Author: Kia Carrington-Russell

First Published: 22 September 2026

“I don’t dance for you.”

I will start by saying that I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own. Thank you so much to Kia for sending a copy my way!

Bound by fate. Hunted by Kingdoms. Tempted by the enemy.
The gods chose the wrong woman to unleash.

The day our beloved king is murdered, the bindings suppressing my magic begin to unravel.
Now the power buried inside me is waking- wild enough to destroy me and dangerous enough to start a war.
Hunted by those I once trusted, I flee the only home I’ve ever known… only to fall in the hands of a ruthless stranger.

Regent plans to sell me at the Volmere auction alongside other exotic creatures. I should hate him for it. I should stop trying to kill him long enough to escape.
Instead, the longer I remain trapped at his side, the more I realize Regent is hiding secrets as deadly as my own.

The gods are whispering.
The Fates are pulling invisible threads.
And somewhere between betrayal and desire, kingdoms are falling, monsters are rising, and the man who chained me may be the only one who can survive what I’m becoming.

Cue my newest obsession. Bounds to Gods and Secrets gave me all the five-star feel, which had me furiously turning the pages. This has to be one of the most unique worlds I’ve read. It’s packed full of all my favourite things: elemental magic, meddling gods, animal companions and an electric captor x captive romance. ⁠

Esther is the last omni greer – a witch who can⁠ utilise all elemental magic. She’s a ward of Caldom’s King and Master water greer, Kain. Esther’s magic is bound to protect her until she can master all elements. When Master Kain is killed, her magical binds begin to unravel. If she can’t control it, it will destroy her, but not before there’s a chance she’ll be sold to the highest bidder as a powerful weapon. She has no choice but to flee death … only to run into Regent, a powerful Earth greer, who uncovers her secrets. He confirms her fears and plans to sell her at an auction alongside other exotic creatures. But Regent’s secrets might be just as deadly and he might be the answer to her problems.

Esther is ⁠a powerhouse. She refuses to bow down and will jump into a fight headfirst. She always has a witty comeback. The moments we see her self-doubt have me wanting to hold her. Because underneath that bravado is someone who just wants a safe place to land.

Grimace has launched his way to my favourite animal companion. He’s so ugly he circles back to cute. I love how he’s equally sassily judgemental of Esther’s decision while also being toxically supportive of her. He’s also a raging kleptomaniac. If Toothless and Pascal had a baby, it would be Grimace. ⁠

Regent is a mysterious, broody character. He is on a mission. There’s a beautiful duality to him. On the one hand, he’s soft, risking his life to save animals captured by poaching, but he will sell Esther to further his own goals. He is the kind of guy where his actions tell you more than his words ever could.

The romance is a delicious slow burn. Their chemistry is electric. They both have reasons not to trust anyone. Their banter had me cackling. Honestly love these two.

I am obsessed with this world. Honestly, I haven’t read anything like this. It’s a breath of fresh air in the genre. Esther and Regent are tied up in the politics both of their world and that of the gods. I can’t wait to see more from the world in the next books. I have a feeling both brewing wars are connected. I just don’t know how to tell yet. 

That ending had my jaw dropped. Once that reveal hit, I flew through the last chapters. I almost went back to the start so I could uncover all the clues I missed. Calling my dark romantasy girlies, you need to add Bound to Secrets and Gods to your TBR. Trust me, no one is doing what Kia is doing, and it’s all kinds of incredible.