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Unchained

(Blood Bond Saga #1-3)

Helen Hardt (Goodreads Author)

3.82 · Rating details · 3,421 ratings · 452 reviews

Dante Gabriel is starving. What he craves is red gold—human blood. After being held captive as a blood slave to a female vampire for years, he has finally escaped. Unchained at last, he follows his nose to the nearest blood bank to sate his hunger.

ER nurse Erin Hamilton expects just another busy night shift…until she finds a gorgeous stranger vandalizing the hospital blood ...more

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Paperback, 375 pages

Published October 2nd 2018 by Waterhouse Press LLC

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· 3,421 ratings · 452 reviews

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May 13, 2019 Starr (AKA Starrfish) Rivers rated it did not like it

Shelves: dnf, vampires, pnr, convinced-no

OMG! Why does this book have so many positive reviews???? This whole stupid series????

I'm on 9% and already I can't stand it any more! The writing is infantile! INFANTILE!

Prologue intrigued me to read further. But suddenly, chapter 1, the prisoner who's been so long imprisoned has broken FREE! No explanation, just suddenly free!

Then he's ripping open bags of blood in a hospital ward bc he refuses to kill a living thing and the h comes in and finds him and suddenly there's an irresistible attract ...more

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Oct 25, 2018 Kristine rated it did not like it

DNF. I’m really, really surprised at all of the high reviews. I was ready to stop after the second chapter but I thought there must be something I was missing so I kept going. Well, let’s just say that I didn’t find it.

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Oct 03, 2018 Natalie ~ The Biblioholic rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: vamps, paranormal, 2018, dual-pov

Dante had suffered through a traumatic ordeal and now he's playing catch up. He's been a victim for 10 years and he's finally learning what it is to be a man. Well, a vampire male. He didn't count on meeting someone like Erin. Someone who called to him in ways he wasn't prepared for. Someone who he would be linked to in ways he couldn't possibly imagine. But will Erin be ready for all that Dante has to offer?

I've never read anything by this author before and I was pleasantly surprised by the int ...more

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Nov 24, 2018 Aka rated it did not like it

DNF. I’m not really sure where the 5 star reviews are coming from?? Am I missing anything..? Someone?Anyone...? 🤔

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Aug 20, 2018 Angel Payne rated it it was amazing

I didn't think Helen Hardt could captivate me as she did with those amazing Steel Brothers, but this pivot to a new city, a new genre, and a brand-new idea has been, to say the least, an epic feat. The storytelling is fast-paced and easy to keep flipping, which makes the emotional wallop an even more stunning one. Before I knew it, my mind was wandering back to the story even at the post office and the grocery store--and that was when I knew Dante and Erin had been thoroughly woven into my imagi ...more

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May 11, 2019 Coco.V marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: freebie

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/11/2019)! 🎁

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Oct 24, 2018 Jacqueline's Reads rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: pnr

Overall 4 Stars

The serial has nine parts and six of those parts are out. The parts are also lumped together with three books (like this) and so the first three parts are called Unchained. I know it’s confusing, but let’s just say, there’s 9 parts and I listened to the first three parts.

I did individual reviews for the first 3 parts (below are my ratings).

Part 1 – 5 Stars
Part 2 – 3.5 Stars
Part 3 – 4 Stars

This will be an overall review of the first 3 parts based on the fact I listened to it via au ...more

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May 25, 2019 Darcey rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, fantasy-sci-fi-pnml, 2-stars

meh. that's all i have to say. i barely got through this, i only held on because i had recently DNF'd a book and i didn't want to do another one. lots of in-depth sex scenes, which can sometimes be good but i skimmed over in this book, and supposed insta-love which was more like insta-lust and attraction. the characters kinda annoyed me, but this was a free kindle book, so i can't complain.

thanks to Amazon Kindle and the author for the free book! ...more

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Jul 12, 2018 Martha rated it it was amazing

I have said this over and over, but Helen Hardt will always be a MUST read for me.. Everything she writes is always AMAZING and Unchained is no exception! I am so happy she got out of her comfort zone and tried something new..

This book will keep you on the edge of your seat.. There are so many twists and turns you do not know what is coming next.. Also, who does not love New Orleans and better yet vampires?

From the moment Erin (ER Nurse) was introduced.. I loved her.. She is a great heroine and ...more

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May 28, 2019 Shane Blackheart rated it it was ok

***SPOILERS***
This book definitely has an interesting story, but the delivery fell short for me. Long review, so hold on. Also note, this is just my personal opinion and in no way is an attempt to say anything bad about the author or her talents. This may have just not been her best book or series. Spoilers, so beware.

The first part begins with Dante, a vampire who had been imprisoned for many years. He is stumbling around the city looking for blood, and he ends up in a hospital to meet the woma ***SPOILERS***
This book definitely has an interesting story, but the delivery fell short for me. Long review, so hold on. Also note, this is just my personal opinion and in no way is an attempt to say anything bad about the author or her talents. This may have just not been her best book or series. Spoilers, so beware.

The first part begins with Dante, a vampire who had been imprisoned for many years. He is stumbling around the city looking for blood, and he ends up in a hospital to meet the woman that will ultimately possess him for the entirety of the book: Erin. They become absolutely obsessed with each other from first eye contact, and there is a deeper connection between them that hasn't happened between a vampire and human for some time. That's the basic premise from the start.

Now, beyond this, the story fell apart for me. There is a lot of filler, or so it felt like. Dante goes here. Then he leaves. Then Erin goes here, then here, then leaves, then goes here. Dante is constantly uptight and arrogant, and he's suspicious over his grandfather for who knows what reason. By the end of the third part, I still have no idea what his problem with his grandfather was, or even why we are supposed to suspect... something... from the man. Unless his reason for anger was not justified and it escaped me.

My other problem -- I'll just say this: abbreviations for words. Oh man. Just... I couldn't. Certain words were abbreviated that just made me stop and I groaned (vamp, being one). It took me away from the seriousness of the story. I honestly wasn't a fan of the general writing or style, but that is my problem and not the author's. I only mention it as it was a big factor in my rating.

Now, I do get the back and forth, hot and cold between Dante and Erin after reading through the book in its entirety. But, I have to admit, it's extremely frustrating in the way it's written. It goes back to my point of the constant back and forth, person A goes here, and then goes there, and then person B goes here, and then decides a minute later to change locations for some reason or another, usually an upset. I was getting whiplash from all the moving around. And then we get another mystery introduced that hit out of nowhere, about Erin having mysterious marks on her leg? But, what I don't understand, is if she's supposedly bonded to someone else, how can she be bonded to Dante? I was under the impression the bond was pretty solid and existed between a fated human and their vampire, but... oi. I'm confused even now. Maybe it's explored in later books, but... confusion.

The story has promise, but I wasn't inclined to read any more of the series. I feel like the story was dragged on for the purpose of it being longer, at least, that's what it felt like to me. The cliffhanger was just so epically huge and after reading the first three, nothing felt good about the ending. 'Read more books to finish the story' basically. And I understand how a series works, but in book series I've read before, I at least felt some sort of completion at the end of each book, something was wrapped up in some way, and while in the 3-in-1 version of this book we did get one 'kind of' answer to the story (the explanation for the blood bond was also confusing and I felt it could have been explained or worked out better), I'm just so... underwhelmed? I'm not sure. I didn't even really connect with any of the characters. If nothing else, I felt bad for the grandfather because he seems to be getting a lot of flack for just wanting to be helpful or keep Dante safe. But Dante? My goodness man, just SAY something. Not everything has to be some wild secret! I get why you might be stuck in a teen's mindset, but speak!

I don't like leaving negative reviews, and this definitely isn't a 'bad' review per se, but I personally did not like how the book was written or the pacing. I did enjoy what story there was to enjoy to a point, but I wish the author had at least moved things along a bit better and left out the extremely energetic characters' traveling. If the ending had been more fulfilling in some way and not as confusing, I'd probably have given the story more of a chance. But maybe serials just aren't my thing.

As always though, kudos to the author for writing a story and getting it out there. I'm sure Helen has other wonderful books, and I'm sure many will enjoy this one where I did not. ...more

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Jul 20, 2020 Marvinia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4 "Mystery" Stars

It was a good book obviously I love Helen hardt series especially the steel Brothers I just started this series because I'm really interested in what other books she made so far I well pleased. I gave the book four stars because at the beginning Dante was annoying. I will ever the book was still awesome and as I kept reading the book I eventually understood this character. I'm so excited about this series although I give it a four I'm still excited to read more about what's goin ...more

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Mar 21, 2019 Wonder Tre Reads (Tre Talbot) rated it really liked it

This is a great PNR story that will have you hooked. Dante has been through quite an ordeal over the past decade and just when he thought he was able to gain control Erin comes into his life and throws him for another loop. There’s a mysterious undertone throughout these three parts and I love that I’m kept on my toes. I can’t believe there’s so many more parts in this saga, I was continuously going through 1-3 and need more now.

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Jan 30, 2021 Lauren rated it it was ok · review of another edition

What a boring book. Nothing happened. We got the new vampire lore, a little interesting but nothing that got my imagination pumping with ideas. Then the rest of the book was a little bit of flashbacks and a tiny bit of building a mystery. Because the same things kept happening over and over and over again, you kind of just didn't care anymore. No one really got anywhere with anything. This book has a lot of good ratings, I guess this just wasn't my cup of tea. ...more

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May 13, 2019 Cheryl rated it did not like it

I am not even going to finish this book! It looked to be an interesting romance/mystery but it has turned out to be a dragged out boring story with two characters who are whining about not having sex and kissing is pulling out his fangs. The story lacks enough to keep my interest and want to finish the book. BORING!!

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Feb 19, 2019 Ana rated it it was ok

Dante's character just annoyed me. He gets ticked at everyone for not understanding his struggles but doesn't tell anyone what happened to him. He's also leaving Erin constantly (comes to see her, has a thought, then leaves) and it left me asking "what is up with this guy"? ...more

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Aug 11, 2019 Anissa Nieves rated it really liked it · review of another edition

My first vampire book and it did not disappoint. However, for a species that is suppose to be feared I found myself feeling sorry for Dante and his vanishing kind. At no point was I scared or freaked out. Hope the next book has them kicking some a$@. I do love the character build up and all the loose ends that keep you guessing. Glad I can jump into the next book ASAP.

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May 05, 2022 The Gemini’s Bookshelf rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: vampire

Wow….. this was just bad. I knew it was just going to get worse after the sunscreen incident. 10/10 do not recommend.

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Sep 13, 2018 Bellereader rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc

Part 1

This is my first ever vampire romance (twilight aside) ever and boy boy am I glad I made Helen Hardt the first. She has drawn me in to this world without it being tacky or cliche. Buffy meets Gabriel’s Inferno and I couldn’t put this down and now I am dying for the next one**

Dante and Erin will just surpass all expectations, defy all possibilities, and convert all hearts, minds, and souls from the very first. A third of Dante’s has been taken from him and now coming into this world a grown Part 1

This is my first ever vampire romance (twilight aside) ever and boy boy am I glad I made Helen Hardt the first. She has drawn me in to this world without it being tacky or cliche. Buffy meets Gabriel’s Inferno and I couldn’t put this down and now I am dying for the next one**

Dante and Erin will just surpass all expectations, defy all possibilities, and convert all hearts, minds, and souls from the very first. A third of Dante’s has been taken from him and now coming into this world a grown vampiric man he has to a lot to adjust to. Hungers and thirsts control all his impulses which is how he finds himself face to face with the intoxicating Erin Hamilton. Everything about this woman calls to him. He needs her instinctually and this primal urge is frankly undeniable. Always have been a nocturnal person by nature, Erin is used to the crazy that is NOLA nightlife, but when she catches a mesmerizing man vandalizing the blood bank she is left completely stunned. Dante Gabriel bewitches her to the point of recklessness but she can’t for the life of her care. Some hungers and just too powerfully to deny.

Part 2

The ties that bind are irrefutable and cannot be broken. Erin cannot understand two things - why she is so drawn to this mystery man that has entered her life and why he continues to rev her up and leave her high and dry. She should just walk away from this infuriating man but there is something that keeps pulling her to him that cannot be ignored. Dante is incensed when he discovers that someone has hurt this perfect creature that has bewitched him. She doesn’t even release the danger she has and still faces but he is determined to make sure she never is prey again. Learning why she calls to him and what still haunts him from his captivity are paramount to Dante rejoining the world, but digging in to them just may uncover answers he is not prepared for.

Part 3

What do you do when the very thing that is your salvation could ultimately be your destruction? As Dante digs deeper in to the inexplicable bond that ties Erin to him he discovers answers he would have rather left buried. This woman in such a short time has become everything and when he learns that fate has dealt them a hand that will be very tough to play. Dante already knows he is in very deep with Erin and the very idea of hurting her is abhorrent to him. Erin is done denying the inescapable pull that Dante has over her and will no longer let anything keep her from the bliss she feels in his arms. It seems like fate has brought them together and who is she to cast that aside? But is it truly fate at play or something else at work?
...more

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Jul 14, 2021 Maggie rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1-star-reviews, read-with-friends

I cannot begin to describe how poorly this book is written. I understand that it was only 117 pages and that may be the reason the pacing is so awful but god, just, its so awful. The amount of times nipples are brought up, the amount of times things made 0 sense; the blatant mishandling of a r*pe victim ... not to mention the most tiring and horribly paced 'will they won't they' I may have ever seen in 117 pages. It reads like she thought up a bunch of "hot" scenarios and then just threw togethe I cannot begin to describe how poorly this book is written. I understand that it was only 117 pages and that may be the reason the pacing is so awful but god, just, its so awful. The amount of times nipples are brought up, the amount of times things made 0 sense; the blatant mishandling of a r*pe victim ... not to mention the most tiring and horribly paced 'will they won't they' I may have ever seen in 117 pages. It reads like she thought up a bunch of "hot" scenarios and then just threw together a rough draft of how to get them from A to B, reason, logic, and consequences of your actions be damned. Just the writing itself is so bad.

* Spoilers Ahead *

Charline lets Erin know someone at the front desk is looking for her, Erin immediately thinks something along the lines of "gosh he's insane or he wants to see me". Yeah. He wants to see you. Charline just said it.

Dr. Bonneville pulls Erin away from speaking to a police officer for some super important thing, changes her mind, and we're just supposed to accept that one.

She says twice almost word for word that she didn't want to go into a 6 figure debt to become a doctor, but there's no mention of why she didn't get a scholarship? A grant? Did she attempt to find government funding? For something Erin wants "so bad" she apparently just gave up on it without actually doing much to secure her dream. She just sounds whiney and annoying every time she brings it up.

One of the main characters has gone through some serious r*pe trauma, and it's just shoehorned in there as a reason for more "angst".

I'm not even gonna type out my complaints that are smut written just know it's ... bad and it's unattractive and nonsensical and feels a lot like the author had a bunch of "hot" ideas that no idea how to link them so the parts that aren't smut are just afterthought and totally useless.

And those are just *some* of my problems that I made notes of from pages 78-117. If I'd started earlier I could've written an essay on why this book is worth none of your time. Had it not been for the fact a friend (had the misfortune) of purchasing all three of them (and asked if we could read them together) I would've ditched this book within the first few chapters.

P.S. The "special vampire descendants that are" look exactly like the author. It's just fanfiction. It's all true blood self insert fanfiction that somehow got published. ...more

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Sep 21, 2018 Belle's Book Labyrinth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, erotic, suspense, paranormal, helen-hardt, vampires

I grew up being a huge fan of vampires so when Helen came out with Unchained, I couldn't wait to read it. At first, I was a little worried because I know many have their own versions of what a vampire is. Helen's take is extremely different yet works perfectly. She gives Dante and the other vampires a more realistic existence in the real world and defies what I have known vampires to be, but is such a refreshing take. Dante's a broken vampire who is having issues dealing with what happened to hi ...more

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Oct 06, 2018 Beneath The Covers Blog rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs, sonal, 2018-reads

Part One
Vampire Dante Gabriel escaped captivity only to come face to face with the realization that he knows nothing about his captor or even his own World. He lusts for blood, specifically her blood. Something in Erin calls to him but he can't ever act on his impulses. Not if he wants to kill Erin.

Erin Hamilton is dedicated to her work. Why then does she not report the man ransacking the hospital's blood bank? Her body & mind obey all his orders, her blood sings whenever he's close. She doesn't ...more

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Sep 05, 2019 buzy_reading rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal

He lost ten years of his life. He lost his father and his uncle. He was denied the world and his family. Then he was free. He met a woman who consumed him so much that he wasn’t able to deal with anything else.

Dante was descended from a long line of strong and resilient vampires.
Dante’s family’s bloodline goes back hundreds of years and was slowly dying out being on the brink of extinction.

Narrators:
John Lane and Lauren Rowe were the narrators in this audiobook. They were my saving graces by s ...more

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Jul 23, 2020 Deana The Queen rated it liked it

Shelves: alpha-male, slow-burn, paranormal-romance, vampires, book-boyfriends, dark-romance, fiction, new-adult

Dante Gabriel is free of the female vampire who has kept him a blood slave for 10 years, but he’s not free from his drive for blood. Now on the brink of starvation, he is looking for blood in the only place he knows because he refuses to kill a human for it.

Erin Hamilton is an ER nurse in a French Quarter hospital who’s seen it all. Or at least she the thinks she’s seen it all, until she catches a smoldering guy pillaging through her hospital’s blood bank. But rather than turn him in, she feels ...more

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Nov 12, 2019 Maddie butler rated it liked it

Erin Hamilton works the night shift in the ER at the Local hospital. She expects just another busy night shift until she stumbles upon a stranger covered in blood in the hospitals blood bank. She starts to scream but then the stranger covers her mouth.
Dante Gabriel has been Held captive for the past 10 years. When he escapes and is drawn by the smell of blood. He soon founds himself gorged in a bag of blood at the local hospitals blood bank.
Instead Of calling hospital security Erin tells the ...more

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Sep 27, 2018 Sherry rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This series is amazing! A must read!

Blood Bond part 1 - The Blood Bond Saga is off to an excellent start! Dante and Erin's story grabbed me at page one. Vampires, New Orleans, danger, mystery, and romance.....what more could you ask for! Helen's books always grab you and don't let go! And the ending.......I cannot wait to read part 2!

Blood Bond part 2 - Blood Bond part 2 picks up right where part 1 left off and this series is riveting! So many unanswered questions, so much mystery, and such a fe ...more

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Jan 20, 2019 Carissa rated it liked it

Shelves: vampire, paranormal, library-love

Blood Bond 1:
3 stars

I think I was expecting something more with this first part. I guess with a bit over 100 pages, there's only so much to be said. I look forward to the next part.

Blood Bond 2:
3 stars

This part seemed a lot of a filler, nothing really substantial has really happened yet and some things were also repeated. I hope things start progressing more soon.

Blood Bond 3:
2 stars

I started to skim in this part. For one I'm surprised Em (Dante's sister) hasn't really had a part yet, in which ...more

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Oct 01, 2018 Chelsea Jennings rated it it was amazing

Holy vampires! My first time reading a paranormal romance and I couldn't have picked a better one to start with! Seriously the most well written, descriptive journey Helen Hardt could have possibly taken on with this incredible couple. A strong woman holding her own, yet bending her will when it came to her Dante. Erin and Dante kept me wanting to hurry and get to the next page their relationship was so scorching hot and intense, and then hating when it came to the end. Can't wait till the next ...more

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Oct 05, 2019 Mummy's Naughty Corner rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-freebies, para-normal, kindle, m-f, vampire

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 09, 2020 Tammy rated it really liked it

This is parts 1-3 in the Blood Bond Saga. Dante was being held captive and a blood slave to a female vampire. Now he has escaped and is starving. He ends up at a hospital blood bank where he meets Erin. Sparks fly between them but Dante is scared he won’t be able to control himself because of his past. Will they find a way to be together? Fast-paced read with plenty of drama, twists and turns as well as steam. I liked it.

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Oct 04, 2018 Fran Zoch, LSoR rated it really liked it

If you love Vampires, hot steamy vampires who have only one woman on their heart and soul you will love Dante and Erin's story , this is the first volume and in it you see just how hard it is for a woman of Erin's education to believe in vampires let alone that she is blood bonded to him , no matter what she does she can not tell him no and now others are wanting her and drawing close ...more

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About Helen Hardt

Helen Hardt

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#1 New York Times, #1 USA Today, and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Helen Hardt's passion for the written word began with the books her mother read to her at bedtime. She wrote her first story at age six and hasn’t stopped since. In addition to being an award winning author of contemporary and historical romance and erotica, she’s a mother, an attorney, a black belt in Taekwondo, a gram ...more

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Quotes from Unchained

“wasn’t going to get away. He brushed his cheek against my neck and inhaled. “What are you? You smell like… truffles. Black truffles. Black coffee. Dark chocolate. Hints of blackberry. Tin. Copper.” “Mmm,” I said against” — 0 likes

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(Blood Bond Saga #1-3)

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