I loved this book. It’s beautifully written and the imagery is really powerful.

In the world of The Binding, books are a taboo subject, something only wealthy collectors and people with dubious morals own or discuss. Every single volume, painstakingly put together by a gifted Binder, contains not a made up story but the memories of a real person. Once a person has been bound, the memories are gone from their minds and contained within the book.

When Emmet starts work as a Binder’s apprentice after a long illness, he soon discovers the truth behind this dark art, and to understand how complex the world can be when people don’t even know their own secrets.

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. I have very mixed feelings overall.

I read this book in a day, the writing is flows really well and I found it easy to read. Also the whole book binding with people’s memories interested me! It was that and the gay romance that kept me reading. The gay relationship was good and there was angst but also hope.

We follow Emmett in Part 1 who is sent to be a binders apprentice. He doesn’t want to as he knows it is a craft his parents despise. He believes books to be shameful and people don’t like binders. He is an apprentice to Seredith who wants to protect the books and believes binding people helps them as it takes away bad memories. The people call her a witch and they use her as a scapegoat. I really liked Seredith. We continue to follow emmett and we see his memories during part 2. Part 3 follows Lucians POV which was an interesting switch. The ending I actually quite liked, it gave me hope as the world in this book was quite dark.
There is a strong class divide in this book. The poor try and sell their memories for money and the rich use binders to cover their sins. There is also illegal trading of books. The world in this book is dark. The dark parts of this book could trigger some people. It mentions things like incest, rape, sex and abuse but it doesn’t go into detail which I was thankful for.
Overall I thought this book was enjoyable but also slightly darker then I expected. I also didn’t really connect with the characters, I liked them but I didn’t connect with them. I would probably read this book again.

I had to give up on this book. I was drawn in by the premise, but it just didn’t hold my attention. It is very slow in my opinion. Life is too short to read books you are not enjoying. Not for me, this one but I should point out this isn’t my usual genre.

When I picked up The Binding, it took me SIX WEEKS to read. Not because it’s long or tricky, but for some reason I kept putting it down and not wanting to pick it back up. I’ve tried to explore why in my review, and it really wasn’t an easy process to go through!

Just to give a little more context, the book is split into three parts with two central characters, Emmett and Lucian. Part one is Emmett’s perspective in the present, part two is Emmett’s perspective in the past, and part three is Lucian’s perspective in the present.

The first part of the book drew me in. I wasn’t particularly drawn to Emmett, the protagonist of the story, but by a side character, Seredith. Seredith becomes Emmett’s Master when he takes up his apprenticeship. She’s strong and quietly fierce, not about to take any nonsense in a male-dominated world. We are also introduced to another character, De Havilland, who is probably the most loathsome and hateful man I’ve encountered in a book for a long time. Collins’ writing skill really comes through here as I had to put the book down because De Havilland made me so angry.

The second part of the book is focused on the developing relationship between Emmett and Lucian. There is so much tension in this part of the book. There is expectation, anxiety, fear, lust – I really felt like I was experiencing the story rather than just being a passive spectator. When I was reading I kept thinking “Wow, I wish I’d written that sentence” because Collins’ writing is so evocative.

“Time expanded and shrank to instants and eternities: a spasm of pleasure, sunlight on the ceiling, his fingers digging into my shoulder, half-darkness and the rich smell of wine that was older than we were.”

I think it was in the third part of the book things started to go wrong for me. I found the change of going from Emmett’s perspective to Lucian’s a shock. I felt confused as I still didn’t feel like I understood or knew Emmett, and he wasn’t coming back. It is a very slow burning conclusion. Slow, and honestly, arduous. Like Emmett, I did not feel like I got to know Lucian well, with the exception of the relationship with his sadistic father, which is brutal and harrowing to read.

Overall, this book left me frustrated. There were plotlines that took so long to develop and I became emotionally engaged and involved, for them to just disappear. For example, Seredith is essential to developing Emmett’s moral code as a Binder, but the fact that he is even a Binder or doing his apprenticeship is forgotten.

It’s a very interesting story and it was refreshing to read about love between two people of the same sex, but the plot was a bit all over the place.

Having said all that, one thing is clear – Collins can write. She can really, really write. If she ever publishes anything again I will most certainly read it.

“I tilt my head back. On the horizon, furthest from the moon, the sky is rich with stars.”

This is a good book. Everyone who was abused by their employer and homosexuals were sent to the binder to have the memories removed. The story mainly evolves around Emmett and his family. He is a farmer but the binder in the marshes also known as the witch requests him as apprentice. She is as honest as they come and stores the binding book, once used, in a storeroom and no-one is allowed access. It is a captivating story that slowly draws you in as you turn the pages. A recommended read

I saw this on Netgalley and just knew I had to read it! But…. it took me forever!!! I really enjoyed it, but darn life kept getting in the way! I swear it took me a month (yes I’m overexaggerating!) it actually took me a week to read! I just didn’t seem to have time to read it! It was well worth the read though! It seemed like it was a long haul read, but it wasn’t once I got started and was able to read for a length of time.

This was told from 3 different perspectives. The present as told by Emmett, the past, which is also told by Emmett and then we have the present again told by Lucian.

We start the book (Part 1) in the present with Emmett Farmer telling his story. I find myself quickly invested in Emmett, he’s kind of witty and he loves to help his family on the farm, but he has been very ill for quite some time. He is such a happy go lucky lad and always aiming to please. He is soon on the road to Seredith though. The local-ish binder. When Emmett arrives he is still quite ill, but soon starts to feel better.

Part 2 we find ourselves in the past with Emmett telling the story again. I will not go into detail as I’ll end up giving too much away in regards to the story, which I don’t want to do.

Part 3 is told by Lucian Darnay. Again, I can’t say too much as I really don’t want to give anything away and want a spoiler free review!.

I love the way this book flowed and although Lucian seems to be a bit of a snob and definitely has a few flaws due to being raised into money, I do feel sorry for him as he doesn’t know what on earth is going on.

Ms Collins certainly knows how to tell a story. This was just perfect! And the cover oh my!! Just by the cover I knew I’d be hooked. It’s so pretty! I’m looking forward to reading more books in the future, keep them coming!

The Binding is a richly textured historical fiction novel with elements of magical realism. Set in an imagined past, books aren’t the portals into new worlds that we know them as, they are used to store memories you wish to forget and they are subsequently surrounded by suspicion and fear. Emmett Farmer is plucked from his life on his family’s farm to go and live with the mysterious Seredith, a binder. He has been brought up to believe that books are dark and dangerous and are something to fear but despite this he is now an apprentice working with them day after day.

This is a technically precise novel with intricate plotting which examines quite complex and emotive themes with a delicate touch. I feel that this review may be a little cloak and dagger as I allude to things rather than discuss in depth but this is a book that deserves to be read without any prior preconceptions so it can unfold beautifully.

Split into three acts, The Binding goes back and forth in time unveiling a beautiful and compelling story. I have to admit that I initially struggled with the book and very nearly abandoned it but there was something about the gorgeous writing that meant I persevered. I am so pleased that I did as The Binding turned out to be nothing like I thought it would be and became an immersive and overwhelming read.

Part one is all about the world building and a slow, tantalising build to parts two and three which is where all the action happens. I was blown away by how clever this book is and I understood the first part far more upon reflection. An initial read of the first act left me feeling a bit confused but all becomes clear as the book develops. This is heady, glorious writing with touches of magnificence especially when it comes to the characterisation and historical aspects which are beautiful.

I do need to be clear though, this isn’t a happy book and some of the events in the book and the themes examined may be difficult for some people to read. It is a novel about bad memories being wiped and those memories contain some things that readers may find upsetting or they could be triggers. For me though, the darkness was eloquently written and with pathos which meant that despite some of the subject matter I fell in love with the book and found it difficult to put down. I highly recommend it if gorgeous, immersive reads with a hint of magic are your thing.

The Binding envisages a world where people can forget bad things in their past, by having the memories “bound” into a book. This book is then locked away where nobody can read it.
Only special people, known as “Binders” can do this, and some are more scrupulous than others, some see it as a calling, others treat is as a business, and there is an illegal trade in these books.

Emmet Farmer has been ill, and cannot work on his father’s farm. He is sent to a binder, Seredith, as an apprentice, to learn the bookmaking and binding trade from her. However, things start to change, when a troubled man, Lucian Darnay, comes to be bound, and Emmett recognises something in him.
When Seredith falls ill, life changes again for Emmett, and he starts working for another binder in the City.
When Emmett finds a book with his name on it, his whole world changes again, as he understands his connection with the Darnay family.

I found this book oddly unsatisfying, the idea of binding is compelling, but the execution started well, but became very trite, a lot of people reeling in shock, feeling nauseous, some fights, and finally a very predictable story.

There could have been a better tale.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for the opportunity to read this book.

"There's a moment when you start a binding, when the binder and the bound become one. You sit and wait for it. You let the room go silent. They're afraid, they're always afraid... It's up to you, to listen, to wait. Them something mysterious happens. Your mind opens to theirs, and they let go. That's when the memories come. We call that moment the kiss."

Emmett Farmer is working on his family's farm when he receives the news that he is to go to the local bookbinder to become an apprentice. In this alternate historical period, books are not how we know them but the captured memories of people who have been 'bound' and have chosen to forget. I liked the fantasy/magic elements of this story. The concept of binding and the world that Bridget Collins has created is intensely original. My only issue is that I think the majority of the story and the writing style is probably more suited to a YA audience. That said, after a slow start, I did find the story quite captivating and found it hard to put the book down as I was determined to find out what happened.

My Thoughts
NOTE: This book is being advertised as Bridget Collins’ first foray into the Adult Fantasy as opposed to her well known YA fiction. I think this book would be a very welcome and comfortable read for the YA market if you keep in mind these possible Content warnings.
Content Warnings: If you are sensitive to the inclusion of topics such as discussion but not description of sexual assault, potential inability to give consent, consent under duress, or scenes including puppy murder, suicide. this may not be the book for you.

Oh this is a hard one to review without spoilers but I will try my best. This book is part magical realism, part literary fiction and part romance, all told in the most interesting fashion. It is beautifully written, it is lyrical without being flowery and just moves you along with the story.

The book is split into three distinct parts with the first two from Emmett Farmer’s point of view and the third part sweeping us off to the view of another player in the story. Each part seems to have its own pacing and even setting and story that weaves together to make a whole and this is one aspect that keeps this book interesting.

The first section while being the heaviest on the fantasy aspects was slow paced and slightly long winded in my point of view. It is this section, that follows the blurb description, we learn a little about the process of binding and we develop a sense of Emmett as a character. For me while this section while magical just seemed to drag giving me huge amounts of information on mundane aspects while also not giving me the same level not nearly enough on all those fantasy aspects I wanted. It contained one of my most hated troupes which is when all the lead characters problems could be solved if the characters involved within it would just talk to each other!!!! But the magic of the books and the characters of both Emmett and Seredith rescue it, they are just fantastic and i loved reading about them and their craft.

The second section pertains to the memories contained in Emmett’s book, this is a switch in pace and tone, it is a focus on Emmett’s life before his apprenticeship, it is where the focus shifts to a more historical fiction with a splash of romance that is sweet and genuine in feeling. We gain a further set of characters in Emmett’s life that really do feel established. Like Seredith, you get the feel that they have their own long and complicated backstories that if you had a million more pages you would love to explore. This was actually by far my favourite section, which was a nice surprise as I am not a reader of historical fiction.

The final section, switches perspective to a lead player in Emmett’s life. To avoid spoilers I will not mention why or how they know Emmett but their perspective chronicles the aftermath of Emmett receiving his book. This section contains ramps up the pace, which I occasionally found a bit too fast, skipping over important pieces of information to find a resolution, which was slightly disappointing. The ending however, was great. It both had a feeling of being open ended that anything could happen but also was a nice resolution for the story line. While we may have been rushed to get there it as still satisfying.

The only qualms I had is I actually wanted more from certain side characters, they would have interesting hints and tidbits of information about their back stories but we never got to explore them fully. I also wanted more of the binding process and of the binderies contained in the book, the dark side of the bindings was so interesting and I would have loved to have gotten darker and read more on that. However, with that said I loved this book. I loved that even though it was not the full force fantasy I expected, it managed to sweep me into the historical and romantic aspects. Also nice to see some LGBT rep. It is so difficult to talk about what I loved, as all of them would give away big spoilers for some just fantastic moments in the book. All I can say is it really did deliver a magical read just not the magic I expected!

An unusual literary fantasy with a historical setting, the binding meditates on the distance between knowledge and memory. In this world, books are not as we would understand them, but a place where unwanted memories are preserved away from their owners so they can be forgotten. In the midst of this, a young apprentice binder forms a friendship and star crossed love with a young nobleman. This was beautiful and though provoking, occasionally a little odd but always poignant. Hopefully you’ll understand what I mean when I say every sentence felt hand crafted. A lovely, sad book.

The Binding is a dark, intriguing novel that will stay with you weeks after you’ve finished reading. I’ve waited a few days to review it so I could properly get my head around what I wanted to say.

The setting of the book is an historical one which seems very similar to our own world. There is mention of the crusades, the workhouse and the old rigid class system that used to be present in the UK. This made the book a little more atmospheric and chilling for me as the events that happen in the book seem more realistic.

The book is split into three parts and goes back and forwards in time to allow the reader to fully understand the mystery surrounding the main character Emmett. All of the characters are fabulous creations and very varied which makes for very interesting reading. There is a real sense of good v bad in the book with most of the characters falling into one of the two categories. The events that happened in the book meant that I didn’t warm to many of them apart from Emmett who I felt drawn to straight away. He seemed like such a lost, gentle character that I just wanted to reach into the book to give him a huge hug! I wanted to keep reading to check that he was ok.

The concept of the book is very clever and I did love the idea that you could erase a person’s pain. However this is sadly misused throughout the book by a few of the characters which led to some truly heartbreaking scenes that I found quite hard to read at times. I had to put the book down for a little bit and return when I felt strong enough to continue. I think this is a sign of some fantastic writing if an author can make you feel that strongly about something however some readers may struggle with it as this is definitely not a happy book. There is also a scene describing animal cruelty that I couldn’t read and had to skip over as it was quite easy to anticipated.

This is the author’s debut novel and I’d be interested to see what she writes next as she’s obvious got an amazing imagination, though I do hope the next one is a little happier!

Huge thanks to Borough Press for my copy of this book via Netgalley. If you like intriguing, emotional historical fiction then you’ll love this book.

It’s an intriguing thought isn’t it … sounds good to have memories erased so you can forget those awful things you’ve done or things done to you and yet, when you look deeper than that first reaction, you start to consider ethics and morals and power (which play out beautifully in this story). And don’t we need to remember those experiences for the joy and pain and learning we need to take with us into the future so we don’t make the same mistakes again? Feeling joy or pain means we are alive – alive to hope and for possibilities and moving forward. The whole concept fascinated me and kept me spellbound throughout The Binding.

There are three parts to the story and each has an ethereal quality to it. I loved the mystical dreamscape and breathed it in with great gulps.

Part One sees Emmett Farmer leave his parents farm to start his apprenticeship with Seredith in her cottage on the edge of the marshes at Castleford. I had so many questions! Circumstances force a move into Castleford and it’s after Emmett has conducted his first binding when he finds out he’s been bound. Part Two is the past. Part Three is a narration by the other main character of the story. I can’t be more specific as I don’t want to share any spoilers with you!

What can I tell you?

The Binding is set during the Victorian era which is perfect with its gas lamps, cobbled streets, hierarchy, wealth and poverty. I loved Bridget Collins writing style.

At the beginning of Emmett’s apprenticeship:

“Here the clock in the hall dredged up seconds like stones and dropped them again into the pool of the day, letting each ripple widen before the next one fell.”

I was emotionally invested in the two main characters, hated two other characters, had a great deal of respect for Seredith and how she felt about the skill of binding …

When I wasn’t reading The Binding I was thinking about it. I dreamt about it. I didn’t know what to do with myself once I had finished reading it. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time. Enough said 🙂

First of all I would like to say thank you for letting me read this delightful book

The Binding is a great book, but I do not want to leave too many spoilers!

Emmet is a farm boy living outside of Castleford, he has always enjoyed working on his parents farm dreaming of the day it will be left to him, unfortunately Enmet falls ill with. Mysterious illness over the summer and once better he is weaker than he was before, on a trip out Emmet and his sister Alta meet Lucian the lords nephew and Alta falls in love, slowly Emmet begins to like Lucian becoming friends in a cautious way. One day a letter arrives telling Emmet he is to become a binders apprentice and move to the marshlands to learn his trade.

Once Emmet arrives in the marshlands he is keen to learn but is kept giving menial tasks and he wonders about the secrets behind the door.

A slow start but stick with it as this is a wonderful book.

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K./The Borough Press for an eARC of this highly anticipated historical fantasy via NetGalley.

‘The Binding’ is set in and around Castleford, West Yorkshire in an unspecified historical period, which from the level of technology and other indicators may be sometime in the late 19th Century. In this alternative reality books are considered dangerous as bookbinders are able to extract painful memories when requested and store them in beautifully bound books. While most binders are ethical there are shadier aspects of the trade. It occurred to me that for some these books were made-to-order misery memoirs.

Emmett Farmer is plucked from life on his family’s farm to apprentice with the eccentric local binder, Seredith. He is quite reluctant though assured by her that it is more than a trade. Events then take unexpected turns.

I am wary about saying much more about those developments as it’s too easy to accidentally reveal spoilers. I feel it is better to allow the power of the story to carry the reader into a unique experience.

In magical practice binding spells are used to control and depending on intent can be considered as positive or negative magic. Often objects are used to assist the practitioner and anchor the binding.

As I began reading, although the story is about books being created to contain unwanted memories, the concept of magical binding kept coming to my mind alongside the binding of books.

Loving books as I do the concept of a world where they are forbidden and novels are considered ‘fake’ makes me quite anxious, so was glad that this was an alternative reality.

Yet I set that aside and just allowed myself to be caught up in Collins’ beautiful language and this moving tale of forbidden love. Though I found that I felt quite sad with the outcome for some characters but it can’t be rainbows and bluebells for all.

Overall a very memorable story that is receiving praise from professional and reader reviews alike.

Quite rightly the publishers have created an exquisite binding for the hardback and I have ordered a copy as I need this on my bookshelf.

This mystical tale of family, duty and expectation, dark magic, love against the odds, lies, and self discovery, casts its spell on you from the first page. A story like no other, you will not be able to forget or stop talking about this magnificent novel.
Emmett Farmer is still recovering from a mystery illness that struck him down in the summer. He’s struggling to keep up with the work and is still weak, but is trying to hide this from his parents and sister, Alta, and make up for the work that piled up while he convalesced. As he arrives back at home one evening he hears his parents arguing about a letter that has arrived: Emmett has been summoned as an apprentice Bookbinder. He is confused when hear his Father saying he must go as years ago he told him he must never touch or read a book. Ultimately, it is decided there is no other choice but for him to go, he can not refuse the call from the Binder.

Arriving at the secluded Bindery Emmett is full of fear and trepidation. Books are bewitched, evil and that anyone who binds them is a sorcerer. His concerns are not allayed when he is greeted by the Binder, a thin, feeble and decrepit old woman named Seredith. As he is set to work he feels lost and still doesn’t understand why he was requested but at the same time keeps having a strange sense of deja vu. Emmett is even more confused when he enquires after the books they sell and is told they don’t sell books. Seredith explains that the books they bind are memories that people have asked to be bound in a book so that they don’t remember. They are stored in a vault and shouldn’t be read or sold, but there are some that create trade books for for profit or illegally sell the bound books. Emmett is horrified. How could he ever make such wicked things and take people’s memories? Seredith reassures him he’s “Binder-born”, that in time he will feel able to do the job at hand and all will become clear. Emmett can’t imagine that to be true and his first binding is a frightening experience that he feels ill-prepared for.

I found the first part of this book enjoyable but very confusing. We know only as much as Emmett and the author conveys his feelings so acutely that I found myself experiencing the same terrible bewilderment and desperate need for answers. When Emmett discovers a book with his name on he finally understands his feelings of deja vu and the story becomes clearer as we read about the memories he erased. This part of the book is where we see more of Emmett’s character and I felt I connected with him. He is a man of morals, a good, but flawed character who tries to do what is right. Sometimes I understood him, other times I empathised with him, and there were times I was aghast he could do or think what I was reading. I felt his turmoil at what he was expected to do, especially when he learned that it wasn’t always used to help people, as Seredith had taught him. We also get to know his sister, Alta, and aristocrat Lucian Dornay and as the fates of the three are entwined a love story that challenges social bounds and sets them all on an ill-fated collision course that only being bound in a book can help them forget.

The Binding is a book I could write about for hours. The multi-layered plot slowly unfolds over the three parts and takes some surprising twists and turns. I did see one of the these twists coming fairly early on but this facet of the story took unexpected turns which made the book unputdownable and an entirely different story to the one I thought I would read. The author filled this book with memorable characters, some of whom are so sinister they made my stomach turn. I liked how even the ‘good’ characters became misguided as it made them real. I loved how the author introduced the concept of ‘fake’ books (novels) that were seen as more outrageous and confounding at the time, as were the people who would write such things. It was an interesting take on something that is the norm and did make me think how ludicrous such a thing as making up a tale rather than retelling something that happened, or was thought to have happened, could be when it was introduced.

This is an enchanting book that will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions. If you want to read something totally different that everyone will be talking about then this is the book for you.

This is such a wonderful debut, original, creative story , featuring a star crossed forbidden love and wonderful well written characters you can’t help but love. It’s a wonderful page turner, spinning historical fantasy of such a creative level I haven’t seen in a debut before. Highly recommmended to all lovers of great literature.

This book was a revelation to me, nothing like any book I had read before. It tells the story of Emmett Farmer, a young man who it appears has a very special talent for 'binding' in a world where the rich are at liberty to choose what will be remembered, and by whom.

He is sent to work as an apprentice binder, learning how to 'bind' people's memories and keep them locked in a special vault never to be seen again. One day he comes across his own book and delves into his own story.........

The story is in three parts - it's a mystery combined with a love story and also an underlying commentary on the value of memories and how they shape our future selves - what kind of world would we be in if we could take away bad experiences and memories, from ourselves or those that we had afflicted? It's really difficult to write a review without giving anything away because it is such a unique book. Suffice to say I thoroughly enjoyed it and was very surprised and sad when I found myself at the end.

This is a unique and fascinating idea. The idea of your memories being willingly taken from you and locked away is an interesting concept. The scary fact that someone can illegally buy them and read them or use their power and influence to make you want to forget their deeds is a dark and disturbing thought. There is so much packed into this book and different interpretations as to what is moral and immoral. I would definitely recommend this book. It is totally different from anything that I have read. It was an interesting and thought provoking read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

When Emmett Farmer receives a letter from a local bookbinder inviting him to be her new apprentice, he is reluctant and afraid, begging his parents not to send him away. He has only just recovered from an illness that ravaged his senses and cloaked everything he knew in darkness. For those long months, he was just a husk, a fevered body with no sight to see his mother’s fear or strength to peel himself from bed. When his parents ignore his pleas and demand he leave the following day, Emmett pacts his meagre belongings and departs his family home. The bookbinder’s shop is a cold, silent space, standing amid a desolate marshland. And the woman herself, distant and elusive, superstition and rumours surrounding who – or what – she is.





Emmett is put to work and gradually he finds a rhythm, derives a little comfort from the quiet work and the paste and paper. He is taught to make the most beautiful books, covers with gold foil and delicately cut pages. But he is lonely, mourning the absence of his sister and parents. His only distraction is the customers, the men and women who arrive haunted, tears smudged down their cheeks, then leave quiet, blank, as if they have been emptied, drained of their woes.



The book binder, Seredith, captures any unwanted memories and binds them inside the pages of a book. A death, a heartbreak or a mistake can be captured and erased within mere moments. And the books, all the memories Seredith has been asked to take away, are put away in her vault. Protected. Safe. Emmett finally feels he understands this mysterious trade but then he finds a book – a memory – that belongs to him and his life ruptures.





The Binding is a unique and powerful novel that evokes emotion in the reader with the first hypnotic sentence. Brimming with magic and atmosphere, it pins you to the pages and snatches your breath away. I fell hook, line and sinker in love with the rich, well-drawn characters, the unique concept and the poetic, raw prose.







This is a tale of romance and magic, of courage and cruelty, discovery and secrets. I loved every moment of it. I can’t wait to get my hands on that beautiful hardback, when it publishes on the 10th! I envy anyone who hasn’t read this yet! A work of wonder!





Magical. Unique. Emotional.