As the threat of war looms against the king of Elvik and his zealous High Priestess, Halja, Byrgir, and their friends return in the second installment of author Angelina Kelly’s epic fantasy Stormbound series: THE BINDS OF BLOOD. With a bounty on their heads, the ragtag group is quickly running out of time. To protect their people—the fae-touched getting persecuted by their kingdom—they battle deadly monsters, betrayal, devastating loss, and a dark, ancient magic steadily seeping into their realm. As Halja’s own powers grow, so do the consequences of her blood-bond oath with Byrgir. And this time, they have much more to lose.

THE BINDS OF BLOOD both deepens the lore and expands the scope of this captivating fantasy world. Kelly never stops throwing obstacles at Halja and her friends, from new and terrifying shadowfiends to undead sea monsters and unexpected enemies lurking in the snowy wilds of their fae-touched city. Once again, the prose bolsters not only the worldbuilding but also the book’s near-breathless pace. The story refuses to stagnate while never sacrificing a gorgeous description. Kelly’s love of nature shines lush and poetic in such moments as this description of winter: “Sunrise was late and sunset early, with twilight bleeding long and gray into the hours between.” Halja’s world is rendered in equal parts beauty and terror, the same duality as the Source magic running through the earth and her blood: “I was drawn to it by the kind of morbid curiosity that made one press their own bruises,” she says of ancient fae city ruins.

The sequel juggles a lot of entwined plot threads, while the stakes feel so much more complex and far-reaching than in the first book. There’s a lot of nuance tucked in-between: Halja learning the consequences of her unique parentage, the delicate dance of politics and courtly intrigue, and antagonists who might not be all that they seem. A surprising number of twists keep the plot unpredictable, and some might leave readers gasping as if they’ve been pinned with Halja’s ice-magic. Through it all, the love of Halja’s friends and family carry her onward. Hers and Byrgir’s resilient devotion to each other is the heart of the narrative.

There’s also this deep satisfaction that comes from reading a story where everything finally begins to piece itself together: shocking, yet the kind that makes readers clamor for the next book. In the aftermath of THE BINDS OF BLOOD, there’s no doubt that the third installment will be highly anticipated.

A thoroughly captivating sequel, Angelina Kelly’s THE BINDS OF BLOOD deepens the scope of an enthralling, dangerous fantasy world.

~ Jessica Thomas for IndieReader