her room mate.

Talia is a good character, but I didn't feel as though I really got to know her. She's also not particularly kick-arse (until the very last chapter), she's more into running away and hiding. I would have liked to see her grow a bit more, to see her harden to the world and come back fighting a bit sooner than the last few pages. Most of the time she is being protected by Adam.

Adam is a great character and felt I got to know him a lot more than Talia. He's a bit bitter and twisted and at times rather arrogant, but his life over the past six years has been traumatic to say the least. His mother and father were killed by a wraith, which Adam captured and is keeping prisoner in the basement, and to make things worse the Wraith is also his brother, Jacob! Adam's also the head of an organisation which is studying Wraiths and how to kill them. It's a slow process and time is running out. But when Adam meets Talia and finds out what she can do, he thinks he has the weapon that will save the world.

I did feel there were too many names for the same thing. The "Shadows" is also called "Twilight" and Shadowman is also called "Death" and as well as being Death he is also faery, and the Demon who is offering immortality for souls is called "The Death Collector", which is a bit confusing when "Death" is Shadowman. You see my point.

With that aside, the world building is pretty good and I enjoyed Kellison's descriptions of a world filled with Wraiths, which are nasty soul-sucking demons. I did want a little more detail about the Shadows, but I did get a feeling that it is quite an eerie place. A place between this world and heaven, where once you die, Shadowman takes your soul from this life to the afterlife.

Shadow Bound is full of suspense with a smidgin of romance, which I really liked and both go hand in hand very well. Talia and Adam have lots of sexual chemistry, which they try and ignore by looking at the bigger picture, which is - they have a Wraith war to deal with first before succumbing to their feelings - of course, they don't stick to this but I really liked the way their relationship grew. It was lust at first sight on both their parts but I felt as though the author held back with their relationship and took it slowly, nothing was rushed, so the end result was very satisfying and the relationship realistic.

VERDICT:

Shadow Bound is a very promising debut. The ending gave me a flutter of excitement as it sets us up for the second book in the series, Shadow Fall, which I luckily have at hand. I think readers of urban fantasy, paranormal romance and suspense will enjoy this book and I definitely recommend it.
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Jul 14, 2010 Sophia (FV) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Let’s discuss the power of the cover for a moment. I assumed this book was Young Adult based on the image of the very young looking woman on the cover. The blurb didn’t necessarily indicate that is was Young Adult but it didn’t indicate otherwise either so I began reading on the assumption I would be reading a Young Adult novel. While it became clear early on that this is an adult novel, my mind had a hard time letting my first impression go and I kept thinking of the female protagonist as a tee...more

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Jun 20, 2010 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews, paranormal-romance

Adam Thorne is on a mission to find a way to kill his wraith brother, Jacob. It's one of the main reason's he created the Segue Institute. But when he learns of the intriguing Dr. Talia O'Brien he believes her knowledge and ability will lead him to the answers he's look for.

This was an excellent story. Original, fast, full of action with an eerie but, fascinating story line. I wasn't a fan of Talia's at first, but in the end I found both her and Adam to be very interesting characters. Shadow Bou...more

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May 10, 2010 Pamela rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, fiction

If this book isn’t on your wishlist yet, it needs to be. Go ahead, add it now. I’ll wait.

Shadow Bound is Kellison’s debut novel, and it is one hell of a debut. The story is richly imagined, fast-paced, and engrossing, and the characters are well-developed and utterly believable. It is also a nicely original entry to a genre that’s quickly becoming oversaturated.

Adam Thorne is a driven man. He’s poured most of his inherited family fortune and the last several years into the Segue Institute, a fou...more If this book isn’t on your wishlist yet, it needs to be. Go ahead, add it now. I’ll wait.

Shadow Bound is Kellison’s debut novel, and it is one hell of a debut. The story is richly imagined, fast-paced, and engrossing, and the characters are well-developed and utterly believable. It is also a nicely original entry to a genre that’s quickly becoming oversaturated.

Adam Thorne is a driven man. He’s poured most of his inherited family fortune and the last several years into the Segue Institute, a foundation devoted to studying the frightening, vampiric wraiths. Adam’s motivation isn’t all altruism, though; his brother became a wraith, and Adam is determined to find a way to kill him.

Talia O’Brien, a young academic with strange powers, seems to be the answer to Adam’s problems. She can use the darkness to cloak herself so that even wraiths cannot find her. Her mysterious heritage and powers are at the center of the story, and she must accept who she is if she’s to survive.

The story expertly blends the supernatural into a mystery/thriller, and there’s nary a vampire or werewolf in sight. The wraiths are soul-sucking creepy creatures, and a major player in the story is Death himself, called Shadowman here. The Fae are mentioned repeatedly, though they’re not really explained, which leaves a nice set-up for future books in the series.

While the story is gripping, I think my favorite part is the growing romance between Talia and Adam. I love that Kellison doesn’t rush right into it with some kind of tired trope about love at first sight. They’re attracted to each other immediately, but their relationship grows at a believable pace. It’s quick, but at the same time, they’re in a very stressful situation. I think that is so much more convincing than if they immediately fell for each other and didn’t hit any bumps on the road to romance. Talia’s trust issues and reluctance to let herself believe that she is desirable add another nice layer of tension on top of the danger that they’re in.

I feel like I’m not saying enough about this book, but… I can’t say enough about it. I procrastinated on so much schoolwork to read this book, and I stayed up WAY past my bedtime to finish it. As a grad student with a serious aversion to getting less than 8 hours of sleep a night, it’s pretty amazing when I stay up until the wee hours when I have to be at work in the morning. The book comes out in July, so wishlist or preorder it if you want to read an original, excellent urban fantasy.(less)

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Apr 05, 2011 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-spn, romance

Well done Erin Kellison on a great novel. This story was nicely fast-pace. The story keeps you constantly riveted, wanting more. Great characterization and story. No matter how well I thought I had things figured out, I would get unexpected results.
This was recommended to me by a friend and would have otherwise most likely been forever overlooked by me. I am so grateful I was shown this book. I starteed reading it one morning and could not put it down. I even skipped lunch, so absorbed in the bo...more

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Jan 02, 2011 Jess rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, paranormal-romance

I'm not sure how to rate this one or review it really. I liked the concept of the book, it was different from other things and while I was reading I didn't find myself knowing everything that was going to happen. It was a unique storyline. However, I did have some problems with it as well. Some things just didn't make sense, there were also some grammatical errors and errors in the plotline that bothered me.

Also, when we learn more about what Talia really is, it is even more confusing than when...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Bissfan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Bissfan by: Feder

Dr. Thalia O’Brien ist anders. Sie ist nicht nur ein Bücherwurm und eine Streberin, die sich nichts sehnlicher wünscht als eine Stelle als Assistenzprofessorin an der Universität von Berkeley. Nein, sie hat auch die Gabe, Schatten um sich zu legen und sich in ihnen zu verstecken und durch eine bloße Berührung die Gefühle ihres Gegenübers zu ergründen. Aber das wohl Ungewöhnlichste an ihr ist, dass sie durch ihren Schrei den Tod herbeirufen kann. Eine Gabe, vor der sich Thalia mehr als alles ande...more Dr. Thalia O’Brien ist anders. Sie ist nicht nur ein Bücherwurm und eine Streberin, die sich nichts sehnlicher wünscht als eine Stelle als Assistenzprofessorin an der Universität von Berkeley. Nein, sie hat auch die Gabe, Schatten um sich zu legen und sich in ihnen zu verstecken und durch eine bloße Berührung die Gefühle ihres Gegenübers zu ergründen. Aber das wohl Ungewöhnlichste an ihr ist, dass sie durch ihren Schrei den Tod herbeirufen kann. Eine Gabe, vor der sich Thalia mehr als alles andere fürchtet und doch ist es genau diese, an der Adam Thorne am meisten interessiert ist. Denn allem Anschein nach ist sie die einzige Waffe, welche die Welt vor jenem drohenden Unheil bewahren kann, dem sie sich gegenübersieht: seelenlose, unsterbliche Geschöpfe, die Jagd auf die Seelen der Menschen machen. Doch woher kommen diese Wesen? Und warum sind sie auch hinter Thalia her? Fragen über Fragen, deren Lösung in Thalias Stimme zu liegen scheint. Doch sie hat nach wie vor Zweifel, ob der von ihr gerufene Tod – der Schattenmann –, vor dem sich die Seelenlosen mehr als alles andere fürchten, nicht eine weitaus größere Gefahr darstellt …

Schon der Prolog von „Zwielichtlande: Schattentochter“ startet mit einer geballten Ladung an Gefühl und Dramatik und bietet so genau den richtigen Einstieg in die Lektüre. Denn das, eine Mischung zwiespältiger Gefühle und schicksalhafter Ereignisse, erwartet den Leser auf jeder Seite des Buches. Dabei ist es der Autorin gelungen – auch wenn die Spannung schon zu Beginn ziemlich hoch angesiedelt ist – diese konstant zu halten und das Lesen zu einem Zittern und Bangen und Hoffen zu machen. Obwohl ich von mir selbst zu behaupten wage, einen klaren Blick für das Ende einer Geschichte zu haben, tappte bis zum Ende im Dunkeln. Hätte man mich fünfzig Seiten vor Schluss gefragt, wie das Ganze enden würde, ich hätte nur ahnungslos mit den Schultern zucken können, weil wirklich alles offen war. Natürlich habe ich mit der Protagonistin gehofft und gezweifelt, dass Adam die Sache unbeschadet überstehen würde, aber wirklich sicher konnte ich mir nie sein. Der Autorin ist es aufgrund ihres ausgefeilten Konzeptes gelungen, alle Möglichkeiten offenzuhalten. Es war angenehm, als Leser nicht auf ein bestimmtes Ende hingeführt zu werden, sondern wie die Charaktere nicht zu wissen, was der nächste Tag bring.

Die Charaktere tragen dazu einen nicht ganz unbedeutenden Teil bei. Da hätten wir zum einen natürlich Thalia. Eine Protagonistin, die aufgrund ihrer Abstammung anders ist als die übrigen. Und trotz ihrer Andersartigkeit lässt sie sich nicht unterkriegen, sondern versucht das Beste aus jeder noch so ausweglosen Situation zu machen. Auch wenn sie große Angst hat, versucht sie die Dinge durch Logik zu lösen und so ihre Furcht in überschaubare Bahnen zu lenken.
Besonders gelungen finde ich ebenso das Zusammenspiel zwischen Thalia und Adam: ihre Zuneigung zueinander, ihre Not, die sie zusammenschweißt, das Verständnis, das sie füreinander aufbringen und die daraus resultierende Wirkung, die sie aufeinander haben. Die Wandlung, die die beiden Charaktere im Laufe der Geschichte durchleben, weil sie einander verstehen, einander brauchen, zieht sich wie ein Band durch die Seiten, reift und ergänzt ihr Handeln auf harmonische, nahtlose Weise. Während sich die beiden emotional verändern, geht die Geschichte voran, ohne dass einer der beiden Handlungsstränge den anderen überdecken oder verdrängen würde. Das eine geht fließend in das andere über – sie ergänzen sich und geben dem Leser einen tiefen Einblick in die Seelen der Charaktere. Und ich bin sicher, dass Thalias Stärke und Entschlossenheit, die sie vor allem am Schluss an den Tag legt, zwar schon immer in ihr steckten, ohne ihr Zusammentreffen mit Adam aber nie ans Tageslicht getreten wären.
Einzig die Gegenspieler sind etwas zu eindimensional geraten, wie ich finde. Man bekommt wenig von ihnen mit, da sich die Handlung doch stark auf Thalia und Adam und ihre zwischenmenschliche Beziehung konzentriert. Ich persönlich hätte mir bei den „Bösen“ etwas mehr Tiefe gewünscht, da sie neben den starken Protagonisten meiner Meinung nach etwas untergehen.

Der Stil der Autorin ist mitreißend, eindringlich und fesselt den Leser an jede blutige Szene, ebenso wie an die diversen Stell-dich-eins, die Adam und Thalia genießen und an die dramatischen Einblicke in Adams Vergangenheit. Dabei wirken aber weder die erotisch angehauchten Szenen noch die actiongeladenen Kampfszenen vulgär oder plump. Sie fügen sich nahtlos in die Geschichte ein und sorgen für puren Lesespass.
Am besten hat mir allerding der Epilog gefallen, bei dem ich doch ein oder zwei Freudentränchen verdrücken musste. Außerdem bin ich sicher – oder hoffe ich zumindest – dass er einen ziemlich verheißungsvollen Ausblick auf Band zwei liefert, dem ich mehr als gespannt entgegenfiebere.

Mit „Zwielichtlande: Schattentochter“ präsentiert Erin Kellison einen äußerst gelungenen Fantasy-Roman, der vor allem mit zwei wunderbar tiefgründigen Protagonisten, viel Gefühl und Dramatik zu überzeugen weiß. Eine perfekte Mischung, die jedes Frauenherz höherschlagen lassen sollte.
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Dec 29, 2011 Read2review rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-for-read-2-review

** For the full review please check out www.read2review.com **

I hadn’t heard of Erin Kellison before I received the sampler from Dorchester Publishing. To know it has a follow up just makes the discovery of Kellison and her books that much sweeter!

The story begins as Kathleen is dying and the Shadowman is watching her from the Twilight world. He steps into the world and becomes intimate with Kathleen giving her a child. We find out later that Kathleen died in childbirth and left Talia behind.

Wh...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Sandy M rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, paranormal

I just love it when I find a debut author who wows me. Erin Kellison has written a mind-blowing first novel, full of fae, death, darkness, wraiths, and, of course, love and romance that triumphs it over all

I have to be honest, when I read the prologue I thought this book might be a little too dark for me. I’m not one who likes death on every page and all that goes with it. And we meet death right off the bat, in the form of a handsome man, a form which Kathleen O’Brien has given to an otherwise...more I just love it when I find a debut author who wows me. Erin Kellison has written a mind-blowing first novel, full of fae, death, darkness, wraiths, and, of course, love and romance that triumphs it over all

I have to be honest, when I read the prologue I thought this book might be a little too dark for me. I’m not one who likes death on every page and all that goes with it. And we meet death right off the bat, in the form of a handsome man, a form which Kathleen O’Brien has given to an otherwise unattractive being. He’s followed her for years, knowing he would one day come for her, watching over her in the meantime. She calls to him this time, asking to see him, they’ve been through so much together over the years. Knowing he shouldn’t, he goes to her. Kathleen proclaims him Shadowman and asks him for nine more months.

Twenty-six years later we meet the culmination of their night together, Talia. She has inherited her father’s ability to manipulate shadow, so dating is tricky, but she’s about to embark on her dream job so that’s where her her focus lies. But in the space of one drawn breath, her world is torn apart. Strangers come looking for Talia, and when they turn violent (which is an understatement for what these beings do), it’s Talia’s screams that bring her father to her from the shadows of twilight.

On the run from the monsters who killed her roommate, Talia has been hiding in the shadows for weeks. It’s Adam Thorne who rescues her, a man who is driven and determined…to kill his brother. Founder of Segue Institute, he is preparing for a war with the Wraith who are under the guidance of a demon intent on taking over the world. Jacob is a Wraith and in captivity at the institute until a way can be found to destroy once and for all the creature he’s become. Talia is Adam’s secret weapon.

However, she has other ideas. She’d rather be on her own than part of a war not of her making, but Adam knows which buttons to push to guarantee her cooperation. He’s been waiting for years for this, and it’s going to happen. What neither of them expect is their mutual attraction, even though they are somewhat distrustful of the other, but running for their lives when the institute is infiltrated brings them even closer together.

The pace is fast and furious once these Wraiths have Adam and Talia in their sights. They escape time and again by mere minutes or inches. I really enjoyed the way Ms. Kellison uses Talia’s shadow ability throughout the book. From hiding herself to allowing Adam to experience the phenomenon to letting it all go when they make love, it’s all done quite ingeniously.

Adam did slightly irritate me a couple of times with his single-mindedness in getting rid of his brother, but when his enlightenment comes, I realized what Ms. Kellison had done. Same situation with the friends Adam loses. I was especially unhappy with the last one, but all was forgiven when I found out what’s in store for Custo later.

Which reminds me, the second book in the series, Shadow Fall, is due out next month, and I am looking forward to it. Absolutely.

See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com (less)

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Jun 02, 2011 Bookwormgirl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, paranormal-romance

I found this series through Kindle-aholic's to-read shelf :-)

This is a hard book to define. The cover looks YA, the synopsis sounds like it would be straight paranormal romance, but it reads like a good mix of urban fantasy, horror and fairy tale. I say fairy tale because while there is a romance between Talia and Adam, it has the feel of fairy princess and her Black Knight.

The love stories that are interwoven in this novel are essential to it. We have Talia's parents story and the consequences...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Alice M. rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Talia is an absolute Mary Sue. Everything about her is openly and brazenly calculated to make us like her. I'm stubborn: if I can see your puppet strings between the lines, I don't like it.

Nothing about this book took me off my guard or struck me as really well-written, and I had a few eye-rolling moments. For example: Kellison takes great pains to describe clothing and surroundings in a way that sounds like a teenager describing her Hot Topic purchases -- and then has her main characters self-c...more

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Feb 09, 2011 Tracy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance

Twenty-six years ago, the fae known as Death stepped through the veil between Shadow and loved a woman incandescent of soul, breaking the laws of Shadow to do so and setting into motion events with far reaching repercussion. Chaos has spread like a stain across the country ever since, spawning soul-eating and immortal wraiths with voracious appetites. That's not all that was spawned that night, however.

At twenty-six, Dr. Talia O'Brien has always known she's different, not quite normal, otherworl...more Twenty-six years ago, the fae known as Death stepped through the veil between Shadow and loved a woman incandescent of soul, breaking the laws of Shadow to do so and setting into motion events with far reaching repercussion. Chaos has spread like a stain across the country ever since, spawning soul-eating and immortal wraiths with voracious appetites. That's not all that was spawned that night, however.

At twenty-six, Dr. Talia O'Brien has always known she's different, not quite normal, otherworldly, and has yearned for nothing more than peace. Brilliant she may be but fear of her differences keep her insulated from humanity, until a knock on the door and the death of her roommate stripped the blinders from her eyes and forced her to realize there were creatures out there that were hunting for her, and they were even less normal than she was.

Adam Thorne is intensely motivated to find out as much as he can about the wraiths, desperate to discover the way to kill them. Six years ago he watched his older brother Jacob attack and eat his mother, then his father, and only luck prevented Jacob from consuming him too. Since then he's kept the creature that used to be his brother contained in the bowels of the Segue research facility as Adam does everything in his power to find a way to kill him. With only a word...a name - Shadowman - as a clue to stopping the wraiths in general and his brother in particular, he stumbles across a doctoral dissertation on near death experience that gives him the first - the only - other mention of Shadowman he's ever seen. A dissertation by Dr. Talia O' Brien.

Talia's on the run from horrifying monsters, physically and mentally spent when Adam finds her and brings her back to Segue, saving her life. She doesn't trust him. She's not sure what's going on. She doesn't even know the full extent of her powers or why she has them. All she knows is that Adam is a beacon of hope and his cause, while motivated by an unhealthy, if understandable, obsession, may be the only way for Talia to survive what she realizes instinctively is a coming war.

With a breakneck pace and slick, tight plot that is deliciously original and unique, Kellison has jettisoned herself into the ranks of the upper echelon of paranormal romance series. The narrative is smooth, balanced and lyrical of prose and at times and gritty and coarse, drawing the reader along and perfectly setting the tone for each scene, adding an intangible layer of excellence to this sophisticated, polished story.

Talia and Adam are complex characters, flawed and complicated, and often at cross purposes in their motivations, but their interactions are pure, rich, meaty entertainment and I absolutely love the disciplined and deftly crafted development of their characters. Their evolution as individuals and together as a pair felt organic to the story, each step carefully executed, imbuing each of them with depth and personality that makes them shine.

I loved it. I loved everything about it. I loved the plot, which was fresh and well told. I loved the narrative, with the smooth writing style that added the invaluable tone to the plot, enhancing the reading experience. I loved the characters, heroes and villains and everything in between, which supplied the story with such fantastic emotion and a true sense of threat and sacrifice. And romance.

I loved it. Unqualified.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another. (less)

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Oct 18, 2010 Lauren Burd rated it 4 of 5 stars

Talia is a bookworm with a big problem. She has managed to make it through life unnoticed in the shadows. Always on the edge of life, but never really a part of it. Just as things are starting to turn around and her dreams are about to come true she has everything ripped from her flailing arms. After months on the run she has her back to the wall at the end of a blind alley (literarily). In steps her knight in shining armor, well maybe, it could use a little polishing. As the world closes in aro...more

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Oct 02, 2010 Yune rated it 2 of 5 stars

The edition I read included a note from the editor that explains she was enraptured by the opening when she read it in a contest, subsequently requested the full manuscript, and all followed from there.

I kind of despised the prologue. That said, try reading that far. The prologue is probably a decent litmus test for whether you'll enjoy the rest of this book.

The prologue has a terminally ill woman able to perceive Death, who is masculine, and of all the mortals he has ever seen, he falls in love...more

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Sep 19, 2010 Sharon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal-romance

Talia is the daughter of death & half human. She can wrap herself in shadows & stay hidden, though if she loses focus she fears the demon will come & cause devastation & death.
After reading a dissertation that Talia wrote on near death experiences Adam is convinced she may have the answers to his own problem of his brother who is a Wraith & cannot die.
Wraith numbers are escalating & are called the collective, they are actively hunting Talia to take her alive, while her...more

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Aug 16, 2010 Ban rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have a thing for paranormals and when I saw the guarantee, I knew I couldn't pass this one up - that and it had a great, eye catching cover :)
I thought it was definately worth the $8 - the concept was clever, the plot was quick paced and the characters (esp. the hero) were off center enough to make them interesting.
That said, based upon the prologue, I thought the writing was going to be more 'poetic'. It wasn't bad, in fact, it was good - I get distracted way too much lately by bad 'voice'. I...more

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Aug 07, 2010 Nan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nook, university-fiction, romance, fantasy

This was another free download from bn.com. Their sales reps have had rather good taste so far in picking good reads for their free book of the week.

This is the story of Talia and of Adam. Talia is a recent Ph.D. (I'm not sure the field is ever identified precisely, but she studies near death experiences) and Adam is a wealthy man with a quest in life. Talia is well-respected in her field, and has been invited to UC-Berkley for a job interview. (Kudos to Ms. Kellison, btw, for getting the format...more

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Aug 07, 2010 Melindeeloo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fae-fairy-faery-elves-pixies, paranormal-romance

When Death breaks the rules to consumate his love for a mortal woman, they create a child who straddles both worlds and it also results in a breach between Death's twilight shadowworld a ths one which allows 'darkness' into the mortal world.

In the years that follow the darkness spreads across the Earth creating deathless soul eating minions called Wraiths. Adam is a man who has lost his brother to darkness searches for a weapon to stop the Wraiths but finds more than he'd hope in Talia, the wom...more

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Jul 29, 2010 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

There are many books I've enjoyed because of the characters, despite flaws in world building, storyline, or skill with language. This book is the opposite.

The prologue is beautiful, the world building is fantastic - good with details and nuance, but not to the extent that it slows down the pace, and the author has a compelling voice. The next book in the series seems like it will spend less time in the mortal realm and more time in the Twilight/Between/Fae realm.

On the other hand, Talia O'Brien...more

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Jul 11, 2010 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 4 of 5 stars

Quick & Dirty: This is a fascinating tale of things that go bump in the night.

Opening Sentence: A light in deepest Shadow.

The Review:

Talia O’Brien has done extensive research on wraiths and even has details about the mysterious Shadowman. As a result, she’s caught the attention of Adam Thorne, founder of the Segue Institute. Adam is dedicated to studying wraiths, their weaknesses, and ultimately learn how to kill them. Soon, Talia finds herself on the run from these soul-sucking creatures. S...more

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Aug 27, 2010 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2010

An unsuspecting world's existence depends on some skillful wraith fighters. Adam has put together a worldwide network of people (Segue) to find ways of fighting and killing these wraiths. But the wraiths are getting stronger, pulling the souls from more victims. Still they study, train, and prepare. Adam has to find a way to kill what took his brother and his parents. Talia is a half-breed, hunted by the Demon, unsure of what her place is. Shadow appears to be her friend and ally. Together Adam...more

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Oct 08, 2010 Danielle rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to say I really did enjoy Shadow Bound. Erin Kellison is definitely on my must read list.

"Death
Some people will do anything to avoid it. Even trade their immortal souls for endless existence.

Wraiths
Secretly, inexorably, they are infiltrating our world, sucking the essence out of unsuspecting victims with their hideous parody of a kiss.

Segue
Adam Thorne founded the Institute to study and destroy his monster of a brother, but the key to its success is held in the pale, slender hand of a wom...more

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Aug 16, 2011 Bücherfresser rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Schattentochter schwingt die Sense, jedoch etwas zu reibungslos!"

Inhalt:
Talia O’Brian ist anders als alle Menschen und dessen ist sie sich schmerzhaft bewusst. Dennoch probiert sie ein ganz normales Leben zu leben, was darin endet, dass sie auf der Flucht ist, vor seelenlosen Monstern. Da kommt Adam Thorne ins Spiel, der seit Jahren versucht einen Weg zu finden um die Seelenlosen/Geister irgendwie zu töten. Durch Zufall stößt er auf die Arbeiten von Talia und ist begeistert. Aber es stellt sich...more

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Jul 22, 2010 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, 2010-read

Shadow Bound is based on a very different point of view towards the world of the Fae and their existence. This story starts out strong and dark with a primary character known as Shadowman. Shadowman is also known to some as Death or the Grim Reaper. He lives in the Shadows, the world between ours and heaven. The atmosphere is immediately seductive and darkly intense, thus setting the pace for Shadow Bound.

The romance between Talia and Adam was palpable to me, with each having their own personal...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Kelly Hart rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recently, I picked up what I thought was a brand new book — the first in a brand new series from a brand new writer on my Nook …

As I figured out after finishing it, it wasn’t new at all …

It’s actually a couple years old, but I enjoyed it none-the-less, and am very excited to know I’m not gonna have to wait to read more about this awesome new world I’ve learned about …

The world of shadows … of Twilight … a world between life and death …

Shadow Bound, by Erin Kellison was the first in her Shadow se...more

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Oct 14, 2011 Zeek rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, pnr, angels-gods-demons

I received the first couple books in this series as kindle freebies, which makes it no skin off my nose if they suck- well no skin other than the irritant of time wasted on a sucky book that I could have spent on much more anticipated ones.

More often than not the kindle freebies turn out to be mediocre at best, but this one surprised me right away. I was immediately drawn into the story which begins with Death, the Grim Reaper himself, deciding to cross into the mortal realm out of love for a wo...more

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Sep 15, 2011 S.A. rated it 2 of 5 stars

I did like the concept behind this book. I also give credit to the author for, although extending this into a series, still making the first book a stand alone.

Prologue was great, epilogue was great. That left the middle, which swerved wildly between good and dismal.

Talia, poor embattled Talia, a mix of shadow and human, had her ups and downs as a character. Adam, the human romantic lead, was a disaster. The author wanted to make him a tough, sensitive alpha dog but instead he came off as a cont...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Randi rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a hard decision for me. It's more 3 and half for me than 3 or 4. I really like it but I feel that something was missing from the book. However, I'm still intrigued to continue the series - perhaps I'll find it in the series later on.

Talia is a child of a mortal and a fae. She's passionate about her research - Shadowman, aka Death. She has powers to reach into the Shadows. The question - what is in the Shadows? How does she control it?

Adam, driven by the fact that his brother was taken...more

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Apr 23, 2011 Mrs. Missive rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2011

I don't think I was in the right mood for this book. This is what I assume will be the start of an epic tale. Think "one person is the key to the world's salvation" type read.

The premise was very interesting and unique. This chick is basically Death's daughter, and is trying to fit into the real world while discovering her heritage.

The story moved along fast. Lots of action, lots of gore too. (Which was awesome!) This was a good start to an UF series. We get a big cast of characters, alive, dea...more

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Oct 15, 2010 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010

I ended up liking this book quite a bit once I got past the flowery prose in the first few chapters. That combined with the almost YA-esque cover might turn some people off, but this is really an adult book. Not adult, like naughty, kinky sex. I mean, there is sex in it but it's not overly explicit. I don't think I'd be comfortable letting my 11 year old read it or anything, but it's way below the scorching hot level of most of the books I read. However, it's still definitely adult in theme.

Ther...more

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About Erin Kellison

Stories have always been a central part of Erin Kellison's life. She attempted her first book in sixth grade, a dark fantasy adventure, and still has those early hand-written chapters. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English Language and Literature, and went on for a masters in Cultural Anthropology, focusing on oral storytelling. When she had children, nothing scared her anymore, s...more

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Quotes from Shadow Bound

“True fear has nothing to do with what might happen to you, however painful or vile that might be. True fear is all about what might happen to someone you love.” — 17 people liked it

“I want to know--or understand something. I've been sick my whole life. What is the point of being alive if I never get to live?” — 6 people liked it

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