- Title: Bound by Night
- Author: Larissa Ione
- Series: MoonBound Clan Vampire #1
- Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
- Format: ebook
- Source: Review copy
- Reviewed by: DarthVal
- Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Description: The first installment in a sexy new paranormal romance series by Larissa Ione, author of the bestselling Demonica series!
A WOMAN OUT FOR BLOOD
Nicole Martin was only eight years old when the vampire slaves rose up in rebellion and killed her family. Now she devotes her life to finding a vaccine against vampirism, hoping to wipe out her memories—along with every bloodsucker on the planet. But there’s one thing she cannot destroy: her searing, undeniable attraction for the one man she should hate and fear the most . . .
A VAMPIRE OUT FOR REVENGE
A member of the renegade vampire MoonBound Clan, Riker is haunted by demons of his own. When he recognizes Nicole and remembers how her family enslaved his loved ones, his heart burns for vengeance. But when he kidnaps Nicole and holds her in a secret lair, his mortal enemy becomes his soul obsession, his greatest temptation, and, perhaps, his only salvation—a hot-blooded lover who could heal him with her touch . . . or bury him forever.
Review: Bound by Night is the first book of a new series by Larissa Ione, a paranormal romance author known for her Demonica series. This series combines vampire mythology along the lines of Lara Adrian and J.R. Ward (vampires are a distinct breed from humans) with Native American lore. In this world, vampires are the victims of slavery and exploitation at the hands of humans.
The story begins with a flashback of Nicole watching her family being murdered at the hands of wild vampires. Flash forward to the present, and Nicole is now at the helm of a corporate empire whose foundation was built upon vampire exploitation. Meanwhile, Riker, a fierce warrior, must free a captive vampire to prevent war between tribes. His solution is to kidnap Nicole to use a leverage to gain the release of the female. Nothing goes as planned, including the sparks that ignite between Riker and Nicole.
I will give Ms. Ione credit, this book is steeped with chemistry and emotional longing between her main characters. For all of the paranormal alpha male lovers out there, the sexy times are smoking hot in this one. Yet, the author takes the times to develop affection between the characters beyond just sexual urges. This is the heartbeat and strength of this story.
Alas, the world-building suffers in the wake of the romantic emphasis. As a result, the mythology is a bit bland. The Native American theme, in particular, is not very well executed. It almost feels as if the tribal elements are thrown in as an afterthought. In contrast, the socio-political themes are much more distinctly drawn. However, the trope of the newly down trodden race is just a tad overplayed these days. In truth, I doubt that most readers will care as much about the depth of world-building as I, reveling instead in the romance, rightly so given the PNR genre of the book.
I did enjoy the book. It was a quick and fun read, a good beach book. While I won’t rush out and get new books upon release, I plan to follow the series. Who knows, maybe the world-building will improve, it definitely has that potential. In the meantime, I know some PNR gals who will eat this up.
*Disclaimer: A free copy of this book was provided to me for review by the publisher through the Net Galley program.
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