Blood Bound is a story about underdogs, power struggles, and friendship. If you think, why pick between witches and dragons, then pick this one up! I enjoyed Blood Bound and this dual POV style. Keep reading this book review of Blood Bound for my full thoughts.
Summary
You duel or you die.
Astrid has always known she is destined to die. She is the last Nachstern witch and heir to the Queendom of Arturea, cursed by a centuries-old covenant to duel the heir to the Kingdom of Vatra for the source of all magic: the Heart. And now Astrid’s time is up. She is heading into enemy territory to face Prince Zryan, the most powerful dragon rider in eons, with only her familiar, her potions, and her wits to aid her. She is going to die, and any chance her queendom has of curing the Blight that’s ravaging the lands and killing her people will die with her.
Meanwhile, deep in dragon country, Skylar and her travelling troupe arrive in Vatra’s capital, ready to profit off the legions of spectators swarming to the city ahead of the duel. She despises the royals and all they stand for, especially as the King’s guard murdered her mother. But when her best friend disappears, suspected to have been taken in the conscription, her search takes her closer to the royals than she ever could have imagined.
As the duel looms over the kingdom, Skylar and Astrid’s fates intertwine. They must battle a growing rebellion, their inner demons, and ultimately, those they love most, to determine if together they will save—or doom—their world.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Blood Bound promises found family, fated mates, and fighting to the death. What could go wrong? But what I enjoyed was this underdog character, training montages, and friendship. It’s a story about characters who are thrown into these larger power struggles. And we wonder if a shred of them can survive beyond their fates, their destiny, and their battles. I also loved how much we saw both witch familiars and dragons! This dual POV story will stretch the limits of friendship to the edges. It becomes a story wondering if they can survive against all odds. There’s a large cast of characters to pick from which I enjoyed!
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Blood Bound is a series starter and you can tell. Not because it feels rushed, but because it feels unhurried. We can see the foundation being laid in the best way. The threads of these characters are developed while there’s this disconnect between royalty, power, and the people beneath them. The larger theme and world commentary comes a bit later and the whole thing has this slowly growing pace which I appreciated. This is one of my favorite series starter I read so far in 2026. Find Blood Bound on Goodreads, Storygraph, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.