This book intrigued me from the outset, The Binding is one of the most gorgeous books I have ever seen, made me want to pick it up and delve into the premise of binding. I really enjoyed the concept of this book and I adored finding out what happens within the binding process. I think I am slightly biased with my reading at the moment though because I just read a fantastic book. This is perfect for any book lover, mystery enthusiast or romance fanatic.

I wish I had thought of the magical art of bookbinding myself. Such an intriguing topic, especially when you mix it into real life. I still find myself wondering about it now, though I have finished this book (Quickly I might add!) The first section of the book is slower than the the second two parts, but in no way is that a negative comment. You feel frustrated for Emmett and to me it allowed the reader to understand how he must be feeling, not knowing. The book is filled with beautiful description. It's difficult not to imagine any place, or even person described from the amount of detail and I became so lost in so much of it, in a good way. Every love story is different and though I would have liked to read more about the crusade and the illegal bookbinding side, and the effects this has on people, I was still invested and wanted to know how things turned out overall. The final realisation that Lucian is not the monster he thought he was is rather beautiful, and as a reader I felt the sadness that not many others would agree.

I did enjoy this book – the central love story was very well done, as was the portrayal of class structure and social expectations – but I felt that the fantasy angle had not been fully thought through. The book is in three parts – the first two narrated by the main character, and the third by another central character. The fantasy aspect is generally confined to the first and last parts, with the middle section almost free to be a straightforward, but beautifully told love story. The fantasy revolves around books – and to my dismay – not in a positive way. In this world, books are regarded with suspicion and fear. This is because real books are the real memories sucked out of a person’s mind by a bookbinder and written on the pages, leaving the person with no ability to recall the extracted memories. The theory is that people can get rid of particular memories that are too painful to live with. Supposedly, a binder can only bind the memories of a willing person, but it is not clear whether this is a legal requirement, or an actual curb on the abilities of the binders. In the book, very few of the people who were bound, were bound of their own free will. They verbally had to agree to the binding, but was that permission freely given. Most were coerced – by an employer, husband, by threats to their loved ones … Or the binding was an act of desperation due to poverty, with a life-time of memories being the last thing for sale. When a witness or victim can no longer remember the crime, then the perpetrator goes free. And because the bound person cannot remember they have been bound, the crime can be committed over and over again: crime, binding, crime, binding, crime, …. Until there is nothing left of the bound person’s mind. An ethical binder keeps safe all the books they have bound, never to be read by another person. But there is a market for real books – desired for the vicarious thrill of witnessing a bound person’s worst nightmares, or simply for the secrets they contain. But the books are safe only so long as the ethical binder remains alive and in control. The binding made me very uneasy. It brought to mind the implications of consent and morality in euthanasia and rape. Your life, your maturity, your learning from experiences, your education, are all intimately connected to your memories – the good, the bad and the indifferent. If you lose even part of your memories you lose part of your soul, part of what makes you you. Suppressing a memory is quite different to binding. A suppressed memory might return one day, and is in the person’s subconscious control – a bound memory never should return, and is forever outside the person’s knowledge or command. I felt that most of the characters in the book gave only lip-service to the (im)morality involved with the binding – except when it directly affected them and their family. Books are burned, murders are committed and instigated, but after a moment’s regret, it is all ok, because the character needs it to be. So, an interesting, but essentially disconcerting, premise. Some excellent characterisation, and good story telling, but not an easy or comfortable read. I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

An epic, spellbinding and richly imagined novel of magic, memory, books and love. This wonderful novel is a poignant love story, a page turning thriller, a treasure trove of wonderment and just a simply splendid book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and very much hope that the author might brings us to this world again as I would be sad if this was our only visit.

The Binding by Bridget Collins was a book I listened to on Audible, it was the story of two young men from different classes who meet up at various times. Farmer is a binder, he writes about people’s stories, with their permission and that memory is then deleted from their memory. There are unscrupulous binders, who sell peoples stories and make money from the transactions. This wasn’t supposed to happen. There are different parts to the story, where you meet both men’s families and the difference in wealth and class is clearly shown. They are shown in different ways in each part. The men who use their wealth to alter the memories of servants whom they regularly rape and abuse, use the binding so they will forget and they can continue to abuse over and over again. Other men use the binders so that members of their own family will forget what they have done. I found it was fascinating storytelling and it wasn’t until the end that you find out what happens to the two young men. Recommended