Fury Bound Review (The Wolves of Ruin #2) by Sable Sorensen | Can the Second Book in this Series Match the Intensity of the First?
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Synopsis
Fury Bound picks up in the immediate aftermath of Dire Bound, with Meryn having inherited the crown of Nocturna under the most precarious of circumstances. The kingdom is splintering under the weight of generations of lies and it falls to Meryn, her bonded direwolf Anassa and their allies to pull it back from the brink. But holding power is proving just as dangerous as seizing it. Commoners, the Bonded and nobles alike are deeply distrustful of their new queen, leaving Meryn caught in a deadly game of politics.
Meanwhile, her beloved sister Saela is more at risk than ever and the one person Meryn finds she can truly rely on is Stark Therion , the dark, dangerous Alpha she once thought hated her as much as she loathed him. With enemies closing in from every direction and a war that refuses to wait for her to find her footing, Meryn must decide what kind of queen and what kind of person she is willing to become.
Main and Key Side Character Info
Meryn Cooper
Meryn is the main character and newly crowned queen of Nocturna.
She is forced to face parts of Bonded culture that she finds deeply uncomfortable.
Stark Therion
Stark was the lead instructor during the Bonding Trials.
He is violent, morally grey and has a “touch her & die” mentality.
Anassa
Anassa is Meryn’s bonded direwolf.
Her connection with Meryn remains central to Meryn’s power, growth and survival.
Lucien Brightbane
Lucien is a siphon king who rules over the more secluded kingdom of Astreona.
Untrustworthy, powerful yet oddly a possible ally for Meryn.
Review
Say goodbye to the academy setting of Dire Bound, because Fury Bound throws open the doors to the wider Kingdom of Nocturna. Meryn is queen now and she has every intention of making her kingdom a better place than she inherited, though of course, absolutely nobody is going to make that easy for her. Not the nobles. Not the commoners. Not the Bonded. Not even the people technically on her side.
The worldbuilding expands significantly and we get a proper look at the kingdom's history, old threats and deity lore, but the book never gets so lost in its own mythology that it forgets to have a plot. There is plenty of politics and new information packed in here and none of it feels like filler.
One of the biggest improvements this time around is getting Stark's POV. His inner thoughts are entertaining, revealing and genuinely, unexpectedly hilarious. His dynamic with Cratos brings a lighter energy that cuts through the book's more intense moments without undercutting them and those two together are an absolute joy. Make no mistake, Stark is still a vicious and dangerous killer who acts with terrifying efficiency. He has not softened. But his chapters give real context to his morals, his loyalty and the way he sees Meryn.
Speaking of Meryn, her arc is more satisfying this time around too. She is no longer a scrappy street fighter learning the ropes of the Bonded world. She is a scrappy new queen learning the ropes of actually ruling one. Her reluctance to lead somehow makes her a natural at it, but the powers that come with her new role have a steep learning curve and time is very much not on her side.
Both Meryn and Stark go through a lot in this sequel and a lot of that is with each other. I'll leave it at that!
The political side of the story was one of my favourite elements. Being the rightful queen and being accepted as one are two very different things and Meryn has a long list of people to convince, including several who are supposedly already on her side. Watching her navigate disloyalty, political upheaval and the weight of a kingdom that is falling apart is genuinely compelling.
Lucien Brightbane is a fantastic new addition to the cast. Is he dangerous? Trustworthy? A genuine ally? Completely in love with himself? The answer to all of these is probably yes and working out in what proportion is half the fun! He is morally grey, unpredictable and commands every scene he is in.
One thing that really stood out to me overall is that Fury Bound felt far less predictable than Dire Bound. The first book wore its Hunger Games meets Fourth Wing influences pretty openly, which was fun but meant you could see certain plot points coming. This one sheds those comparisons almost entirely and does its own thing, which made the story much harder to call. That unpredictability is a big part of why it earns the higher rating from me.
Fury Bound is a brilliant sequel. It raises the stakes without losing the characters. It expands the world without making the book feel slow. The final chapter ends on a cliffhanger because of course it does, but I did not see this one coming! When is book three out again?
Audiobook Review
I listened to this alongside the physical book, the same way I experienced Dire Bound and as an audiobook lover I would not have it any other way.
This is dual narration with Avery Caris as Meryn and Gabriel Michael as Stark, which in my opinion is the only way to do it. It is rare that a single narrator can switch convincingly between male and female voices without pulling you out of the story, so having two is always a win.
At the time of this review there is no dramatised edition available, so this is the standard version with no full cast, music or effects, but honestly both narrators are fantastic. Their voices suit their characters perfectly and both handle the side characters really well too.
Who I’d Recommend This Book To
I’d recommend Fury Bound to readers who like:
Dark romantasy
Slow burn yearning romance
Political fantasy
Direwolves and Siphons
Verdict
Fury Bound raises the stakes in every way possible. It is far less predictable than Dire Bound and we see some real character growth on all sides.
Getting Stark's POV this time round was something I did not know I needed. You get to see the man behind the "I'm going to kill everyone" eyes and learn a lot more about who he really is.
Meryn's growth in this is very satisfying to read and with everything she has on her plate, I am sure there is much more to come!
Book three cannot come soon enough. Where is it?!
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
You can buy Fury Bound on Amazon (Affiliate Links):
Hardback - https://amzn.to/4utseVS
Paperback - https://amzn.to/43voFCJ
Kindle - https://amzn.to/4oagjKx
Audiobook - https://amzn.to/4dK6tdr
