Direbound by Sable Sorensen Series: The Wolves of Ruin #1
Published by Requited on 5/21/25
Genres: Romantasy
Format: eBook
Pages: 605
Source: Kindle Unlimited
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In the unforgiving, poverty-stricken slums of the Eastern Quarter, Meryn Cooper’s life is a daily battle for survival. By day, she washes clothes to support her struggling family; by night, she fights in brutal underground matches, her sole purpose to secure medicine for her ailing mother and keep her family fed.
Meryn’s world shatters when the Nabbers—a terrifying group that preys on the vulnerable—steal her sister Saela in the dead of night. These child-stealers serve an even more monstrous purpose, delivering stolen children to the ancient, nightmarish Siphons.
Driven by an unbreakable sisterly bond, Meryn makes an impossible choice. She will do anything to rescue Saela—even if it means leaving behind Lee, the man she loves, and enlisting in an army that offers her one desperate path to salvation.
But salvation comes with a brutal price.
To earn her place and the chance to save her sister, Meryn must survive the Bonding Trials—a series of deadly challenges designed to determine which humans can bond with direwolves. Surrounded by lifelong competitors who have trained their entire lives for this moment, Meryn stands as an outsider with everything to lose.
Her journey becomes a test of more than physical endurance. It’s a fight for family, for survival, and for a future that seems impossibly out of reach.
Table of Contents
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If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my twenty-three years alive, it’s this: women in pain give men confidence.
About Direbound
In the unforgiving, poverty-stricken slums of the Eastern Quarter, Meryn Cooper’s life is a daily battle for survival. By day, she washes clothes to support her struggling family; by night, she fights in brutal underground matches, her sole purpose to secure medicine for her ailing mother and keep her family fed.
Meryn’s world shatters when the Nabbers—a terrifying group that preys on the vulnerable—steal her sister Saela in the dead of night. These child-stealers serve an even more monstrous purpose, delivering stolen children to the ancient, nightmarish Siphons.
Driven by an unbreakable sisterly bond, Meryn makes an impossible choice. She will do anything to rescue Saela—even if it means leaving behind Lee, the man she loves, and enlisting in an army that offers her one desperate path to salvation.
But salvation comes with a brutal price.
To earn her place and the chance to save her sister, Meryn must survive the Bonding Trials—a series of deadly challenges designed to determine which humans can bond with direwolves. Surrounded by lifelong competitors who have trained their entire lives for this moment, Meryn stands as an outsider with everything to lose.
Her journey becomes a test of more than physical endurance. It’s a fight for family, for survival, and for a future that seems impossibly out of reach.
Give me the word and I’ll tear out his throat. All the lives I’ve ever taken were just training for this moment…Make me your instrument of vengeance. Let my hands act out your every savage, depraved thought. Use me. I’m yours.
Tropes in Direbound
❤️ Strong FMC
💜 Love Triangle
❤️ Enemies-to-Lovers
💜 Lovers-to-Enemies
❤️ Slow Burn
💜 Fated Mates
❤️ Touch Her and ☠️
💜 Who Did This To You?
❤️ Military Academy
💜 Forced Proximity
❤️ Hidden Powers
💜 Secret Royals
Stark’s eyes lock onto mine. The hunger in them steals the breath right out of my lungs–sends adrenaline coursing through my veins. Holding my gaze, he lowers his head and licks…again, slow and deliberate. Without thought, my hand flashes out, fingers fisting in his dark hair. It’s not gentle. I’m angry, I realize. Or maybe frightened, I don’t know. It must hurt, but he doesn’t resist. He just gazes at me in silent challenge.
My Review
🌪️ Unexpected Love Dynamics: The love triangle between Meryn, Stark, and Killian defies traditional romantic expectations. Their reluctance and complexity make every interaction electric.
🪄 Bonding Beyond Blood: Meryn’s relationship with Anassa begins as a fragile, distrustful connection—a slow-burn partnership that becomes the heart of the narrative.
💪 Resilience Personified: Meryn’s transformation from desperate street fighter to potential direwolf companion is a masterclass in character development.
🐺 Magical System with Teeth: Sable Sorensen creates a direwolf bonding system that is simultaneously brutal and beautiful, feeling utterly authentic in its complexity.
❤️ Beyond Romance: The underlying theme of sisterly love and sacrifice elevates “Direbound” from a typical fantasy narrative to an emotional odyssey.
🌟 Recommendation: For readers who crave heroines with unbreakable spirits, intricate magical systems, and narratives that challenge every expectation.