Hi ForeverBookers, this was a great read!
Here's my review of Bound By Blood by PC Cast - SPOILERS below as its the 3rd book in a trilogy that's part of a series. You need to have read Bound By Mistake (book 1) and Bound by Choice (book 2) before reading Bound by Blood.
Bound By Blood takes us back and forth between this world and Partholon again. In this book however we see more of Morrigan, Rhiannon's daughter than of Shannon and ClanFinton.
First of all Morrigan is born in this world because in the previous books Rhiannon was ousted from Partholon. She is brought up by Shannon's parents, whom Rhiannon knew through Clint (Morrigan's father) in this world as well. She only learns of her true heritage to P when she learns she light crystals with her bear hands, something that no human character can do. This happens on a trip with her human friends and a cave instructor called Kyle in a cave.
When she returns home from the trip she demands to know how she can do this magic from her fake grandparents. They don't really tell her anything so she goes back to the cave to see if she can do it again. When she arrives at the cave Kyle sees her. He tries to talk her into going back home but she's adamant that she's going to try lighting the crystals again. Her G'pa and G'ma turn up before she tries but an earthquake happens, which she thinks kills Kyle and takes her away from everything and everyone she knows in that world.
In Partholon, Shannon and ClanFintan's daughter Myrna has grown up and is expecting a daughter of her own with a human male from Partholon This brings tragedy however when Myrna dies in childbirth. This was written well. I could sense the confusion of sadness and happiness from the characters around this part of the story because of the death and birth.
When Morrigan wakes up she's somewhere that she doesn't recognise - the caves of Partholon. This is a different part of Partholon than where Shannon ended up however, although Shannon does enter Morrigan's story briefly at the end. Morrigan doesn't understand where she is or what's happened to her though, although we as the readers do. She meets someone called Birkita first who first of all calls her "light bringer". Birkita is the body double of Morrigan's G'ma so she feels connected to her. Birkita is the current priestess of Sidetha but it's thought that as Morrigan is the "light bringer" that she is to be high priestess as well. Morrigan learns a lot from Birkita. She also makes an enemy in the form of Shyla, the queen of S. Shyla's character is selfish, something that Morrigan doesn't want to be.
Two male warriors, a Stonemaster and a high shaman centaur (much like ClanFintan from books 1&2) Kai and Kegan and come to Sidetha. Morrigan feels an attraction to Kegan and comes to realise that he is indeed Kyle's body double from her world. These two basically have one date and then they've fallen in love. I don't mind quick romances but if you don't like them then this book maybe isn't for you. The romance certainly isn't the main plot to this book though. It's just a vague sub plot which was okay by me although I would have liked more made of it.
There is death of a couple of characters. One of those being Myrna, Shannon and ClanFintan's daughter, just after she gives birth. This is how Morrigan comes to be in Partholon. A life must be exchanged for another to enter that world. The other death is of Kai, Shayla's lover. Shayla is part of the evil in this book. She's always in Morrigan's face when she does anything even slightly wrong. Shayla commits suicide by jumping into the funeral pyre of her beloved Kai at the end of the book.
The real villain Pryderi is present throughout this story in some whisperings that Morrigan hears. He's a very conniving villain, always out to wreck the lives of those he dislikes. He shows himself at the end. He does however take the lives of those that Morrigan has befriended and loved, such as Birkita and Kegan as penance for so say helping her. It's at this point that Shannon re-enters the story. She tries to get Morrigan to see what a great life she could have if she banishes Pryderi from Sidetha. Rhiannon also helps by becoming a ghost like apparition and talking to her daughter. I don't want to give away the ending as its really the pivotal bit to the novel.
I liked this book but again I didn't love it. It certainly had more to it than Devine by Choice (Book 2) but it lacked much development of Shannon's story as well as some romance scenes that would have put my rating at least up 1 more star. It was really too focused on Morrigan's discovery of the new world she was in as there were lots of in depth setting descriptions, which I just glossed over to be honest. I therefore give this book 3.5 stars.
I'm going to be reading Elphame's Choice next. I haven't read this yet either as I just stopped reading this series at the Devine trilogy before so stand by for my review of it coming soon...
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