Centuries ago, I chose duty over love. Now fate has dragged me back to the one man I swore I could never give my heart to.

My sisters and I are chasing a case of missing witches when everything shatters. One of my Valkyries turns up dead, her body marked with forbidden blood magic. The trail leads me to Briar Glen, where Talon Steele, the wolf alpha of a powerful, magical shifter clan, waits for me.

Our bond isn’t a choice. It’s a duty written in blood, magic, and fate. It’s the key to saving both our clans from unraveling. With shifters spiraling into feral madness and an ancient enemy forging an army of corrupted beasts, only our joined strength can stop him.

Talon needs me to stand at his side. I swore I would.

But Talon doesn’t just want my power or the bond. He wants all of me—heart, soul, and every part I’ve kept hidden behind walls I built the day I watched my mother die, betrayed by the man she loved. I promised myself I’d never make her mistake. I vowed to myself that love wasn’t worth the fall.

Yet every moment I spend with Talon threatens to break me open. Fighting at his side, feeling his fire in every bond-thread that ties us, I know I can’t keep him at arm’s length forever. The closer we come to stopping Balder and his monstrous army, the harder it becomes to protect the one thing I swore I’d never give away.

Because saving the world might cost me my heart, and Talon will never settle for duty alone.

Titles in the Magicbound Protectors series include:  Before the Bond Breaks ~ Before the Truth Shatters (March 2026) ~

This story may contain language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult 18+ audience.

Title:  Before the Bond Breaks
Series:  Magicbound Protectors #1
Author:  Lia Davis
Published:  November 7, 2025
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Before the Bond Breaks is the first title in the Magicbound Protectors series.  I am in awe of Lia Davis’ talent in weaving Norse mythology, the Shifter world, and our modern (present) world into the beginning of a series that I will be devouring as each book comes out.  Everything you need to know to get started in this world can be found in the cover description… I have no intention of giving away spoilers.  There is a bit of worldbuilding, there has to be, considering the combination of mythology, paranormal, and the current worlds colliding as they do in this story.  It only added to the enjoyment of Mazelina (Maze) and Talon’s story for me.

The villain here is demented and pure, unadulterated evil.   The hatred and the diabolical mind of this person are easily seen through their actions and the creation of the hideous monsters to fulfill their plan.  That’s all I’m going to say on that… you think you’ve read evil before, you ain’t seen this kind of evil before.

I loved watching Maze and Talon work through their history, which is complicated to say the least.  Their bond is strong, even as Maze works hard not to acknowledge it for her own reasons.  This is a couple that really does belong together, and watching that unfold was an emotional journey.

There are secondary characters on both Maze’s side and  Talon’s who I am looking forward to seeing how their stories, lives combine in future titles.

I enjoyed everything about Before the Bond Breaks by Lia Davis.  It is well-written, emotional, passionate, and filled with heartache and hope, truth and treachery, and possibilities for the future.  The battle scenes are epic, the characters leap off the page, and the premise of this world is fascinating.  I cannot wait to return to this world.  Highly recommend.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review, giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available at Amazon