Brimstone Bound by Helen Harper – A Book Review

Posted November 18, 2020 by Booksandblurbs in Reviews, Urban Fantasy / 1 Comment

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Brimstone Bound

(The Firebrand Series – Book 1)

by Helen Harper
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Urban Fantasy
Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited

Down & Dirty

The legend of the Phoenix takes drastic turn in this new Urban Fantasy – Free on Kindle Unlimited.

What is it about?

(Blurb from GoodReads)

A werewolf killer. A paranormal murder. How many times can Emma Bellamy cheat death?

I’m one placement away from becoming a fully fledged London detective. It’s bad enough that my last assignment before I qualify is with Supernatural Squad. But that’s nothing compared to what happens next.

Brutally murdered by an unknown assailant, I wake up twelve hours later in the morgue – and I’m very much alive. I don’t know how or why it happened. I don’t know who killed me. All I know is that they might try again.

Werewolves are disappearing right, left and centre.

A mysterious vampire seems intent on following me everywhere I go.

And I have to solve my own vicious killing. Preferably before death comes for me again.

My Thoughts on Brimstone Bound

Delightful… honestly, just delightful. This takes the Phoenix legend and transforms it to suit a new world, with new rules and new players. We have the prerequisite Vampires and Shifters, along with a whole host of ‘others’ – nestled into a Universe that knows about them… and has made plans to try to contain the powers that be.

London mirrors much of our own reality, with a few obvious additions, including a police department set aside strictly for the policing and dubious control of the ‘Supes’. Into this world, Emma stumbles, only three shakes from graduating as an official Detective, while she makes her final rounds in the various departments that make up the London Police. The Supe Squad is NOT where she wanted to land, but soon enough, she, and everyone around her, discover that it may be where she was meant to be all along.

Quick paced yet thorough with foundational work, this novel stretches its metaphorical wings and coaxes intrigue with its very nature. The kicker? What appears to be the main plot line somehow becomes secondary, obscured by events and resolved in mundane ways that honestly made my heart hurt for Emma. It was strikingly normal for an Urban Fantasy, and I appreciated the swerve.

Perspective:

First Person, Single POV

Ending Type:

Episodic

Rating:

Adult

Romantic Dynamic:

M/F

Character Age Range:

29+

My Final Verdict on Brimstone Bound

Helen Harper creates lush, immersive worlds that suit the Urban Fantasy genre well. This tale is no different, offering interesting characters, an engaging plot and enough leeway to stretch into a satisfying series. Free on Kindle Unlimited.