Book Review: Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent

Blood Bound
Author: Rachel Vincent
Series: Unbound (Book 1)
Publication: MIRA; Original edition (September 1, 2011)

Description: By blood, by word, by magic…

Most can't touch the power. But Liv Warren is special—a paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood.

Liv makes her own rules, and the most important one is trust no one.

But when her friend's daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the girl. Thanks to a childhood oath, Liv can't rest until the child is home safe. But that means trusting Cam Caballero, the former lover forbidden to her.

Bound by oath and lost in desire for a man she cannot have, Liv is racing to save the child from a dark criminal underworld where secrets, lies, trauma and danger lurk around every corner…every touch…every kiss.

And more blood will be spilled before it's over…

My Thoughts: Liv Warren is Skilled. She can track someone down if she has some of their blood or knows their full name. In this world the Skilled are not publicly recognized or legal. What has happened is that two rival organizations have divided up the city into thirds and control Skilled people by means of magically binding contracts. In order to protect the man she loves, Liv has entered into a contract with Ruben Cavazos who controls one-third of the city. She needs to find his missing son before six months are up or spend the rest of her life as his virtual slave bound to follow his every order.

One night old friend Anna Liang comes to see Liv and demands that she help her find the man who murdered her husband. When they were twelve, four good friends with the assistance of one of the friend's younger sisters signed an oath in blood that compels them to help each other if they are asked. Now Anna is asking. Not only is she asking but she is demanding that Live work with Cam Caballero, the man she left to save his life but never stopped loving. Cam is also a tracker though his strong suit is finding someone by name.

Unfortunately Cam is already bound to Jake Tower, Cavazos's rival who controls one of the thirds of the city. When they learn that the wrong person was kidnapped, that they really wanted Anna's daughter, they find themselves in a situation that pits them against their bosses and looking for loopholes in their contracts.

This was an interesting urban fantasy with wonderful world building. I liked Liv very much and thought her relationship with Cam was nicely complex. I was curious about a world where Skilled people could track someone by blood or tell if they were lying or write a contract that a person couldn't break or travel from place to place in shadows.

This is the first book in a three book series. I can't wait to read the rest.

Favorite Quote:

She sat up, clutching the rag in one hand. "Olivia, I don't need you to cut his throat with a scalpel and frame governor's personal physician. I don't need the best. Hell, I can't afford the best. Proficiency will suffice, and from what I've heard, you're more than proficient."

What? "I don't care what you've heard, I don't kill people for money!" Much. Anymore.

Not just for money, anyway.

I bought this book in 2011. You can buy your copy here.