This book started really well for me with mysterious, gothic undertones. The first part of the story is told in the first person by Emmett Farmer, a young man who is recovering from a severe illness and, no longer fit enough to work on his father’s land, is sent to a work as an apprentice for a bookbinder called Seredith. This is at a time when books and the stories contained within their pages have a mysterious and threatening hold over the suspicious townsfolk, and as Emmett learns more about the bookbinding craft from Seredith, a darker story begins to emerge.

The central premise is that bookbinders don’t just produce books, they have a magical sideline in ‘binding’ people’s memories into books and helping them forget traumatic incidents. The books are then locked away securely, the theory being that if the book is ever destroyed the person’s bad memories will come flooding back to them. Against this backdrop there is also a coming of age love story involving Emmett and a mysterious and privileged young man called Lucian. This aspect of the book was touching and promising but the timeframe moved around quite a bit which spoiled the flow of the book for me (I sometimes struggled to keep up with who had been ‘bound’ in this part of the book and whether it was before or after they lost their memories). To be honest I didn’t really buy into the whole ‘binding’ premise which made most of the book difficult for me to believe in and engage with.

It wasn’t until I finished the book and read the author biog that I learned that Bridget Collins is quite a prolific author of Young Adult books, and this made a lot of sense to me. Although this is billed as her first ‘adult’ book it definitely felt like a YA book to me. I love historical fiction but I’m not over-keen on fantasy and unfortunately the balance wasn’t right for me.

I recieved a digital edition of this as a wish from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've heard so many good things about this book, so I was ready to dive right in.

I found the first part of the book really slow, I had a hard time getting through it but once it picked up it was really good.

I was attracted to this book by the descriptions of it as a fantasy - I hadn't realised that a LGBT theme was critical to the story-line, not that it in any way detracted from my enjoyment of the novel.

At the beginning, I was totally confused about the century in which the novel was set, with numerous early-Victorian references in terms of clothing, advances in farming methods, and the presence of a postal system, for example, but also with references to "The Crusades" in both the first and the final sections of the book. I would have liked to have known more about these Crusades, or not to heard about them at all.

The novel comes in three parts, each with a different narrative voice, which works well. The underlying premise, that a person can voluntarily "forget" unpleasant memories is on slightly shaky ground in that the main character and several others most likely did not choose to forget, but were obeying orders to do so.

Despite these caveats, I enjoyed reading the book and found it hard to put down. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy in exchange for this honest review.

Emmett is from a family that frowns upon books, they run a farm and work hard in the fields to earn a very modest living. After a bout of a strange sickness Emmett is weak and struggling to get back into the full swing of his physical work on the farm. His parents despise binders and the books they make, so it is with a heavy heart that he is sent to work as an apprentice in binding for Seredith.

Binders like Seredith take memories and write them down in books to help people forget the most painful things that have happened to them. People use the service in an attempt to move on and be happy again. Many in the community feel a deep hatred for binders. They think they take the essence of people away and send them home half empty. This hatred is fuelled by the illegal trade of bindings, where memories are sold on without the owners permission.

I loved how the darker side of binding was explored. Two characters, Mr de Havilland and Mr Darnay really bring the evil side of binding to life. Mr Darnay uses bindings to his full advantage whilst Mr de Havilland sells books on to the highest bidder. They felt like the most realistic and believable characters from the book as they reflect many high powered and manipulative people from history.

The Binding is set at an unspecified time in our past, without modern technology. I enjoyed the historical feel to the book which was finely balanced with fantasy without being overpowering. The workings of binding people, and how to abuse that, are well explored, whilst the rest of the world is comfortably familiar.

I can't imagine a place where books are forbidden but neither can I imagine going to a book binder to have a book written which holds your unwanted memories. Emmet becomes the binder's apprentice which he struggles to come to terms with. A very good read with a romantic twist.

Emmett Farmer is summoned by letter to work as an apprentice bookbinder. Books have been something he has been conditioned to dislike, but he can’t help but be drawn to. He learns to bind books, trapping memories, and locking pasts away. In the vault beneath the workshop, Emmett finds a book with his name on, but what will he learn?

The concept is brilliant, and the idea of locking memories and emotions away inside books is what drew me in. Collins’ writing is also brilliant.

Unfortunately, I found this book really difficult. I couldn’t connect with Emmett as a central character, and I feel the core premise of the book got lost. It was never integral and instead the focus was on other things, which was a let-down.

Thank you to Borough Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Don’t think of it as a fantasy. Think of it as a romance” was the mantra I had to repeat to myself when I started this book because I’d heard it was less of a fantasy and more of a relationship-focused story with a tinge of magic, and I was determined to do whatever it took to love it.

Because guys. I adore stories about memories. I mean, I adore memories, period. I love the nitty-gritty cellular study of it, and as a wannabe armchair philosopher, I love musing about it in the wee hours of the morning. And I especially love it when the sciences and humanities decide to join hands and create masterpieces like The Endless Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Now, The Binding isn’t science fiction. But it is historical fantasy holding hands with queer romance–which I figured was the next best thing.

So I was ready to overlook a lot of stuff, and I did.

I could overlook the vague details surrounding the process of binding and the history of how it came to be, because a lot romance stories tend to be light on worldbuilding. I could also overlook the very convenient series of events leading up to the ending, because this isn’t trying to be a masterfully plotted story. And I could overlook the ending feeling a little unfinished because, hey, satisfying endings are hard to pull off.

But I could not overlook the main character. More specifically, I couldn’t overlook the main character being bland and shallow and more or less a blank slate from beginning to end.

Emmett’s narration (totaling about 2/3 of the book) is a frustrating example of first person PoV being used like a third person. With his ailments and memory loss he would have been the perfect character to deep dive into–which first person should allow and entourage us to do–but we never end up getting past the surface layer. And his surface layer presents him as farmer’s son who becomes a bookbinder who’s also somewhat judgemental of the people he meets. And…that’s about it.

Lucian, his love interest, is a far more interesting character and once his narration takes over last 1/3 of the story, things really kick off for the better. We get a little more insight into binding and how it can abused in the hands of wrong people, and the suffocating atmosphere of Lucian’s household is portrayed very well. And I quite enjoyed seeing the changing developments in their relationship from his perspective.

But at the end of the day, a love story isn’t a one-person show. If I can’t connect with one of the involved parties, I can’t fully connect with the story as a whole.

So while I didn’t dislike the book–it was a pleasant read for the most part, with some genuinely beautiful and thought-provoking moments–I’m still fiercely disappointed because it could have been so much more. A deeper love story and a deeper look into the erasure of memories and whether the loss of pain is an acceptable trade-off for the loss of yourself. And I just can’t get over that.

The Binding appears to be historical fiction but there is no real clue to the period, just an absence of new technology and automated vehicles. The main character is an apprentice bookbinder. However the fact that his father became very angry when he saw him reading a book gives a hint that there is something to be feared about books. Books are indeed not what we now know them as and their true nature is the main plot device of this tale. The story is told in three parts with some time shifts involved and mainly concerns the relationship between the book binder and another, wealthier young man, who is very friendly with the bookbinder's sister. There are many unpleasant characters in this novel but the main characters are well written and the storyline keeps the reader's interest. I enjoyed the book but felt the first half was over long. I received a complimentary ARC of this book from the publisher via Net Galley in return for an honest review.

Recommended for: Fans of Diane Sheffield, set-in-the-past enthusiasts, poets.
The thing about this book that astonished me the most: the beautiful, imaginative, quirky ways in which feelings and the expressions on people's faces were described that willed you to get sucked in and imagine. Which is appropos, as this story talks about binders and the art of binding. Which in the book means, essentially, writers and the art of bookmaking. Here, there is no fiction- not legally anyway- and every book is a binding of someone's memories they want to forget.
If a bound book is burnt, the person remembers. If a bound book is sold for someone else to read, the person's secret that they had desperately wanted to forget is out in the open. Without them knowning the secret themself. In this world, reading books is considered taboo and binders are considered witches and practitioners of black magic. Yet, this tale is not of just about a young binder; it's also about two young men who were forcefully bound into books and have forgotten.
There is little that can be said that I wish to say without giving out major spoilers. I'll try. This is an adult fiction with a love story as sweet as the ones we read in YAs. It also tackles the subject of homonormativity deftly. This book sucks you in and strongly makes you feel the pain, the sorrow and the laughter with its brilliant pose and poise, and because it doesn't shy away from giving graphic details.

This turned out to not be about what I expected at all, and I was pleasantly surprised. It was magical/supernatural but also turned into a rather riveting gothic love story - quite unusual! It was excellent, and I would recommend it to others (but not tell them too much about what it's about!)

This is more of an experience than a book. It is difficult to describe without giving away the plot, but it is beautifully written and has a little bit of everything: magic, intrigue, books, love - what's not to like?!

A slow build fantasy in a quasi- historical setting. The Binding is an atmospheric and creeping story. The tone of the book reminded me a lot of Witchmark by CL Polk. It has the same feeling to the m/m romance but instead of large magical plot it's focused much more intimately on Emmett. A young man who has to leave his life at his families farm behind after becoming sick and getting apprenticed to a book binder.

I loved the magic system which is all about binding real memories into books and I loved the moral questions about how certain characters used it and how it affects the world and communities they lived in. Also, I mean, it's a book about the magic of books so if course I love it.

I really liked Emmett as a main character, the way he fights with himself, struggles with his own mind and wants, and the situation he's placed in. His relationship with his family is complicated and heartbreaking for him. Without giving anything away I also loved the second pov that showed up later in the book. The book itself is split over different timelines too which was a really interesting way to switch up the slow build romance! As for the other characters, De Havilland is one of the most aggravating antagonists I've ever read. The kind of rich white guy who thinks the world is owed to him and ahhhhh he made me mad! And he certainly wasn't the only rich guy who got up to horrible things.

The only problem I really had with the book was that I wished the first half got going a bit quicker. I loved the start and I loved the second half but I did feel it dragged a little.

Also, not really about this book but I'd love to see more fantasys where the world isn't default homophobic. I know this one is a historical fantasy but….sigh.

But back on track, overall I loved the book, it was atmospheric and unique. With a lovable main character to root for, a hopeful ending, and magic books!

Rep: gay, m/m

Trigger warnings: homophobia, rape, alcoholism, abuse, suicide

Thanks to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

So, The Binding. I feel a little guilty writing this review because I actually got this ARC ages ago. In my defence, I was approved a few days after the publication date and since then I have bought the Waterstones sprayed edges version AND the audiobook so I feel like the author and the publisher have got their money's worth out of me.

So how was it? I really enjoyed this book but I guess I can also see why others didn't. From some of the other reviews I have read, it seems like it can be a little divisive.

The story is split into 3 parts. In the beginning, we meet Emmett Farmer, a young man recovering from a mysterious illness. Emmett lives with his family on their farm and since falling ill is unable to contribute to the running of the farm as effectively as before. He is sent to be an apprentice Book Binder, working with Seredith, an elderly woman who lives alone out in the marshes. So far, so mysterious. Bookbinding in this world is somewhat different to how we understand it however. In this reality, Binders capture unpleasant memories and store them away in the books they produce. Think Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It's a pretty cool concept for a story and the over the course of the story the mysteries hinted at are gradually unravelled.

In particular, I really enjoyed the romance in this novel and was 100% invested in it. I can see how some people might have found some aspects of the plot to be quite slow moving, but I enjoyed the novel's quiet dignity and restrained pacing. The characters for the most part are morally grey, but all the more believable for it.

My only criticism would be that a lot of threads felt like they were left untied and unresolved. More could have been made of the moral issues around Binding. Seredith cared a lot about the morality around Binding so it seemed strange that it wasn't really explored in Emmet's story arc. It's not possible to talk about some of the other untied threads without spoiling the story, but there were a few other things that niggled at me a bit.

Overall, I found this simply lovely. A beautifully written story to  savour. The audiobook in particular is fantastic and well worth a listen.

The idea behind The Binding is really interesting. If traumatic events in our lives leave memories that are too overwhelming to deal with, why not have them removed? We can then go on with our lives without this distressing knowledge, even if it does leave behind slightly less of the person who has been ‘bound’. We no longer need to grieve over a lost love one or relive tragedies we’ve already experienced.

Unfortunately, I did not feel this novel fully explored the many issues raised by erasing memories, but instead focused wholly on the two main characters causing an incredibly slow plot line. The erased memories of these people are also quite predictable and made me even more frustrated at how slowly events unfolded.

I think if the book had been edited to a more reasonable length allowing the narrative to move quickly, I would have felt more engaged with the story. I would have also liked the author to explore more of the morality of the book’s theme as I believe our experiences and challenges make us who we are.

A fantastic book that is all about the power of books with a beautiful love story at its heart too. Utterly mesmerising with a well realised world. A gothic beauty.

<blockquote>"...you mean novels?" he added, with a flicker of mockery. "They're not real books. They’re written, like magazines. They're not actual people, or actual memories. They’re invented..." [loc. 3793]</blockquote>

Emmett Farmer has worked on his family's farm all his life: this summer, though, he was struck down by a mysterious illness, and now he to weak to manage his share of the harvesting. Fortunately -- fortunately? -- he has been requested as an apprentice by a binder, an old woman who lives out on the road to the marshes, and binds books.

"But you hate books, they're wrong," Emmett objects, remembering how his parents punished him years ago, when he bought a book at a fair (they buried it), and how disgusted they are by even walking past a Licens'd Bookseller.

Emmett, of course, does not have all the facts. He doesn't understand what his apprenticeship is training him to do. Or why he's been chosen as apprentice. Or how he knows the layout of the binder's house, when he enters it for the first time. Or why he fears something terrible in the locked room.

The blurb for this book, and many of the reviews, give away a lot of the plot, but fortunately I read it on Kindle, and so long after I'd acquired it that I had forgotten the details of the central conceit. And there is one important element of the story that <u>isn't</u> revealed on the cover, and which I found very satisfactory.

The setting, strongly evocative of 18th-century England, is fascinating. There are plenty of familiar tropes: the old house on the marshes, the family feud, the arranged marriage, the commercialisation of something magical. And there are hints of a well-constructed history: was the 1750 Act a response to the Crusades?

Binders bind people's unwanted, painful memories into books, beautifully bound and deeply personal treasures, so that those memories can be forgotten. But it's not permanent: if the book is burnt, the memories return. Perhaps it is no surprise that there is a book with Emmett's name on it. And perhaps whatever he wanted to forget is connected with the elusive aristocrat Lucian Darnay, who seems to have strong feelings about Emmett.

I'm reminded of <i>Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</i>, though the structure is less convoluted: the first third from Emmett's viewpoint, the middle Emmett's memories of the previous year, and the final third from Lucian's viewpoint. The story is made more suspenseful by the juxtaposition of what the characters recall: when one remembers, the other forgets.

Content warnings: PG sex, violent animal death, book-burning.

I liked this very much, despite the darkness: the contrast of rural and urban lives; the horror of others knowing a secret about someone who's forgotten what happened to them or what they did; the machinations of ambitious people (no happy endings for them); the compassion of the binders, and the art of what they do.

If you love looking at books and thinking about making them, this is the book for you. With a strong love of everything bookish, a fantasy element to boost and a gorgeous love story to wrap it all up in a heart-string-tugging bow. Plus, look at it! It's so beautiful! Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for sending me the ARC, but I'm still going out to buy a hard copy so I can stare it all day long.

This is my 200th blog post and I’m very pleased that this milestone belongs to a review of The Binding.

I loved The Binding.

This book has been given one of my rare 5 star ratings and is the first 5 star rating of the year. The problem I have is explaining in words why I loved The Binding because ultimately the reason why I gave this 5 stars is because of how it made me feel.

There’s no more logic and rationale behind it then that.

What I say in this review doesn’t at all capture the reasons why I loved it but to be honest I still don’t think it would come to anything more than just ‘the feels’.

I am aware that this book has captured very opposing reviews and weirdly for a book that I adored I can kind of see why.

The Binding wasn’t at all what I expected.

It’s this that I think causes the polarization. If it’s not what you expected and you don’t like what was delivered then I can see why this book wasn’t for you because expectation and reality aren’t on par here.

What I thought The Binding would deliver:-

A magical historical fiction where Emmett (our main character) discovers that he has the gift of binding and gets apprenticed to an aging female binder.

I thought we would learn the craft alongside Emmett (plus pitfalls) and get meaty world-building as to how binding works and how it fully fits in among this worlds society. I thought we would experience the prejudice directed towards the binders which is rooted in fear of their power but that we would understand why this fear is sometimes justified as there are those who would use their gifts for nefarious means.

I thought we would experience the binding process happening multiple times and dip into the heads of others to feel what they are relinquishing and why. I thought we would be teased with the theme that memory maketh the man (or woman) and that we would ask; how much of ourselves is left if we carve our memories away?

What The Binding delivered:-

A three part love story between Emmett and another; where the focus is less on the ‘magical’ elements of the plot but more on the historical. It’s fantasy – if you squint.

Binding is a device that allows the plot to happen, the fact that Emmett himself is a binder is almost irrelevant as Emmett only binds once and it’s only in the story as a way to get him to where he needs to be via a bit of deus ex machina. We end up learning little to nothing about binding, either as a process or how it fully fits into this world.

We do dip into multiple heads but not in the way you think – the third part of the story deviates from Emmett’s POV into another’s and it’s during this third part that we fully learn the horrors of what happens if people abuse their binding gift by being complicit in the memory extraction from those who are abused. This allows the abusers not just to get away with it (those who suffered remember nothing) but also giving them the power to read their victims recollections of terror.

We learn that people who do the most vile things to others believe that their actions are acceptable but that certain forms of love is wrong. Sadly, this is no massive deviation from real life.

Ultimately if you’re here for magic and a story that’s about the actual ‘binding’ then that’s not what you’re going to get. For that reason I understand why some readers have been disappointed. If you’re not into historical fiction then I also think you’re going to not like it as much either.

I am pretty into historical fiction at the moment so for me I liked the fact that this was historical fiction with a slice of the magical. I was also massively here for the love story and found it to be a wonderful and realistic depiction of ‘antagonist’ to love with the romance poignantly and sensitively portrayed. I enjoyed both of the main characters immensely and their love story was what kept me riveted.

That’s pretty much it.

I genuinely get why some people didn’t feel it was for them but The Binding hit me square in the four chambered organ and I loved the writing, the story, the setting and the characters.

I can’t put into more words than that really. Sometimes we just love what we love. Which is pretty much the point behind The Binding.

I had such high hopes for this book, its physical copy is beautiful with sprayed edges and a beautiful naked hardback but what was inside was a slow, at times boring read which was dragged out far too much. There were parts that were interesting but nothing I wanted to be explored really was. The idea of binders and binding wasnt ever delved into and the story that was focused on became very predictable very quickly. Such a shame as it's actually well written just maybe not for me. 2.5 stars some of that for the physical beauty of the book.

Beautifully written and cleverly structured, Collins skilfully unravels the story of love, in three parts, from the points of view of the lovers.

Slowly, and interwoven throughout the story, the meaning of the title comes to light and makes for further thinking.

Imagine being in a world where your memories can be wiped, you have no recollection of what has happened to you, what you have done, or what has been done to you... Finding out you have fallen in love, and were torn apart. Imagine you are the one with the power who can read peoples memories and “bind” them. Could two people reaquire love?

Passion, emotion, frustration and a dark undertone. The Binding was an enjoyable (sometimes shocking) and in some places, fast-paced, read, which got better as the story developed.