Emmett Farmer's strength has deserted him since his
illness. His hands shake so badly working in the fields that
he can barely tie a knot. A letter arrives at his home that
changes everything. Instead of remaining on the family farm,
Emmett is forced to apprentice with a bookbinder. Books are
feared in Emmett's world as rumors of witchcraft surround
them, but he settles into a routine as the craft soothes him
in a way nothing else has. Unfortunately, the power of books
has corrupted others, and Emmett will have to choose what
path to take.
Bridget Collins crafts a mysterious world where books have a
deadly power in the hands of bookbinders. Emmett enters this
dark world with little understanding of what is in store for
him, other than he knows he's always been drawn to books
despite his family's fear of them. I love how Bridget
Collins builds the suspense about the power behind books as
I had so many questions in the beginning, and oh, what
fascinating answers unfold as this eloquently told story
progresses!
THE BINDING is told in three parts, with the middle part
focusing on the past and tying together the events of parts
one and two. I have to admit that I found part one almost
impossible to put down as Bridget Collins weaves a
mysterious story line that keeps you guessing. I guessed
most of the twists and turns in part two, but it sets the
stage for one heck of a spectacular concluding section.
It's hard to say much more as any spoilers would ruin the
suspense that Bridget Collins so carefully creates.
An alluring, almost mystical tale, THE BINDING centers
around the power of books. Bridget Collins' eloquent
writing is hypnotic, drawing you in so deeply that putting
THE BINDING aside for sleep seems impossible. The complexity
of Bridget Collins' world-building awes me even now as I
want to dive back into her world and hear more stories. If
you love dark fantasy, THE BINDING is a must read for you!
Imagine you could erase grief.
Imagine you could remove pain.
Imagine you could hide the darkest, most horrifying secret.
Forever.
Young Emmett Farmer is working in the fields when a strange
letter arrives summoning him away from his family. He is to
begin an apprenticeship as a Bookbinder—a vocation that
arouses fear, superstition, and prejudice amongst their
small community, but one neither he nor his parents can
afford to refuse.
For as long as he can recall, Emmett has been drawn to
books, even though they are strictly forbidden. Bookbinding
is a sacred calling, Seredith informs her new apprentice,
and he is a binder born. Under the old woman’s watchful eye,
Emmett learns to hand-craft the elegant leather-bound
volumes. Within each one they will capture something unique
and extraordinary: a memory. If there’s something you want
to forget, a binder can help. If there’s something you need
to erase, they can assist. Within the pages of the books
they create, secrets are concealed and the past is locked
away. In a vault under his mentor’s workshop rows upon rows
of books are meticulously stored.
But while Seredith is an artisan, there are others of their
kind, avaricious and amoral tradesman who use their talents
for dark ends—and just as Emmett begins to settle into his
new circumstances, he makes an astonishing discovery: one of
the books has his name on it. Soon, everything he thought he
understood about his life will be dramatically rewritten.
An unforgettable novel of enchantment, mystery, memory, and
forbidden love, The Binding is a beautiful homage
to the allure and life-changing power of books—and a
reminder to us all that knowledge can be its own kind of magic.
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