Chapter by Chapter

When I first read the synopsis for Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland, I was beyond excited! Furies (squee), Dexter-esque feel (double squee). Put that together and you’ve got a recipe for a pretty kick ass book!The beginning opens up with so much action and suspense. Main protagonist, Cory Graff (aka Amelie Ainsworth) is trying to escape her confines at Saint Dymphna’s where Cory has been drugged up the wazoo to suppress her “multiple personalities” under the direction of one Dr. Goodhart. But rather than try to help Cory, he is using all sorts of experimental drugs on her. Not to help her, but rather for the money.But it’s these “multiple personalities” that end up being Cory’s saviors… on more than one occasion. Locked up within Cory’s mind are two furies, Tisiphone (the hawk like Fury), and Megaera (the snake like Fury). And it seems Tisiphone and Magaera has chosen Amelie / Cory to be their third. And they are using her human body to ground them to this world to wreak havoc upon the male populace seeking justice. If it weren’t for the old #3, Alekto, Cory would most likely have been already lost. Alekto is one who has managed to escape the hold of the Furies, and only Alekto has the answers that Cory seeks to be rid of the Furies.And it’s in the first few pages of this book that we are introduced to these Furies, and witness their strength and magnitude. The Furies use Cory as their vessel to seek vengeance on the male bottom feeders of the world; murders, rapists … those who have been aggressive against females. And poor Dr. Goodhart has become enemy number one on all three of their lists.But with each killing / justice, Cory’s hold on the Furies is slowly slipping and so is her grasp on humanity. The Furies enjoy hurting men who hurt woman. They feed off their fear and pain, and are in constant need of the hunt. Although Cory has managed to escape Saint Dymphna’s, she is constantly on the run and looking over her shoulder. But it seems Dr. Goodhart is also on the run and is hiding from Cory, and every town that Cory and the Fury’s settle in, their work is never done for vengeance is always around the corner…and the hunt for Dr. Goodhart will not stop until he is found and dead by their hands.But Cory never thought that she would find someone who can make her want to change as much as she has since meeting Niko. Being around Niko makes Cory want to be a better person, and seems to suppress the hunger to kill that the Furies so crave. For Cory, the real question is whether she will pick revenge, or if she will choose love…I thought Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland had everything I was hoping for. Action, death, revenge… But one of the things that held a sour taste in my mouth was the insta-love between Niko and Cory. I loved the slow build up to the relationship in the beginning where there were still figuring each other out, but it seemed like in a matter of weeks, they had declared their love and devotion to one another.I did love the Furies and their personalities. Is it wrong that I enjoyed the scenes of vengeance that were acted out in the book? I loved when the three were at their full power and had the scumbag cowering on the floor and Cory tells him that he is being judged. And I was thrilled to see the guilty verdict and see what sort of justice these three were going to give. After the descriptions of the heinous crimes that these asshats did to bring them to this point, the deaths even seemed too quick. I wanted to see them suffer for the pain that they dished out during their life. Pretty dark I know, but read the book and I’m sure you’ll feel what I felt.And of all the kids at school, Cory gravitated to the ones that had serious issues. And OMG Mindi scared the crap out of me. I literally gasped in the end when Mindi does something completely crazy, and tells Cory what her crazy plan was really meant to be…in a somewhat normal voice.I understand that the main point of the story is for Cory wanting to get away from the Furies forever and finally live a normal life, but I was really hoping for more “justice” scenarios. The ones that are in the book were addictively written and played out perfectly in my mind…blood, screams, and all. But I craved more! I wanted to see more wrath from the Furies. I wanted to see more of their power and see them dish out more judgment. Yes, I was in a Dexter sort of mood, and I wish, wish wish there was more.All in all, Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland was a fascinating read that held my attention quite well at times. Although I wished that there was just a little bit more of certain aspects, the book itself is one that I did enjoy getting wrapped up in. Fans of Greek mythology and The Furies, and fans of darker reads will really enjoy Vengeance Bound.