The Bound Gods Series by Adrienne Wilder
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My Recommended Read:
Adrienne’s books are always emotional, heart-breaking, and devastating, and there is no truer example of this than the amazing Bound Gods series. The world-building is epic, the characters are full of depth, emotions, and pull the reader in, leaving them heavily invested. These books are not for the faint of heart and must be read in order. They work together in a grand overarching plot that comprises multiple characters, POVs, and storylines that weave in and out of each installment. This series is a combination of urban fantasy, paranormal, and epic fantasy that comes together to create one of the most unique series out there today. One of the best series out there for LGBT+ characters, and each has a depth and authenticity that only comes from the talented mind of an author who really cares about the story and readers.
Book Order:
Book One: The Chimera
Kaleb Holten’s father’s debt to an underground group The Association has just been called in, and the man can’t pay the loan. Instead of turning over his wealth, he releases his son and Kaleb finds himself thrown into a world where a class of men see themselves as untouchable. Going so far as to call themselves gods.
After the Great Economic Collapse there are no laws that cannot be broken. And Kaleb is forced into a ten-year sentence of servitude where he will have no say, no rights, no value and yet be coveted and protected as if he were a priceless treasure.
Leo Roan, has slipped the noose the Association bound him with by breaking his addiction to ambrosia and Kaleb Holten was supposed to be his last assignment as a doxie Master. But something about the boy begins weaving a new net that will not only ensnare him but the conscious darkness inside, that craves pain, agony, suffering, and death.
Book Two: Chained
Leo has been sent on a mission to find a missing doxie. And after weeks at Leo’s side, Kaleb is suddenly alone. Free of the cruelty the Chimera, he should be rejoicing. But instead, he becomes aware of a void in his heart, he never knew was there until Leo wasn’t there to fill it. When Leo returns Kaleb is faced with the choice of disobeying Leo—forcing him to take ambrosia—or risk losing him forever.
With a single flower, Leo is back under the control of the Association. And what kind of punishment is suitable for a doxie who disobeys his Master, even though it saves his life? Leo has a list of ideas, starting with Kaleb’s first visit to a Gathering.
At the Gathering of the gods, doxies, and mortal men, Kaleb first lays eyes on Aaron. The beautiful doxie is presented by the god Sol. There he will be fed the ambrosia, Awakened to his journey of immortality, and then serve his god, Sol, for all to see. Only the horror of Aaron’s treatment by Sol makes Kaleb realize monsters come in many forms.
And not all of them hunt doxies
Book Three: Betrayed
The stakes are rising.
As the god-son closes in leaving more bodies in its wake, treason and betrayal against the Association is unveiled. An inquiry for the Goddesses has been called, threatening everything Leo holds dear.
And the Chimera is not about to let go without a fight.
Despite the dangers lurking in the shadows, Leo wants his doxie Kaleb to think of only one thing. Him. His training. His purpose. And embrace the reality of what he is and not be ashamed of his attraction to Aaron, the doxie tossed aside by Sol.
Attraction is one thing. Bringing the boy to their bed is something else entirely. Kaleb can’t possibly want anyone but Leo. A lie Kaleb will pay dearly for. Penance Leo will be more than happy to deliver.
But penance for a lie will pale in comparison to what Kaleb must do to keep Sol from taking Aaron away, and invoking the Chimera into a lifetime in chains.
Book Four: Reborn
Leo promised to keep Aaron and Kaleb forever. Yet he’s left them with nothing more than a note with instructions to obey the commands of another god? A god who has the key to Kaleb’s collar. A god who will tell them nothing about what’s happened to Leo or where he’s gone.
Kaleb and Aaron both fear the worst. That Leo has not abandoned them, but left them because he won’t be coming back. Not because he doesn’t want to, but because he can’t.
Too many have died and the god-son is growing stronger. With no way for any god to track it, Leo has only one choice left. Fight fire with fire.
Or in this case Chimera against Chimera.
The problem is Leo has always maintained control of the beast within him. Using its natural senses to do what no other can. In order to stand a chance at tracking and killing the god-son Leo must give the Chimera within complete control.
And the Chimera might not let him return if he does.
Book Five: Crocuta Crocuta
For a god, what could be closer to heaven than living in a safe haven like Sanctuary, with an endless supply of ambrosia, delivered by the beautiful bodies of the Doxies in Alton’s harem?
But unlike the majority of the gods in Sanctuary who are less than human, Cerberus isn’t exotic or fantastical. His appearance, his…habits…have become the horror stories whispered on the lips of Doxies.
And while Cerberus might be immortal, his pride is not indestructible. Seeing the love of a Doxie for a monster like the Chimera, shatters it.
A chance encounter with an undocumented Doxie named Owen begins to transform Cerberus’s life. At least until Alton removes Owen from Cerberus’s care, banning the god from training the boy—to protect him from Cerberus’s animal nature.
In reality, Alton’s motives are far more frightening. And the truth could kill Cerberus and Owen both.
Book Six: The Claiming
What begins as a day of celebration, the Claiming of two Doxies to a single god, transforms into a spiraling path of cataclysmic change.
Hearts will break.
Friendships will shatter.
And betrayal to those closest to the heart of the Association is only a small price to pay for the protection of the gods’ most precious possessions…
Doxies.
Book Seven: Purgatory
Purgatory is where gods go to die, imprisoned for their violent crimes, sentenced to never see the light of day again. Trapped within the stone catacombs are impossible, dangerous, barely human gods.
Gods of legend.
And with the potent ambrosia Aaron produces, those gods might soon walk free. If they do, blood will rain and hell will be unleashed.
*****
Trigger Warning: This product contains nuts.
Oh, and it’s the second-half of a three part installment and ends on a ditchhanger.
Or maybe even a gullyhanger.
But definitely nothing nerve wrenching enough to qualify as a cliffhanger.
Book Eight: God Of Monsters
There is nothing stronger than the heart of a Doxie, and at the same time, there is nothing more fragile.
And when it breaks?
The shards cut deep, and the wound never heals.
Just when you thought the betrayal couldn’t go any deeper, it reaches all the way to Purgatory.
Warning: The ending of this installment is HFN but abrupt. And this timeline will not pick up until Bound Gods 10 which is where all the storylines merge for the final apocalyptic battle for the survival of the Doxies.
Book Nine: The Stone God
He has destroyed empires, erased entire civilizations, crushed armies of millions.
No man, woman, or child is safe from his wrath.
No god or monster.
He is an unstoppable force.
A god who kneels to no one.
At least until Jessie Collins became a part of his life
This book is an “end for now”. The timeline begins before book 6 and ends after book 8. It will meet up with the timeline of those books in books 10. The Stone God contains lots of side information that occurred in books 6-8 that only make sense when applied to this particular story. But it will also help you understand some of the motives of certain characters in those past books as well.
Again, this isn’t the final story. You’re just getting a different perspective of that downward spiral into hell. As well as a lot of information that you will need to understand the next installment.
Trigger warning: About 100 times the recommended daily dose of vitamin D.
Side effects may include, sore jaw, sitting crooked, not sitting at all, pain when swallowing, back pain, knee pain, muscle cramps,
sleepiness, staying up all night reading, and disturbing thoughts. Use care when operating battery-powered devices.
Proceed with caution.
And a lot of lubricant.
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