REVIEW: Unbound (All Good Things #1) by Georgia Bell

After her father dies, Rachel realizes she is scared and stuck. Scared of heights, of cars, of disasters harming the people she loves. Stuck in a life that is getting smaller by the minute. Stuck with a secret she has kept all her life: Someone has been watching over her since birth. Someone who tends to show up when she needs him the most. Someone she believes is her guardian angel. 

Eaden is a 1,500-year-old immortal who wants to die. Drained by a life stretched too thin, he has requested his final reward – a mortal sacrifice bred specifically to bring him death. But something went wrong. Rachel’s ability to grant death has mutated in ways that threaten to upset the uneasy alliance between mortals and immortals. And utterly beguiled, Eaden discovers that although Rachel is the key to his death, because of her, he no longer wants to die. And he will do anything to protect her. 

Swept into a world of legends, caught between the warring political factions of immortals, and carrying the future of mortal kind in her flesh and bone, Rachel must risk everything to save her world and the man she loves.

My Thoughts:

My desperate screams fade into the fog. Because I know what's coming. It's death, of course. And it's looking for me.

Eighteen year old Rachel is a shy and timid girl. She is often overcome with fears and insecurities. With only one real friend to speak of, her social life consists of not much more than going to work in the local library. Since she was a very young girl, she has been convinced that she has a guardian angel watching over her. She feels protected by him from afar. But after a series of events Rachel vows to get to the bottom of her protectors appearances and what she learns about Eaden and herself will change her life in ways she never could have imagined.

I found Unbound to be quite a unique and original story. I hadn't read this concept of mortals and immortals being so intricately connected before. I loved learning the back story to the immortals and the consequences of living so long, and where Rachel fits into it all.

For the most part the story flowed quite smoothly, but there were occasions when I found things to be a little stilted. I think it may have in some part been to how formal Eaden came across at times. I suppose that comes down to Eaden being 1500 years old.

"For the last five years I've been so afraid, all the time." I looked at her through my tears and shook my head. "But I'm not afraid of him. Never him. He's the safest thing I know."

I really found myself enjoying the uncovering of the mysterious Eaden. I found him to be quite a multilayered character. At first he comes across as quite solitary, and that's really how he lives his life. But once Eaden and Rachel begin their journey, we get to know Eaden on a much greater level and he is quite a respected and admired member of his community.

Rachel was at times much older than her age. And then at others she seemed so very young. But above all else she is strong when she needs to be. Forced to grow up much quicker than most girls due to the death of her father and her mothers subsequent inability to be a consistent parent.

The best part of the story for me was the last third as the action and suspense picked up. This was when I really felt most connected to the characters and was really convinced of the feelings that Rachel and Eaden shared.

Unbound started out incredibly promising. I was loving the mystery of being watched over by someone your whole life. Always feeling protected even though you don't really have any great physical contact. Then the story became a little lost in the middle section and I did find my mind straying a bit during that period, but then the pacing and excitement level picked up again in the last third and I was on board again. A nice read, just not one that blew my mind.

3/5 Intriguing Stars