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Djinn #1
The Binding Stone
Tricked into slavery by the man she loved, the Djinni Leela has an eternity to regret her choices. Awakened in the prison of her adolescent body, she finds a new master in possession of the opal that binds her. But seventeen-year-old Jered is unlike any she's seen. His kindness makes Leela yearn to trust again, to allow herself a glimmer of hope. Could Jered be strong enough to free her from the curse of the Binding Stone?
247 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 12, 2013
3 people are currently reading
380 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Gail Green
13 books151 followersLisa Gail Green writes paranormal and fantasy. She would most definitely have a werewolf for a pet if she weren't allergic.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 30, 2017
First line: My eyes snap open the moment I feel it.
I've been looking forward to this book for a long time, so thank you Lisa Gail Green and Fuzzbom publishing for an advanced copy! There might be a few minor spoilers in this review; I couldn't resist sharing some of my favorite parts, which seemed a shame to hide behind spoiler tags, since they are minor.
I love how The Binding Stone begins, with the main character, Leela, awaking from a long sleep when a teenager unknowingly finds her binding stone and buys it. As soon as he slips the ring with her stone on his finger, he becomes Leela’s master. And she’s not too happy about it.
The first scene completely hooked me because I loved her point of view as she observes the new century she finds herself in, the new style of clothes, the new form of money (“I hope the ten-paper is worth more than it appears” – smiling at that one. How it would gall her to know the stone that controls her was sold for a mere ten dollars!)
I fell in love with Leela’s character right away. She’s a 1000 year old djinn (genie), jaded from centuries of serving humans:
“Greetings, Master.” The taste of the last word is bitter on my tongue, but I cannot avoid it.
“Master?” he repeats. His voice is barely a whisper. I incline my head slightly. No doubt he will ask me to kneel soon enough.
They all do.
But she’s still able to find humor in her situations, and delight in her senses:
I let the power drift over and through me, soaking it up like a human does sunlight.
And I love how with all her centuries of experience with human masters, she’s completely perplexed by Jered, her new master. His nature is so different from anything she’s encountered before, though there are things about him that also worry her:
His eyes remind me of Achan’s, dark as oil. Enough years have passed, yet still my throat clenches at the thought.
This first mention of Achan immediately intrigued me. I wanted to know more about this bit of Leela’s history, and I was thrilled to discover that the chapters in present time are paralleled with chapters from a thousand years earlier, when Leela fell .
I love present-time and past-time threaded stories. Love, love, love! The Binding Stone weaves the two times together delicately and relentlessly.
Also, about a third of the way in, there’s this wild twist regarding Achan that really made me sit up and go “wow!” Here’s a little hint:
Okay, here's my breakdown of the characters, setting, plot, pacing, etc:
Characters:
Did I mention yet how much I loved Leela? She’s got a great world-weary voice that still thrums with energy and life. Here’s some samples:
I collapse back on the bed and stretch like a cat. I do enjoy the sensations of the corporeal body. I always have.
And:
I stand nose to nose with him now, floating inches off the ground.
And here she is, wise with centuries of experience, and yet confounded by her new master:
“Oh. I must follow your command exactly. Have I done something that displeases you when you’ve expected something else?” I ask, kneeling near him.
“No. Well, yes, but it isn’t that. I don’t think you mean to hurt me or anything.” He is so young. So trusting. “But, you don’t think like we do.”
I cock my head to the side and consider him. One moment he says something so naïve. The next he notices something no one has bothered to notice in a millennium. He is a conundrum.
Which brings me to Jered. This boy is pure gold. He runs the danger of being almost too perfect, but fortunately Ms. Green kept him realistic by giving him a few flaws: a frustrating naiveté that works in wonderful contrast to Leela’s jaded, world-wise attitude.
Also, he has a stubborn streak that makes you want to grab him by the shoulders and shake some sense into him… and yet his stubbornness kinda grows on you, too. Leela gets so frustrated with him and the one command that, as her master, he insists she follow: and yet it’s also neat to see how Jered’s unusual commands force her character arc to really… um… arc.
Then we have Gabe. At first you might think Gabe is a throw-away character, but he’s not. He’s a loyal friend and I loved his nerdy tendencies. He makes a lot of references to zombies (chuckling at how when he first meets Leela he accuses her of being a zombie, then a ghost, which makes Leela roll her eyes). And there’s the zombie video game he’s obsessed with. Don’t worry, it doesn’t come up often enough to be annoying, but just enough to make you smile:
“You will have to show me this zombie game,” I say.
Gabe blushes. “Well, um, to be honest, that went a little better than I was hoping.”
And then there’s another moment where Gabe crosses the line from a useful and cute character into something much more meaningful:
I set Sophie down on the ground and focus on Gabe. He is my best hope. “You will need to be strong.”
“Haven’t I proven that yet?” he asks. I decide his eyes look older than they did when we first met.
Taj was my favorite character, after Leela. He’s another djinn that Leela’s known since before they came into the human world.
Which reminds me, really hoping that the author develops more of the djinn’s world, where they exist without corporeal bodies, in the next book, because a few hints of it, like this one, really intrigued me:
I find myself overwhelmed by the stimulation this world provides. Such decadence. Such intensity compared to the world from which I come, where most human senses do not exist.
But back to Taj. Here’s our first introduction to Taj, and right away he made me grin:
“Taj,” I say. Part of me wants to throw my arms around him. The other part wants toss him out the window. One thing’s for certain, he’s trouble.
“Leela, it’s been a long time. Who’s the human?
His eyes flash appreciatively over Jered.
Well, this is awkward.
This djinn is a very interesting addition to the book, because while he’s Leela’s friend, he’s also working for the enemy… it’s not like djinns get a choice who they serve, and they can’t fight what they’re commanded to do, either. But even knowing those rules, Taj still always kept me guessing – especially since he’s also part of Leela’s complicated and guilt-ridden past.
This next little tidbit probably won’t make sense to anyone who hasn’t read the book, but it was one of my favorites:
I see that though she lost her doll somewhere along our escape, Taj has supplied her with a new one – a Little Taj this time.
Here’s a little spoiler if you want more deets about the doll.
By the way, the girl with the doll is Sophie, a six year old kid with a surprising relationship to Jered. It’s tricky thing to weave a very young child into a YA story; sometimes they come off as too cutsie, and Sophie did have that cutsie vibe going part of the time. But other times, she was surprisingly gritty and smart. Surprisingly smart six-year-olds can always get a free pass from me.
Setting and description:
I confess that I wanted more setting and description in this story, especially of the settings of the past. The present setting started out pretty normal modern day world, but then shifted to this secret island fortress – it’s like Ms. Green knows just the kind of setting that makes me go “oh yes! More of that please!” (But again, I wish she’d given more description. I love immersive settings).
But what descriptions Ms. Green did give us were delicious, like this example:
Colors surround him like pieces of light carved from the stars themselves, shifting, shining, and pulsing. It is almost too much to look at against the black backdrop of the sky.
I often think of light as fluid so the word “carved” here really caught my attention. Oh and since I’ve mentioned this interesting phenomena of Leela can see colors or surrounding certain people, there’s also this interesting tidbit:
I do not like the way Achan’s aura clings to Jered’s, stretching it as he pulls away.
The book was rich with fascinating touches like this. And also humorous touches like the seal man.
What about the seal man, you ask?
Ha. Not going to give any details about him in this review, because I fully intend this review to tempt everyone into reading this book.
Plot and pacing:
The framework for the plot was excellent, the way the djinns were trapped by binding stones in the past and how the past ties into the present. The execution was a touch confusing, though. Leela keeps getting trapped/tortured/commanded in a never-ending cycle and the three djinnis changed masters so many times I had a hard time keeping track of who was master of who.
Also, the pacing of the story was nearly breakneck (at least for me). Events were ALWAYS changing to the point where things moved so fast and changed so fast, I struggled to keep it all straight. Here’s where I felt having more description and setting would have balanced the pace out better and grounded the story more.
But really well-written parts of the story were the excellent characters, voice and dialogue. This is also an intensely emotional story. There were parts were I was literally aching for Leela. The last third does get a little dark with some violence, but the darkness had more to do with emotional wrenching, and the violence didn't cross the line for me as far as getting too graphic. Though there is some romance in this story, it's really more about Leela facing the demons in her past (including herself).
The parts that really impressed me were all the clever ways that Taj and Leela figure out how to evade commands from their masters, with help from Gabe and Sophie, twisting the interpretation of the commands and using clever tricks. There’s some serious genius that went into that part of this story!
November 2, 2016
“My eyes snap open the moment I feel it. The magic is palpable. It tingles as it travels up and down my arms. I am not happy. Whoever dares disturb my century-long slumber will suffer my wrath.” So begins 'The Binding Stone', one of the most intriguing openings I've ever come across.
Leela is a Djinn (genie) awakened from sleep by an unwitting new Master, Jered. This is not the three wishes kind of genie, but a powerful enslaved Djinn, compelled to do whatever her Master of the day tells her to. Mostly what Masters want is sex, riches, sex, power, sex, revenge and sex. With a little light torture thrown in for light relief. Are humans really so horrible? But no, Jered isn't like that at all, and wants nothing except world peace. And sex, of course (well, duh; this is a romance, after all).
But Leela has a long history with fellow slave Djinns and some evil Masters who are bent on - well, see above. So the story becomes a merry-go-round of battling Masters and Djinns. It's all good exciting stuff. I really like the premise here - the story of the entrapped genie, but told from the genie's point of view. The backstory, the interactions of a thousand years earlier which resulted in the enslavement of the Djinni, is interwoven with the present day, so that the significance of certain events and characters gradually becomes clearer. This was quite neatly done, although I sometimes found the transitions between then and now rather jarring.
The plot is wonderfully convoluted, and I defy anyone to foresee all the twists and turns. There's a vast amount of people being captured and others rushing off to the rescue, in various combinations of characters, and to be honest I lost track sometimes of who was where, who was captured and who was rescuing them, who was definitely evil and who might be and who wasn't and who would be if they were free and who was but only because they'd been commanded to be, but I just let it wash over me, and kept turning the pages. It’s that kind of book. I didn’t always know what was going on, but I was confident the author had got it all worked out.
The characters worked well enough without being terribly real to me. Leela was the best portrayed, but then she is the sole point of view and the book is written in the first person, so that's not surprising. There were moments when her tragedy was very affecting. The other characters? Jered is a little too implausibly nice. Gabe makes a great sidekick. The bad guys are evil personified, and therefore entirely uninteresting (to me; I’m sure some people like that sort of thing). The child is a little too grown up for her age, but never mind. I rather liked Taj though, the ever so slightly camp Djinn. Maybe that's just because he had some of the best lines (I do like a bit of humour in my fantasy). The romance was a bit insta-lurve, but that's par for the course.
A couple of grumbles. First, Djinn magic is almost infinitely powerful. You want to fly, or tunnel through solid metal, or be transported instantly, or be invisible? No problem (except when it might divert the plot, of course; then it's impossible). There seems to be very little cost to any of this (again, except when the plot requires it).
Secondly, I often found it difficult to work out exactly what was going on. Several scenes I had to reread to understand, and there were many, many times when a character would apparently switch sides in a heartbeat. Taj is here to kill you. No he isn't. Oh, it's Mira who's going to kill you. Apparently not. All these rapidfire oscillations were tricky to follow, I didn't always get the reason and it got tedious after a while. Probably if I'd slowed down a bit, I could have worked it out, I suppose.
A third grumble: Leela herself repeatedly came up with a cunning plan only for it to fall apart instantly. Oh dear, I should have thought of that, she wails. Many, many times. So ten out of ten for good intentions, none out of ten for forward planning.
What I liked very much was that the slave Djinni were obliged to follow their Master's commands exactly, but a clever Djinn could obey the literal meaning of the order while subversively not following the intended meaning. This led to some interesting and creative twists to the plot. It's a very nice idea, having a slave who is forced to obey but is constantly working to undermine his/her Master at every step, but without attracting a spectacularly unpleasant punishment.
I found this one difficult to rate. On the one hand, it's a cracking read full of page-turning drama. It doesn’t pay to think too deeply about it, but the author has a light touch and a sure hand, so it all flows beautifully. There’s some nice emotional resonance in the Djinni’s situation, too. On the other hand, the constant oh no we're doomed/hurray we're saved/oops we're really doomed/nope saved again cycling got tired really quickly. That and the anything goes magic kept it to three stars for me. But for anyone less picky than I am (which is most of the planet) I can highly recommend it.
Leela is a Djinn (genie) awakened from sleep by an unwitting new Master, Jered. This is not the three wishes kind of genie, but a powerful enslaved Djinn, compelled to do whatever her Master of the day tells her to. Mostly what Masters want is sex, riches, sex, power, sex, revenge and sex. With a little light torture thrown in for light relief. Are humans really so horrible? But no, Jered isn't like that at all, and wants nothing except world peace. And sex, of course (well, duh; this is a romance, after all).
But Leela has a long history with fellow slave Djinns and some evil Masters who are bent on - well, see above. So the story becomes a merry-go-round of battling Masters and Djinns. It's all good exciting stuff. I really like the premise here - the story of the entrapped genie, but told from the genie's point of view. The backstory, the interactions of a thousand years earlier which resulted in the enslavement of the Djinni, is interwoven with the present day, so that the significance of certain events and characters gradually becomes clearer. This was quite neatly done, although I sometimes found the transitions between then and now rather jarring.
The plot is wonderfully convoluted, and I defy anyone to foresee all the twists and turns. There's a vast amount of people being captured and others rushing off to the rescue, in various combinations of characters, and to be honest I lost track sometimes of who was where, who was captured and who was rescuing them, who was definitely evil and who might be and who wasn't and who would be if they were free and who was but only because they'd been commanded to be, but I just let it wash over me, and kept turning the pages. It’s that kind of book. I didn’t always know what was going on, but I was confident the author had got it all worked out.
The characters worked well enough without being terribly real to me. Leela was the best portrayed, but then she is the sole point of view and the book is written in the first person, so that's not surprising. There were moments when her tragedy was very affecting. The other characters? Jered is a little too implausibly nice. Gabe makes a great sidekick. The bad guys are evil personified, and therefore entirely uninteresting (to me; I’m sure some people like that sort of thing). The child is a little too grown up for her age, but never mind. I rather liked Taj though, the ever so slightly camp Djinn. Maybe that's just because he had some of the best lines (I do like a bit of humour in my fantasy). The romance was a bit insta-lurve, but that's par for the course.
A couple of grumbles. First, Djinn magic is almost infinitely powerful. You want to fly, or tunnel through solid metal, or be transported instantly, or be invisible? No problem (except when it might divert the plot, of course; then it's impossible). There seems to be very little cost to any of this (again, except when the plot requires it).
Secondly, I often found it difficult to work out exactly what was going on. Several scenes I had to reread to understand, and there were many, many times when a character would apparently switch sides in a heartbeat. Taj is here to kill you. No he isn't. Oh, it's Mira who's going to kill you. Apparently not. All these rapidfire oscillations were tricky to follow, I didn't always get the reason and it got tedious after a while. Probably if I'd slowed down a bit, I could have worked it out, I suppose.
A third grumble: Leela herself repeatedly came up with a cunning plan only for it to fall apart instantly. Oh dear, I should have thought of that, she wails. Many, many times. So ten out of ten for good intentions, none out of ten for forward planning.
What I liked very much was that the slave Djinni were obliged to follow their Master's commands exactly, but a clever Djinn could obey the literal meaning of the order while subversively not following the intended meaning. This led to some interesting and creative twists to the plot. It's a very nice idea, having a slave who is forced to obey but is constantly working to undermine his/her Master at every step, but without attracting a spectacularly unpleasant punishment.
I found this one difficult to rate. On the one hand, it's a cracking read full of page-turning drama. It doesn’t pay to think too deeply about it, but the author has a light touch and a sure hand, so it all flows beautifully. There’s some nice emotional resonance in the Djinni’s situation, too. On the other hand, the constant oh no we're doomed/hurray we're saved/oops we're really doomed/nope saved again cycling got tired really quickly. That and the anything goes magic kept it to three stars for me. But for anyone less picky than I am (which is most of the planet) I can highly recommend it.
October 22, 2015
I really liked this book. This is my first time reading a book about genies/djinn and I was glad I picked this book to introduce me to that world.
I'm gonna clarify the difference between a djinn and a genie, as least as how I understand it to be. Leela (the main character) is a being called a djinn that has magical powers. All djinn are free. A genie is a being that is trapped and forced to have a master. The genie must do what the master wants/commands/wishes whether they want to or not. Leela and her friends are dijinni who become enslaved as genies. They are djinn whether or not they are enslaved but are genies when they are enslaved.
The story is about Leela who is a djinn that was trapped by her love to essentially become a genie who has to grant her master any wish they want. Leela and her djinni friends came to our earth realm to experience life as a human and that is how they got trapped as genies. Later on she is found by Jered in the present time and becomes his genie. Only a person with magic can control a djinn and in this book they are called magicians. The rest of the story is about Leela protecting Jered from someone who wants to kill him so they can possess her and have 3 djinni's to take over the world. I know it sound funny like Pinky and the Brain ("the same thing we do every night Pinky. Try to take over the world!) but it the story is full of action and romance.
The story is told mostly in the present time with Leela and Jered. However there are some chapters sprinkled throughout the book that take us back a thousand years ago to show us Leela's past, how magicians came into being and how she became a "genie." I really enjoyed these parts of the book because they show us who Leela is and how she came to be the woman in the present chapters. We learn about her life and the events that caused her to become trapped as a genie. We also see how her life is in the beginnings of her enslavement.
I loved the main characters. Leela is cunning and manipulative; she tries to find loopholes through her commands to suit her needs and what she wants to do. She is very "hard" because of her past as well as her past masters (over 1000 years of masters) and doesn't let anyone in to see her true self. She becomes very protective of Jered and beings to care for him, against her will. Her magic is awesome and she can grant almost any wish/command, however her power is also limited. She is a quick thinker and does what she has to to protect those she cares about.
Jered is the other main character who comes into possession of the ring that binds Leela to him. He is a sweet 17 year old kid. When he find out he has a genie his first wish is to help others by wishing for world peace, which Leela can't grant because of her limited powers. But Jered is that type of person, who wants to help people and is against hurting people. He also sees and treats Leela as a human and not a slave. He eventually begins to care for Leela and the romance blossoms.
The character I loved the most though was Taj, who is Leela's djinn friend who was trapped as a genie as well. Taj is the villain's djinn, who is sent to kill Jered and take Leela for his master. Taj is not a bad guy at all but he must follow the command of his master~ he has no choice. I love Taj because he is feisty, kind, sarcastic and hilarious. His quips had me laughing. Taj is serious when he needs to be and like Leela, tries to find loopholes in the commands his master gives him.
I also like the character of Gabe who is Jered's best friend. He is funny as well and he is always at Jered's side to help him and fight alongside him. I also like Sophia who is Jered's half sister. She is a little kid magician but has immense power and helps Jered fight the villain as well. She is a very clever little girl who comes up with good plans to help.
I absolutely hated the villain in this book which means that she is a great one. The villain was well written to make me feel the strong emotions I felt about it. The villain is pure evil and I wanted to go into the book and kill her myself.
I'm not gonna say much about the romance except that it was cute and that it didn't take up all of the story, so it didn't annoy me.
The only thing that kinda bother me was how rushed the last chapter was. It seemed as if everything had to be wrapped up quickly and I wasn't too happy about that.
I'm not too sure what the next book is going to be about since this book had what seems to me to be a clear ending. But whatever the next book is about, I will definitely be reading it!
SPOILER
I hate what happened to Gabe. Out of all the people in the book he had to die. WTF is that about? He helped Jered and Leela fight the villain only to be killed. I was and still am NOT happy about that.
This review is also posted on Spantalian's Book Reviews
I'm gonna clarify the difference between a djinn and a genie, as least as how I understand it to be. Leela (the main character) is a being called a djinn that has magical powers. All djinn are free. A genie is a being that is trapped and forced to have a master. The genie must do what the master wants/commands/wishes whether they want to or not. Leela and her friends are dijinni who become enslaved as genies. They are djinn whether or not they are enslaved but are genies when they are enslaved.
The story is about Leela who is a djinn that was trapped by her love to essentially become a genie who has to grant her master any wish they want. Leela and her djinni friends came to our earth realm to experience life as a human and that is how they got trapped as genies. Later on she is found by Jered in the present time and becomes his genie. Only a person with magic can control a djinn and in this book they are called magicians. The rest of the story is about Leela protecting Jered from someone who wants to kill him so they can possess her and have 3 djinni's to take over the world. I know it sound funny like Pinky and the Brain ("the same thing we do every night Pinky. Try to take over the world!) but it the story is full of action and romance.
The story is told mostly in the present time with Leela and Jered. However there are some chapters sprinkled throughout the book that take us back a thousand years ago to show us Leela's past, how magicians came into being and how she became a "genie." I really enjoyed these parts of the book because they show us who Leela is and how she came to be the woman in the present chapters. We learn about her life and the events that caused her to become trapped as a genie. We also see how her life is in the beginnings of her enslavement.
I loved the main characters. Leela is cunning and manipulative; she tries to find loopholes through her commands to suit her needs and what she wants to do. She is very "hard" because of her past as well as her past masters (over 1000 years of masters) and doesn't let anyone in to see her true self. She becomes very protective of Jered and beings to care for him, against her will. Her magic is awesome and she can grant almost any wish/command, however her power is also limited. She is a quick thinker and does what she has to to protect those she cares about.
Jered is the other main character who comes into possession of the ring that binds Leela to him. He is a sweet 17 year old kid. When he find out he has a genie his first wish is to help others by wishing for world peace, which Leela can't grant because of her limited powers. But Jered is that type of person, who wants to help people and is against hurting people. He also sees and treats Leela as a human and not a slave. He eventually begins to care for Leela and the romance blossoms.
The character I loved the most though was Taj, who is Leela's djinn friend who was trapped as a genie as well. Taj is the villain's djinn, who is sent to kill Jered and take Leela for his master. Taj is not a bad guy at all but he must follow the command of his master~ he has no choice. I love Taj because he is feisty, kind, sarcastic and hilarious. His quips had me laughing. Taj is serious when he needs to be and like Leela, tries to find loopholes in the commands his master gives him.
I also like the character of Gabe who is Jered's best friend. He is funny as well and he is always at Jered's side to help him and fight alongside him. I also like Sophia who is Jered's half sister. She is a little kid magician but has immense power and helps Jered fight the villain as well. She is a very clever little girl who comes up with good plans to help.
I absolutely hated the villain in this book which means that she is a great one. The villain was well written to make me feel the strong emotions I felt about it. The villain is pure evil and I wanted to go into the book and kill her myself.
I'm not gonna say much about the romance except that it was cute and that it didn't take up all of the story, so it didn't annoy me.
The only thing that kinda bother me was how rushed the last chapter was. It seemed as if everything had to be wrapped up quickly and I wasn't too happy about that.
I'm not too sure what the next book is going to be about since this book had what seems to me to be a clear ending. But whatever the next book is about, I will definitely be reading it!
SPOILER
I hate what happened to Gabe. Out of all the people in the book he had to die. WTF is that about? He helped Jered and Leela fight the villain only to be killed. I was and still am NOT happy about that.
This review is also posted on Spantalian's Book Reviews
May 18, 2013
First, a disclaimer...I designed Lisa's cover for the BINDING STONE. And to be honest, I was only given a synopsis to work with.
That being said, when I did get the ARC a few weeks after the cover had been completed, I did not HAVE to read it. I figured I'd at least try. But, you see, once I started, I did not want to stop. And I was literally stunned by how well my cover suited the book.
The first thing that grabbed me in was the voice of the MC, Leela, the thousands year old Djinn. Lisa manages to create a colorful mythology all her own and make this wise, dangerous and mysterious creature believable and totally likable.
The plot twists and turns, alternately funny and then jarringly brutal. Though you may think that it's simply a retelling of the classic TV show I Dream of Jeannie, it's got far more depth and teeth. This was a great, fast and entertaining read!
That being said, when I did get the ARC a few weeks after the cover had been completed, I did not HAVE to read it. I figured I'd at least try. But, you see, once I started, I did not want to stop. And I was literally stunned by how well my cover suited the book.
The first thing that grabbed me in was the voice of the MC, Leela, the thousands year old Djinn. Lisa manages to create a colorful mythology all her own and make this wise, dangerous and mysterious creature believable and totally likable.
The plot twists and turns, alternately funny and then jarringly brutal. Though you may think that it's simply a retelling of the classic TV show I Dream of Jeannie, it's got far more depth and teeth. This was a great, fast and entertaining read!
May 13, 2013
Lisa's imagination is astonishing. She has managed to blend a Djinn creation story of remarkable depth and creativity with a present-day tale that is as twisty and complex as it is easy to read. I won't risk any spoilers by commenting on specific parts of the story, but there is literally not a dull moment in this book, and it is fresh, original, and wholly absorbing. I defy anyone to guess what will happen!
October 12, 2016
This was an interesting story. Leela and Jered were fun characters, but I liked Sophie, Gabe, and Taj the best. The ending was good, but sad, and I feel some parts were unnecessary. If there's ever another book in the series, I'd most likely want to read it but that doesn't seem to be in the works...at least that I could find.
May 14, 2013
I received an ARC for an honest review on this book several weeks ago. So here goes.
I read a lot. I read various genres from YA to Contemporary Romance to Historical Fiction to Nonfiction. I love Paranormal anything, usually. However, Genies and magic has never been my interest (read I never got the whole Harry Potter thing), so I was excited to see if this author could bring me over. I do not award 5 stars easily either. A book must be PERFECT to garner a PERFECT review. Interesting characters, the whole beginning/middle/end thing, a plot that is actually a plot, proper editing including grammar and spelling-YES, I am looking at you .99 "books"!
Our heroine is summoned from slumber when her "ring" is purchased by young Jered. Her quick banter and the unusual story line cast its spell on me rather easily. Soon we figure out and learn that all is not as it appears with Jered, and Leela has her work cut out for her indeed. Ghosts of Leela's past are not quite ghost, and they make startling appearances at various turns. The book is well paced and the author does a fabulous job in taking us on a "carpet ride" through the past in flashback snippets. The story culminates in a big showdown that leaves you on the edge of your seat (or bed, in the middle of the night, as in my case) and a little breathless.
While the beginning I felt was a little slow as I tried to immerse myself in this Djinn world, I must admit that I quickly became smitten with Jered and Gabe. Their innocence and "normal-ness" was a breath of fresh air. Missing from this book was all the teen angst usually in abundance in YA novels. I loved that these characters were more well rounded teenagers and easy to relate to, regardless of the readers age. The book is also a departure from the dystopian novels so currently prevalent in this genre. Also, spoiler alert: there are no shiny vampires! Thank gawd. The book is a nice breath of fresh air and it is a definite jewel, or Opal as is the case for Leela.
I believe this series is planned as a trilogy, and so far I am hooked. Eagerly awaiting the next installment.
I read a lot. I read various genres from YA to Contemporary Romance to Historical Fiction to Nonfiction. I love Paranormal anything, usually. However, Genies and magic has never been my interest (read I never got the whole Harry Potter thing), so I was excited to see if this author could bring me over. I do not award 5 stars easily either. A book must be PERFECT to garner a PERFECT review. Interesting characters, the whole beginning/middle/end thing, a plot that is actually a plot, proper editing including grammar and spelling-YES, I am looking at you .99 "books"!
Our heroine is summoned from slumber when her "ring" is purchased by young Jered. Her quick banter and the unusual story line cast its spell on me rather easily. Soon we figure out and learn that all is not as it appears with Jered, and Leela has her work cut out for her indeed. Ghosts of Leela's past are not quite ghost, and they make startling appearances at various turns. The book is well paced and the author does a fabulous job in taking us on a "carpet ride" through the past in flashback snippets. The story culminates in a big showdown that leaves you on the edge of your seat (or bed, in the middle of the night, as in my case) and a little breathless.
While the beginning I felt was a little slow as I tried to immerse myself in this Djinn world, I must admit that I quickly became smitten with Jered and Gabe. Their innocence and "normal-ness" was a breath of fresh air. Missing from this book was all the teen angst usually in abundance in YA novels. I loved that these characters were more well rounded teenagers and easy to relate to, regardless of the readers age. The book is also a departure from the dystopian novels so currently prevalent in this genre. Also, spoiler alert: there are no shiny vampires! Thank gawd. The book is a nice breath of fresh air and it is a definite jewel, or Opal as is the case for Leela.
I believe this series is planned as a trilogy, and so far I am hooked. Eagerly awaiting the next installment.
April 6, 2014
This book blew me away! It's been a long time since a story has had me this gripped, so well done to the author.
STORY: We enter the life of the Djinni Leela, tricked into slavery along with her fellow Djinn by a man she loved. Now, awakening in the 21st century to a new master, Leela realises that the scars of the past still remain, but there's hope to get her ultimate freedom.
In a somewhat unique twist, Leela is the protagonist rather than Jered, her master, and this makes for a much more interesting narrative (almost like Bartimaeus in Jonathon Stroud's book of the same name). There's also a parallel backstory filling in what happened in the past, which makes for a great contrast to present events and it really informs why Leela is the way she is.
The only thing that bothered me slightly was the beginning felt rushed. I felt Jered's belief of Leela and her powers was a bit too quick and perhaps Leela should've had to try harder to convince him of her power. Also the thread with Jered's father, too, was a bit quick.
CHARACTERS: A grand cast! Leela is quite unlike other protagonists, given her 'age'. I liked the mix of her archaic voice with some modernisns thrown in, and her motives and thoughts were clear. She also had her flaws, making her all the more believable.
Jered was a little bit too saintly at times, almost as if he could never make a mistake (other than giving inadvertant commands to Leela), but this balances when the thread with his father begins.
Gabe was fun, providing comic relief, and also was well developed with his desire to be a big hero despite being scared a lot of the time.
Taj and Mira were also well drawn, as were the main antagonists who had real drive and ruthless streaks in order to get their goals.
SETTING/ VOICE: Leela's voice was strong, and the descriptions were vivid.
PRESENTATION: The cover is pretty and certainly catches attention, and the formatting was clear. I wasn't a fan of the short chapters but they soon grew on me and I got used to it.
OVERALL: An excellent, enticing read, filled with action, drama and a bit of romance, with a strong plot and great characters. Highly recommended!
STORY: We enter the life of the Djinni Leela, tricked into slavery along with her fellow Djinn by a man she loved. Now, awakening in the 21st century to a new master, Leela realises that the scars of the past still remain, but there's hope to get her ultimate freedom.
In a somewhat unique twist, Leela is the protagonist rather than Jered, her master, and this makes for a much more interesting narrative (almost like Bartimaeus in Jonathon Stroud's book of the same name). There's also a parallel backstory filling in what happened in the past, which makes for a great contrast to present events and it really informs why Leela is the way she is.
The only thing that bothered me slightly was the beginning felt rushed. I felt Jered's belief of Leela and her powers was a bit too quick and perhaps Leela should've had to try harder to convince him of her power. Also the thread with Jered's father, too, was a bit quick.
CHARACTERS: A grand cast! Leela is quite unlike other protagonists, given her 'age'. I liked the mix of her archaic voice with some modernisns thrown in, and her motives and thoughts were clear. She also had her flaws, making her all the more believable.
Jered was a little bit too saintly at times, almost as if he could never make a mistake (other than giving inadvertant commands to Leela), but this balances when the thread with his father begins.
Gabe was fun, providing comic relief, and also was well developed with his desire to be a big hero despite being scared a lot of the time.
Taj and Mira were also well drawn, as were the main antagonists who had real drive and ruthless streaks in order to get their goals.
SETTING/ VOICE: Leela's voice was strong, and the descriptions were vivid.
PRESENTATION: The cover is pretty and certainly catches attention, and the formatting was clear. I wasn't a fan of the short chapters but they soon grew on me and I got used to it.
OVERALL: An excellent, enticing read, filled with action, drama and a bit of romance, with a strong plot and great characters. Highly recommended!
October 7, 2021
The Binding Stone was the story of a Djinni named Leela who has to obey her masters every command, and how she became a Djinni.
This book is told in 2 different timelines, the current timeline where a 10 year old name Jerred who wants nothing more than to use her powers for everyone else but himself. The other timeline is much darker, it’s the explanation of how she became who she is.
I thought the multiple timelines were very well done. They gave us even more insight and a lot of Leelas character development was shown this way. The romance felt a little rushed, but the action and the powers were fascinating to read about.
I couldn’t put this book down, it kept me reading until the last page! It is set up for a sequel, but it can be read as a standalone
As always, check trigger and content warnings. There is a very brief sex scene in this book.
This book is told in 2 different timelines, the current timeline where a 10 year old name Jerred who wants nothing more than to use her powers for everyone else but himself. The other timeline is much darker, it’s the explanation of how she became who she is.
I thought the multiple timelines were very well done. They gave us even more insight and a lot of Leelas character development was shown this way. The romance felt a little rushed, but the action and the powers were fascinating to read about.
I couldn’t put this book down, it kept me reading until the last page! It is set up for a sequel, but it can be read as a standalone
As always, check trigger and content warnings. There is a very brief sex scene in this book.
September 16, 2013
I received this book by the author for an honest review.
My likes:
Some of the supporting characters- Sophie was an cute and innocent addition to the cast. And even though I didn't like Gabe at the beginning of the book, he became a good character by the end (and then man...why do you have to do that was there any point)
The story concept about a Djinn isn't one commonly used. I really think the author did some research into some of the legends.
I really liked how Jered wasn't one of those power-hunger kind of characters, he didn't like hurting other people and really cared for others. (But way to trusting and naive, even with a friend like Gabe)
My In-betweens
Leela- She was a character that I maybe I could like, but maybe I could hate, I am still up in there air about her.
My Dislikes
The flashback sequences: They became to distracting, and I know they were there for the back story, but I think there might have been one to many.
I was kinda wondering why she brought back Cepheaus in the end, what exact purpose did it serve other then to torture her main character.
And speaking of torture...I think it went on a little to long, and well it seemed to be a gap filler.
And then the big one of the person she killed at the end of the book, I mean why what point was there in doing that...
I am all for giving a new series a second chance, so if there is another one, I would probably read it. However as a recommendation it would depend on the person, but there is potential here I think.
My likes:
Some of the supporting characters- Sophie was an cute and innocent addition to the cast. And even though I didn't like Gabe at the beginning of the book, he became a good character by the end (and then man...why do you have to do that was there any point)
The story concept about a Djinn isn't one commonly used. I really think the author did some research into some of the legends.
I really liked how Jered wasn't one of those power-hunger kind of characters, he didn't like hurting other people and really cared for others. (But way to trusting and naive, even with a friend like Gabe)
My In-betweens
Leela- She was a character that I maybe I could like, but maybe I could hate, I am still up in there air about her.
My Dislikes
The flashback sequences: They became to distracting, and I know they were there for the back story, but I think there might have been one to many.
I was kinda wondering why she brought back Cepheaus in the end, what exact purpose did it serve other then to torture her main character.
And speaking of torture...I think it went on a little to long, and well it seemed to be a gap filler.
And then the big one of the person she killed at the end of the book, I mean why what point was there in doing that...
I am all for giving a new series a second chance, so if there is another one, I would probably read it. However as a recommendation it would depend on the person, but there is potential here I think.
January 6, 2014
What an original genie story. I went in expecting a certain kind of story but Green really adds a lot more to this trope to make it unique. Yes, the genie is trapped but she wakes to a new master in modern times. I loved Leela's interaction with her new master, Jered. A very cute romance.
I also loved how the author delves into Genie history with in depth world building and history. She accomplishes this through a different timeline in the past, revealing Leela's past masters, her past love, and the horrors of being a genie and being controlled. And we meet one past master, a cruel one, who threatens her in the present.
The plot threads weave together and in the end it all comes together. The last part did get a little too graphic for me (but those are my issues with certain kinds of violence) The author did a great job creating an emotional experience for the reader. The excellent writing just makes it all the better.
Highly recommend.
I also loved how the author delves into Genie history with in depth world building and history. She accomplishes this through a different timeline in the past, revealing Leela's past masters, her past love, and the horrors of being a genie and being controlled. And we meet one past master, a cruel one, who threatens her in the present.
The plot threads weave together and in the end it all comes together. The last part did get a little too graphic for me (but those are my issues with certain kinds of violence) The author did a great job creating an emotional experience for the reader. The excellent writing just makes it all the better.
Highly recommend.
March 9, 2014
It took me two days to read this book only because I couldn't stay up reading all night (I had to go to work the next day). The book was fast-paced, engrossing, and I loved the characters. This was a fresh and new take on the mythology of djinni who are presented as sort of innocent babes in the woods, living in a state of grace and nature, until they get curious about the human world and then bad shit happens to them. Very, very, very bad shit. The flashback scenes of Leela's torture and enslavement became too much after a while - those scenes were so visceral and real that I could only read so much more horrifying stuff happening to her on top of all the other horrifying stuff before I couldn't take it any more - I was well past the point where I wanted her to start having some wins and get payback. I didn't want to see her getting beaten up (and raped) any more. Other than that, I couldn't put this book down.
January 31, 2014
The Binding Stone is such a unique, imaginative story...I don't even know where to start! I love the cover art, Gabe, Taj, and little Sophie (all side-kick characters), the overall complexity, and the twists and turns that keep upping the tension along the way. This book was so different than what I thought it would be!
The voice and tense took some getting used to, but the historical/flashback chapters were nearly a story of their own, and they added so much depth and character to everyone involved. All in all, the author did a fabulous job in handling a lot of tricky things. I might have to read it again just to see how she did it!
(BTW, don't judge this book by the description- it barely scratches the surface.) :-)
The voice and tense took some getting used to, but the historical/flashback chapters were nearly a story of their own, and they added so much depth and character to everyone involved. All in all, the author did a fabulous job in handling a lot of tricky things. I might have to read it again just to see how she did it!
(BTW, don't judge this book by the description- it barely scratches the surface.) :-)
June 22, 2015
3.5/5
What a fun read! I'll admit it took some time for me to get used to the present day/flashback format, but once I did I found that I really enjoyed Lisa's rendition of the Djinn. Without giving anything away, there were several twists throughout the story, the characters were fully realized, and I particularly loved one of the Djinn (spoiler: it was Taj) who, for once, was totally awesome without being a love triangle interest—yay! I haven't read any genie or Djinn stories before this, but I'm glad I won a copy of this one!
What a fun read! I'll admit it took some time for me to get used to the present day/flashback format, but once I did I found that I really enjoyed Lisa's rendition of the Djinn. Without giving anything away, there were several twists throughout the story, the characters were fully realized, and I particularly loved one of the Djinn (spoiler: it was Taj) who, for once, was totally awesome without being a love triangle interest—yay! I haven't read any genie or Djinn stories before this, but I'm glad I won a copy of this one!
August 20, 2013
Lisa has written a masterful first YA novel that will appeal equally to young adults and the young at heart. The action-filled modern-day scenes contrast brilliantly with its heroine's origin story told in flashback chapters dispersed throughout the novel. It is a tenderly moving, assured and beautifully written debut.
May 19, 2013
I really love the idea of this story—a djinn trapped in an adolescent girl’s body and of the binding stone. That’s so original. And I loved the story and learning about Leela’s life now and 1000 years in the past. Lisa did an amazing job with the flashbacks and the pacing of the story. There was constant action and new problems to solve.
January 4, 2015
I can honestly say that I didn't know what to expect from this book since I am not a fantasy/sci-fi fan at all. But this was so much fun and a pure delight to read. The good guy characters were all so likeable and the bad guys were all so hateable. I am looking forward to more volumes in the series-- what a nice surprise!
February 16, 2014
As YA as this book sounded, there was actually a lot going on that was more adult (dealing with an abusive past, etc).
This book really surprised me - in a good way. I thought the characters were well written and I found the plot easy to follow and interesting.
This book really surprised me - in a good way. I thought the characters were well written and I found the plot easy to follow and interesting.
September 8, 2016
This was an incredibly wonderful book. The characters are so real that you feel their pain and joy as your own. Told from the point of view of a djinn slave, Leela's story is full of pain and love and the desire for freedom. I would definitely recommend this series to others.
Want to read
June 7, 2013I'd like to read this book but it is not available from BN for the Nook.
June 11, 2013
What an intricate plot and a cool twist on djinnis I love the way the story was woven throughout. I couldn't put it down once I started it.
July 4, 2013
Full of plot twists and action! The Binding Stone kept me glued to every page.
August 27, 2014
Not sure why I didn't like this more, I just didn't. I also didn't like that sex was included.
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