Dire Bound

By: Sable Sorensen

Narrated by: Avery Caris, Gabriel Michael

Fourth Wing meets The Hunger Games in this spicy, binge-worthy romantasy where humans and direwolves forge unbreakable bonds and fight for survival at all costs. Featuring exclusive bonus content!

Only the worthy survive the Bonding Trials. She’ll risk her life—and her heart—to be one of them.

Meryn Cooper has always hated the Bonded, elite warriors who form mental links with the massive, vicious direwolves they ride. While they live in luxury, Meryn struggles to keep her family out of poverty. When her little sister, Saela, is kidnapped—stolen across the border by the immortal monsters her country has spent centuries fighting—Meryn’s world falls apart.

Desperate to cross the front and save her sister, Meryn enlists in the army and is thrown into the deadly Bonding Trials, where any mistake will cost her life.

Now Meryn must survive four months of training at the castle. She is bound to a feral direwolf who refuses to communicate. The other trainees would love to spill her common blood. And her cold and beautiful instructor, Stark Therion, is eager to punish any weakness.

Everything is a competition, and everyone is out to get her—everyone except the dangerously handsome crown prince, whose attention adds another target to her back. In the castle, every smile hides a knife…and the halls hide dark secrets.

It’s bond or bleed. Duel or die. Failure is ruin.

Don’t miss the brand-new bonus chapter from Stark Therion’s perspective!

Dire Bound contains mature content including depictions of graphic violence, and is therefore recommended for listeners 17+. For a full list of tropes and TWs, please visit the author's website.

Perfect for fans of:

• Slow burn romance
• Found family
• Morally grey characters
• One bed
• Touch her and die
• Who did this to you
• Enemies to lovers
• Forced proximity
• Vampires vs. wolves!

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2025 Sable Sorensen (P)2025 Hachette Audio

Dire Wolves Saved This Book

First, the positive. The concept of humans bonding to dire wolves sounds awesome and the little we see of the world is enough to keep someone intrigued. The bonding trials is the focus of this book so I am trying not to be too harsh by the lack of world building. Our focus is meant to be within the castle and seeing how the bonded packs are trained and created so I have nothing against that. It is this alone that makes me try and remain hopeful for the rest of the series and will have me reading the second book eventually when it comes out

Now, the bad. This FMC wasn’t the worst one I’ve read, but talk about someone too proud to know their own limitations when she used to use that exact weakness to take down her opponents in the ring. She is a chaotic one in that she appears strong and thoughtful, strategic you might say, only when she is with her pack. Somehow, that translates to none of the other puzzles that get laid before her though. She becomes purposefully blind to anything that would make anyone else search for more answers. I am fine with an FMC that needs to find their way in a society or to not be perfect 100% of the time. I abhor FMCs who intentionally remain ignorant because their author needs them to be to create what they think will be plot twists in the end.

The spice: technically exists but how it is written actually turned me off and made me want to skip multiple times. I don’t think it portrays her relationship with Killian well at all. It just feels cringey at times and didn’t make me think, yes this is the relationship we want. I think also knowing Stark is meant to be the other MMC, the pacing of the book in regards to him can feel slow and frustrating. However, I understand why we’re not shown any attractive qualities in him outside of the pull that Meryn feels around him, which we all know why it’s there. Girl’s just not the brightest bulb in the box. I don’t mind not immediately jumping into something with him. I also understand love can make someone blind, but she acted like she was staring into the sun all day and couldn’t see a thing even when it was right in front of her.

Overall, I feel like the concept is enough to keep people intrigued, and I hope the story improves as the series develops. This first book didn’t deliver for me the way it was hyped and I found myself avoiding listening to it because I was getting tired of waiting for what we all knew was coming. It’s an easy read though so give it a try if you’re on the fence. There’s enough to enjoy

Yes yes yes!

Phew! Whatta wild ride, and I loved every minute of it!! Training, werewolves, vampires, twist galore - check, check, check, check! Can’t wait for book 2! I’m going to be on a hangover of this book for a hot while.

Predictable but a good time

Story line was predictable but loved the writing and the unique magic system. Excited for the second one. I have a feeling it will be better than the first!

It was a fun read

I enjoyed it! So good! Frustrating, keep you wanting more, can’t believe I have to wait until next year!

The twist

Absolutely phenomenal story and performance! Always love Gabriel Michael in an audio book. Really brings it to life.

wonder flow of the story

to many books are not very exciting till the end. this had me so hooked the whole way. I loved the twists. absolutely fabulous

🥰🥰🥰

Stark is a quiet jealous lover and omg im loving it!!
Meryn is a fierce female who will do anything to protect the ones she loves.

One of the best of the year!!!

if you love Fourth Wing then you should try this book. Great story telling, and narrating. solid characters, mysterious under currents, betrayal, triumph and defeat. So good!!!

Emotional fantasy romance with detailed and complex layers.

This is dark, angsty, and there's nothing superficial in it. The ending, so frustrating. I knew going in it wasn't finished, but it was so appealing I couldn't help it. I'm not patient when waiting on books, so this one's tough.

This is an adult fantasy book. There's spice and the battles are graphic so be aware. I highly recommend! The narrators did the book justice.

Twists and Turns

Let's start off by saying I'm obsessed. I am elated and upset that I've read this book. elated because I needed a good read and this is that hands down but upset because the series isn't finished and I have to wait 8 freaking months for the next book to come out. as a rule I do not read a series that isn't complete but completely missed the mark on this rule with this book.

***Spoilers***
In the very beginning of this book I said to my husband. Her boyfriend is evil. He's behind the children being taken! Boy was I right!! Why in the world did the author wait until the very end of the book to say so. I doubted myself several times but kept coming back to the same conclusion. I sure hope that Killian gets his and that her sister comes out on the other side of this okay.