Unbound
Penelope Bloom
Nineteen-year-old Nessa Thorne expects death when she volunteers for Empire's selection. Instead, she's thrust into Confluence Academy, where students harness elemental magic and bond powerful beasts—from wolves to ancient dragons—forging themselves into the Empire's most lethal weapons.
Students are branded by affinity: water, air, earth, or fire. But Nessa’s mark is different. A silver spiral—the mark of an unbound. It’s a power so dangerous her kind were hunted to extinction centuries ago—or so the Empire claims.
To survive, she must hide what she is in a castle that reeks of blood, where students kill eachother for advantage and failing to tether an elemental means death.
Nessa’s greatest threat may be the only other volunteer—Raith Hollow, a powerful fire affinity whose scorching gaze follows her every move and whose secrets could topple kingdoms.
Alliances are forged in blood, enemies circle like vultures, and forbidden desires close in. Death once seemed like release from her tragic past. Now it's not an option. She'll embrace her terrible potential or watch everything she's fought for burn.
At Confluence Academy, students leave as weapons... or they don't leave at all.
Tagged as:
- military 3
- fantasy 3
- monsters 2
- high fantasy 2
- war 2
- forced proximity 2
- magic 2
- new adult 1
- angst 1
- suspense 1
- funny 1
- m-f romance 1
- class difference 1
- height difference 1
- caretaking 1
- enemies to lovers 1
- hurt/comfort 1
- insta-love 1
- slow burn 1
- found family 1
- political/court intrigue 1
- vengeance 1
- college 1
- competent heroine 1
- sassy heroine 1
- independent heroine 1
- take-charge heroine 1
- tortured heroine 1
- alpha male 1
- bad boys 1
- grumpy/cold hero 1
- possessive hero 1
- sweet/gentle hero 1
- tortured hero 1
- royal hero 1
- Add topics
- content warnings
- mental trauma 1
- torture of side characters 1
- Format
- Audiobook
- first person pov 1
romance tags
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