ARC Review: Fire Bound by Christine Feehan
Fire Bound (Sea Haven/Sisters of the Heart #5)
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sea Haven novels returns to the circle of the six sisters of the heart, bound by the elements—and to one who possesses the power to inflame the most dangerous passions of all.
Flame-haired Lissa Piner is a skilled glass blower whose delicate gift conceals a burning inner strength that can destroy as exquisitely as it can create. Commissioned to design chandeliers for a string of luxury hotels, her remarkable skills have taken her to Italy. But Lissa’s real mission there is a secret. For her entire life has been a lie, leading to a chance to avenge a terrible wrong.
Enlisted as her bodyguard is Casmir Prakenskii, a trained assassin living off the grid. In Lissa, he sees a kindred spirit—something unexpected and wicked, mysterious and sensual. But more than desire is about to bring them together: because both of their pasts cry out for revenge. And for two people with this many secrets, this much passion, and this many enemies, someone is bound to get burned.
(Sea Haven/Drake Sisters Series: You meet Ilya Prakenskii (the youngest brother) in these three books. I highly suggest reading these to get a good feel for him and how the Prakenskii mating and magic works. )
(Sisters of the Heart Series with the other 6 Prakenskii brothers)
Fire Bound was just an okay read, for me anyways. It wasn’t anything that would’ve had me screaming from the rooftops, nor was it anything I would discourage others from reading either. It was predictable to a degree; the premise following the exact formula of the last 5 books. So prepare yourself for a sense of déjà vu.
With that said, I was quite surprised with the twist Feehan threw in, making things quite interesting. That twist became this book’s saving grace. It’s what held my attention long enough to enjoy the direction the author took the plot and characters in. Though, I’ll be very honest, without the twist, Fire Bound would have definitely been a complete flop.
For die hard fans of the series, this is definitely a must read, it progresses the Prakenskii brothers’ story line with a major development. I wouldn’t, however, suggest new readers start the series with this one. While it can technically be read as a standalone, those not familiar with the brothers’ history/back story will feel completely lost, even with Feehan’s knack for rehashing.
The fifth installment, in the Sisters of the Heart, is back with the ever present trafficking subject matter. While I don’t mind this line of plot, I know many are not fans of topics such as this. Fellow bookworms, if you’re considering sitting down with this one, just know this isn’t for those who enjoy fluffier reads. Or even for those looking for an angsty read. Lately, Feehan’s books have been light on the romance/angst and heavy on the vivid, graphic brutality. Casmir and Lissa’s journey is no different. In fact, theirs may just be the most merciless.
Speaking of Casmir and Lissa, they were about the only thing I loved with any kind of consistency. They fell in behind Ilya and Jolie/Jackson and Elle for my favorites. I adored the hell out of them. C&L were the perfect balance of saint and sinner. (For those who don't know, the brothers are fated, so these stories are all about the insta and not so much about relationship growth, which is normal in a lot of paranormal/fantasy.)
Now lets to get the nitty gritty on why I gave Fire Bound three stars versus the four stars its predecessors received. It’s no secret I’ve struggled with this author as of late; it seems to be either hit or miss with Christine Feehan. I am so over this author’s need for repetitiveness. When I find myself skimming you’ll find yourself with a lower rated book. I get these are interlocking standalones, but seriously, readers don’t need details repeated half a million times. The whole time all I could think was is Feehan out of new ideas or does she no longer have the desire to do these characters justice?
I mean WTF! Don’t fail us now, give us and the characters the ending we all deserve! On that thought, while I'm wicked excited for Viktor's book, I'm also quite nervous. He's the end. The. seventh. brother. If she doesn't do his book up right fans across the globe will be on a witch hunt, me included.
Thank you, PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, NAL / Signet Romance, DAW, for the complimentary copy of Fire Bound.
Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 50 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, Ghostwalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, & the Sisters of the Heart Series. All five series hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestselling list as well. Her debut novel Dark Princereceived 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature (PEARL) in 1999. Since then she has been published by various publishing houses including Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards since Dark Prince.
IN HER WORDS:
I've been a writer all of my life -- it is who I am. I write for myself and always have. The ability to create pictures and emotions with words is such a miracle to me. I read everything; I mean everything! All kinds of books, even encyclopedias. I am fascinated by the written word and I love storytellers. It is a great privilege to be counted one myself. (www.christinefeehan.com)
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