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Bound to the Spirits #2
Cold Blood
Ghost wards are failing. Mediums are vanishing. Someone—or something—is stirring up the ghosts of Toronto. It’s up to psychic medium Harlan Brand to find out why.
After defeating a serial killer who could control ghosts, psychic medium Harlan Brand is feeling much more confident in his abilities working for the Toronto Police Service with his partner, Hamilton, as they protect the city from dangerous spirits.
He is expanding his social circle, however reluctantly, to include the other police mediums and Morgan Vermeer, another graduate from the Centre—a school for training psychic children.
Harlan and his boyfriend, Charles Moore, are continuing to explore BDSM, their relationship and Charles’ strange ability to shield people from ghosts.
Hoping to find answers about Charles’ power and the serial killer, Harlan returns to the Centre only to find that one of its ghost wards—magical symbols that spirits can’t cross—is broken, and it’s a mystery as to how and why.
The calm and order that Harlan has been building up in his life are shattered when wards start failing across the city and mediums begin to disappear, including one of his new friends and a student from the Centre.
Someone—or something—is stirring up the ghosts of Toronto.
Reader advisory: This book contains scenes of violence and murder. It is best read as part of a series.
After defeating a serial killer who could control ghosts, psychic medium Harlan Brand is feeling much more confident in his abilities working for the Toronto Police Service with his partner, Hamilton, as they protect the city from dangerous spirits.
He is expanding his social circle, however reluctantly, to include the other police mediums and Morgan Vermeer, another graduate from the Centre—a school for training psychic children.
Harlan and his boyfriend, Charles Moore, are continuing to explore BDSM, their relationship and Charles’ strange ability to shield people from ghosts.
Hoping to find answers about Charles’ power and the serial killer, Harlan returns to the Centre only to find that one of its ghost wards—magical symbols that spirits can’t cross—is broken, and it’s a mystery as to how and why.
The calm and order that Harlan has been building up in his life are shattered when wards start failing across the city and mediums begin to disappear, including one of his new friends and a student from the Centre.
Someone—or something—is stirring up the ghosts of Toronto.
Reader advisory: This book contains scenes of violence and murder. It is best read as part of a series.
- GenresM M Romance
350 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 8, 2022
26 people want to read
About the author
T. Strange
30 books260 followersT. Strange didn't want to learn how to read, but literacy prevailed and she hasn't stopped reading—or writing—since. She's been published since 2013, and she writes M/M romance in multiple genres, including paranormal and BDSM. T.'s other interests include cross stitching, gardening, watching terrible horror movies, playing video games, and finding injured pigeons to rescue. Originally from White Rock, BC, she lives on the Canadian prairies, where she shares her home with her wife, cats, guinea pigs and other creatures of all shapes and sizes. She's very easy to bribe with free food and drinks—especially wine.
She can be found on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr; or you can email her: author.t.strange at gmail.com
She can be found on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr; or you can email her: author.t.strange at gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 5, 2022
Harlan Brand is rarely comfortable. In general, he’s leery of people. He doesn’t like to be touched. Gifted – or perhaps cursed – from birth with the ability to see and communicate with ghosts, he struggles to fit into the ordinary world. It doesn’t help that when he was just a kid, his parents dumped him at a center for children with paranormal talent; all the people around him as he grew up were as weird as he is.
Despite all this, he’s working for the Toronto police along with a small group of other mediums. His work partner, Hamilton, has only slight psychic gifts, but he makes up for that by being tough, brave and efficient. Meanwhile, against all odds, Harlan seems to have found love, in the most unlikely of places: a BDSM club. His new boyfriend Charles stirs him physically and touches him emotionally, in totally new ways. But a lifetime of feeling like an outsider has Harlan wondering if he really deserves a warm, sexy, supportive guy like Charles, and worrying that he’s going to blow it.
As Harlan juggles his personal insecurities, Toronto experiences a psychic emergency. He and his colleagues have no choice but to use their powers, to counter the forces that are turning ordinary ghosts into vicious monsters and abducting and murdering mediums. Harlan is pushed to the edge of his abilities as he tries to stop ultimate evil from taking over the city.
I’ve always loved stories with a hint (or more) of the supernatural. Cold Blood delivers. The author does a fantastic job showing us the price of power. Harlan’s paranormal abilities are impressive, but using them takes a terrible toll, both physically and emotionally. He’s not a superman; he has his limits. What is most thrilling about this book is watching him push those limits, giving everything and more because of his intrinsic sense of moral responsibility.
I also enjoyed the intrinsic queerness of this story. Harlan and Hamilton are both gay. One of their fellow mediums is lesbian, another non-binary. In this version of the world, nobody is “normal”, and gender-bending is part of life.
I did have a few issues with Cold Blood. First, it really doesn’t do a good job standing alone. I have not read the first book in the series, and both my comprehension and my enjoyment suffered as a result. I strongly believe that each book in a series needs to be sufficiently self-contained that a reader who happens to pick up in the middle will not be too lost.
Second, although I adored Charles almost as much as Harlan does, I found their BDSM interactions completely implausible. I could believe they were lovers, but Dom and sub? Especially when Harlan plays the role of the Master? The eroticism in the book is fairly muted, but there’s one fairly long and detailed kinky scene that had me shaking my head. It felt as though it had been dropped in to the novel from some other book.
So overall, my feelings about Cold Blood were mixed. With his powers and his weaknesses, Harlan is a believable and likable character. The paranormal aspects of the novel were really well done. The erotic romance component was far weaker.
Despite all this, he’s working for the Toronto police along with a small group of other mediums. His work partner, Hamilton, has only slight psychic gifts, but he makes up for that by being tough, brave and efficient. Meanwhile, against all odds, Harlan seems to have found love, in the most unlikely of places: a BDSM club. His new boyfriend Charles stirs him physically and touches him emotionally, in totally new ways. But a lifetime of feeling like an outsider has Harlan wondering if he really deserves a warm, sexy, supportive guy like Charles, and worrying that he’s going to blow it.
As Harlan juggles his personal insecurities, Toronto experiences a psychic emergency. He and his colleagues have no choice but to use their powers, to counter the forces that are turning ordinary ghosts into vicious monsters and abducting and murdering mediums. Harlan is pushed to the edge of his abilities as he tries to stop ultimate evil from taking over the city.
I’ve always loved stories with a hint (or more) of the supernatural. Cold Blood delivers. The author does a fantastic job showing us the price of power. Harlan’s paranormal abilities are impressive, but using them takes a terrible toll, both physically and emotionally. He’s not a superman; he has his limits. What is most thrilling about this book is watching him push those limits, giving everything and more because of his intrinsic sense of moral responsibility.
I also enjoyed the intrinsic queerness of this story. Harlan and Hamilton are both gay. One of their fellow mediums is lesbian, another non-binary. In this version of the world, nobody is “normal”, and gender-bending is part of life.
I did have a few issues with Cold Blood. First, it really doesn’t do a good job standing alone. I have not read the first book in the series, and both my comprehension and my enjoyment suffered as a result. I strongly believe that each book in a series needs to be sufficiently self-contained that a reader who happens to pick up in the middle will not be too lost.
Second, although I adored Charles almost as much as Harlan does, I found their BDSM interactions completely implausible. I could believe they were lovers, but Dom and sub? Especially when Harlan plays the role of the Master? The eroticism in the book is fairly muted, but there’s one fairly long and detailed kinky scene that had me shaking my head. It felt as though it had been dropped in to the novel from some other book.
So overall, my feelings about Cold Blood were mixed. With his powers and his weaknesses, Harlan is a believable and likable character. The paranormal aspects of the novel were really well done. The erotic romance component was far weaker.
March 19, 2022
The blurb says it all!!
“Ghost wards failing. Mediums are vanishing. Someone - or something - is stirring up the ghosts of Toronto. It’s up to psychic medium Harlan Brand to find out why.”
Harlan Brand is still working for the Toronto Police Service as a psychic medium. He has a good working partner in Officer Curt Hamilton. But Harlan has low self-esteem when it comes to socializing and making friends. He continually doubts himself and Harlan realizes he doesn’t know a lot about Hamilton. He’s still not sure if his boyfriend Charles Moore really likes him. He’s afraid that he has let his colleagues down and he’s putting others in danger.
Charles Moore is the owner of the BDSM club “Rattling Chains”. The club is where he and Harlan first met, during a ghostly case. Charles cares so much for Harlan. He checks on Harlan as much as he can, making sure he: eats, relaxes and get’s a good night’s rest. He has his own special gift that protects Harlan. Harlan felt he knew all about the types of psychic abilities but is really curious about Charles’. His curiosity to find out more leads him back to the place where he lived from a very young age, the Centre for Psychic Education and Research.
As uncomfortable as it is for Harlan, he and Hamilton head for the Centre in hopes to discover information about about Charles’ ability. But it all get’s side tracked, when Eileen, the librarian, reveals research that she did on their last ghostly, serial killer case of Samuel Harkness. Eileen agrees to keep researching Charles’ ability. For Harlan it’s a relief to leave the Centre. But before he and Hamilton could escape, Tomas Addison, now the new director, pleads for help when "ghost wards” have failed at the Centre. Harlan can’t refuse to help because his main concern is for the children who live there.
As the ghostly world becomes chaotic with symbols and glyphs, Harlan, Charles, Hamilton and Morgan, will find themselves dragged into an evil that is dangerous and deathly for them all!
T. Strange created another outstanding novel with “Cold Blood”. How good was this? Crazy good, with a variety of weird paranormal happenings! It’s also action packed, fast paced and “edge of your seat” suspenseful and eerie!
Harlan and Charles bring a variety of emotions to their special relationship. It just keeps growing with romance and steamy moments. Charles has the knack and knows how to socialize and deal with people. He’s a definite strength for Harlan. Harlan really has a soft heart, especially when it comes to the spirits that he wishes he could talk with before sending them into the veil.
Many returning and new characters, from ghosts to humans, make this novel entertaining. Eileen, the elderly librarian at the Centre; Officer Curt Hamilton and boyfriend Matthew, an interesting relationship; Morgan Vermeer, brings a new ability to the paranormal; Benjamin, Beth and Leo also mediums of the Toronto Police Service; and sweet ghostly Libby.
I highly recommend “Cold Blood”, it’s an absolute page-turner. I loved the idea that Harlan comes up with. I can’t wait to see what T. Strange creates from it! Bring on book three!!
“Ghost wards failing. Mediums are vanishing. Someone - or something - is stirring up the ghosts of Toronto. It’s up to psychic medium Harlan Brand to find out why.”
Harlan Brand is still working for the Toronto Police Service as a psychic medium. He has a good working partner in Officer Curt Hamilton. But Harlan has low self-esteem when it comes to socializing and making friends. He continually doubts himself and Harlan realizes he doesn’t know a lot about Hamilton. He’s still not sure if his boyfriend Charles Moore really likes him. He’s afraid that he has let his colleagues down and he’s putting others in danger.
Charles Moore is the owner of the BDSM club “Rattling Chains”. The club is where he and Harlan first met, during a ghostly case. Charles cares so much for Harlan. He checks on Harlan as much as he can, making sure he: eats, relaxes and get’s a good night’s rest. He has his own special gift that protects Harlan. Harlan felt he knew all about the types of psychic abilities but is really curious about Charles’. His curiosity to find out more leads him back to the place where he lived from a very young age, the Centre for Psychic Education and Research.
As uncomfortable as it is for Harlan, he and Hamilton head for the Centre in hopes to discover information about about Charles’ ability. But it all get’s side tracked, when Eileen, the librarian, reveals research that she did on their last ghostly, serial killer case of Samuel Harkness. Eileen agrees to keep researching Charles’ ability. For Harlan it’s a relief to leave the Centre. But before he and Hamilton could escape, Tomas Addison, now the new director, pleads for help when "ghost wards” have failed at the Centre. Harlan can’t refuse to help because his main concern is for the children who live there.
As the ghostly world becomes chaotic with symbols and glyphs, Harlan, Charles, Hamilton and Morgan, will find themselves dragged into an evil that is dangerous and deathly for them all!
T. Strange created another outstanding novel with “Cold Blood”. How good was this? Crazy good, with a variety of weird paranormal happenings! It’s also action packed, fast paced and “edge of your seat” suspenseful and eerie!
Harlan and Charles bring a variety of emotions to their special relationship. It just keeps growing with romance and steamy moments. Charles has the knack and knows how to socialize and deal with people. He’s a definite strength for Harlan. Harlan really has a soft heart, especially when it comes to the spirits that he wishes he could talk with before sending them into the veil.
Many returning and new characters, from ghosts to humans, make this novel entertaining. Eileen, the elderly librarian at the Centre; Officer Curt Hamilton and boyfriend Matthew, an interesting relationship; Morgan Vermeer, brings a new ability to the paranormal; Benjamin, Beth and Leo also mediums of the Toronto Police Service; and sweet ghostly Libby.
I highly recommend “Cold Blood”, it’s an absolute page-turner. I loved the idea that Harlan comes up with. I can’t wait to see what T. Strange creates from it! Bring on book three!!
February 6, 2022
Cold Blood is the second book in the series Bound To The Spirits by T. Strange. I read the first book, Rattling Chains, and greatly enjoyed it so I was excited to read the next one. The second book continues with the same main characters from the first so it is advised that Rattling Chains be read first to get the best quality reading experience. You won’t be lost though if they’re read out of order as the author gives very brief summaries of what went before where it’s relevant in the new book.
Harlan is slowly evolving, or perhaps emerging, from his very reclusive shell in book two. It’s done in a slow, cautious way that makes it believable given how sheltered and protected he was growing up at The Centre. He’s still plagued by personal/relationship doubts and he struggles to creep outside of his comfort zones but he is growing. He’s becoming more comfortable and confident in his work and personal life, too. We learn more about his work partner, Hamilton, which was interesting and new characters are introduced that I believe will be steady regulars in future books.
The mystery aspect of this was good and kept me guessing what was going on until the end of the story where it was revealed. New powers have developed for not only Harlan but other characters and there were some unexpected twists in the climax. Harlan’s relationship with his boyfriend, Charles, also grew in this which I liked.
I enjoyed this book a lot and I hope the author continues with this series. If you like the paranormal with some mystery and romance stirred into the mix, this series will hit those buttons for you.
Harlan is slowly evolving, or perhaps emerging, from his very reclusive shell in book two. It’s done in a slow, cautious way that makes it believable given how sheltered and protected he was growing up at The Centre. He’s still plagued by personal/relationship doubts and he struggles to creep outside of his comfort zones but he is growing. He’s becoming more comfortable and confident in his work and personal life, too. We learn more about his work partner, Hamilton, which was interesting and new characters are introduced that I believe will be steady regulars in future books.
The mystery aspect of this was good and kept me guessing what was going on until the end of the story where it was revealed. New powers have developed for not only Harlan but other characters and there were some unexpected twists in the climax. Harlan’s relationship with his boyfriend, Charles, also grew in this which I liked.
I enjoyed this book a lot and I hope the author continues with this series. If you like the paranormal with some mystery and romance stirred into the mix, this series will hit those buttons for you.
March 11, 2022
Ghost wards are failing. Mediums are vanishing. Something—is stirring up the ghosts of Toronto. It’s up to psychic medium Harlan Brand to find out why.
This is the second book in the Bound To The Spirits series and continues from Rattling Chains with Harlan and Hamilton as the main characters. It's is best to start with book one Rattling Chains to get the full experience but can also be read as a standalone. Harlan remains having doubts about himself and his abilities and self doubt regarding his interpersonal relationships. We see growth in his character in Cold Blood and I loved the dynamics of his partnership with Hamilton. I was also on the edge of thinking there was more to their dynamic and was hoping for a poly relationship to develop. We get to see much more of his boyfriend Charles and his special abilities. There was some steamy scenes between Harlan and Charles as they explored their BDSM relationship with Harlan being the dominant. There is non stop action and more mayhem in the installment. They must fight together to bring an end to an evil force threatening Toronto. There was a whole host of complex characters some old and new. This book is a paranormal, fantasy, erotica and was a great read. There are some exciting revalations for book 3.
This is the second book in the Bound To The Spirits series and continues from Rattling Chains with Harlan and Hamilton as the main characters. It's is best to start with book one Rattling Chains to get the full experience but can also be read as a standalone. Harlan remains having doubts about himself and his abilities and self doubt regarding his interpersonal relationships. We see growth in his character in Cold Blood and I loved the dynamics of his partnership with Hamilton. I was also on the edge of thinking there was more to their dynamic and was hoping for a poly relationship to develop. We get to see much more of his boyfriend Charles and his special abilities. There was some steamy scenes between Harlan and Charles as they explored their BDSM relationship with Harlan being the dominant. There is non stop action and more mayhem in the installment. They must fight together to bring an end to an evil force threatening Toronto. There was a whole host of complex characters some old and new. This book is a paranormal, fantasy, erotica and was a great read. There are some exciting revalations for book 3.
March 4, 2022
Hold my bloody Iced Capp!
This Second instalment in the Bound to the Spirits series really gets it's phantasmal claws into you. I was not disappointed! Harlan really goes hard (no pun intended... Although there are sex scenes) in this book. Not only is he really coming out of his shell but the evils he fights are more intense than before. There is a lot of satisfying action and I love the unique exploration of mediums and their abilities in new characters and old. There were some scenes that I honestly regretted reading past midnight in my darkroom with only my kindle light to guide me. No spoilers here though.
I would also like to say I appreciate the Authors humor and sense of pop culture that emerges throughout this book and many of their books I have previously read. It's the perfect release to that horror pressure valve. Overall this is a fun and binge worthy read.
PS: I have a bit of a crush on the ever monosyllabic Hamilton
This Second instalment in the Bound to the Spirits series really gets it's phantasmal claws into you. I was not disappointed! Harlan really goes hard (no pun intended... Although there are sex scenes) in this book. Not only is he really coming out of his shell but the evils he fights are more intense than before. There is a lot of satisfying action and I love the unique exploration of mediums and their abilities in new characters and old. There were some scenes that I honestly regretted reading past midnight in my darkroom with only my kindle light to guide me. No spoilers here though.
I would also like to say I appreciate the Authors humor and sense of pop culture that emerges throughout this book and many of their books I have previously read. It's the perfect release to that horror pressure valve. Overall this is a fun and binge worthy read.
PS: I have a bit of a crush on the ever monosyllabic Hamilton
March 8, 2022
Harlan, Charles, and Hamilton are back to face new sources of supernatural peril, with some new allies/potential friends and some old baggage to address as well. I won’t spoil the suspense by trying to summarize too much, but once again there are ghost, sinister plots, and institutions that should be much more trustworthy than, it turns out, they actually are. I love the dynamic Harlan brings to each of his partnerships— his work partner (and friend, whether he wants to admit it or not) Hamilton and his romantic partner (and frequent work collaborator, again whether he wants to admit it or not) Charles. An enjoyable read, and I’m definitely looking forward to future adventures.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 11, 2022
I loved Cold Blood by T. Strange. It's the second book in the Bound to the Spirits series. I loved getting to see more of Hamilton, Harlan, and Charles. There were so many twists and turns. I loved getting to see Hamilton share more of his personal life with Harlan and be more than just his police partner. I loved getting to meet Matthew. I never in a million years would have guessed the bad guy in this story, and the spider creature was creepy. I'm so excited to see what kind of cases they get as private detectives.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 18, 2022
Cold Blood is like one of those horror films where you're so scared to see, cringing and covering your eyes but you're still watching it because you want to know what happens. It is so riveting and so scary and deliciously well-written. And the characters are so deep and realistic in an amazing fictional world of ghosts and other paranormals.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 19, 2022
This is an interesting story but Harlan is a hard character to like for me. His constant whining monolog ab him not being worthy or deserving of Charlie is annoying to read and it puts me off this story. Characters who think they know what s better for other ppl annoy me to no end. Charles is a great MC tho and he keeps me staying for now.
April 4, 2022
When your like is weird you find weird people to hand out with and weird love when everything starts to go wrong and kids are in danger and people are dying he tried to help and found new people that needed him.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews