Real Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars

This isn’t a bad book. That’s not why I only rated it 3.5 stars. I rated it 3.5 stars because it’s simply a very average book. In a world of superb fantasy novels where the female protagonist is justifiably angry, this one not only doesn’t do a whole lot to set itself apart, it also really let me down in the end.

The story itself is pretty simple: this is Beauty and the Beast, filtered through Irish mythology/folklore, and gender-bent so the female is the beast (though she’s also very pretty, so, you know). None of these elements are a new thing, although Christy Healy has certainly done a very good job at studying Irish mythology as it pertains to the Tuatha de Danann and putting it to effective use in this book (although it should be noted that there are a million variations on every myth and story told in this book about the Tuatha de Danann, as there are about every mythological figure).

Our two main characters, Jamie and Rozlyn, have issues with a capital I: Daddy issues, mommy issues, familial guilt, trust, abandonment, and more. Combined, they have enough baggage to sink a ship. Jamie has a lot of secrets and Rozlyn hides everything she’s feeling. It’s love, but oof is it rough. Neither of them have had a good go of it, but I can’t help but side with Rozlyn when it comes to just about everything because the patriarchy has made her into a victim since birth.

The prose isn’t special, but it’s not bad. The imagery isn’t especially evocative, which stuns me because Ireland is so pretty I don’t know how you can’t wax eloquently about it. Healy does have an incredible gift for dialogue though, because the banter between Jamie and Rozlyn is absolutely delightful, even when it slips from banter into genuine ire. I did have some trouble with some anachronistic word usage, though.

I think that this might be better suited to someone younger than I am. Maybe a younger reader might be more receptive to the message. Maybe I don’t want them to be? Maybe I’m just a cynic. I just know I didn’t like the ending. The novel as a whole is an alright read.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Folklore Novel/Romantasy/Fantasy/Folklore Retelling/Standalone Novel/YA Fantasy/YA Romantasy

To prevent confusion, there really should’ve been chapter headers of which pov is talking. We also were bouncing back around in different time spans that I couldn’t keep track of what really was going on. I think I was also expecting something a little bit different with the story and I just wasn’t 100% invested in the characters or story. I really love this cover though.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

"Unbound" presents a gender-bent reimagining of the classic Beauty and the Beast tale, weaving together Irish mythology and folklore in a lush and enchanting backdrop. The incorporation of mythology was a definite highlight for me, adding depth and richness to the narrative. The two main characters, each with their compelling dynamics, were a standout feature, making the story engaging and emotionally resonant.

However, the trajectory of the narrative felt cumbersome at times, and the length of the story seemed a bit extended beyond necessity. While I appreciated the exploration of Irish mythology, there were moments when the pacing seemed to drag, affecting the overall flow of the plot. Additionally, the ending left me somewhat disappointed, as it didn't quite meet the expectations built up throughout the story.

Despite these drawbacks, the captivating mythology and the complex interplay between the main characters made "Unbound" a worthwhile read. For those who appreciate gender-bent retellings with a strong mythological foundation and compelling character dynamics, this book offers an intriguing and immersive experience, even with its narrative challenges.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Unbound is a gender-bent Beauty and the Beast retelling that’s fully immersed in luscious prose and Celtic mythology. Roz is a beauty with a rather beastly secret, and Jamie is the mischievous man with a secret or two of his own who must help Roz break the curse on her kingdom.

Any number of things about this book would have convinced me to pick this book up in a bookstore, but let me tell you, the lovers-to-enemies-to ?? tension had me by the throat. Healy uses dual POV AND dual timelines to keep this tension strong, leaving you desperate to find out what went wrong between Roz and Jamie and whether they’ll be able to fix it as they journey to free Jamie's family.

And if for someone deeply baffling (to me) reason none of those reasons are enough to draw you in, the banter game is STRONG between Roz and Jamie. Despite the drama underlying the story, the two of them had me cackling so many times.

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for the early copy!

It was okay but a little bit confusing at first, and it just keeps confusing with the time jumping. I just don't understand why making the story that way makes me feel disconnected from the story whatsoever.

This book gave me some mixed feelings. I loved the Irish folklore and backdrop. The prose was beautiful. The story centers around Rozlyn and Jamie who I enjoyed as a couple. Rozlyn is a wonderful character. She’s beautiful and has remarkable magical abilities. I think Jamie complimented her well. I have two issues with the book, the first being that I don’t understand why it was marketed as a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I didn’t get that vibe from the book at all. My second issue was that I did not like the timeline jumping. That’s probably a personal preference but it did take me out of the story and make the plot feel disjointed. If you like romantasy with an amazing FMC and Irish settings I recommend checking this one out!

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for providing an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A forbidden love?
A cursed love?
With monsters?!?
Bring it.

Christy Healy shares the dark gothic monstrous elements of Hannah Whitten and Rachel Gillig, with the additional romantic prose and folklore vibes of Rebecca Ross. It’s gothic, mythological, romantasy, feminist perfection.

Rich with Irish mythology and folklore, Unbound follows Princess Rozlyn. Rozyln is used to waiting--waiting for the king, her father, to relent and allow her to leave the solitude of her tower; waiting for the dreaded and mysterious Beast of Connacht to at last be defeated; waiting for the arrival of the man destined to win her heart and break the terrible curse placed on her and her land. So when she meets Jamie--a charming and compelling suitor--she allows herself to hope that her days of solitude and patience are over at long last. But as she finds her trust betrayed--and newer, more sinister threats arising--Rozlyn learns that some curses are better left unbroken ...

It was folklore magic. My only note would be do not go in expecting the gender-bent Beauty and the Beast retelling that is mentioned in the marketing. I know there is a large audience that will run for a B&B retelling, so I understand the strategic choice in saying so, but I fear this will draw unwarranted criticism. It is not Beauty and the Beast. There is a beast. There is a curse. But this is a completely unique story with rich Irish folklore elements, Rozyln and Jamie have their own story tell. It more gives me Van Helsing/Monster Hunter vibes delivered in romantic prose - so enjoy.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing, NetGalley and Christy Healy for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review. I just loved it so! Unbound will be released on Tuesday, January 16th.

Unbound is a captivating novel that utilizes characters and creatures from Irish mythology to propel its main characters: beautiful and somber princess Rozlyn and charming yet elusive Jamie on an arduous journey that pits them against dangerous monsters who impede their goal to awaken the gods forced into an enchanted slumber three hundred years prior.

Separated into two parts, switching between Rozlyn and Jamie’s perspectives and interspersed with a number of flashbacks, Unbound keeps the reader slightly off guard as we are presented with the destruction and creation of Rozlyn and Jamie’s relationship out of chronological order.

I found Rozlyn to be a particularly fascinating main character. Her life is incredibly traumatic, as the powers she possesses filled her early life with suffering and isolation. Her lonliness, self-loathing, and even selfishness are completely reasonable given both her history and the fact that her first seemingly genuine romantic relationship ends up being tainted by miscommunication and deceit.

I found her far more sympathetic a character than Jamie and while he suffers terribly as well, I may be biased in feeling that it was due in part to his own actions and failure to communicate.

While I am not normally a romance reader, I thoroughly enjoyed the courtship between Rozlyn and Jamie; the banter back and forth and the growing affection between them. Even amidst the more negative instances of their relationship, there was still the hope for a positive resolution.


I can’t speak regarding the accuracy of the folklore and mythology that are mentioned within Unbound, but I found them immensely intriguing and may look further into other books the gain a better understanding.

In terms of things I wasn’t quite as fond of: some of the anachronisms scattered throughout the novel break immersion in the story slightly. Also, once Rozlyn joins Jamie on their trek, I feel as though the stakes are slightly lowered due to her shape-shifting and magical abilities.

Unbound is the first book that I’ve read this year and I found it to be a wonderful and engaging debut. Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing and Christy Healy for providing this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

For the publishers: Review linked and posted on Goodreads: 1/11/2024

I've seen Unbound advertised as a gender-bent Beauty and the Beast, and while I absolutely can see the fairy tale inspiration, it turned out to be so much more. The story is steeped in Irish folklore, layered and complex. It’s told in three different timelines, which made it like a fun puzzle you have to put together to figure out exactly what transpired between our main character, Rozlyn, and her estranged husband/enemy/potential love interest, Jamie.

I loved the way oral storytelling was weaved through the narrative, which made it feel like a true epic. I also enjoyed how complicated and difficult the relationship between Jamie and Rozlyn was. I couldn't help but hate Jamie, though I found him equally compelling, and I'm partial to monstrous female characters, which meant I was a huge fan of Rozlyn's from the start. She's such a well realised, interesting character, and I loved seeing her embrace her magic and her monstrous side.

This is a very strong debut that I believe would appeal to people who enjoyed the vividly built setting of Rebecca Ross’s A River Enchanted and the Irish folkloric elements of Shauna Lawless’s The Children of Gods and Fighting Men.

I received this advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This was an interesting and well-written retelling of Beauty And The Beast, with a really powerful and heartfelt heroine. Some of the flashbacks and time shifts in the storyline can be a little confusing at the beginning, but once you get past the first 15% the story really takes off and I found it very enjoyable!

3.5 stars, rounded up

This is a romantasy that is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas - and so not really a good fit for me since I really don't like SJM's books. If you're a fan of ACOTAR, I really recommend it. While they're not similar in terms of plot, and Unbound is very much its own thing, they hit a lot of the same themes and tropes: the bad-ass, self-assured but deeply lonely FMC who finds power and connection with otherworldly creatures, the sarcastic but respectful MMC, the quasi-enemies-to-lovers plot with a great deal of underlying undying devotion, the idea that love should be based on equality and on granting freedom to the beloved...

I liked some of those aspects, but not all of them (in particular I really couldn't connect to the characters at all, which was true also for ACOTAR). If this hadn't been an advance reader copy, I probably would have dnf-it and called it a day, but I always try to be as thorough and fair as possible when it comes to ARCs, so I powered through it and for this review I'm going to aim to be as objective as possible.

Disregarding the things that came down to my personal taste, I think there were a few real issues with this book. In particular, the first part being told out of order and in flashbacks didn't really add anything and stretched out the present-day story needlessly because they needed to converge at a specific point. There were flashbacks also in part 2, but they were much less frequent and actually really added to the story and the world. In general, part 2 is much stronger than part 1.

Relatedly, the ten year time-jump also doesn't add anything and actually subtracts from the story. Only one of the things that happen in those ten years actually truly impacts the story, and that is Rozlyn learning to control her powers, but that's a bad thing, narratively, because it takes away some of the tension. If she was struggling to control her powers during the trip north, the sense of danger would be a lot stronger throughout, and it would make their decision to travel by horse instead of flying in her beast form with Jamie on her back a lot more sensible and organic, instead of making the characters look like terrible people for deciding to stretch out their trip to get more time together as their subjects are being actively slaughtered by monsters.

There were some things I really liked: the inclusion of Celtic folklore and the various monsters and beasts was incredibly fascinating, and I loved the protagonist's powers, both the concept of them and the way the author utilizes it.

Overall, this wasn't really for me but it's objectively a pretty solid debut novel for fans of this particular subgenre of romantasy, so don't hesitate to check it out if the plot appeals to you!

DNF at 32%.

I’ll be blunt: this would have worked much better as a secondary-world setting fantasy than the semi-historical one it tried to be. Each chapter gives us a date in the 11th century, but the characters use modern terminology and slang, and eat potatoes and drink tea, despite those not reaching Ireland til centuries later. The potatoes especially feel mildly offensive, given that ‘potatoe eaters’ is a derogatory term for the Irish that still gets used today (I’m half-Irish and get teased about eating potatoes a fair bit). I’m not properly worked up about it, but it feels like very lazy, hand-wavey writing, like Healy either couldn’t be bothered to do her research or didn’t think her setting would feel Irish enough without potatoes in it.

So I’d have been happier with an Irish-inspired fantasy setting, rather than what we got, is what I’m saying.

On a similar note, I didn’t really care for Healy’s reimagining of the Danaan vs Formorri war from ancient Irish myth. I don’t think it was bad exactly, I just didn’t enjoy it. It all felt very watered-down and simplified, made very black-and-white, and I always find that sort of thing boring and vaguely patronising, as if the reader wouldn’t be able to handle it if it were messily complex.

I adored Rozlyn, though, and her magic, and the extremely messy relationship she has with Jamie; namely, the absolute rage and hatred she feels for him when we first meet these two characters. Powerful, angry women are amazing and I will never get tired of reading about them. But the dual timeline thing Healy was doing – taking us from the present to the past, when a much younger Roz first met Jamie – kind of undercut and distracted from that. I get what Healy was trying to do, and probably plenty of other readers will be happy to see the past timeline, but I was quickly bored with it and found it very unnecessary. We learn what went wrong between Roz and Jamie in the present timeline long before we get to it in the past, which undercut the build up to its reveal; and I just wasn’t sold on their romance, so I had no interest in seeing Roz fall in love. I’d have been much happier sticking to the present, knowing that these two had been in love without having to see it develop. Just skip over that part!

And to be honest, I would have liked Roz to be much more monstrous. I was drawn to Unbound on the promise of a Dark Girl, and Roz isn’t that, really. She’s only angry at, and scary to, people who have deeply wronged her; the rest of the time she’s a do-gooder, and that was disappointing. WHERE ARE MY UNABASHEDLY MONSTROUS MONSTER GIRLS???

Jamie felt so incredibly bland – maybe he’d have read better if we didn’t have beautifully complicated Roz to contrast him with, but as it was he was just…dull. And fairly one-dimensional. And I absolutely despised how the Big Reveal of his past/true identity was literally just dropped on us, told to us – and so early on! – instead of being gradually revealed with mysterious clues given to us along the way. It turned what should have been a huge, Extremely Interesting surprise into a massively underwhelming meh moment. I have no idea why Healy decided to do it the way she did.

Also, don’t pick this up looking for a Beauty and the Beast retelling. It’s not that, at all, and I have no idea why it’s being marketed that way.

According to other early readers, the second half of this book jumps 300 years in the past and is about two other, completely seperate characters. Don’t know what that’s about, since I didn’t get that far, but be braced for that if you decide to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC of this book!

I found that most of my enjoyment was experienced during the beginning of the book, but I later lost interest as the book progressed. For starters, this book is described as a gender-bent retelling of Beauty & the Beast when--at most--it just felt like it took small elements from the story. I didn't feel like Jaime and Rozlyn's roles were really reversed in any sort of way. We are told that Rozlyn is a beast and that someone must fall in love with her to break her curse. This would be all good and fine if she was actually a beast for most of the book. Instead she's a beautiful girl who suitors come across the land for, and it didn't really make sense to call this a Beauty & the Beast retelling when the "beast" was never really present. This book is also told using dual POV and flip-flops between different years in the past and present, which I felt added nothing to the story because neither of the characters had a distinct voice. I wasn't really attached to any of the characters and didn't feel like they had one redeeming quality between them.

I hate a book that does more showing than telling, especially since this is an adult fantasy. Rozlyn's magic felt poorly explained, and I could never really grasp the depths of her ability. (I guess this could be due to her not really understanding how to completely master her powers to begin with.) There are also super scary monsters who come out of their neck of the woods to make trouble for the pair, but they are defeated with little effort within two pages. Additionally, I found Jaime to be a massive manipulator, and I got whiplash trying to follow along with their love story. I was also kind of over the chess-inspired metaphors the author tried to sprinkle throughout the book.

Overall, I think this story could work for someone who doesn't go into it expecting a retelling, but there were several aspects of this story that just didn't work for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I wanted to love this….I really did. But unfortunately I can’t get past 26% as I’m just bored. It’s not poorly written, it’s just very slow and I am not invested in the story or the characters at all. And I completely fail to see how it is a gender-bent Beauty and the Beast retelling outside the faintest traces.

I can’t lie, this one was rough for me to get through and I nearly dnfd it many times before the first half.

Unbound is marketed as a “gender flipped” take on the classic tale of Beauty and The Beast. While the classic was incorporated there was also an overload of other classic lore that felt out of place.

The overall structure of the book was confusing. I am all for alternative timelines but this one played out in a manor that did not make sense. The world building lacked for me and felt untethered from the world while reading.

I felt that the characters ultimately were not relatable. Roz’s arc was weak. I did not like how manipulative Jamie was for the entire book. Their relationship at the end was as if they both had amnesia and forgot about their past years together.

I loved the backdrop of Old Ireland, but the writing lacked in physical description. I was never able to fully visualize the setting which was a disappointment.

The dialogue used with in was off for me as well. From my memory no character was capable to speaking, but was “declared” or a monotonous monologue. The magic system was also not clearly defined and was ultimately confusing.

It’s as if the author wanted to incorporate every idea she had, but felt by trying to incorporate so many aspects that it ultimately took away from the plot and did not work for me.

The premise of this book is what pulled me in so I was disappointed that this one did not sit well with me.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unbound was a fun and unique fantasy debut that kept me hooked! I loved the twist on beauty and the beast, mixed with Irish lore.

Overall, I enjoyed the lyrical writing style and the fun banter between the two main characters. I really liked how strong the FMC was, refusing to give up the powers that she’d tamed and grown up with. I loved how she realized who she was as a person was greater than a past self or love of a man. It was empowering and refreshing to read.

I’d recommend to my followers and fellow fantasy readers!

Questo libro mi aveva attirata subito dalla trama e l'avevo richiesto senza pensarci due volte.
Avevo altissime aspettative, dato che adoro alla follia la mitologia celtica.
Purtroppo il libro ha completamente distrutto le mie speranze di leggere un libro sulle meraviglie della mitologia irlandese.
La storia è sin dall'inizio confusa e pesante da seguire. I punti di vista durante tutto il libro cambiano più volte, sia da capitolo a capitolo, che all'interno del capitolo stesso. Ho fatto davvero molta fatica ad arrivare alla fine del libro. Ho trovato la parte centrale (quella del viaggio) decisamente più interessante della parte iniziale (la gioventù di Rozlyn) e della parte finale (scontro finale e risveglio dei Tuatha de Danann). Ho decisamente odiato con tutta me stessa quella parte finale. Avrei voluto urlare, spaccare qualcosa (magari la testa di Jamie dato che stava lì fermo a far niente), perchè l'autrice ha completamente rovinato la mia visione degli Dei celtici.
Inoltre è stata una lettura che all'inizio mi ha quasi portata a un blocco della lettura, ma mi sono sforzata di arrivare alla fine, concentrandomi solo su questo libro, per poi passare finalmente ad altro.

Sebbene nei riconoscimenti l'autrice chiarisca che abbia inserito volontariamente oggetti e situazioni anacronistiche (cioccolato, libri, patate, ecc) non ho potuto non storcere il naso e continuare a ripensarci più volte mentre continuavo a leggere la storia. E' stato tremendamente fastidioso.

Insomma, l'idea di sfruttare il mito di Midir ed Etain era buona, ma la costruzione della storia e dei personaggi è stata disastrosa. Avrei molto probabilmente messo solo due stelle, per via del fastidio e del nervoso che mi ha causato (soprattutto negli ultimi capitoli), ma gliene concedo tre, per la parte centrale che mi è piaciuta molto e per la lista delle pronunce di tutti i nomi e le parole gaeliche inserite nel libro (che non viene quasi mai fatto e che dovrebbe essere una consuetudine).

Grazie Netgalley per avermi permesso di leggerlo in anteprima.


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This book immediately attracted me for the plot and I requested it without thinking twice.
I had very high expectations, given that I absolutely love Celtic mythology.
Unfortunately the book completely destroyed my hopes of reading a book about the wonders of Irish mythology.
The story is confusing and heavy to follow from the beginning. The points of view throughout the book change several times, both from chapter to chapter and within the chapter itself.
I really struggled to get to the end of the book. I found the central part (that of the journey) decidedly more interesting than the initial part (Rozlyn's youth) and the final part (boss battle and awakening of the Tuatha de Danann). I definitely hated that final part with all my heart. I wanted to scream, smash something (maybe Jamie's head since she was just standing there doing nothing), because the author completely ruined my vision of the Celtic Gods.
Furthermore, it was a read that at the beginning almost brought me to a reading block, but I forced myself to get to the end, focusing only on this book, and then finally moving on to something else.

Although in the acknowledgments the author clarifies that she voluntarily inserted anachronistic objects and situations (chocolate, books, potatoes, etc.) I couldn't help but turn up my nose and keep thinking about it several times as I continued reading the story. It was tremendously annoying.

In short, the idea of exploiting the myth of Midir and Etain was good, but the construction of the story and the characters was disastrous. I would most likely have given only two stars, due to the annoyance and stress it caused me (especially in the last chapters), but I give it three, for the central part which I really liked and for the list of pronunciations of all the names and Gaelic words inserted into the book (which is almost never done and should be customary).

Thanks Netgalley for letting me read it.

This lush beauty and the beast retelling mixed with Irish mythology is one you don't want to miss! I loved the way this story was told and enjoyed our two main characters. It was also refreshing to read about an FMC who was older!

After being cursed on the day of her birth, Rozlyn Ó Conchúir has been trapped her entire life. Secluded in her stone tower, she waits for her father to release her, the deadly Beast of Connacht to be defeated, and for man to be brave enough to win her heart and break the curse. Seeming to appear out of nowhere, Jamie--a bewitching new suitor--begins to chip away at Rozyln's defenses, and she begins to wonder if her painful solitude is coming to an end. But betrayal and sinister threats lurk in the shadows, which begs the question, are some curses better left unbroken?

Stunning. This novel is a spellbinding work that immerses the reader in a world filled with gods and monsters inspired by Irish mythology and folklore. As a reader, I love a fierce female main character who does not apologize for the power she holds. Toss in the fact that this FMC is over thirty, I was immediately intrigued and excited to read this book. Rozlyn's journey was incredible, and I loved seeing her at different moments in her life as the story progressed.

The banter in this book was phenomenal! Every interaction between Rozyln and Jamie had me begging for more of them together. The author's style of presenting Jamie's storytelling throughout the novel was captivating, and I found myself engrossed in a story within a story. The beautiful way that Healy describes the landscape and events makes the reader feel as though they are experiencing this journey alongside the characters.

Beauty and the beast is my favorite tale and I quite enjoyed this take but I wish the pacing would have been a little more consistent,
Thank you for the arc !