Book Review: Blood and Bond by Laura Vanarendonk Baugh
Blood and Bond is the sequel to Shard and Shield, which I reviewed recently, and it shares the strengths and weaknesses of the first book.
I'll start out with one of the less-great aspects of both books: the heroine, or lack thereof. Just as in Shard and Shield, Ariana started out with a personal dilemma that could easily have blossomed into a compelling storyline. But instead, it was quickly resolved and she was pushed into the background for the rest of the book. I actually liked Ariana's treatment a lot less in this book than the first, mainly because of the love triangle that took formation. So one moment you hate this other character and the next moment you're kissing him? Really, Ariana?
That said, for the most part I really appreciated how Baugh handled the romantic plotlines, giving them a nuance and realism that I've seldom found in fiction. And the ending of Ariana's storyline was promising, leading me to hope that in the next book, she'll be allowed to play a more significant role.
While I wish the things that irritated me in Shard and Shield hadn't carried over to the second book, fortunately, so did the things I loved. And the main thing I love about this series is the characters. The events of the first book have grown Shianan Becknam into a more courageous, selfless man, and a hero I can truly root for. I loved the slow, natural growth of his relationship with Soren as they learned to trust each other and saw beyond their old misunderstandings.
Luca is still the heart of this book, the most compelling and original character Baugh has created. He takes a more central role here than in Shard and Shield, and we get to see more of the person he was before his enslavement, which I loved. As far as Tamaryl goes-- he is still an enigma. He started out as one of my favorite characters, but at this point I'm really not sure how I'm supposed to feel about him. I think his motives are good and he should be a sympathetic character, but Baugh doesn't give us much information on his backstory or what's going on in his mind, even though he's a point-of-view character. I suppose it's because he's a different species from the rest of the cast, but I wish that I could relate to him and understand him more. I did love the bigger role played by Tamaryl's best friend, Maru. In many ways, their relationship reminds me of Sam and Frodo's-- Maru is the thoroughly lovable servant to Tamaryl's more austere, aloof hero.
Blood and Bond expanded the world introduced in the first book, adding detail and complexity. The plot was unpredictable, filled with suspense not created by contrived cliffhangers, but characters I cared about being put in difficult, often heart-wrenching situations. I also loved seeing how things foreshadowed and hinted at in Shard and Shield came to fruition here. The intrigue-filled storyline left me very impatient to read the next book in the series. :)
In short, like its predecessor, Blood and Bond is a masterpiece of character-driven, emotionally compelling fiction that I would highly recommend to any older teenager or adult who loves a good story well told. I would add a content warning for a handful of crude conversations and a higher level of violence than the first book.
