Book Confessions: Did I Accidentally Start a Series Mid-Way? My Experience with Bound by Prophecy

You know that feeling? The one where you’re super excited about a new book, the cover looks incredible, and you're ready to dive in... only to realize, three pages in, that you might have skipped the first book?

Well, that was my experience with Bound by Prophecy by Melissa Wright.

The Gorgeous Cover Lie

I'm going to start with a confession: I absolutely, 100% judge a book by its cover. And on that front, Bound by Prophecy is a winner. It’s got that beautiful, serious, epic fantasy look—all lovely colors, intriguing models, and a hint of dark magic. It promised a grand, sweeping paranormal adventure. My hopes were sky-high!



But as the saying goes, looks can be deceiving.

The second I cracked the book open, I felt like I had walked into a room where everyone was already deep in conversation. The story kicks off with such an immediate sense of urgency that it completely threw me off balance.

The main characters seemed to know each other intimately, despite having, apparently, just met. There was a desperate chase happening, a mysterious bad guy being referred to by his first name, and a threat that was never clearly defined. Seriously, what were they being chased for? I read the first few pages three times, trying to backtrack and find the crucial information I must have missed.

I can handle a little confusion in the beginning of a fantasy novel—it's part of the world-building, right? But this felt less like an intriguing mystery and more like I’d opened a random chapter in a five-book series. (Turns out, it actually is the first book in the "Descendants" series—but it definitely doesn't read like one!)

I am usually one of those "I must finish every book, even if it kills me" kind of readers. I need to know the ending, even for the bad ones! But after soldiering on for a few chapters, I had to tap out.

I couldn't quite connect with either of the main characters, and because I was so busy trying to figure out the basic plot, I couldn't invest in their fate. If you don't care about the characters, it's impossible to care about the prophecy, the magic, or the secret war they are apparently fighting. The moment I set it down, I felt a familiar pang of guilt, but also a wave of relief.

The Verdict (It's Not a "Don't Read This" Review)

Look, my reading experience is just one opinion. I'm not saying don't read this book—not at all! It has all the elements a great Paranormal YA Fantasy needs: magic, secret worlds, a powerful prophecy, and brooding heroes. It just wasn't the right fit for me at the moment, and I struggled with the jump-right-in narrative style.

If you enjoy a plot that hits the ground running and doesn't hold your hand, or if you're already familiar with Melissa Wright's other work, you might actually love this fast-paced start!

If you want to give it a shot and see if the action draws you in where it lost me, you can grab a copy here: Link

Happy reading, and let me know in the comments if you've read it and what your experience was! Maybe you can tell me what they were running from! 😉

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