Review of Eternally Bound by Stephanie J. Bardy

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What can I say about this first novel length publication from the very talented mind of Stephanie J Bardy? Well for one thing, to my knowledge, this is the work that first introduced our now Chief Editor to El Presidente, Mr. David K Montoya. Regardless of what life was like for both back in 2018, the manuscript (passed onto DKM via a friend of a friend perhaps) had gone through the usual process of submission, rejection, heartbreak, repeat, until it finally found someone who loved the story and the characters as much as Steph did. What initially interested me, before reading the intro and acknowledgements, and then (of course) the amazing, heart wrenching tale, I noticed the black and white image, a close-up of main protagonist Gwen, freckles and determination gracing the cover. The story flows well, emotion runs deep, and the reader truly feels connected to these characters.

And there are many reasons to read Eternally Bound. For one, it is the story that the author chose to write when she felt that there was nothing out there that satisfied her own cravings as a reader. The thoughts what if? too often floated through Steph's mind while trying other works, and because of that this love story contains a spiritual element, a magical one, and a connection to and exploration of the supernatural. At its heart, Eternally Bound, is a love story. It is full of the twists, turns, mishaps and misgivings that many relationships suffer and overcome. It is violent; and yet contains kindness. It is a tangle of tales, of lives, and struggles, and yet the power of love shines through. Another reason, and in my opinion an important one, this is a story that stands out as somewhat unique in its telling. Bardy has combined her talent of (at that stage) more than thirty years as story crafter, poet, and all-round awesome human (mother, wife, aunt, friend, grandmother, nature lover, and of course Queen of Sarcasm), with her desire to create something different and new, and, well, her personality and power shine through. The characters seem real, their struggles are believable and relatable, and as each one's fate is spelled out across the pages you hope, and you pray for the happiest of endings.

I truly enjoyed the time that I spent invested in discovering the story of Gwen, Lance and the cast, and it gives me great joy to know that from here future Dark Myth titles emerge by Steph. I would thoroughly recommend this as a good story to try if you find all those other titles out there are somewhat lacking. This book has what you are craving, and if you purchase a copy through Mythmart (www.mythmart.com) at $14.95 USD you are showing your love for a talented writer and a great indie publisher. So go on… Buy it now… It gets five beating hearts out of five from this reader. I'm sure you'll give it the same.

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