Bound by Flames audiobook

5 Overcoming Together Stars*Spoilers *First read Dec 7 2015 Reread Dec 2 2019 Reread 4/30/21 Reread 8/18/2021 Reread 5/4/22"You aren’t just my weakness, Leila.” Vlad drew me next to him, one hand sliding along my jaw while the other caressed my back. “You are my destruction, because if I were to lose you, it would finish me.”-Vlad “Leila,” Vlad said in a carefully controlled tone when I sat back down. “I’ve seen enough suffering in my time to know that everyone handles it differently. If you want to talk about what happened, I will listen. If you don’t, I won’t press you. If you need anything, you will have it. Do you understand?”-VladBound by Flames, the 3rd book in the Night Prince Series, was Vlad-tastic. But Damn this book goes dark!!! Leila is kidnapped when her and Vlad's house is bombed, she is skinned alive, has her arm ripped off, starved , almost raped, Fake raped twice (Maximus tapes his stuff to him and tapes her too, then has to fake rape Leila while being video taped so the vamp that kidnapped Leila thinks she has been raped), and held against her will for more than a week. The tape of her (fake) rape and of her being skinned alive are sent to Vlad along with her skin that they removed, to drive him mad. See DARK!!!!!!!!“It changes nothing between us,” he breathed against my skin. “I love you, Leila, no matter what he or anyone else did.”-Vlad “Perhaps. I will always have enemies, and though I intend to crush them all, I want your word that you will continue to do whatever it takes in order to survive. You can’t let yourself be crippled by guilt, fear, or hesitation ever again. Promise me.”-VladI can't even begin to tell of the depth of emotion this book pulled out of me. Vlad and Leila in this book were amazing. Leila was so brave and strong. She went through so much and yet she was strong enough to worry more about Vlad then herself. She is a fighter. She did what she had to, to survive. She not only did want she had to she kicked some ass! Vlad, OMG if I wasn't already in love with Vlad I would have been after reading this book. Vlad did some major growing in this book. The way he was with Leila after he got her back, the way he supported her and the things that man said, I melted. Vlad is so raw and sexy in this book, he is like a yummy feral beast. Vlad also really lets his vulnerable side show to Leila in this book. His walls came down, and he starts to really treat Leila like a equal instead of trying to lock her safely away. But don't worry he may show a little vulnerability to Leila, but he is still bad-ass, borderline crazy, pole happy Vlad!“You’re mine,” he breathed against my neck when his lips left mine to travel lower. “Forever. Say it.” “I’m yours,” I swore, the words ragged from passion. “Forever. Now, take me and prove it.”-Vlad and Leila “Thank you for answering my questions, and now I want to tell you something personal. It’s not nearly as deep or important, but . . . I’m glad you’re the only man I’ve ever slept with. For years, my voltage issues kept me a virgin whether I wanted to be or not, but then I met you and it felt like . . . you were the one I’d been waiting for, even when I didn’t know it.” My voice caught. “Even with all the awful things that happened, if I was thrown back in time, I would still grab that power line because it’s what eventually brought me to you.”-LeilaMaximus really redeemed himself in this book for me. By the end of the last book, I didn't care much for him. In this book he showed his loyalty to Vlad. My heart hurt for the friendship between them that has been damaged so badly. I hope in the next book they can make up, because Vlad doesn't have many true friends and too many people have backstabbed him in the last few books. I love that Cat was able to finally help Vlad for once and I thought it was sweet that Vlad claimed Katie (Cat and Bones's daughter) as one of his people to help protect her, making him uncle Vlad. We also got a little bit of Mencheres in this book too, but no Ian sadly. Leila's Dad drove me crazy. For real he and Justina should start dating they are both terrible parents. “I treasure the gift of your virginity, but if you’d given it to another I would still love you to the same dangerous degree. You are in my soul, and nothing you did before we met or will do in the future can change that. And to answer the question you’ve never asked me, yes, I do love you more than I loved Clara. If she were alive now, I would still choose you.”-Vlad “Just because you didn’t torture him doesn’t mean you weren’t rough, but I know why you did it.” I threaded my fingers through his hair. “Thank you for trying to protect me.” The barest smile touched his mouth. “I prefer simply killing people who hurt you. Much less complicated that way.” “Then you showed a lot of restraint,” I said, smiling back because I knew that my dad had been in no danger. “And because I haven’t told you this nearly enough, I love you.”-Leila and VladBound by Flames was action packed, emotional, sweet, and so exciting that I sped my way through it, unable to put it down. Though it has some dark parts, the romantic parts, the strength of Vlad and Leila's relationship balanced it well. There are even some laugh out loud funny moments. The epilogue was just too damn funny. This was a great read and awesome addition to the Night Prince series. I can't flippin' wait until the last book comes out in 2016. Below I leave my favorite moment from this book: “Aside from Mencheres, you are the truest friend I have ever had.” Vlad’s voice was so thick from emotion, it was almost choked. “And yet I meant what I said. A good man could forget, but I can’t, and so I cannot reward your loyalty with what I promised. You have no place in my line, Maximus, and you never will.” A harsh sigh escaped Maximus and my heart broke as his shoulders began to shake with suppressed sobs. “I didn’t do this for a place back in your line.” Each word was a rasp. “I did it for you.” Vlad kissed him, once on each cheek. Maximus bent his head until their foreheads touched. “You are my friend forever, voivode meu,” Maximus murmured. “Princes don’t have friends, they have subjects,” Vlad said in an equally low voice. “You are no longer my subject, but even though I will not see you again, you will forever be my friend.” He kissed Maximus one more time on the forehead, and then released him. “Go,” he said, the word as ragged as the regret strafing my feelings. Maximus bowed, turned . . . and paused. “I can’t. The floor’s molten rock and you caved in the only way out.” The barest smile twitched Vlad’s lips. “Rather ruins the moment, doesn’t it?” Maximus’s mouth curled faintly as well. “Good thing neither of us is sentimental.”-Vlad and Maximus

Reread September 2017 I pretty much feel the same way I did when I first read it. It's been two years and I didn't remember anything, so it was a nice refresher before I read the next book.--------original review below----------- 4 Dracul-A stars! “Love cuts deeper than the sharpest blade, cripples more than shattered bones, and leaves scars that can never fade.” Yet another fun and action packed novel by Jeaniene Frost! I will say, I had my doubts about this spin-off series, but Ms. Frost has made me fall in love with Vlad and Leila.In this third (yet not final) book in the Night Prince series, Leila and Vlad have discovered the existance of a once thought dead enemy. I would write his name in the review, but it's so damn weird and complicated, I would have to look back into my paperback copy for the spelling and then copy and paste that shit because dude, it's a weird name. Like souvlaki or something.Anyways, Leila and Vlad are doing their best to find their enemy before his finds them, but this is easier said than done. I can't say anymore about the plot without giving it away so I'll stop while I'm ahead. Really loved the development of Leila and Vlad's relationship in this one. It was a giant lesson in marriage being a give and take situation, and both Vlad and Leila did their best to support the other's beliefs and actions to some extent. Well, kind of. “Compromise Lesson One: Pull a dick move, and your dick gets denied. Every woman knew that, and now, so did the vampire sitting next to me.” I will say, this book was HOT. And by hot, I mean steamy, and the fact that Vlad literally melted stone. Thats 2000+ degrees F!! I don't think I've said it before, but because I am a giant nerd I'm going to say it now. Did anyone else watch the tv show Angel? You know, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff? Well there was a character named Gwen who could electrocute people with her skin. Sounds familiar? "You are in my soul, and nothing you did before we met or will do in the future can change that.” Well there's not much more to say, this is a weird and short review for me. I absolutely enjoyed reading this book, and now I'm kind of pissed that there's a fourth one out there in the universe. Now just got to wait patiently. Follow me on ♥ Facebook ♥ Blog ♥ Instagram ♥ Twitter ♥

Play with fire, pay the price. “You aren’t just my weakness, Leila.” Vlad drew me next to him, one hand sliding along my jaw while the other caressed my back. “You are my destruction, because if I were to lose you, it would finish me.” This is an another awesome instalment with no stop action. Leila will be taken by Vlad's worst enemy.Can much can she endure? The torturing? The skinning alive? The dismembering? The lack of blood? The rape?Vlad will get the audiotapes and once more he will see his best friend betraying him. Everything will be burned down without hesitation. He will almost kill all his people. Nobody is as important as Leila. Nobody! She has managed to be his greatest weakness.Vlad will beg and make deals in order to find her. He will use any possible ally. Leila will try to get some blood and get some of her powers back with any way possible.When Leila is saved, they will both feel guilty. Leila will feel guilty because she feels that she betrayed him, while Vlad will feel guilty because he made her a target. But true love is always present. And maybe Vlad and Leila need to be married again to prove it. “Love cuts deeper than the sharpest blade, cripples more than shattered bones, and leaves scars that can never fade.” Vlad has always been an old-fashioned guy who needs to protect the females. Leila will prove to him that she can be also a weapon, not just a weakness.

Reread #4 January 13th 2022 - I don't know what's going on but I'm really liking my fourth reread of this series. Don't ask me why I'm making it a point to read this series this many times because I wouldn't know how to answer that question. *shrugs* Happy reading everyone! ♡____________________Reread #3 September 2021: I still agree that my initial review was overly harsh. I don't know if I've mentioned this but the year of 2015 and the following years were very rough for me due to a multitude of reasons I will not get into. It was clear, looking back now, that I was projecting what I was going through on this novel/story. In some ways, I regret how I went about that review. But alas, it was how I felt at that moment even though it doesn't reflect what I feel today about this series after rereading it for the THIRD (wow!) time ♡ Still a 4 star read!____________________Update After Rereading July 2020: It seems like I was very harsh on this series during my first read-through. I had a lasting impression that Vlad was a domineering overpowering a**, but after thinking it through and with the revelations throughout these books so far he's actually not that bad. I must have been projecting my problems on Vlad at the time because I've done a complete 180 on where I stand on these books. Also, my anger with Leila's family this time around is nonexistent. They're there and they serve a very small purpose for Leila's character development and the plot but that's about it. I don't really like or dislike them at this point.My Updated Rating: 4 Stars ____________________Originally posted at: My Rating: 3 StarsPainfully neutral are the words I'd use to describe my feelings for this book. How unfortunate because I was looking forward to this releasing. I can say one thing: I LOVE that cover.Leila is as kick a** as ever. She's actually one of the things I liked about this book. She finds a way to survive torture (for the second time) and defeat the enemy, all the while keeping her boyfriend happy.Speaking of Dracula....oh I'm sorry Vlad Dracul. He's gotten too domineering and over baring. Leila had to suffer another (third) round of torture because he was trying to protect her in a mansion everyone knew was his and that she was staying there. There was absolutely NO CHANCE, not even 0.1% that the enemy would attack, right? RIGHT?Also what does Leila's family do for the plot/storyline? My guess: add drama. Other then a few smart remarks from Gretchen there was barely any character development whatsoever. Which was disappointing because I wanted to see if her father would finally understand what happened as a necessity and accept it as a fact of life.Final thoughts: I will probably end up buying the next book (last?) because of the awesome cover I already envision it having, but I'm not sure I care enough about the characters at this point to actually summon up some reaction to the mild cliffhanger.My Favorite Quotes:"Playing dead worked when confronted with an angry grizzly, but Vlad was more like a dragon. You either fought back or you got your ass burned off while you ran away.""The nine pounds Gretchen had gained must've come from her new brass balls.""Because love cuts deeper than the sharpest blade, cripples more than shattered bones, and leaves scars that can never fade."

3,5 starsBound by Flames by Jeaniene Frost is the 3rd book in the Night Prince Series, and continues the story of Vlad Dracul and Leila.This was pretty dark. Leila is kidnapped, tortured, skinned alive, almost raped by the most evil and sinister and menacing vampire ever...Szilavyi, who is Vlad's enemy and who blows up Vlad's home!!! Most of the story is devoted to the horrible things that happens to Leila and Vlad. There wasn't much romance or sex here!!! The ending felt a bit rushed and of course there's the cliff-hanger we left with, which we now have to wait for the next book to come out.My favourite quotes: “You’re mine,” he breathed against my neck when his lips left mine to travel lower. “Forever. Say it.” “I’m yours,” I swore, the words ragged from passion. “Forever. Now, take me and prove it.” “Because love cuts deeper than the sharpest blade, cripples more than shattered bones, and leaves scars that can never fade.” “I’d blush if I wasn’t undead,”

I'm going to fangirl all over this review. I can just feel it in my bones. This is such an amazing series, and probably the best spin-off series I've ever read. I loved the Night Huntress series too, but I was a little let down on how Up From the Grave ended Cat and Bone's story, but the Night Prince series has never disappointed me. I would recommend these amazing books with all my heart. Blog | Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram | Youtube | Twitch

While the other books in this series had lili tension and couple fights, this book... shit went down, hella dark, and it broke my godddamn heartLook at that, I'm such a poetLeila is a sweet caring proper young lady who is "never" reckless and really thinks about the consequences of all her actions “Let me go, I need to do this,” I tried to say, but the words came out unintelligible. Unable to talk, I glared at him. Couldn’t he see that I had to cut my head off? Right now?” Haha just kidding! Okay so yes while Leila’s character isn’t as bloodthirsty as Cat, Lelia has her own style and share of cussing out vampires and kicking asses “He turned around to glare at me. “Want it in English? Fine. You’re the bastard daughter of a diseased whore.”I snorted. “Have to give it to you older vamps. Your insults are much more colorful than my generation’s variations on ‘fuck you, you fucking fuck.” I loved Leila and Vlad’s dynamic: it was hilarious, swooning, and the ever cliche made for each other “Vlad flashed a tolerant look at Mencheres. “Pay this no mind. She always argues with me when I propose to her.” He is the only authentic Vlad. All other vampires are just poor imitations. Vlad is one of the most complex characters i have ever read. He is damaged but dangerous, complex but lives by simple rules... and he is so goddamn sexy. I loved Vlad’s character scare appearances in the first series so it was pretty awesome getting to learn more about him. “Vlad opened his eyes, torment reflecting in his coppery green depths. “I am responsible for the Dracula hype.”I stared at him, certain that I must have briefly gone insane and misheard him. “What” But where this series could've worked to develop this world more, instead it chose to focus on trivial plot actions. Seriously Night Prince is practically defined by its action-packed with flares of humor wrapped around the stupidity of the bad guys “I couldn’t help it—I laughed with demented amusement. After all the backfiring I’d experienced with my abilities, the necromancer’s spell biting him in the ass in such a stupendous way was the most hilarious thing I’d heard all month.” Where the first series didn't have that sense of vulnerability and connection, the author tried to make up for it ... via traumatizing events. Which sometimes works and sometimes just pisses you off. So I gotta be honest in saying that this book went down a darker road with torture and godddamn it the separation and the pain and feels and hurt and shit blowing up. I almost cried like three times, so please know this is not for the light of heart or fun violence of the first book. All of these characters and actions are way more traumatized and just.. dark. okay it was some dark personal heavy shit that I was not expecting and caught me off guard.

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads.Jeaniene Frost is renowned the world over for her oh-my-god-is-it-hot-in-here scenes, but she can also rock the dark like nobody’s business, and readers were reminded of that fact with a vengeance in BOUND BY FLAMES. Graphic torture anyone? I’m talking flaying, limb amputation, silver poisoning, starvation, and pseudo rape. This installment was originally intended to be the finale of the NIGHT PRINCE series; however after listening to book 3, I can understand why the author decided to axe that plan. A new super villain has risen, Vlad & Leila didn’t get their HEA, and there’s still plenty of story left to tell!I’ve had a jumbo crush on Tepesh ever since his character debuted as a secondary in Frost’s NIGHT HUNTRESS novels, and it’s steadily grown into an all out obsession with this spin-off series. He could easily be king of the bad guys if it weren’t for Mrs. Dracula which makes him the ultimate antihero. We got to see a more vulnerable side to Vlad in this installment while as Leila was all steel and resolve. The balance of power in their relationship has been markedly one-sided until now, so I loved the role reversal, and as expected, the author didn’t hold back on the ravishing either. *winks*Maximus drove me nutso in the best kind of way, and I was happy that Leila’s father finally saw reason after his prolonged silent treatment of his daughter. Marty was as primo as always, and my hankering for a Cat & Bones cameo was quenched, although it’s worth pointing out that their part was somewhat spoiler-y if you haven’t read UP FROM THE GRAVE yet. Mencheres also popped in to say hi which made my character driven self very jubilant. You’ll notice that I’m glossing over the plot, and that’s because it puts to bed the main story arc, so I’m not willing to risk accidentally spilling the beans, but it’s DA BOMB!This was my first time listening to a NIGHT PRINCE audiobook, however I was already acquainted with Tavia Gilbert as a narrator, so I had zero quibbles about her performance going in. Her renditions of both of the protagonists were on par with those that I had inside my head prior to her voice taking them over. I’m a sucker for accents, and her English (Bones), Romanian (Vlad), and New Orleans (Marie) vernacular left me tickled pink. I’m still trying to determine whether it was the narration or the writing that has me dubbing this as my favourite installment, either way, I loved it!BOUND BY FLAMES will make you break out into a Snoopy happy dance!

- 5 stars

Leila and Vlad, recently married, are still grappling with control issues...she wanting to maintain a level of independence and he, well, was Vlad. Unfortunately, his instincts were dead on because it didn't take long for his worst enemy to wreak havoc in their lives. This was almost non stop action, barely giving me time to catch my breath and settle my nerves before the next onslaught of attacks. Leila couldn't have been tested more and ultimately Vlad. In a weird way, it forced Vlad to be more expressive towards Leila and I was pleased to understand the depths of his feelings toward her. Szilagyi is a formidable adversary and there were no limits to his brutality and cruelty. There were moments when I was reluctant to keep reading. I'm a HUGE Mencheres fan and he has spectacular appearances, along with Cat, Maximus and a few others you'll recognize. I didn't look at reviews prior to reading this book so I hadn't set any expectations. There was no predictability to be found here other than me feeling a bit overloaded near the end. And, yes, there was a pretty big surprise, setting up the final book in the series quite well. I enjoyed the story, even if it took a lot out of me emotionally.