Title: Dire Bound

Series: Wolves of Ruin #1

Author: Sabel Sorensen

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BLURB

Only the worthy survive the Bonding Trials. She’ll risk her life—and her heart—to be one of them…

Meryn Cooper has never dreamed of being one of the Bonded, the King’s elite warriors who form mental links with massive, vicious direwolves. She’s made peace with her life scraping by in poverty in the shadows of the castle. But then her younger sister Saela is kidnapped, stolen across the border by the immortal monsters her country has spent centuries fighting.

And Meryn’s world falls apart.

Desperate to cross the front and save her sister, Meryn enlists in the army—only to discover that there are Bonding Trials this year, where all soldiers are forced to risk their lives in an attempt to connect with a direwolf. It’s too late to turn back; Meryn is thrown into the deadly competition against her will.

Now, she’ll need to survive the next four months of training at the castle if she wants a chance of finding Saela. Everything here is a test, from the brutal classes where one mistake means death, to the glittering court parties where every smile hides a knife.

To make things worse, Meryn is bound to a feral direwolf who refuses to communicate. The other trainees would love to spill her common blood. And her gorgeous instructor, Stark Therion, is as malicious as the wolves himself.

Everyone is out to get her—everyone but the dangerously handsome crown prince, Killian Valtiere. But if she loses her heart to him, she may also lose her life.

And the castle is hiding dark secrets…

Oh, I loved this!

The commoner, the Prince and the Alpha, are thrown together…..with direwolves, in a kingdom at war with vamps!

Meryn is determined to be put on the battle front so she can rescue her sister, who has been taken by the Nabbers for the Syphons, aka vamps. But she gets more than she bargains for in the shape of a big direwolf called Anassa!

~ The underdog comes through!
~ Direwolves go to war!
~ The dark, cruel Alpha teacher (Stark = swoon)
~ The beautiful, kind Prince…..
~ Tension (oh the tension!)
~ Trials and tribulations….
~ Steam……and a bit more steam!
~ A whiff of one bed!
~ Found family

I will say that part way through I had the thought that a character was a rotter! And I was right! I love it when I’m right (it’s not often!) And I did want to shake Meryn at some points, she is just so stupid!

But I found this to be a well written romantasy with brilliant world building and fabulous side characters! I cannot believe I have to wait until May 2026 for the next book! 8 long months away!

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