She ignored her brother's call the night before he made his deal.
By dawn, his soul belonged to a demon lord.
"A broken family finding each other in the shadows"
Corrine Ashwick has spent every day since trying to fix what she broke. She can't. Now soul-bonded to a rival demon lord, she's assigned to infiltrate a vault alongside a crew of monsters.
Brennan was forged in captivity, conditioned until obedience lived in his bones. When his new master assigns her to his crew — a woman who smiles too easily, who leaves tea without asking for thanks — he recognizes the type.
His mother had smiled like that too.
They were supposed to be tools — the wraith bound to shadows, the ifrit hiding something monstrous, the phoenix who'd outlived everyone he'd ever loved. Weapons designed to be used and discarded.
Now they're heading into a vault full of secrets — her brother's soul contract hidden somewhere in its depths, Brennan's former master waiting in its shadows.
They need each other to survive.
Trusting each other might kill them faster.
Bound in Brimstone is dark, emotional, and far more layered than I expected going in. The monster crew is where this book truly shines. Each character feels distinct, not just in power set but in personality and pain. Brennan especially stood out to me. The why choose element is handled with tension and restraint. Trust feels earned, and that makes the connections far more satisfying.
It's rare to find a book that manages to be this action-packed while still making me cry over character growth. The chemistry between this crew of "discarded weapons" is the absolute soul of the book. I loved that they weren't just tools; they were a broken family finding each other in the shadows. I'm left with a massive book hangover and a desperate need for the sequel.
Where the novel truly shines is in its emotional reveals. The found-family dynamic hinted at among the crew — weapons learning to care for one another despite their conditioning — is another strong element that adds heart beneath the danger and intrigue. Brennan's perspective, in particular, brings depth. Its originality, fast-moving plot, and strong emotional motivations make it a memorable read.
What really stood out to me was how emotional and character-driven it felt, not just action-packed. I really enjoyed the dynamic between the crew, especially how they start off as tools forced to work together and slowly begin to trust and care about each other. The world feels dark and high-stakes, and the plot keeps moving without losing that emotional core.