Bound

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Pub Date 6 Dec 2020 | Archive Date 5 Jun 2021
Patrick Sullivan, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles

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Description

TWO MINDS. ONE BODY.

Shennan and Adin are two minds joined in a single body, one of the rare Bound. Bred and trained as an elite soldier, they protect the Polis’s clandestine First Contact Teams on new worlds. The Bound can be reanimated into a new body after death, and brutal deaths on hostile worlds are a price they willingly pay to protect the Polis.

On Polis worlds, violence is long forgotten; equity and justice are universal. But when peaceful citizens transform into savage killers—the Mad—idyllic Polis worlds descend into chaos. The Mad are spreading. The Mad are winning. And the Mad know how to kill the Bound—permanently.

Shennan and Adin become the key to destroying the source of the Mad. Thrown into a frantic pursuit from star to star, they will be tried not merely in battle but in their hearts. Will friends abandon them in horror at what they must do? Can they defeat the Mad without becoming a monster?

TWO MINDS. ONE BODY.

Shennan and Adin are two minds joined in a single body, one of the rare Bound. Bred and trained as an elite soldier, they protect the Polis’s clandestine First Contact Teams on...


A Note From the Publisher

Book illustrator: Mark Thomas

Book illustrator: Mark Thomas


Advance Praise

"The Polis federation, consisting of various intelligent species on more than 10,000 planets, knows no crime because of its members’ unconscious neural links to the Consensus, a shared morality. In case of a threat, the federation can also activate some underlying genes to engender Keld—strong, agile warriors capable of killing. Rarest of this rare breed are the Bound Keld, who can regenerate after their deaths into new lives. These Keld have two personalities, or rather two aspects of the same personality, in one body. Usually these personalities alternate with each reanimation, but Adin Rayne went through a tortuous process in order to become fused with Shennan, her other half. Only one can be ascendant (in charge of the body) at a time, but they’re mutually aware and communicative. Although she’d rather be a peacemaker, as a warrior with the Keld Special Action force, she’s charged with killing worlds, if need be, to protect the federation. On five planets, a new and unprecedented threat has arisen called the Madness, seemingly some type of infection that induces ordinary people to carry out deadly attacks despite the Consensus. In her battles, Adin discovers she has a unique ability to perceive the Mad, allowing her to track down the true nature of this infection and its source, which must be annihilated before the whole Consensus is contaminated. Her dangerous, bold endeavors have severe physical and emotional consequences; as if that wasn’t difficult enough, the Prospect planet Moton has been infected while its scientists are developing technology they’re not socially advanced enough to handle, a double threat. If Keld Special Action can’t wipe out the Madness on Moton, the planet may have to be destroyed.

In his book, Sullivan presents an intricate two-in-one main character whose psychology is as compelling as her warrior prowess. Adin and Shennan complement each other but have different preferences and strengths. Adin is reserved and cool, for example, while Shennan is more optimistic and gregarious. After each death, the personality that was ascendant retires to recoup, allowing the other to come forward and choose the preferred body type for that incarnation (complicating their romances). Adin/Shennan’s conflict between wanting to make peace while required to make war gives the character additional depth, and the worldbuilding is equally intricate and well thought out. The author gives attention to the kinds of differences many SF writers overlook, such as how diverse the cultures and languages can be and the ramifications of that variety. On Pellegro, for example, the four-caste system means a strike team doesn’t have enough taps for cable-fiber bundles, with the group expecting one bundle but getting four: “Who would have thought they wouldn’t even allow their data to touch?” This thoughtfulness is matched by exciting, dynamic action scenes with an array of weaponry and tactics, all described with crystal clarity while fully imparting their urgency and danger.

A brilliant tale offering a universe and protagonist that are impressively well realized.”
Kirkus Starred Review

"The Polis federation, consisting of various intelligent species on more than 10,000 planets, knows no crime because of its members’ unconscious neural links to the Consensus, a shared morality. In...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9798577947446
PRICE US$10.99 (USD)

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