Book Review: Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter

Just when I thought I’d had my fill of books featuring dragons, Blood Bound came along and reminded me why I love the romantasy genre so much. Set in a magical world of witches and dragon riders fighting for control, it centres on two heirs on opposing sides who must face off against each other in a deadly competition to save the future of their people.

As a Nachstern witch and the heir of Arturea, Princess Astrid has always known the day would come when she’d have to enter the arena and duel to the death. With her queendom suffering from a terrible blight, her last hope lies in winning the competition and gaining control of the Heart: the source of all magic. But with a lethal dragon rider as an opponent, and only her potions, wits and a feline familiar to aid her, the odds are not in Astrid’s favour.

On the other side of the fight, deep in dragon country, is Skylar, who’s desperately searching for her best friend, who she fears has been taken in the king’s conscription of those with Blooded powers. She despises the royals, would rather die than fight for them, but her path for answers puts her on a collision course with not only the scheming royal family but with Astrid too. As the duel looms, Skylar and Astrid’s lives intertwine in ways neither of them could have ever anticipated, forcing them to choose between loyalty and survival.

Arriving hot on the heels of Sarah J. Maas’ ACOTAR, Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series and Carissa Broadbent’s Crowns of Nyaxia novels, Blood Bound takes everything readers love about these books and twists it into a fantasy story that feels fresh and exciting – something that’s increasingly difficult to achieve in a genre oversaturated with tales of underdog heroes, fated mates, shadow daddies and fight-or-die competitions. The story is full of delicious tension, tender emotional beats and the kind of heart-in-your-mouth action scenes that will have you clutching the pages with a vice-like grip. It’s as much a story of friendship, sisterhood and spiritual soulmates, as it is romantic love and familial devotion, which makes the stakes feel high and, more importantly, real.

But what makes this dual POV novel such a satisfying read is how Ellis Hunter – the pen name for authors Katie Ellis-Brown and Becky Hunter – gleefully subvert the romantasy tropes they initially appear to be setting up. From the brooding royal dragon rider who instantly catches Astrid’s eye (I had genuine heart eyes every time Zryan entered the scene), to the final-third plot twist (one of many!) that rewrites the rules for what’s yet to come, nothing is ever quite what it seems. Blood Bound keeps readers in a constant state of slow-burn suspense and the authors aren’t afraid to kill a character off, causing Game of Thrones levels of foreboding and a genuine fear of getting too attached to the heroes in case something terrible happens (which, given the dangers, is highly likely).

There’s such a joy in going into a book thinking you’re going to be getting one kind of story and realising early on that the authors were craftily weaving an altogether different story all along. Blood Bound is a love letter to fantasy romance but it offers so much more than the synopsis suggests. With big-hearted characters, endearing animal familiars, thrilling magic, and fierce bonds forged not just through blood but through love and loyalty, this fantasy debut has it all.

★★★★★

Blood Bound was published by HarperVoyager on 7 May 2026