Unbound - by Christy Healy (Paperback)

About the Book

"Rozlyn âO Conchâuir has long waited for 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, Rozlyn learns that some curses are better left unbroken"--

Book Synopsis

For fans of Hannah Whitten and Rebecca Ross, Unbound is a gender-bent reimagining of the classic tale of a monstrous beast and the beauty determined to tame it, set against the lush backdrop of Irish mythology and folklore.

Rozlyn Ó Conchúir 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 ...

Review Quotes

"A sweeping romantic fantasy drenched in Irish lore and mythology...Readers will delight in Healy's world of dark legends and hard-won romance."

-- "Shelf Awareness"

"Alison McKenna and Gary Furlong bring all the angst of an enemies-to-lovers story to this retelling...McKenna and Furlong's performances span a range of emotions that flesh out Rozlyn and Jamie's complex characters. It's a tale as old as time--with a feminist twist--and McKenna and Furlong are excellent storytellers."

-- "AudioFile"

"Steeped in Irish folklore and mythology, Healy's tale grabs readers by the hand, guiding them on a journey filled with delicious, gut-wrenching twists and turns...An excellent read for anyone who has an appetite for fairy tales, folklore, monsters, and stories with women protagonists who stand firmly rooted in their own strength."

-- "Library Journal"

"The resulting tale, told in chapters alternating between Rozlyn's and Jamie's points of view, is a delightful amalgamation that readers will find familiar but that stands on its own as a delightful, heart-clenching story of love and betrayal. An impressive feat of worldbuilding full of unexpected twists for fans of monstrous women."

-- "Kirkus Reviews"

"The worldbuilding is fun and the tense, charged relationship between Jamie and Rozlyn keeps the pages turning...Healy should win some fans with this one."

-- "Publishers Weekly"

"A heartfelt story of monsters and myth, love and curses, and a heroine coming into her own ferocious power. Readers who love thorny, twisted romance and Celtic legend will be enchanted by Unbound."

-- "H. G. Parry, bestselling author of The Magician's Daughter"

"Unbound is a decadent eldritch fairy tale that ensnares the reader in its dark and tangled web. Healy's sumptuous prose brings Celtic myths to life and retains a dreamlike quality even while plunging into the nightmares that lurk within the human heart. Hurray for monstrous protagonists and the men that love them!"

-- "Thea Guanzon, author of The Hurricane Wars"