Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #614527 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 288 pages

Customer Reviews

Awesome
i love the book. this author is a dang good writer. i mostly read alot of Laurell K. Hamilton, but Lori Devoti is just as good.

Unbound: A paranormal romance that unleashes a reading passion
Risk Leidolf, both man and hellhound with the ability to shift, has been bound to the evil witch Lusse who assimilates the power from other witches into herself to strengthen her own power. Sent to capture Kara Shane, he finds himself drawn to her, torn between protecting her and killing her. When she encounters a hellhound, Kara finds herself immobilized and terrified. All her childhood memories flood her mind. Can she trust Risk to help her find sister Kelly? Will this uneasy matching and quest for the missing twin lead to freedom or will the power of carefully built alliances unleash a power that will destroy them all?

This book was a wonderful shocker for me. I don't normally choose the werewolf and beast combo in my paranormal reads but I loved this book. I hate Alpha males and Risk is definitely the ultimate alpha in the original sense of the word --- the alpha leader of a hellhound pack --- but I loved the character of Risk! He may be an Alpha hellhound but he uses his mind and imagination too to create all sorts of subtle alliances.

The characterization draws the reader in from the first pages. The reader experiences their inner conflicts. The paranormal man-beast Risk is so much more than just a genre indicator --- Risk lives it, the reader experiences it, and the dramatic tension is grounded in it. Kara's mixture of fear and independent spunk makes her a perfect match for the hero and a reading delight. Lori Devoti's fictional world creates intriguing reflections and variations on the theme of power with imagery, plot and characterization. The well-researched underlying Norse mythology creates a vivid setting for the final action. As a former student of Medieval Norse literature, I particularly appreciated how Lori Devoti transformed the mythology to create a breathtaking image and unique paranormal fictional world. Unbound took me from from werewolf scoffer to hellhound lover.

More like 4 1/2 stars...
Kara Shane only wants to find her missing twin sister. Risk Leidolf has other plans for Kara, plans that include capturing her and taking her to the lethal witch, Lusse. Lusse commands all of the hellhounds and therefore, as the Alpha hellhound, Risk is bound to her. Risk sees hope in Kara, though. Perhaps the untapped power in Kara, combined with that of her sister, can free him from Lusse's enslavement. But first he'll have to gain Kara's trust... and Kara is terrified of dogs.

Lori Devoti takes an entirely new approach to the paranormal romance genre. Her use of a hellhound as the hero makes the story stand out from the very first page, particularly as she does a phenomenal job at developing likeable characters despite some rather unlikeable situations. This is especially important with Risk, as Ms. Devoti does a superb job at balancing his darker will to survive with the lightness that is part of his hidden inner core. Risk is definitely all Alpha male and it is interesting to see how his character evolves, particularly as Kara becomes more self confident.

Lori Devoti takes some chances with UNBOUND and creates a winner! UNBOUND is by no means your typical paranormal romance as Ms. Devoti incorporates some unique elements into the storyline. This one definitely kept me on the edge of my seat until the final page! Hopefully, UNBOUND is not the last we have seen of the hellhounds or the other denizens of this creative world!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES