In paranormal romance, vampires, werewolves and shapeshifters seem to dominate. I enjoy these books, but I also find myself intrigued by other paranormal stories. In her debut novel Erin Kellison explores other themes and takes readers into a sometimes creepy world as she explores the fae, mortality, souls and a world growing ever more filled with creatures who have given up their souls and now feed upon others. Though not a perfect read, it is an enjoyable one.

As the book opens, an otherworldly man is falling in love with a very frail woman. Under the rules of his realm, he cannot be with her and yet he longs for her. As he breaks the rules, consequences in the form of an evil creature enter our world, setting the stage for what will come a generation later.

In the present-day, wraiths have started to establish a foothold in our world. These wraiths were once human, but they have lost their identities, becoming soul stealers who steal the souls of victims by kissing them. Adam Thorne’s parents were killed by a wraith, and he started the Segue Institute to study these creatures and learn how they became wraiths, as well as how to destroy them. Unable to kill the wraith who murdered his parents, Adam keeps him imprisoned deep within Segue until he can learn how to finally destory him.

In his studies, Adam comes across a reference in a paper by doctoral student Talia O’Brien which matches something the wraith at Segue screamed about in one of his rants. Convinced that this reference may hold the key to further discovery, Adam sets out to recruit Talia for Segue. It appears he may do so by force if he must. Adam discovers Talia in hiding in the aftermath of a wraith attack that left her roommate dead. The two manage to escape pursuit and get back to Segue. Talia wishes to leave, but Adam is desperate for her knowledge and convinces her to at least stay briefly. While I understood Adam’s desperation, he also has a tendency to be a little too high-handed at first.

Fortunately, as the plot develops, Adam calms down somewhat, and he and Talia begin to build a relationship. It’s not romantic at first, though one can certainly tell that things will eventually build into a romance. While Talia is at Segue, it becomes apparent that she is more than just a researcher. Something about her seems to affect wraiths and it looks as if she may hold some sort of key to defeating them. From this point onward, Shadow Bound becomes much more of an adventure story. The leads often find themselves in jeopardy, and the story grows darker and darker. The romance between Adam and Talia still develops, but it takes something of a backseat to the action.

Overall, I actually liked the story. Still, it’s impossible to ignore the rough spots. As Adam and Talia alternately hunt and are hunted by wraiths, the action does not always flow smoothly. There are sometimes info dumps or moments where the storytelling feels a little jumpy. Even so, the author’s fantasy world is an interesting one and while readers will probably recognize some of the references to various mythologies, she also adds twists of her own to it. The explorations into how wraiths are formed and what they mean in terms what a soul really is also have some interesting aspects to them. I could have used a little more romance, but given the storyline, I can see why the author had to focus more on the fantasy/adventure thriller plot aspects.

In some ways, this book reads like a rich, multilayered fantasy. In others, it’s very like a romantic thriller. Either way, it’s an intriguing debut and I’m glad I read it. If you’re in the mood for romance and dark fantasy, this might be just the book for you. Even with the rough patches, there’s an intriguing world awaiting discovery here, and I’ll be coming back for the sequel.