Review: Good Demon-hunting Fun
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 19, 2013
"Blood Bound" by Sharon Stevenson is the story of twin demon hunters Shaun and Sarah. They're 19 years old, already somewhat jaded by their job, even as they're still getting used to their powers and learning all the ins and outs of the supernatural world (in Stevenson's universe, "our" world is shared by all manner of supernatural creatures: vampires, werewolves, fairies, witches, psychics and demons, to name a few).The world definitely has a "Buffy" feel to it, with hunters who have special powers (mostly extraordinary speed, strength and senses; and the ability to "taste" magic and determine what sort of creature it's coming from) and who are destined to fulfill their duties; and mortals who are (mostly) ignorant of the supernaturals walking about, except when they're not.All the characters are well-drawn, especially the twins. The story is told from their alternating viewpoints (in third person, rotating chapter-to-chapter between Shaun and Sarah), and they're both sympathetic and believable. Even when they make questionable choices, they've got good reasons, and it's impossible not to root for them to win out in the end.The supporting characters, too, are interesting and have depth (except for the twins' parents, but that feels to me like a deliberate choice by the author, and also something that will change as the series continues in future books).There's plenty of well-handled action, and a little bit of (non-explicit) bedroom action, as both twins face romantic problems that end up tied into their demon-hunting work.There's also a lot of mystery and lurking conspiracy, which is tantalizing and also a little frustrating (both for Shaun and Sarah, and for me as a reader). About the only thing I would criticize in this book is that I'd have liked at least a couple of concrete answers by the end of the book. This isn't a huge problem, because I knew going in it was book #1 of a series with at least two more planned. The first book of a series always has the burden of setting up the world and laying out the Big Bad that will be fought over the rest of the books.The writing is clear and engaging, and the book is well-edited, too. I enjoyed it, I'm looking forward to book #2, and I'd highly recommend it.