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Sharon Stevenson

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Blood Bound (A Gallows Novel Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Sharon Stevenson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.0 220 ratings

Book 1 of 9: A Gallows Novel

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Blood Bound is the bestselling Scottish urban fantasy novel that combines a breakneck plotline with flawed characters and a wicked sense of humour.

Twin demon trackers Shaun and Sarah Gallows are used to running into trouble—mostly the kind with fangs—but while Sarah embraces her powers to their fullest extent, trusting her instincts implicitly, Shaun distances himself from his abilities and can do little more than despair at his sister’s reckless nature and idly back her up.

When they come across a demon tracker who’s been torturing innocent super-naturals, they know they have to stop her. Sarah is desperate to punish the girl for what she’s been doing but Shaun’s instant attraction points to a soul-mate bond stronger than anything he’s ever had to fight before…

***Be warned this book is New Adult Modern Fantasy, not YA. It is not suitable for less mature readers as it contains profanity & sexual references.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B009JBKV96
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Amazon Digital Services LLC; 2nd edition (September 28, 2012)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 28, 2012
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1528 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages

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4.0 220 ratings

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Sharon Stevenson

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USA Today bestselling author Sharon Stevenson lives in Scotland with her husband. She probably spends too much time indoors, binge-watching Netflix shows and finding new and irrefutable reasons to order takeaway food instead of cooking. Her urban fantasy novels include the bestselling Gallows demon tracker series, and Edinburgh set magically animated zombie series, Raised, which readers often recommend to fans of Jim Butcher.

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4 out of 5

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Sheeba

Sarah and Shaun for the Win

Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2013

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*I received a free copy of this e-book in a giveaway, which did not influence my opinion in any way.

I recently came down sick, and my boyfriend wisely gave me an iPad full of Kindle books to entertain me. "Blood Bound" by Sharon Stevenson was on the top of my to-read list--it's been a while since I've read a good demon hunting adventure with no-nonsense protagonists who are old hands at the tricks of the trade. The twins Sarah and Shaun are that duo. Sarah is incredibly confident and a strong heroine (my favorite), while Shaun is endearing and just innocent enough that his amorous situation with the villainous Melissa is hilarious at times. In an urban fantasy genre saturated with YA offerings that are restricted when it comes to pushing the envelope too far, and adult titles with protagonists who are sometimes too jaded to connect with, Blood Bound brings the best of both worlds to the table--the twins are tough but still open to wonder at new experiences, and there's exciting, gripping action mixed with dark graphic material for the more mature reader. Well-depicted characters are a must for me, so I was very pleased and engaged with the twins and their supporting ensemble, most notably Melissa and Dev.

Stevenson opens Blood Bound by diving right into a vampire staking hunt, without wasting time hashing out background stories or indulging in tedious detail. Although this technique can make the world feel bare bones in some places, overall, it proves to be a strong stylistic choice, and Stevenson hints that the answers we're longing for await in future entries (And hey, it took my mind off being sick!). The narrative rides its action-packed momentum all the way until the end, and leaves off with a satisfying teaser for the continuation of the series. I, for one, am extremely curious to hear more about the mysterious Council and explore how Sarah and Shaun entered the demon hunting trade in the first place. A riveting, heart-pounding start to an edgy series with memorable protagonists and nasty villains you just love to hate. Eagerly looking forward to the next one!

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WistfulDreamer

Exciting ride throughout

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2013

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Blood Bound is an action-packed thrill ride that starts the moment you jump in. We're first introduced to Shaun and Sarah as they're in a nest of vampires. There are a lot of twists and turns all throughout the story, and just when you think that you've got everything figured you get another surprise.

Trouble awaits the twins at every turn and they do their best, wanting to handle things on their own, against the rules. If you enjoy the paranormal creatures, then you will be delighted with the wide array of supernatural characters. All of the characters in the book are well written and believable. The ending was quite a surprise and a definite cliff hanger.

As a non-UK reader, I did have some difficulties with the differences in slang and I didn't quite understand some of what she was saying. Although in most cases I was able to figure out the gist of the meaning. It also had more swearing and sex than I prefer, but other than those issues it was a very good read!

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Casie L

Left me intrigued to see where the series goes next!!

Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2013

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My Thoughts - 3 out of 5 unicorns - I liked it!

I liked this story and especially both characters Shaun and Sarah. I'm not sure yet what caused it, but I was confused on several occasions and still have many questions that I'm hoping the 2nd book will clear up. This story is interesting, but I had no trouble when I needed a break putting it down. I usually get this though with the first book in a series. I know building a new world takes time. I'm looking forward to seeing where this series might lead since there is a lot of intriguing possibilities.

**received the book free from the Making Connections group for an honest review

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SciFiMagpie

Insightful, different, gritty paranormal tale

Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2013

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I usually hate paranormal lit. I really do. It tends to be cliched, superficial, annoyingly centred on romance, and unoriginal. It's sanitized or 'fake gritty' and the characters are often unrealistic author inserts.

This was absolutely none of those. While fans of the genre will still love it, those who don't care for the tired rewrites will also really dig it.

Sarah and Shaun play into some cliches and stereotypes wholeheartedly and then bust them open and inside out. Dysfunctional, immature, headstrong, socially-challenged, and with layers of depth, these two characters redeemed 'hunter' storylines for me. Their various messy love interests were also wonderfully well-developed, with sympathetic moments for even the most heinous villain. They eat junk food and don't clean and complain and have trouble with their partners, and if I walked into them as I went down the street, I wouldn't be surprised. They are utterly real and unusually human.
I won't spoil the plot, but I will say that Sarah's decisions make sense and were heartbreakingly understandable. Shaun, our main narrator through much of it, is movingly lonely quite often, and his alcoholism is really poignant, rather than tacked-on. He interacts genuinely with Sarah's friends and his own love interests, who are delightfully conniving. There's even some humorous bits and really funny, unique descriptions of magic. These two monster hunters lead a lonely, lonely life, and teens looking to relate to someone amazing but imperfect will love it as much as adults.

My only negative comments are that the writing had some blips in style, and perhaps could have used a bit more editing. The plot also got pretty baroque, and could perhaps have had a clearer structure. The plot's debateable, though, since it had the messy realism of a real-life. I found the introduction's exposition unnecessary, but the rest of the exposition in the novel was nice and tidy.

Do yourself a favour and grab this and its sequels. You won't be able to put them down.

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Angelika Rust

an unexpected treat

Reviewed in Germany on May 4, 2014

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First things first, I usually don't read anything even remotely smelling of Buffy or Twilight, and with the main characters being teenage demon hunters, this book would normally have never made it to my to-read list. The reason why I read it anyway was something the author said in an interview, how she liked to have her plots based on the characters' decisions. I like writers who respect their characters, so I thought I might give the book a chance after all.
I'm not sorry I did that. It may not be a particularly challenging read, but one can't help root for the characters, who are not just some pawns in an author's game, but real people, with all the faults, compassions and irresponsibility that entails. At one point, I got so carried away that I missed my bus stop, something that hasn't happened to me in years.
Oh, and after having come across some horribly edited books in the past months, I was delighted to find this one to be error-free.

Mr. Jason

A great read and very well written - don't miss out.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 26, 2012

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This is a very entertaining and extremely well written book, which will be part of a series. It starts off with a brief intro into its world, one where humans live alongside fairies, vampires, werewolves, witches, and their ilk. We then enter the lives of the twin Demon trackers, Sarah and Shaun Gallows, the former blonde, feisty, and attractive, the latter looking like a tall serial killer with one eye and a downbeat, sarcastic personality - though the former also has this last quality. But they work well together, dispatching the evil creatures of this world on the instructions of the Council.

The plot is about them encountering a dark creature whose type they cannot quite understand but who is very dangerous to them and to the other inhabitants of this world. In trying to find out more about her and what she is up to, they encounter many of the above types of creatures in various situations, all of them dark but also with an offbeat, comic, dare I say `gallows humour' feel. Indeed, the whole book is filled with this half sarcastic(in a banterish way)/half serious tone, which is a delight to read and must have been difficult to write. What is more, there are some great characters and subplots, like a half goat/half human, who gives oral sex but who demands blood in return for her own purposes, and a love triangle involving Sarah and two laid-back, hippy types, who she saved from a werewolf.

On a superficial level, you could say this is a British `Buffy the Vampire slayer', but this would be too simplistic; for this is far more sophisticated in its humour, idiosyncratic characters, and world, and does not take itself as seriously. Furthermore, I would say that to pigeon hole it merely as a genre piece is a mistake, for the writing is excellent, conjuring up images in your mind of the book's scenes without any ambiguity and with lots of `life-colour'...A very talented writer, whose next book I will be delighted to read.

3 people found this helpful

Dylan James Morgan

An extremely enjoyable read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 21, 2013

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Shaun and Sarah are brother and sister--twins. They are unique, they have supernatural abilities, they are demon trackers. Only nineteen years old, their job is to hunt down vampires, witches, and other paranormal beings and exterminate them. But they didn't bargain for Melissa and the havoc she creates, and they certainly didn't bargain for her connection with Shaun: a bond that could leave him dead.

Blood Bound, by Sharon Stevenson, is the first book in the Gallows trilogy, a series of books focusing on the Gallows twins Shaun and Sarah. She is the strong one, utilizing her special abilities to the fullest in their job as demon trackers, whereas Shaun neglects his, allowing his sister to do the work while he hangs back, or gets drunk on vodka in the local pub. They make a good team, and it's their opposite nature that works well. Ms. Stevenson does a great job of getting the reader into the head of both characters, shifting POV effortlessly throughout the book, allowing us accompany them on their vampire hunts as if we're sitting on their shoulders.

The prose is crisp and clear, allowing the plot to flow at a nice pace. There are a number of British spellings and words used (and given that the author is from Scotland this is no surprise) which might annoy or confuse American readers, but that's really what gives this book a unique feel. And besides, Europeans have to put up with their way of spelling things, why shouldn't it work the other way, right?

There are enough action sequences in this book to keep things exciting, and a touch of romance for both Shaun and Sarah that ultimately gives them something worth fighting for. If there was one factor with the storyline that grated, it was the constant back and forth from demon killing jobs to home. It happens often: they catch a train to do a job (or to try and unravel the mysteries that drag the two of them into conflict with Melissa), and then they catch a train home again. There's plenty of ordering of pizza, too, which is probably okay because they're only nineteen.

But, at the end of it all, this is not a problem, because although it can get a bit `oh, another train journey?' it certainly doesn't detract from the story as a whole, or from the pacing of the plot which is probably the most important thing. Blood Bound is an extremely enjoyable read, from start to finish, and it's a read good enough to make this reader get book two in the trilogy.

One person found this helpful

Jonathon Fletcher

The best stake in town...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 1, 2013

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Shaun and Sarah, the Gallows twins. An unstable pair of young adults with a chip and vodka fixation, who just happen to be paranormal hunters... In a world of witches, vampires, werewolves and fairies, these two "trackers" do the dirty work of policing those paranormal entities who, like burnt toast, are a little on the dark side.

One night whilst out slaying vampires (as you do), Shaun is bewitched by Melissa, a dark creature from a family that makes Joseph Fritzl look like May Poppins. From there the story twists through "Buffy the Vampire" style action mixed with teenage angst and a dash of erotica, enough to make a fourteen year old boy, or this reviewer, blush fifty shades of pink.

This wasn't my usual read, I'm a hard-core sci-fi man myself, but I've seen enough young adult gothic fantasy to "get" this genre. The story is well written, well planned and well edited. There are enough hints to other events and characters not seen in this book to make you want to read the sequels. The main characters are well fleshed out and believable, even if I wanted to sit Sarah down and have a talk with her about not being so hard on poor Shaun all the time.

If I had one complaint, I'd want to see more gore! But that's just me, I like visceral description. The author may possibly have kept it toned down for a younger audience, although there are enough swear words and descriptions of sexual encounters to make me discount this.

If you like vampires, witches and fairies (oh my!), if you like young adult lust and angst, if you like a detective story with moments of rudeness and violence, then this one is definitely for you. Pass me the pointy stick, I'm popping out for a quick steak...

robmcg

Great story, plenty humour. Get it!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2013

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Shaun and Sarah Gallows are twins, and demon hunters. Oh, and they're descended from angelic spirits that disobeyed the rules and helped humans in the fight against demons.

Shaun, the disaffected, grumpy - even surly, occasionally - brother does his best to ignore his legacy of special gifts, although still honours his calling. Sarah is bouncy and mercurial, and fully embraces her powers - allowing her to experience and even remove emotions from others.

The story starts with the twins taking down a vampire nest, with Shaun grousing the whole way through about the mess he's getting into. The job ends successfully but they both sense a something else happening nearby and go to investigate. The over-arching story progresses from here so I'm going to stop myself before I spoil things for you!

Ok, so for those who don't appreciate cursing, you'll find this book tough going. There's some fairly serious swearing in there, and it's done by Scottish people so it's solid stuff. If you don't mind (or even enjoy!) such language, you'll get a solid laugh. It's hilarious! None more so than the interactions between Shaun and Sarah. Often this sort of thing ends up being more cringe-worthy than anything else, so I'm glad to say that's not the case here.

This book was a great read. It's fast paced, funny, and seasoned with excellent Scottish flavouring. I'm looking forward to reading book 2 (already out) as soon as I can get to it.

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Blood Bound (A Gallows Novel Book 1) Kindle Edition

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