Name: Shadow Bound
ISBN: 9780505528292

Erin Kellison

Adam Thorne has dedicated his life to finding a way to destroy the wraiths, possessed humans who feed on human souls, and when he meets the mysterious, half-Fae Talia O'Brien, he believes that she is the key to achieving his goal.

Shadow Bound

Jessica Nottingham

Shadow Bound is Erin Kellison’s debut novel, and I must admit that it's quite the stunning debut! In a genre that is quickly becoming filled with vampires and werewolves, Kellison was able to create a completely different world. The concept may have been done before, but the sheer brilliance of the story line makes this book stand out from anything else I've read this year. Shadow Bound is fast-paced, engrossing, and the characters are extremely well-developed and true to life. My Nook did not leave my lap the entire day my friends. I read this one straight on through!

Adam Thorne is our hero, and his description led me to believe that he is quite the looker! The reader quickly discovers that Adam has poured his inherited life savings into The Segue Institute in an effort to study the wraith behavior. Able to steal a person's soul by "kissing" them, these wraiths are nigh unstoppable. Adam is driven by a deep vengeance, vowing to unlock the secrets of the wraith and kill the monstrosity that is his brother by any means possible. I quickly fell in love with Adam and his quest. He is the perfect example of how the darkness inside us can keep us from realizing what we really want.


Talia O’Brien, our female protagonist, is another mystery that Adam must solve. He believes her to be the key to his so far fruitless quest, but only if he can get his feelings for her under control. (Enter portions of book I warned about above!) As a character, Talia really caught my attention. Although she begins the book a bit rough around the edges, she quickly harnesses her energy into creating a better person. She learns to control her fear, and use it to her benefit. Watching Talia change and handle what was thrown her way was probably my favorite part of the story.

Speaking of the story line, Kellison shows her expertise at blending the supernatural with a thriller. The result is a book that will have you emotionally torn and on the edge of your seat! I was most impressed by the slow buildup of the characters and their personalities. Even the romance between Adam and Talia was believable, despite the speed at which it had to develop. The action in the story dictates that these two have very little time to get to know one another. Still, I was amazed at how invested I was in Adam and Talia's struggle, and I wouldn't have had their relationship any other way!

Overall, Shadow Bound is a well written and admittedly refreshing read in such an oversaturated genre. I'd recommend it 100% to lovers of both the paranormal and thrillers. I'm eager to throw myself wholeheartedly back into Adam and Talia's world and see where they take me. The ending leaves so much possibility for the second book that I simply cannot wait to get my hands on a copy!