I have to admit I stopped half way through and shelved this book. I honestly wanted to like it. I like the author's writing style, but I'm still lost half way through the book.

1. I have no idea if this is our universe, a parallel universe, or something else all together.
2. I have no idea what the main characters are...are they humans, paranormals, mutants, elves? I described them to a friend and she said they were Legolas' love child with Sonic the Hedgehog and Wolverine's love child with the Flash.
3. It also annoys me that we still know next to nothing about this vague prophecy (that we still have not heard the whole thing of) that may have two separate tellings and a bunch more interpretations which we really haven't heard either.

Sorry, again I really wanted to like this book, but it seems like someone advised the author badly to cut out the first half of the book that explained this stuff to speed up the plot. Either that or there's a prequel I should have read first. ( )

Melissa Wright's novels never fail to deliver stories that will wrap you up in a world filled with action, romance and magic. Her new series not only lives up to the standard of "The Frey Saga," but surpasses it. Set in the present day urban city of your imagination, the title character, Aern, is just another guy trying to make his way. Except Aern isn't just any ordinary guy. He's a Descendant of a race that has the ability to compel humans to his will. Trouble is, his brother has an extra ability, to compel other Descendants. Aern has to find a way to stop his brother and give his people another chance, even if it means changing the prophecy. Question is, can Aern change the prophecy, or will he discover he is already bound by it? Another gripping, spellbinding read from Melissa Wright. ( )

Aern seeks to protect Emily, a refugee of his kind, as well as a great secret of an omnipotent prophecy under the care of the Council. He refuses to join the Division—a darker, more corrupt ordeal—even though both authorities may hold the key to the future's safety—and not to mention his own. His struggle with his identity, bloodline, and his vengeful evil brother will all make his job harder, that's for sure... but it's the elusive and ever-obscure prophecy itself—the one he trusted wholly and upon which he depended—that will surprise him.

Wright builds a beautifully dangerous and complex fantasy world, but her characters lack realistic development and sympathetic touch. I couldn't relate to or get myself to like any of them. They felt detached, robotic, and it feels like they were only formed solely on paper. This made the plot difficult to follow and moreover, rather uninteresting; if I don't like the characters, I'm not going to like the story.

Most of the book is composed of explanation of Aern's dark world, and a back-and-forth exchange between Emily's destiny and Aern's role in it. Thus, I felt there was way too much talk and hardly any action. Even from the beginning, I felt like I had walked into the story in medias res; there was so much unexplained and uneventful stuff going on (which I assumed would later be elaborated upon, as part of the climax, but alas, it wasn't) and it just didn't click with me. I was impressed by the few action sequences present, though; they are cleverly simulated and don't skimp on the blood and vicious good vs. evil interaction.

I love the different powers that these descendants of ancient masters possess. Wright imaginatively portrays the magical elements of the characters who struggle to survive.

Pros: Suspenseful // Doesn't hold back on the danger and violence // Fully developed and fascinating urban fantasy world // Lots of plot twists I didn't see coming

Cons: Boring most of the time // Dialogue-driven but weak in plot // Unrealistic and unexpected romance // Unmemorable characters // Bland, ordinary writing style // Anticlimactic

Verdict: I had trouble keeping up with Bound by Prophecy because most of dialogue, characters, and style are inadvertently boring. It flows in sequence and isn't hard to comprehend, it's just hard to really become immersed in. This first installment of the Descendants series does have its redeeming points, including a well-instigated paranormal setting and exciting powers, but overall, nothing blew me away.

Rating: 5 out of 10 hearts (3 stars): Doesn't particularly light any of my fires; I feel indifferent about this book.

Source: Complimentary copy provided by author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review as part of the Itching for Books virtual book tour (thank you!). ( )