Bound by Night (Bound #1) by Amanda Ashley – a Review

Bound by Night by Amanda Ashley, is a new author for me, as I had never read any of her previous works.  I wasn’t sure what to expect of her writing style or storyline development.  From the book synopsis I was intrigued and a little excited to get started.  However, I found it took me some time to get into the book.  Don’t get me wrong I love the whole vampire genre complete with living in castles and being cloaked in darkness with an air of mystery and intrigue surrounding them.  For me I think the story just started out really slow and didn’t grab me from the start like many other authors I enjoy reading.  I find if my attention isn’t grabbed early on, I tend to get bored and not get into the story. Thankfully that didn’t happen to me in Bound by Night, because with each page turn the story kept drawing me in bit by bit.  Even though I found it a rather slow build up in my opinion, I was glad to have stuck with it and wound up enjoying the story after all.  After all the ground-work is laid out by Ashley the storyline takes off and kept my attention through to the end of the book.  I’m actually looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

As the story begins we meet the mysterious owner of Wolfram Castle Drake Sherrad.  He’s the heir to the Carpathian Coven of Vampires, but has been living apart from his family for the past 300 years.  He’s been trying in vain to avoid his destiny, becoming the leader of his family’s Coven and marrying another vampire whom he doesn’t love.  It isn’t until the fair Elena wonders into his lair/castle that his boring and tiresome life begins to change.  Elena brings a light to his life he’s never had before, he begins to experience feelings he never thought he could have for another, let alone a mortal.  As forbidden as it is to be with a mortal Drake can’t help himself and looses himself in Elena.  He feels as though he’s finally come home, his soul is at peace and feels Elena is his soul-mate.  Drake vows to keep Elena safe and for himself, even if it means defying his father and family. 

Elena Knightsbridge has not had an easy life.  After going to live with her aunt, uncle and cousin after her parents died, Elena had hope life would get back to normal.  They didn’t, her aunt passed away a few years later and shortly afterward Elena learned that her uncle was abusing her cousin.   After her cousin suddenly ‘left’ home, Elena’s uncle starts to look at her differently and even proposes marriage. Elena doesn’t want to live there anymore, doesn’t feel safe and one night strikes out on her own and makes her way to Wolfram Castle that is said to be haunted.  It isn’t long before Elena meets the elusive owner of the castle and begins to form a friendship with Drake.  Through her friendship with Drake we see Elena grow from a shy and uncertain girl, into a strong and trusting mate for a vampire husband. 

Speaking of which, in typical vampire storytelling the heroine never knows the truth of her hero.  They’re always curious about the fact they are absent during the day, but don’t really push the issue.  The truth always seems to come out after our heroine stumbles upon the vampire in action, which is what happens here.  Elena finally decides to follow Drake one night to see where he goes.  Of course he’s out to grab a quick drink as all vampires do and Elena catches him in action.  At first she’s fearful of him but Drake is persistent and slowly Elena and him continue to build their relationship eventually agreeing to a marriage of convenience to keep her safe from her uncle.  Ashley takes her time and gradually builds a romance between these two characters which allows the reader the chance to get know them and see how they are growing as a couple.  It’s at this point of the book where things are finally picking up and coming together for me.  We are pulled more fully into Drake’s world and Elena must decide if she’s brave enough to handle it, and be Drake’s mortal wife in a Coven full of vampires.

We finally get to meet Drake’s family and see the dynamics at work within a Coven.  Of course his sire/father Rolin is not pleased with Drake’s decision to marry a mortal and reveal their truths to her.  Even though they have consummated the marriage, Drake’s hopes of his father honouring their marriage is quickly dashed, the marriage is annulled and Drake is taken away for punishment leaving Elena at the hands of his father and hoping she’s treated fairly.  Elena is placed into the group of humans who are used to feed the vampire Coven and isn’t too pleased, nor is Drake when he learns of this.  To keep her safe Drake agrees to the arranged marriage to Katiya his father set for him years ago.  As both Katiya and Drake prepare for their marriage and Elena fears she’s lost Drake forever Ashley throws a twist into the plot that I really enjoyed.  Katiya is really in love with Drake’s brother Andre.  Ooooo the plot thickens you say.  It’s through this twist that hope blooms for our hero and heroine.  Unbeknownst to their father, Drake and Andre have come up with a plan to see to each other’s happiness, let the games begin.  This was a fun part of the plot, watching the brothers fool their father and getting what they want, love and happiness with the woman of their choosing.  I always enjoy a story with a good twist to it, and Ashley played it up well. 

Thanks to their plan they manage to fool their father into believing Drake and Katiya’s marriage is a success with a baby on the way, when in reality Drake is still happily in love with Elena, Katiya and Andre are happily in love and expecting.  As always, our couples can never be happy for long. Drake is summoned once again back to the Coven to aid Rolin in a battle over their land.  When Rolin is killed in battle, Drake must inherit the Coven, something he never wanted.  However, now with his father gone and Drake in command he realizes that he has the power to change things and he does so by re-arranging and altering a few rules. The first of which is re-instating his marriage to Elena. While Drake is transitioning and getting used to being the leader of their Coven they learn Elena is pregnant.  The last time a mortal female and vampire conceived things didn’t work out well and Drake is fearful for Elena and their unborn child.  With great care and an overprotective husband Elena delivers a healthy baby girl who possesses both human and vampire traits.  The story ends 18 years later with their daughter Kaitlyn Liliana going off to collage and Elena finally ready to alter her life and slow down the aging process by taking Drake’s blood. 

Reviewed by Marcie