Blood Bonds

“Home, for me, is always going to be wherever Oli is.”

This book picks up right where Broken Bonds ends — with Oli and Kieran being caught by the Resistance. Oli’s Bonds are losing their minds trying to find her, but they’re out of luck since she’s keeping her Bond firmly under control to keep them safe. By taking Oli again, the Resistance has basically declared war on the Draven Bond Group. 

It becomes a race against time to keep the Gifted community safe, uncover the spies hiding among them, and stop the Resistance before they can retaliate and kill more innocents. We learn a lot more about the Resistance here — a group of Gifted who want to take over the country because they’re powerful and tired of living in harmony with giftless humans.

There’s just one thing I don’t get though… 🤨🤨 The Resistance knows Oli’s name. They have spies and agents everywhere — among the council and the students at Draven University. Everyone knows who Oli’s Bonds are. So why the hell do they still need to torture her to make her reveal their names? It doesn’t make sense to me 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ Anyway, now that I’ve mentioned my only real issue with the book, let’s move on to what I loved 

Oli’s character progression really shines in this book. It’s spectacular watching her grow more comfortable with her Bond. I laughed out loud so many times when side characters got scared of her void eyes 😂😂

I love that we get multiple POVs — it gives us such great insight into the characters and their emotions. Each voice feels distinct, so you never get confused. Though… I have to admit, Oli’s Bond having its own POV was both hilarious and a little creepy. (I loved it though — I live for multiple POVs.)

As for the pacing — I know some readers found it repetitive or slow, but that wasn’t the case for me 🙅‍♀️🙅‍♀️ We can’t jump into the final battle without being ready, and this book is all about that buildup. Gathering allies, figuring out who to trust, and watching Oli learn how to navigate her powers and her relationships felt necessary 👍👍

Now that she’s bonded with three of her Bonds (Gryphon, North, and Atlas), she’s testing whether her power has grown stronger. With a gift like hers, I understand her caution, but since she’s already bonded with three… maybe it’s time to add Gabe too? Nox still doesn’t deserve that privilege, but my baby Gabe sure does 🙏🙏

“Oli, have you ever considered that maybe your bond won’t grow in power because it’s already at full capacity?”

This might actually be the solution to the whole “want to bond but can’t” problem, and I hope Oli gives it some thought — especially since her guys (minus Nox) have proven again and again that they’re all in 💯💯 They’re not afraid of her powers and would follow her anywhere. Keeping them at arm’s length isn’t going to work forever.

Oleander “Oli” Fallows

I love Oli’s development. She hasn’t lost her sass (thank the gods), but she’s finally learning that she can lean on her Bonds. She knows she’s not alone anymore, and watching her relationships grow was such a highlight. What she went through as a teen was brutal, and the fact that she survived it all is beyond me 🥺🥺

Gabe Ardern

My sweet, cuddly, lovable boy. Gabe doesn’t get as much spotlight in this one, but every scene he’s in? I was melting. He’s such a sweetheart 😍😍 — different from Gryphon, North, and Nox — and his moments with Oli feel like a breath of fresh air. She gets to just be, and he helps her forget the chaos for a bit. I really hope she bonds with him soon, because he deserves it. He might’ve been a jerk in book one (understandably), but since then? Absolute golden retriever energy 💖💖

Gryphon Shore

Still that perfect mix of brooding and sweet. A total badass TacTeam leader who’s fiercely protective of Oli. His softer, teasing side really shines now that he can access her thoughts — and even though it’s a massive violation of privacy, I couldn’t stop smiling at their bickering 🤣🤣

“You’re my Bond. If you get stronger and burn the whole world to the ground, then I’ll be there at your side, watching it burn. I’m not the good guy, Oli… it’s you and me, and nothing else matters to me.”

Atlas Bassinger

After the end of book two, I was worried about Atlas’s place in the group, but he completely redeemed himself here. He had some work to do to regain trust, but he delivered. Loyal, protective, and steady as ever 😎😎 His backstory broke me — it filled in the blanks and erased any doubts I had about him.

“Mine. You’re mine. No one will hurt you again. Not me, not the others, not anyone. The shadows cannot harm you — they belong to you, as I do. We all do.”

North Draven

North absolutely stole the show 😍😍 The star of this book, hands down. My only complaint before was how cold he was toward Oli — but now that’s gone, and I was swooning every chapter 🫠🫠 Watching his perfectly controlled image unravel under Oli’s influence was perfection. The way he take care of her, how protective he was my undoing. He’s not boyfriend material. He’s husband material. He’d burn the world for her, and I am so here for it. What a transition — from grumpy to completely love-drunk. I want a North too, please and thank you 💘💘

Nox Draven

Nox is still a mystery — intense, angry, and clearly broken underneath. His hatred toward Oli is self-defense, I get that, but trauma doesn’t give you a free pass to be cruel 😑😑 I’m not sold on him yet; his snark isn’t charming to me (at least for now). We’ll see where the story takes him 🥱🥱

Lastly, can someone please tell me why the author keeps stabbing me in the heart? That ending was rude. I feel wounded 💔💔 I really hope there’s a good reason for that chaos because… wow. I need to read book four. Immediately.