A Bond of Magic and Venom is a fairly typical fantasy novel. There is enough intrigue and character building in it to keep you reading but, it took me quite a while to actually get through this book.

The heroine Diamond has come in to her powers and her world is suddenly thrown in to chaos. The author did a good job of building out Diamond's character she is portrayed as growing but far from perfect and her flaws are clear. Diamond comes across many characters you would expect to see: Dragons, monsters, evil queens and men attempting to both save and endanger her life.

This book hits all the points a reader would want in a fantasy novel as A Bond of Magic and Venom weaves together adventure, romance and personal growth in to a decently paced flow that will keep you reading.

This was not your topical YA book, this one sets the bar so much higher. Hugo and Diamond shine in the authentic world of magic, heartbreak, deceit, bonds, violence, and strength.

There were moments where I was saddened by Diamonds treatment, angerered at Hugo’s actions, destroyed by their choices, and hopeful for their future. This book had me full of emotions and that’s when you know the author has written some of worth—when the character’s plight is your own and you can find some form of relatable or interest.

I loved that book very very much!
I am amazed at the writing of the author and I loved the action and the characters.
The first thing that got to me was the title and I immediately decided that I wanted this book ad that I wanted to read it ^^
I am not disappointed and I hope everybody else gets to enjoy it as much as I did.

This book is fantastic and I enjoyed every page of it. Diamond is a great heroine and is strong and brave. This is fantasy at its best. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy.

There's a lot to like about Tomlinson's A Bond of Magic and Venom. But unfortunately, the things that were problematic outweighed the enjoyable parts.

I did appreciate the characters that Tomlinson created. Diamond, our protagonist, is pretty great. She's smart and feisty, but also flawed. Her growth as a character is well done throughout the novel. Hugo, our other main protagonist is...all right. We don't get a POV chapter for him until about a third of the way through the book, so it was harder to connect with him as a character, but he’s not horrible. The villain is quite weak. More of a “he’s so bad because...he’s bad...!” sort of villain, which isn’t the worst, but it makes for a less nuanced world. Unfortunately, the chemistry between the characters is severely lacking. I think Diamond’s connection with her father

Speaking of which. The world building was bad either. It wasn’t amazing, since we have to learn new things as we go that only loosely fit into the established rules for the world. Which for many readers, they may be able to adjust to, but it frustrated me to no end. It felt like sloppy writing.

Unfortunately, A Bond of Magic and Venom was a book I was unable to finish; I lost interest and just had zero inclination to finish it. I gave it a good go, but I think that about sums it up. We all gave it our best. It’ll work for some, but didn’t for me.

Good beginning, had a lot of potential. I lost interest towards the end because although the story is good, I’ve had enough of evil queens. Diamond is quite a weak character for what she is. Hugo annoys the hell out of me and half the story wouldn’t have happened if not for him. I hated the queen but he’s no better. My favourite character was Jack, I was more interested in Zane and Tom than the main characters. I found the story to be predictable. I won’t be reading the second part.

I had to restart this book because I read the first couple of pages and thought it was going to be dreary. Once I got past that it was great. Total changer. It lagged a little near the end, and it seemed like the author was trying to find a good place to stop without getting into "next book" territory. The Queen p'd me off because shes so illogical - egomaniac that suddenly cares, narcissist who wants to make sure she's not hurt? I just didn't like her as a character and didn't think the development worked there. Hugo and Diamond? Loved them. Looking forwards to the next book.

This book is a stunning, action packed fantasy. 'A bond of venom' is extremely well written with magical world building, compelling characters and a plot i lost myself in.

I received an ARC of A Bond of Venom and Magic in exchange for an honest review.

Book Name: A Bond of Venom and Magic.
Author: Karen Tomlinson
Series: The Goddess and The Guardians.
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy.

This book was really spectacular. I had heard so many good things about this book, and I am so glad that I listened and took a chance on this author.
The plot of this book is really complex. There are so many different elements that are bound together to make the story.

A young prince, mighty dragons, a spiteful queen, and more than one secret schemer make up this jam-packed adventure.
Magic, chaos, danger, and suspense are aplenty as our group battle enemies (and each other) in order to survive.
In short, I cannot wait to see where the author takes this story in the next book!

It’s a interesting story, but hard to get in to. It felt like it took to long to get a grip on it.

I had a hard to getting interested in this book. Took me way longer to read then usual.

Okay shouting this from the rooftop: This is one of the best fantasy novels I've read in a long time. A Bond of Venom and Magic has left me in one more chapter withdrawal and trying to adequately describe in English instead of fangirl speech. Hugo and Diamond have melted my heart and I'm excited for the rest of the books in the series. A great escape from reality. Also an amazing cover and worldbuilding.

Review for A Bond of Magic and Venom by Karen Tomlinson
Publication Date: 14th October 2016

Firstly I would like to thank NetGalley for providing me with an electronic copy of A Bond of Magic and Venom in exchange for an honest review.
When I first saw this book, I have to admit that the cover didn’t exactly pull me in, however when I read the blurb I was pretty much hooked:
Magic awakens. Darkness stirs. The Wraith Lord is hunting.
The war raging in the South seems a remote danger for seventeen-year-old Diamond Gillon until her home is brutally attacked by the Wraith Lord’s monstrous hunters. Catapulted into a terrifying new world where legendary beasts arise, magic is condemned, and half-blood fae like her have no rights, Diamond is inexplicably drawn to her saviour. But Commander Hugo Casimir is a ruthless elite guard owned by a cruel, immortal fae queen who will murder her own people for magic.
As she sinks deeper into Hugo’s world, Diamond’s circumstances become ever more perilous, for the Queen desires her magic and covets the very same prize as the Wraith Lord. To discover who she truly is, Diamond must escape the Queen’s clutches—before her fate, and that of The Eight Kingdoms, is sealed in shadow and chaos.
Will Hugo prove to be her friend, her protector, or an enemy not worthy of her trust?
A Bond of Venom and Magic is an epic fantasy tale, ideal for mature Young Adult readers. Fans of Sarah J Maas and Leigh Bardugo will love to discover this spectacular new world steeped in dragons, monsters, and armoured winged warriors.
Ruthless war, legendary beasts, condemned magic, elite guards? Yes please! And boy was I rewarded for my decision to look further into this book! If you love fantasy, then this is surely a book for you. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, often reading into the early hours of the morning because I couldn’t put it down.
The writing is mature and descriptive, but never boring or overly flowy or showy. I wouldn’t call it an ‘easy’ read as some YA novels are, as at times I found myself having to re-read paragraphs in order to really take in what was said. I found it wasn’t a book that I could watch with the television on in the background as I often do with other stories, simply because it required my full concentration to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
One of the only negatives I found with this book was the large amount of information that is given at the start of the novel. I really felt overwhelmed with the information, legends and stories that are told in order to give the reader some background into the war that is raging. I felt that if this information had been spread out a bit more, it wouldn’t have been such an overload. At one point I felt like I needed to get out some paper and a pen to take notes, however once I moved past this section of the novel, this overload of information settled down dramatically.
I enjoyed the novel opening with Diamond’s Dad’s point of view, as this gives readers a view into his world and life before the attack happens. I also thoroughly enjoyed having Hugo’s point of view used so consistently throughout the story. It allows readers a more in-depth view of the struggles and demons behind the ‘cold’ mask he always wears. I also really appreciated Hugo being imperfect in terms of his looks, with the large scar across his face, as often the main male character is always ‘perfect’ or incredibly handsome in YA books. This also allowed for us to see that behind Hugo’s hard exterior is someone who is sometimes also scared, lonely and self-conscious.
I can easily say that Hugo was my favourite character in this book. I enjoyed Diamond, however I found her a little weak at times for the heroine of the novel, although I understand that this is necessary for her future growth, especially in the second novel if my suspicions are correct. The last page definitely hints at a stronger, more determined Diamond. Strength, however, is not one area that Hugo lacks in and I really enjoyed his inner turmoil between his growing love for Diamond, his fae instincts to take her as a mate and his loyalties and fears of his Queen. His protective nature really shone throughout the novel and I found his care for Diamond very sweet. It gave me Edward from Twilight feels, which for me, I’m not ashamed to say, is not a bad thing! His inner strength when fighting his ‘beast’ as well as keeping his feelings in check in order to protect Diamond was admirable and I sometimes got frustrated with Diamond for doubting him so regularly.
Overall, a very, very enjoyable book and one that I would re-read again, which for me is my true test to how much I liked a novel. I really cannot wait to see what happens in book two! 4.5/5!

A bond of Magic and Venom is the first book the series. The story follows Diamond Gillon, who has lived a mediocre life in a small village. She is a half-blood, (half fae/half human). She lives in the town with her father, also protected by her uncle. The town is attacked by Seekers, which are kinda like werewolf shapeshifters. Suddenly, she is thrown into a world of chaos. I can't describe anymore without giving away much of the story.

I did enjoy this book and already bought the 2nd book. There were some instances where I thought the words used were a little strange and repetitive, i.e. the word bulk. That's in the top rules as a writer to try not to use unique words repeatedly. In this case, the word bulk is not used in typical conversation so it really stands out. That's just one example that really stuck with me.

Also, this is a young adult book. In such it follows the pattern of most books in this genre. Some points are predictable but with that being said, I did find that this book was enjoyable. Yes, Diamond is a damsel in distress. Yes, she has new found powers but she doesn't know how to control them. Yes, there is a male protector who is also her captor. Yes, there is an evil queen. But this is only the beginning. There is a 2nd book where a strong female is born.

The wraith Lord hunts...

The war in the south is far from Diamond's mind until her home town is attacked by the wraith lords hunter. In the new world, where magic is condemned and the half blood fae like her have no rights, she is drawn to her savior. But Commander Casimir is a ruthless elite guard owned by a ruthless fae queen.

As Diamond sinks further into Hugo Casimirs world, things become precarious as the queen desires her magic. To discover who she is she must escape.

Will Hugo prove to be friend or foe?

Don't expect this to be your typical fantasy novel where things aren't raw and gritty. There are so many different paranormal and fantasy creatures I was totally fangirling the whole time about how awesome this book is! It is a breath of fresh air in the fantasy world where it seems the same old stories are being remade (yes I am guilty of enjoying those books).

The author creates a beautiful and intriguing world. I absolutely cannot wait to see all the fan art that is based on this book!

A Bond of Magic and Venom follows the heroine, Diamond, as she comes into her newly found power and tries to save her world from dark evil.

Everything seemed to happen to conveniently in this book. All of her life she has never had powers, but all of a sudden she’s able to use those powers perfectly without any practice and she’s unfazed? Hmm sounds a bit like lazy plot convenience to me.

In all honesty, the plot of this book wasn’t bad and I found it occasionally interesting, however there was just too much plot convenience and the author would throw things in that didn’t make that much sense to make the book easier to write, but that led to the book being boring at points. I also felt like this book used so many common tropes in YA, the heroine who is very special and who’s power has never been seen before, dark and brooding protector and many many more. There is nothing wrong with using tropes because of course it is hard to write something 100% unique, but the way these tropes were used seemed a bit overdone and tiring.

The writing style was very… strange, I don’t know how to describe it. I found the way she worded these things to be very cringey and I found myself actually having to pull back, because it would get really cheesy at points. There was awkward wording at every corner, and it was weird because there was some modern terminology used however this book took place in a not so modern world.

The author failed to give a good explanation to what exactly were Diamond’s powers and also Diamond was always able to use her power and understand it, even though she had never used it before. It was quite unrealistic.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the relationship or semi-love triangle in this book. I just hate it when off the get go you can tell who the love interest is and exactly how it is going to go because it is usually the first love interest the heroine lays her on. Not only that, but the entire time it was just him protecting her and him helping her live, Diamond was pretty useless and didn’t do much except for almost die and she always ended up being a damsel in distress. Nothing wrong with that, but when I picked up this book I was expecting a strong female heroine, and not a story about a woman who depends on a man for survival. Her love interest is very overprotective and jealous and some people may find it attractive, but I sometimes deem it to be abusive and old school, but as I said to each their own.

There were also multiple grammatical errors scattered throughout the book.
Really sorry for the in-depth and a bit harsh review. I like to be completely honest, and I don’t mean to offend or hurt anyone. The act of writing a book is impressive enough and this review doesn’t take away from that.

I received this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This was a wonderful read! I was captivated from the beginning. I wasn’t sure what to think before I started reading. I immediately fell in love with Diamond and Hugo. There was so much action and adventure. I would definitely recommend this book to all fantasy lovers!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

The cover and the summary blob of the book was what got me hooked to it. I was able to get the ARC and I'm grateful for that. This book was entertaining overall. However, it did have some issues and the story, to me, was a bit confusing. Or maybe, the way it was written. It took me a while to see things clearly. I have tons of questions. The pacing isn't super fast but, it is not slow either...somewhere in-between, I'd say. The book has two POV. There were some chapters with Hugo's POV but, mostly Diamond.

The story begins with Diamond, who is a half breed (half fae and half human), despised by most cuz of what she is. She's living in a small town with her father and an uncle. One day her town is attacked by these seekers who are vicious beasts - shape shifters - who work for the Evil Wraith Lord Ragor. They are hunting for her and she is clueless as to why as she's a nobody. Her life changes forever with that attack on her. She's saved by the Royal Elite guards (Queen's personal fae warriors) and again she's wondering why? As they don't just help anybody.

I felt the story had a good premise -- Evil Queen, Evil Wraith Lord Ragor who wants to take over the world...what else? Gods and Goddesses (I'm still confused about that), guardians aka dragons. And, the perils involved in saving the world. However, the story sort of got backstage between the growing attraction (no insta-love Thank God) and hot/cold behavior between the main protagonists - Hugo and Diamond.

The story also somewhat reminded me of Erawan and Maeve from ToG series. I couldn't help but draw parallels between it. Evil Queen, Elite personal guards (play toy too), she a control freak who wants to be all almighty...working in secret to take all power. Despite that, I still definitely enjoyed reading it.

Diamond, going through a lot during her journey for survival turned out to be a magic wielder unbeknownst to her. One day she's a nobody and the next she has this great power she had no idea she possessed & is hunted by guardians, wanted by wraith lord - for unknown reasons & probably will get killed by the queen for possessing magic . Her power is so great as it has not been seen since the Goddesses themselves. She has no idea how to use it or where she got it from. However, she can wield some scary power when her emotions are high and she feels threatened. As a character, for now, she's weak, naïve, pretty, an ordinary girl, in a way clingy, does have a feisty spirit, lived a sheltered life and who has potential as the series goes on. I want to see her grow as the series progresses and become less dependent on Hugo or anyone else. By the time the book ended she's been thrown into a somewhat impossible situation and I want her to make the best of it to fight for herself and what is right.

Hugo, the commander and queen's personal guard & play toy to be. He's scary, a full blooded fae warrior, has magic although we don't know what kind as he keeps a tight lid on it. Well, he's been hot and cold to Diamond from the beginning. I understand being under the queen's thumb does not give him many choices. However, I want his character to grow as well. I want to understand how he ended up being where he is. I want to know if he truly desires to break free from the queen and I want him to figure out a way to be free. I want to understand his magic as he does have strong magic inside him. We just don't know what? Is it a blood oath he has sworn to the queen? What is holding him back???

Jack, the mortal prince, he seemed nice and turned out to be a good friend to Diamond. He's a friend to Hugo too. However, we didn't get to see a whole lot of Jack. Half the book he was sick and the rest he was just not there. Is he scheming something? Why is he working with the Bitch queen?

Nexus/Bond, there is a bond between Hugo and Diamond. She's his nexus. We've been told about it. But, it is not clear what Nexus means? It seems their magic is complementary to each other. It seems like a big thing. Not to mention, it makes Hugo act like Diamond is his mate. Is she? Like fae have one true mate? Hugo was able to mark Diamond with his venom without her knowing (the circumstance was dire) which led to some other events in the story. Also, it seems Diamond is a magnet for all fae warrior males. What is that about?

Mystery benefactor and group - There was a certain group that is supposed to be on Diamond's side. They kidnap her trying to explain to her. Like that ever works! We don't know much about them however, they want to help her. Or do they? This was sort of introduced and then just left alone.

Guardians, are the dragons who protected many, many years ago. However, there's one guardian who is hell bent on hunting Diamond. I have my theories as to why he went after Diamond. (view spoiler)

Evil Queen, reminded me somewhat of Maeve from ToG. Well, she has her own agenda. she's a hypocrite too. As she herself has magic but, despises and kills anyone else from being a magic wielder in her kingdom. She is diabolical, evil, mean, spiteful, gorgeous, controlling, rules with an iron fist biatch. There!

The stage for book 2 is already set. Diamond has a lot of growing up to do and harden her resolve. She has a lot to learn and let's hope she does just that and kicks some arse. I'm definitely going to follow up with the series as it did have me intrigued. We'll be seeing a lot of pow wow between Hugo and Diamond.