Bound by Flames

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads.

Jeaniene Frost is renowned the world over for her oh-my-god-is-it-hot-in-here scenes, but she can also rock the dark like nobody’s business, and readers were reminded of that fact with a vengeance in BOUND BY FLAMES. Graphic torture anyone? I’m talking flaying, limb amputation, silver poisoning, starvation, and pseudo rape. This installment was originally intended to be the finale of the NIGHT PRINCE series; however after listening to book 3, I can understand why the author decided to axe that plan. A new super villain has risen, Vlad & Leila didn’t get their HEA, and there’s still plenty of story left to tell!

I’ve had a jumbo crush on Tepesh ever since his character debuted as a secondary in Frost’s show more NIGHT HUNTRESS novels, and it’s steadily grown into an all out obsession with this spin-off series. He could easily be king of the bad guys if it weren’t for Mrs. Dracula which makes him the ultimate antihero. We got to see a more vulnerable side to Vlad in this installment while as Leila was all steel and resolve. The balance of power in their relationship has been markedly one-sided until now, so I loved the role reversal, and as expected, the author didn’t hold back on the ravishing either. *winks*

Maximus drove me nutso in the best kind of way, and I was happy that Leila’s father finally saw reason after his prolonged silent treatment of his daughter. Marty was as primo as always, and my hankering for a Cat & Bones cameo was quenched, although it’s worth pointing out that their part was somewhat spoiler-y if you haven’t read UP FROM THE GRAVE yet. Mencheres also popped in to say hi which made my character driven self very jubilant. You’ll notice that I’m glossing over the plot, and that’s because it puts to bed the main story arc, so I’m not willing to risk accidentally spilling the beans, but it’s DA BOMB!

This was my first time listening to a NIGHT PRINCE audiobook, however I was already acquainted with Tavia Gilbert as a narrator, so I had zero quibbles about her performance going in. Her renditions of both of the protagonists were on par with those that I had inside my head prior to her voice taking them over. I’m a sucker for accents, and her English (Bones), Romanian (Vlad), and New Orleans (Marie) vernacular left me tickled pink. I’m still trying to determine whether it was the narration or the writing that has me dubbing this as my favourite installment, either way, I loved it!

BOUND BY FLAMES will make you break out into a Snoopy happy dance! show less

So the Night Huntress series is one of my absolute favorites, and probably my favorite secondary character in the whole series is Vlad. I thought he was hilarious and endearing, and I was so excited that he was getting his own series. I think the best one-liners from the Night Huntress series all came from Vlad... other than "Hallo Kitten" anyway.

So I think all the build up for Vlad that I did in my head set me up for disappointment, because I just do not like Vlad in this series. I miss the humor and one-liners! I thought he would be different I guess - but he is pretty much an alphahole in this book/series. He is very cold and shows almost no emotion. Although he isn't quite turning out to be the funny powerful hero that I wanted, I show more still do feel a little bit of a connection to him. His tragic past always tugs at my heart strings, and I understand him a little more with each book.

As for Leila, I have never been able to connect to her at all. I want to - especially since the series is from her POV. But there is something missing and I haven't been able to sink my hooks into her yet. I did shed a few tears in this installment when Leila was going through her ordeal... but I didn't quite feel the horror of her situation. Did becoming a vampire make her less apt to be traumatized? I actually felt worse for Vlad having to watch Leila's torture than I felt for Leila when she was going through it. She annoys me sometimes, and she is always doing the exact opposite of what she is told to do. I don't like her condescending inner monologue either - its the antithesis to the inner goddess in FSOG. Maybe I'm in a reading slump, or maybe I'm trying to hard with these books - but I just want more more more.

I will finish out the series because I love [a:Jeaniene Frost|669810|Jeaniene Frost|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1310062695p2/669810.jpg], but I think I will go back and read the Night Huntress books after just so I can remember the Vlad I came to love.

3 stars / 3 flames. show less

Bound by Flames
4 Stars

Being married to the most infamous vampire of all time, Vlad Dracul, requires a great deal of adjustment and not a small amount of compromise as Leila Dalton quickly learns. Coping with her husband's overprotective instincts is only one of the many problems Leila faces as allies and foes alike seek to manipulate and destroy Vlad with the one weakness he possesses - his love for Leila.

An excellent installment in the series and one that demonstrates just how far Vlad has come from the stark and emotionless man he was prior to meeting Leila.

Vlad is a powerful and enigmatic hero whose abilities only increase as he finally begins to accept his emotions and uses them to his benefit rather than allowing them to dominate show more him. He is also exceedingly entertaining, and sexy, with his quips about impaling people.

Vlad and Leila's romance is another highlight. Yes, they have always loved one another but trust and confidence have been slow in coming whether due to Vlad's need to put limits on Leila, ostensibly for her own protection, or Leila's stubborn defiance and need to assert her independence. They both grow as individuals and as a couple in this book as they learn to give, take and share.
Although the storyline isn't really new with Vlad's arch-nemesis back to cause havoc, there are some surprising twists and intense moments interspersed between the exciting action scenes. There are also cameo appearances by our favorite Night Huntress characters and it is always a pleasure to listen to Vlad spar with Bones.

In sum, while some plot points are wrapped up nicely, new threads emerge and it will be interesting to see where Frost takes them. Looking forward to the fourth, and sadly last, book in the series. show less

The next volume of the Vlad series that spawned out from the Night Huntress books. Absolutely impossible to read if you had not read the previous ones. Which makes it ideal if you had read the previous ones - Frost does not loose any time in reminding you what happened, who was who and why everyone does whatever they do.

The story is told by Leila, a vampire now (albeit a new one) and if you know the style, very little will surprise you. She manages to get abducted again, to almost ruin her relationship by not talking when she should (but at least she manages to do it when it is important so I guess she learned something). Frost's depiction of sex is as detailed as usual (although she seems to be out of ideas of how to make it show more different) although so is her depiction of torture (and that makes this book a lot darker than the previous ones - and that says something considering the powers that the various players have and what had been happening). Bones and Cat make an appearance; so do Mencheres and the queen of voodoo (and later of Ghouls) plus a plane that goes down in a ball of fire, melting stones, new abilities for some of our characters, talk about sexism (don't even ask how that ended up in this novel) and everything else you would expect in this series.

In some scenes, it crosses from romance into erotica and straight into porn; for the most it is a paranormal novel. The torture scenes (including rape or at least enough talk of it to make it a major topic) are not everyone's cup of tea so I expect that there will be a lot of noise on the topic. But then the world that Frost had built had been cruel for millennia so being surprised from where it can go is a little unrealistic.

And of course, the book does not end the story - it ends one, starts another. So there will be at least one more book. show less

This is the third book in the gripping night prince series and I absolutely devoured every word.
Though a reread ready for the final book in this series I still enjoyed and appreciated this just as much the second time around.
I think out of this series this is my favourite so far this one is just so gut-wrenchingly raw and I could feel every emotion amplified tenfold as I immersed myself fully in what has become one of my favourite vampire series ever.
With Bound By Flames prepare to have your heart ripped out as the shocking events play out in full technicolour.
I was weeping right alongside Leila at her brutally cruel treatment at Vlad's enemies hands.
Her strength and resilience were severely tested with the trials she is forced to show more endure and what could have ripped them apart only solidified there bond, cementing their ties fully and I could feel the love and emotion here just projecting off the page at me.
The Darkness and brutality here also have some much need lightness injected here in the form of a splash of humour usually delivered with Vlad's deadpan delivery.
This was needed to cut through some of the heavy happenings and was like a breath of fresh air.
This one didn't end on a cliffhanger but it is obvious there is still more to come.
There is still one more book to go in this series and I am really looking forward to it but I will also be sad to end this journey we have traversed alongside Leila and Vlad.
I am also definitely going to check out the Night Huntress series from this author next so will definitely be adding it to my huge TBR pile.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com show less

This is the third book in the gripping night prince series and I absolutely devoured every word.
Though a reread ready for the final book in this series I still enjoyed and appreciated this just as much the second time around.
I think out of this series this is my favourite so far this one is just so gut-wrenchingly raw and I could feel every emotion amplified tenfold as I immersed myself fully in what has become one of my favourite vampire series ever.
With Bound By Flames prepare to have your heart ripped out as the shocking events play out in full technicolour.
I was weeping right alongside Leila at her brutally cruel treatment at Vlad's enemies hands.
Her strength and resilience were severely tested with the trials she is forced to show more endure and what could have ripped them apart only solidified there bond, cementing their ties fully and I could feel the love and emotion here just projecting off the page at me.
The Darkness and brutality here also have some much need lightness injected here in the form of a splash of humour usually delivered with Vlad's deadpan delivery.
This was needed to cut through some of the heavy happenings and was like a breath of fresh air.
This one didn't end on a cliffhanger but it is obvious there is still more to come.
There is still one more book to go in this series and I am really looking forward to it but I will also be sad to end this journey we have traversed alongside Leila and Vlad.
I am also definitely going to check out the Night Huntress series from this author next so will definitely be adding it to my huge TBR pile.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com show less

In this third book in the Night Prince series, Leila and Vlad are trying to build a marriage between two strong people with quite an age difference. Vlad has had centuries to learn to protect his heart. He has also had centuries with absolute power over his people. Leila is a twenty-first century woman who isn't going to put up with a dictator as a husband. But it is hard to work on a marriage when an ancient enemy of Vlad's is getting closer.

Leila is kidnapped and tortured and videoed. When the videos reach Vlad he becomes even more determined to track down and kill his enemy. His enemy knows that Leila is Vlad's greatest weakness. What he doesn't know is that Leila isn't weak. She isn't going to let the enemy defeat her or her show more husband.

The story is action and emotion packed and filled with emotional intensity. I liked the strong love between Vlad and Leila and loved reading about both of them fighting to build a relationship. I liked the way Vlad interacted with Leila's family. This is a great urban fantasy series. I can't wait for the next book. show less