Pack Bound was one of the titles I found on NetGalley and it has taken me quite sometime to get to it on my reading list. That being said, I am kicking myself for waiting so long to read this book. Leighton does a great job at bringing many elements together. I would say the book is more on the adult fiction side because of the graphic sex scenes and a sexual assault/rape scene, but all the sexual content was well handled and tasteful. They were not over the top and by no means is that the focus of the book. It’s not an erotic fiction, but does have some erotic scenes. Leighton does not hold back on the swearing either, which I absolutely loved because it added to the relatability of the character’s and the intensity of the situations.
Pack Bound is about a young lady named Skye who has no recollection of her childhood other than the tragedy that left her and her twin brother orphaned. However, she will have to face her past and rise up to her responsibilities and harness her magical powers. Skye comes from a long line of witches and warlocks and she belongs to a pack of Werewolves. Every pack has a Pack-Witch/ Warlock and every pack is reliant on their Pack-Witch. They share a symbiotic relationship. It has been this year for hundreds of years and without a Pack-Witch the coven will be Cursed and die off. Skye is that witch for the McClune coven but she is oblivious to that fact until now.
I have to give credit to Leighton because this book was written well and had an undeniable flow that kept the reader enticed and longing to know what the next page had to offer. The book was not boring at all even though certain aspects of the book have been over played the past few years like werewolves, witches, soulmates, curses etc. Leighton does a good job at bringing these old concepts into a refreshing take and at the the very least creates a story that makes you curious how these concepts will play out.
Leighton builds her characters with many different traits and none of them are one dimensional, which makes the reader empathize with each character. Some of the characters you want to hate but as you read on you can not deny why they committed such deceivingly evil behaviours. Leighton makes in clear in her book that relationships overall are a fierce driving force and they are not to be taken lightly.
Skye is an easy character to like and understand. She is an ambitious and fiery young lady with the ability to empathize with others, but denies herself her own emotions and desires. We get to watch as Skye expands and grows in her own understanding of her feelings and how to manage them, but also witness her genuine fear of what that could mean for those she loves. Bron and Shelley are Skye’s best friends and they are Wiccans (not as powerful as witches/warlocks). Shelley is a beautiful blonde bombshell but she seems very introverted and observant rather than vying to be centre of attention, which I enjoyed. I think as the series continues we will learn more about Shelley and peel back some of those layers. Bron is the outgoing and brutally honest one. She does not hold back on her thoughts or questions and is very knowledgeable as a healer. Again, as the series progresses I can see more light being shone on Bron’s character. Then there is Jason and Adam, the Were brother’s. Jason is the Alpha of the McClune coven and will stop at nothing until Skye is his mate and their Pack-Witch. You can feel Jason’s strength through the pages of the book and his confidence as a leader. He is very sure of what his goals are and he is full of determination. Adam is the Trickster of the coven, which means that he tries and keeps everyone lighthearted and well spirited. Skye slowly discovers that Adam is more than just a jokester and that there is more to his character. He is a cultured individual and enjoys cooking, but I have a feeling we will find out more about him in future books. River is Skye’s twin brother who never leaves their grandmother’s house because his mind is unwell. Morrigan is Skye’s grandmother and Skye has a complicated relationship with her and her grandfather Harrison. There are things that Skye is unaware of and will have to come to terms with and why her grandparent’s made certain decisions for her.
I will not ruin who the antagonist is but I will say that Leighton does a good job at tying everything together at the end of the book and developing a good cliffhanger to continue the series.
I did not realize that Leighton did not develop a thorough setting in her novel until I sat down to think about the book and this was because the plot and characters continued to have the reader engulfed with their story lines. There were places but nothing was described in-depth, but because of this the reader could envision the scene to their own personal preference.
I really enjoyed seeing how all the characters interacted and how Leighton did not neglect anyone, or use any one dimensional characters as plot movers. Even though a fair bit of the concepts have been played out over and over again, I couldn’t help but read on and get lost in the book. I could not wait to read the second book in the series and if I’m being honest I’ve started reading Moon Bound. Already it is apparent that the reader is seeing some of the depth of the other characters like River, Bron and the antagonist (which I have left unnamed). Actually I am chomping at the bit to continue reading the next book, so with that I will leave you to get into Pack Bound. Definitely worth a read if you are into fantasy, magic, Were, witches, curses and revenge plots.