Shadow Bound by Rachel Vincent
The basics
Title: Shadow Bound
Author: Rachel Vincent
Series: Unbound #2
- Blood Bound (2011) - Shadow Bound (2012) - Oath Bound (2013)
Add it: Goodreads
Goodreads Summary:
Kori Daniels is a shadow-walker, able to travel instantly from one shadow to another. After weeks of confinement for betraying her boss, she's ready to break free of the Tower syndicate for good. But Jake Tower has one final job for Kori, one chance to secure freedom for herself and her sister, Kenley, even if it means taking it from someone else. The job? Recruit Ian Holt... or kill him. Ian's ability to manipulate the dark has drawn interest from every syndicate in the world, most notably an invitation from Jake Tower. Though he has no interest in organized crime, Ian accepts the invite, because he's on a mission of his own. Ian has come to kill Tower's top Binder: Kori's little sister. Amid the tangle of lies, an unexpected thread of truth connecting Ian and Kori comes to light. But with opposing goals, they'll have to choose between love and liberty.
Read a full summary of Shadow Bound by Rachel Vincent below. If you can’t remember what happened in Shadow Bound and you need a refresher, then you’re in the right place.
in short
Kori is released from solitary, which was her punishment after allowing Jake Tower to get shot in the first book, along with being abused and tortured. She is told to recruit Ian, a particularly powerful Blinder. Ian is there to kill Kenley, Kori’s sister, in order to save his brother from a nasty Love Knot. Jake Tower is pretty desperate to recruit Ian, but he plays them the entire time because why else would he be in charge of a crime syndicate? Anyway, Kori and Ian fight Cam and Liv a couple of times, before Kenley releases Kori from her contract and they make an escape. Kenley heals Ian’s brother, Steven, and Kori goes to save Kenley’s girlfriend, Vanessa, from Tower. Kori kills Jonah Tower, and Ian kills Jake Tower after making a contract with Julia. Kori kills the Binder who bound this contract (and also Kenley’s to Tower) and everyone is set free. Julia Tower is now in charge of a crumbling empire and Kori and her family are free.
what happened in Shadow Bound?
- After the events of the first book, Kori was kept in solitary for several weeks. She’s finally let out by Jake Tower because he needs her to woo a man and get him to join the syndicate. Kori is given two weeks to prepare and wash and get back into shape as much as she can, although she’s still very much restricted in what she can do. For example, she can’t arm herself. Tower says that if she screws up, her sister Kenley will have to serve the rest of her time in solitary and Kori will be killed.
- Ian is the new point of view and love interest for Kori. He’s also the guy that Jake Tower is trying to get his hands on. Ian put on an impressive Blinder display and it was caught on camera. We find out that this was on purpose, as Ian and his friend, Aaron, had been researching Tower because he has something they want: Kenley.
- Ian goes to Tower’s home and is welcomed by lots of people and a fancy party. Here he meets Kori, and she leaves an impression to say the least. The two of them bicker a little bit, Kori beats up a guy, and they drink Jake Tower’s alcohol. Probably not the best idea.
- It’s revealed that Ian is there to kill Kenley.
- Ian goes to a hotel for the night and Kori leaves him there. The next day, the two of them are attacked in an alleyway by two of Cavazos’ men. Kori gets rid of them pretty easily.
- We learn that Ian’s brother, Steven, is dying from resistance pain. Steven is engaged to Aaron’s sister, Meghan, who is a Healer and is trying to keep Steven alive. Someone told the group that Kenley was the one who bound Steven, which is why Ian is sent to kill her. Obviously, he starts to fall for Kori and things get a bit complicated.
- We also learn that while Kori was in the basement, Jake Tower’s brute of a brother – Jonah – was sent in there to mess with her and abuse her, hence her delicate mental state right now.
- Kenley is dating Vanessa from book one, and Kori is cool with it because why not? Kori gives Vanessa a once over and makes sure she is in love with her sister, otherwise she would probably have words.
- Kori and Ian go to the southern section of the city, which is meant to be a free zone. Cam and Liv find them and try to take Ian in, as Cavazos is still after him. Ian creates darkness and blocks out the sun, which allows Kori to Travel and get them away.
- Kori and Ian are attacked in another alley, this time by Cam, Michaela Cavazos, and some random brute. They fight them off again because Kori is a BAMF. She reports this to Jake Tower, who tells Kori to stay in Ian’s hotel room for the night and then come see him in the morning.
- Kori and Ian, after initially having a hard time earning each other’s trust, have sex in Ian’s hotel room. Ian sees her scars and everything is painful.
- Kori drops Ian off with Kenley, who immediately doesn’t trust him, and goes to see Tower. Tower tells her that she will bring Ian Holt in, or else.
- Meanwhile, Ian shows Kenley how to break Kori’s binding, which releases her from Jake Tower’s influence.
how did it end?
Kori is now free. She takes two of Tower’s guards back to the hotel room with her, and takes them out. She then goes to Kenley and Ian, who have since talked and are okay with one another. Kori is pretty thrilled to have been released from servitude. Ian finally tells Kori about his brother, and she agrees that they should help. The three of them go to Meghan’s place and Kenley breaks Steven’s binding, which was a result of a horrible roommate from Kenley’s college.
Tower gets hold of Vanessa, so Ian goes to Julia Tower and signs a contract with her to say he’ll protect her for two years after Jake Tower dies. Kori thinks Ian is already in the Tower building, but he’s not. Kori gets trapped by Jonah Tower, who doesn’t realise her bindings are dead now. Kori kills Jonah Tower and a bunch of other people. Meanwhile, Ian is meeting with Jake Tower. The alarm goes off as a result of Kori’s awesomeness, and Ian kills Jake. Kori is like WTF DID YOU DO HE HAS AN HEIR CLAUSE YOU WEREN’T MEANT TO KILL HIM, but Ian already thought this through. Yes, he now has to protect Julia Tower, who is now in charge (“long live the queen”), but Kris (Kori and Kenley’s brother) and Liv now have Barker, the original Binder. Kori kills him and Ian is released from his contract. Kori threatens Julia Tower but leaves her alive so she can watch her kingdom crumble. Everyone leaves and they’re all pretty happy and the book ends with “From now on, we can do whatever the hell we want.” which is a total Bellarke line and you can’t convince me otherwise.
anything else
Trackers – Trackers can track people using blood (the fresher the better) or their full names. Liv and Cam are Trackers.
Readers – Readers are able to tell when people are lying. This can’t be switched off. Annika is a Reader.
Binders – Binders, well, bind people. If you need to make a contract then you had better get a Binder to seal it with blood. This is why Liv and her childhood friends are in such a predicament.
Seers – Seers see the future. Obviously.
Travellers – Travellers can travel through shadows. They step into the shadows in one place and come out instantaneously in another.
Jammers – Hide Skilled people’s energy so they’re untraceable.
Blinders – Darken rooms and hallways and certain spots for easy Travelling.
Healers – Skilled people who can heal people and detect illness.
Love Knot – A kind of binding that controls whether or not the target can get engaged or married.
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