A mini review from Caz of the final book in the Wild Hearts series.
Narrated by Greg Boudreaux
Family matters.
With the help of his found family and his beloved Prince Sylvain, Lochlann Wilde has finally conquered the four oriels of the Wispwood. Now that the elemental gemstones are united in his amulet, Locke can earn Aphrodite’s favor.
Whatever that may be. But there’s plenty to do in the meantime, anyway. Catching up with his mom, for example, or exploring his true identity as a half-undine human. Sylvain’s hotness and histrionics keep him very busy, too.
But something strange is afoot at the academy. The arrival of a familiar face, a mythical mage, a living legend… except that no one even knew he was still alive.
Grand Summoner Baylor Wilde has returned to the Wispwood.
This review contains spoilers for the previous books in the series.
The finale to Nazri Noor’s Wild Hearts series, Bonds of Blood provides some long-awaited answers to the questions posed throughout the series and an HEA for Locke and his fae prince – but not before our heroes finally come face to face with the perpetrator of the Withering and the plot to destroy the Wispwood and everyone in it. At the end of Sons of Sorrow, Locke learned that the mother he’d believed dead was not only alive, but that she was an undine, an elemental being associated with water – which explains his newly-discovered ability to breathe underwater. As he and his mother become reacquainted, news reaches the Wispwood about his other parent – Grand Summoner Baylor Wilde has returned and wants to reunite with his family. But all is not as it seems, and, on top of shocking revelations, comes a terrible betrayal, one that could cost Locke everything he’s ever wanted, while Sylvain has to trust that there are some bonds even stronger than the bonds of blood.
Bonds of Blood is the shortest book in the series (the audio comes in at just over four hours) and the author doesn’t waste any time getting into the thick of the action. The pieces quickly fall into place, and with the stakes higher than ever, Locke, Sylvain and their friends are caught up in a battle for survival against their deadliest and most devious enemy yet.
I enjoyed the story and the way Locke’s friends and everyone at the Wispwood rallied round to do whatever they had to to fight off the danger, and Locke and Sylvain’s HEA is well-deserved. I can’t deny, though, that this feels more like an extended epilogue than a complete novel; perhaps these events should have been incorporated into a longer book four rather than published separately. I was pleased with the uneasy truce reached by Locke and Evander Skink, but there’s no resolution to the mini-bombshell dropped in Sons of Sorrow over the question of Sylvain’s parentage.
It’s always a pleasure to listen to Greg Boudreaux, and he once again delivers an excellent performance comprising a wide variety of characterisations and perfectly realised emotions. I love the way he conveys Sylvain’s deadpan humour and Locke’s long-suffering but affectionate snark; his raspy interpretation of Headmaster Shivers is really creepy, and the smarmy arrogance that oozes from Baylor Wilde is spot on. The large secondary cast is superbly rendered, from goddesses to unicorns to tiny fire demons and pixies, and the action scenes are tense and exciting. Mr. Boudreaux’s work on this series has been superb throughout and I really hope he gets the opportunity to work with the author again someday.
So it’s goodbye to Locke, Sylvain and everyone in the Wispwood, and a big thank you to Nazri Noor for sharing them and their stories with us. Bonds of Blood is a satisfying conclusion to the Wild Hearts series and I’m eagerly looking forward to Iron Hearts, due to follow later this year.
Caz
Buy Bonds of Blood by Nazri Noor on Amazon
