Genre: Fantasy / Urban / Paranormal
Release Date: October 4th, 2022
Pages: 328
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
What an exciting debut! Memories, Lies, and Other Binds is a unique paranormal, mystery, urban fantasy, with exquisite world-building. The fantasy elements are compelling enough to feel real and the witty tone of the writing is engaging.
Zoey works for the Research Institute of Demonic Entities and Rarities (RIDER), a secret quasi-government agency that serves to keep the human world safe and ignorant. RIDER is highly-structured and detailed to believability. This story has all the creatures of folklore, myth, and legend.
Although Zoey is immortal, due to something terrible that happened to her when she was twenty-two years old, and has been working at RIDER for around two centuries, she is not allowed to hold a position of power. Only those considered fully human have that opportunity.
Zoey is not considered quite human enough, and has lived a very secluded and solitary lifestyle, never afforded the ability to leave the institute. She is resigned to her station because it’s better than living on the dregs of society so that no one gets suspicious of the girl who never ages. She is the snarky, independent heroine that readers will love and identify with.
Zoey has lost much of her recollection from the ill-fated day she became immortal. And she’s now trying to learn more about what happened through hypnotherapy sessions with Dr. Kelley, who is Gifted and can Memory Walk. But these sessions are not going well and the side effects are debilitating. Her background is fascinating and the flashbacks she has to prior time periods are an engaging way to learn of her experiences.
RIDER discovers that a serial killer is on the loose, targeting high-ranking witches, and the only evidence at the scene is footage of the vampire Theo, Zoey’s estranged older brother. Although RIDER doesn’t want the bookish, research-focused Zoey on the case, she insists on being involved so she can deal with her brother herself, whom she hasn’t seen or had contact with in the two centuries since their lives changed so dramatically.
She must team up with her ex, who also works at RIDER, and a novice witch to learn the truth about the killings. And if Theo can be believed, there’s a much grander scheme at play that has dangerous potential for both the human and paranormal worlds.
Zoey, at times, feels a little immature for her extensive age, which gives the story a mixture of feeling both adult and young adult. Although the pacing waxes and wanes, it is action-packed enough to keep driving the plot.
The description and comparisons aren’t quite accurate, which could lead to attracting the wrong audience, who end up with expectations disconnecting with the reality of the story. The story is wonderful, but not necessarily dark academia, nor Vampire Diaries in its nature. This is solidly a paranormal, urban fantasy with a mystery plot. With that in mind, fantasy readers who love that sort of story will definitely enjoy this one.
Disclaimers:
Huge thank you to Netgalley andthe publisher for gifting me an early copy of this amazing story! I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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