Meryn Cooper has one goal in Sable Sorensen’s Dire Bound: protect her sister. Their father died before Saela (her sister) was born and their mother slips further away every day thanks to her mental illness. All the two sisters have in the world is each other so that goal isn’t surprising. Then Saela is taken by the nabbers, a kidnapping ring, and Meryn will do anything to get her back. Even become one of the Bonded, the elite warriors that are paired with deadly direwolves. Most Bonded candidates don’t survive training, but Meryn doesn’t care. She knows she will and she’ll find her sister. What choice does she have?
[Note: While I am reviewing this novel independently and honestly, it should be noted that it has been provided to me by Requited, Hachette Book Group for the purpose of this review. Warning: My review of Dire Bound contains some spoilers!]
A war that never ends leave Nocturna’s citizen’s behind
Nocturna has been at war for 500 years. Their enemy, Asterona, is a country full of vampires that would overrun Nocturna and drain all their citizens of life if not for the Dire Bound warriors. These terrifying warriors are mentally linked with massive, magical, direwolves. Without them the war would quickly be lost but the citizens of Nocturna are almost as scared of them as they are of the vampires.
It doesn’t help that the Dire Bound live in the lap of luxury while the rest of Nocturna struggles to survive. Meryn Cooper is one of those struggling citizens. Her mother is sick, leaving Meryn as the sole provider for her little family. But Meryn is a fighter. Literally. She earns extra money to support her family in back alley fights and she always wins. After her fights, her boyfriend, Lee, patches her up and makes her feel loved. Life isn’t exactly good, but Meryn can see a future.
Then her sister Saela is kidnapped by Asterona child traffickers. Meryn is determined to save her and decides the only way she can is to join the army. She intends to just be a regular soldier but ends up being bound to a direwolf against her wishes. Now she’s stuck in four months of deadly training instead of looking for her sister. And as dangerous as the training usually is, it’s worse for Meryn because the Dire Bound don’t like to let in “commoners”. All she wants to do is save her sister, and the only way to do that is to survive training. It won’t be easy by Meryn never loses a fight and she doesn’t intend to start now!
Dire Bound is Fourth Wing on wolves
I’m a huge fan of Fourth Wing, absolutely love the books. So I couldn’t help but noticing the similarities between that and Dire Bound. Mythical creatures that help to fight a never ending war, check. Girl reluctantly sent to join the elite fighting group connected to those animals, check. Extreme sexual tension with a dark and brooding authority figure, check. Hard time adjusting to the demands of both training and the mental bond with their creature, check.
It’s not super surprising that Dire Bound is so similar to Fourth Wing. Sable Sorensen is a pen name for the writing team of Eliza Phillips and Annie Paige-Stone. The two are self-proclaimed fantasy fangirls so it makes sense that they would write a story using a structure they already know. This is very common for first time authors and there’s nothing wrong with it. They took a form that worked and made it their own. Fans of Yarros will appreciate knowing that when they pick up Dire Bound they will enjoy what they’re about to read. Is it on the same level, no. But it is a very enjoyable read and I am personally looking forward to the next installment.
Of course Dire Bound isn’t an exact copy of Fourth Wing. There are plenty of differences and Meryn Cooper is very much her own woman. The loyalty and protectiveness that she feels towards her sister is the driving force behind her actions. Her feelings about her sister help make her more likeable. Otherwise Meryn is a very angry character. It’s very understandable anger, in fact she’d be less believable if she just happily accepted the way her life is. But it does make her very prickly. Sisterly love helps to soften those rough edges and make Meryn someone we can rally behind. This is different from the need to prove herself (Meryn has that too, but it isn’t her driving force) that gets Violet out of bed. The nice thing about Meryn having her own drive is it changes the story and gives us something new instead of just a repeat of another work.
A solid first novel from a new author
An author’s first novel is never their best. Any author will tell you that it takes time to really become good at writing. But Dire Bound is a very solid first offering for Sable Sorensen. There are strong characters, good twists, and nice tension in the storyline. If this is Sorensen’s first offering then I am very eager to see what comes next. Fantasy fans should definitely pick up Dire Bound today. It’s a big book but don’t be intimidated. The story really draws you in and moves well. You won’t get bored and start counting how many pages are left until you’re done with it. Dire Bound is available for purchase on August 26th, 2025. End your Summer on a high note with Meryn in Dire Bound.
Rating: 8/10
Dire Bound is now available to purchase at your retailer of choice.
Learn more about the book at Sable Sorensen’s website.
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