It's going to be hard to top this for book of the year, despite it only being Janaury! Just WOW. I was totally absorbed by this gorgeous tale of memory, grief, unrequited love, and the magic of books - in this novel, the very dark and mysterious magic of books. It's so hard to describe without ruining the suspense, so just know that it's a lush, beautiful, consuming, heart-aching book and if you're anything like me you'll plunge into it and won't resurface until it's over.

Emmett Farmer has just become a Binder’s Apprentice, learning the craft of Binding, which is to create books that capture a person’s memory within them. He is taught by his Master, Seredith, to use the gift to help people who have memories they cannot live with and need to give up. Soon after his whole world is turned upside down he comes across a book with his own name on it. What was the memory he wanted to forget? I’m not gonna lie, this was partly a case of buying a book because it had a beautiful cover and a sprayed edge (I am a sucker for a sprayed edge) and partly because I saw lots of positive reviews on bookstagram but I hadn’t read any details as I usually avoid that if I think I’m likely to read the book. “The Binding” is a unique story and Collins’ writing kept me gripped, which was helpful when my concentration levels were slipping. I loved the slightly magical aspect to it and the different ways that Binders look at their work. Emmett’s Master, Seredith, sees it as a public service that she’s carrying out to help people who need it. She thinks of getting a binding as a once in a lifetime event for the people who visit her. Her son, de Havilland, treats it as a business and has very wealthy clients who call upon his services repeatedly, often to hide things they have done. The book is split into three parts, the first and second part are told from the point of view of Emmett with the first part being in the present day and the second part showing us the memory he had given up. The third part is then told from the point of view of a different character, who’s story is intertwined with Emmett’s. I don’t want to say too much as it will definitely spoil it for people. There were a lot of topics covered. We saw the abuse of power that wealthy men were wielding over their servants with repeated sexual abuse being “wiped” from their memories so they could continue their abuse, safe in the knowledge that nobody would ever find out. There was also blatant homophobia with characters behaving as though a homosexual relationship was worse than the sexual abuse that was occurring. The relationship itself, I thought, was beautifully written. I did see it coming, there were definitely hints in that direction before it was revealed, but it was very well written. Collins’ descriptive writing was gorgeous. She created this rich world that in some ways was a period piece and in others was completely it’s own style. The idea of being able to give up a memory to be bound in a book forever was incredibly thought provoking and I spent some time thinking about whether I had any memories I would rather live without and to be honest I don’t think I do. I have had some rubbish times in my life but I do believe that I am the sum of my experiences and I wouldn’t be who I am now if I took any of those away. That being said I can completely understand why some people would want to do it. One of the people who visits Seredith for a binding has an incredibly sad story and if I was in her shoes I would probably do the same. I also found the idea of the books being sold and people reading these memories just like I was reading “The Binding” quite interesting, but, as is very often the case, it is the poorer members of society who are exploited and abused for the entertainment of the wealthier classes. When I started “The Binding” I had no idea how good it was going to be or how much it was going to capture my attention. I absolutely loved it and couldn’t fault it at all hence the five stars.

Almost everyone will be drawn to this book because of the gorgeous hardback design and the intriguing premise, but the best thing about this book is that it's so much more than just a pretty face! From an understated and relatively reserved start, the plot speeds into a suspenseful and gripping tale of love, loss and lies as the two protagonists dance around each other. Moving backwards and forwards through memories lost and found, Collins weaves the plot expertly, constantly usurping the reader's expectations in the most pleasurable way possible. Part Dickensian dystopian fantasy, part love story, this is one of my favourite books of the year - don't miss it!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The concept is so original and I loved every moment of it. The writing is beautiful, and is the perfect mix of historical fiction, fantasy and romance. I have a feeling that this story will stay with me for a long time, and will be a book that I return to again and again. I would actually love to see a sequel or a novella to find out more about what happens to the characters after the end of the novel. I wanted it to go on and on! Highly recommend to anyone who loves the above genres.

When I first heard about this book I was quite excited to read this ... so I even pre-ordered the book too as I the art worked look amazing and really drew me in before I even read one word ..... I could never imagine a world where books are forbidden, Books are not just books but people get bound to them by forgetting their memories .... and then they are stored away never to remember. But what happens when Emmett becomes a binder and then finds out he was bound. The book is put into three parts Emmett's story, The past and Lucian's story which I found to be very well done and made the book adapt to a whole another level that I never expected. The whole book was so well written and I was so glad I was able to review this and I even bought a copy for a bookshelf so I can admire it for many years to come. thank you!