#BookReview: Blood Bound: A Novel (Cursed Covenant, #1) by Ellis Hunter

Synopsis:

A debut high-stakes fantasy romance trilogy set against a once-in-a-generation duel to the death between rival witches and dragon riders as they battle to control the source of all magic in their kingdoms. Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, and Quicksilver.

You duel or you die.

Astrid has always known she is destined to die. She is the last Nachstern witch and heir to the Queendom of Arturea, cursed by a centuries-old covenant to duel the heir to the Kingdom of Vatra for the source of all magic: the Heart. And now Astrid’s time is up. She is heading into enemy territory to face Prince Zryan, the most powerful dragon rider in eons, with only her familiar, her potions, and her wits to aid her. She is going to die, and any chance her queendom has of curing the Blight that’s ravaging the lands and killing her people will die with her.

Meanwhile, deep in dragon country, Skylar and her travelling troupe arrive in Vatra’s capital, ready to profit off the legions of spectators swarming to the city ahead of the duel. She despises the royals and all they stand for, especially as the King’s guard murdered her mother. But when her best friend disappears, suspected to have been taken in the conscription, her search takes her closer to the royals than she ever could have imagined.

As the duel looms over the kingdom, Skylar and Astrid’s fates intertwine. They must battle a growing rebellion, their inner demons, and ultimately, those they love most, to determine if together they will save—or doom—their world.

Buy on Amazon

⭐ ⭐ 

My Review:

I was so excited when this showed up in the mail that I dove in immediately… but by page 23, I found myself checking other early reviews. Those 3-star takes? Yeah, I’m right there with them—and I didn’t even finish.

The writing kept pulling me out of the story. It leaned heavily on telling instead of showing, and the style just never clicked for me. The flow felt stiff and uneven, and even when I skipped ahead a few chapters, the tone didn’t improve. Honestly, the whole thing read more like an unpolished self-pub draft than a traditionally published novel.

I also struggled to connect with the characters. Skylar’s chapters felt overloaded, while Astrid was the one bright spot for me. This book has the bones of something really good, and since it doesn’t release until April 2026, I’m genuinely hoping it gets another strong round of edits to smooth out the writing and bring everything to life.

Unfortunately, as it stands, I just couldn’t keep going.

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Posted in: 2 Stars, Adult, Review