Review: 4.5/5 Stars - VERY solid entry into the series
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 26, 2011
What worked for me:*Just as pulse-pounding as the first novel, Bound is unapologetic about the gritty reality of a world during a zombie apocalypse.  Major characters die horribly, Mara is forced to make choices that she never would have even considered in her old life, and the bullies of the world are the ones who have gained power in a time when civilized actions take the backseat to basic survival. So awesome.*I loved the new location with the militia group that was going about rounding up survivors.  Never make the mistake that they were doing so for altruistic reasons, however -- survivors had to be useful or the militia would find uses for them that we'll just call "incredibly unpleasant".*I loved that this story was fast paced and full of action, but was also balanced out with quite a bit of character growth as well as expanding on the overall arc of Nevermore.  With understanding of the pack mentality from the Nevermores, it's easier to see the humanity that still exists underneath the hunger, and helps to lend quite a bit of hope to the story, especially with the possibility of a cure being discovered.* I was also happy that there was a more "scientific" explanation of the condition -- while I had a basic understanding of the Nevermore injection from the first story, it was expanded on in a way that made it sound realistic and yet was easily understandable by someone like me who has no medical background.* The new characters (with the exception to the Evil Scientist villain -- more on him later) all have an amazing amount of depth considering the low word count and the sheer amount of action in the story. They could have easily been simple flat, cardboard cutouts of basic characterizations, but instead, each character is given a personal history and motivation that helps to explain both their actions and their attitudes.* Scout! I won't say more as it would be a spoiler, but I was happy to see my second-favorite zombie make an appearance in this story.What didn't work for me:* There is another bleeding cliff-hanger at the end!  To be fair, it actually was a good stopping point for the novel this time, as opposed to the cliff-hanger at the end of Sundered that left my eye twitching in annoyance, but it is still painfully obvious that this is a book that lands smack in the middle of a trilogy.* I'm not sure how much I can say without it being a spoiler, but Mara's reaction to a bit of news towards the end was incredibly more mild than I felt it should have been.* The Mad Scientist, Donovan, was a bit over-the-top to me.  While I definitely understood that he was quite a few cards shy of a full deck due to the situation with Juliana, I tend to find insane characters less frightening than those who are in full control of their faculties and are simply sociopaths instead.  I fear that the author may be setting him up for redemption, and frankly, I'm rather hoping he dies a fairly horrible death in the end.Sensitive readers should know going in that there is a child death in this story.While this one did end in what I would consider to be a "cliff-hanger", I do have to admit that it was a much better stopping point than that of the previous installment, Sundered.Even having not read the final installment, Dauntless (expected release October 31, 2011), I have to say my very strong opinion thus far is that the entire series should probably be consolidated into a single, longer story and given a higher price point.  While I understand that the current price of ninety-nine cents for Sundered, and right at three dollars for Bound, is a definite selling point for readers unfamiliar with the author, the fact that this book picks up literally a sentence after the last one left off makes it virtually impossible for readers unfamiliar with the series to really get the full benefit of the story.  While the general gist of the history of the apocalypse is covered, as is the relationship between Mara and Sebastian, I do think that some readers who did not read Sundered will be highly disappointed with just how obvious it is that the first book is an integral part of this one.That said, I would still recommend both Sundered and Bound to any fan of zombie apocalypse fans, especially those who prefer a strong romantic theme.  Gritty, violent, tragic, and terrifying, this whole series also manages to be touching, romantic, and at times, even sexy (which let me tell you, is an achievement considering the hero is a zombie).  Just make certain that you pick up the first book before attempting this one and you won't have any problems.I am actually very excited to have found this author. Even with the slightly-campy feel to the initial premise, her skill in creating believable characters and writing both action and love scenes is truly much more than I've experienced in a self-published author in quite some time.  I am very anxiously awaiting the final installment on Halloween, and can't wait to see what becomes of Mara, Sebastian, Scout, Buck, and the others.Recommended for fans of fresh takes on the zombie apocalypse trope, of normal people surviving on their wits, and of a love that not even a zombie infection can stop.A very solid 4.5/5 Stars