Posted on Dark Faerie Tales.I had a little trouble getting into Justina Ireland’s Vengeance Bound. The premise sounds great. Furies who inhabit a young woman to help her deal out justice and revenge. But once I started reading Vengeance Bound, I never really connected to the main character or the story itself. But there are so many factors why it didn’t work for me and why it could for you.After a traumatic episode, Cory was institutionalized. Due to the Furies who take up residence in her internal psyche, Cory’s parents feared her, leaving no choice but to take residence in the mental hospital. But she fell victim to a certain doctor, and after months of slumbering Furies, she allowed them to awaken and wreck havoc. Cory was saved by the Furies, escaping into a life away from that danger. But the Furies weren’t satisfied with casting judgement on the doctor. Some time has passed and Cory and the Furies live in a new life, attempting normalcy during the day and passing judgement at night. Little by little the Furies are controlling her body, and the fight for normalcy is getting harder and harder. Will Cory survive her life and better yet, will she survive the Furies?Cory is a strong character. With the events that Ireland has written for Cory, it was realistic to see her with flaws. Cory has these internal struggles within herself and with the Furies. They definitely don’t make it easier for Cory, at all. But I felt that her voice wasn’t fluid, losing her strength along the way. I couldn’t completely connect with her because of her actions and decisions. And I know that is the point of the Furies invading her mind, but it was just difficult to separate them. I couldn’t get a sense of who Cory really was, and it somewhat ruined the reading experience for me.While attempting to live a normal life, Cory meets Niko. He has eyes that penetrate and Cory feels he is staring straight into her soul. Niko is the unrequited love interest. It is interesting to see how Cory and Niko interact with each other. Niko becomes infatuated with Cory and makes her question her whole world. She goes against every belief that she has been living with since she left the institution.Vengeance Bound is dark, which is refreshing given the other choices in young adult at the moment. Ireland brings the main character to dark places and thoughts. A few moments had me contemplating if this should even be considered YA. There are graphic scenes, detailed to complete the mood and overall setting. Demons, murderers, demented minds make up for a lot of the judged and the things that happen to them aren’t for the faint of heart.Vengeance Bound has a lot of promise. For the most part, it was fast-paced with twists and turns that I didn’t expect. I felt there were a few odd areas with slow and staggered pacing, but overall it was enjoyable. For myself, it was just okay, but like I’ve said my personal preferences may vary from yours.
