There are so many words I can use to describe this book; memorising; stunning; beautiful, but I don't think any of them would do it justice. This is storytelling at its best and I can't describe how much I loved it. I first saw the cover of this book and fell in love with it and when I saw it on NetGalley, I crossed my fingers and clicked the request button. The blurb had me intrigued, a story about books and memories and being able to erase grief and pain. It called to me and I knew it was a book I had to read.

The story revolves around Emmett and the book is broken up into three parts. In part one Emmett finds out that he is to be an apprentice bookbinder. He is sent to live with his master, to learn the craft, and so much more. The story is beautifully told and the prose is stunning. I became Emmett, felt his every emotion, confusion, and the conflict that tormented him and when he learns that he too has been bound, my heart stopped. I held my breath as his book was burned and his memories returned. This led to part 2 of the book and the most heartwrenching story of love and loss. It was beautifully told and each word held a magic that as I writer I can only wish I had written myself.

The Binding is a unique story filled with intrigue and discovery and the truth about how powerful memories are and how the judgement and fear of others can destroy lives. It is a story that will stay with me for a very long time and I'm sure this is a book that will hold a place in many hearts in 2019. A stunning debut adult novel from a very talented author and I am so grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to discover this story and live in the world between its pages before it hits the shelves.

If I could give this book more than five stars I would. It's a masterpiece that deserves to be on everyone's reading list in 2019. Powerful, evocative, and emotionally compelling. It's a story that will have you reading way past bedtime and one that you won't want to end.

Wow. I requested this because I was drawn to the description, plus the beautiful cover and thought, as a fan of Carlos Ruis Zafon, I'd enjoy it. And I did. I was utterly absorbed in this from the first page to the last. What an original, intriguing story, with a great twist in the middle. It's up there with Bronte and Zafon!

The Binding, Bridget Collins

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General fiction (Adult)

A really unusual story, its hard to class it but it feels like its set back in time but where the magic of Binding – removing peoples memories and putting them in a book– is real. Of course while alive those memories aren't supposed to be sold, but they are the only kind of stories around, and there are always unscrupulous folk....

I did find it difficult re pacing at the start. I felt like I was fully engrossed in Emmet's present and the issues he'd been through when I'm taken to his past, where he meets Lucian. And that was heartbreaking for all parties.

Its a read full of what if's – what would I do in the same situation, and it shows that the old adage of be careful what you wish for is something to be carefully considered.
I loved the characters, the descriptions of everyday life, the horrors of those who abuse the system, from people covering up or forgetting their own bad behaviour, to those poor folk who had nothing left to sell, were so poor they parted with their memories, each leaving its own impact on them. Of course things like that weren't supposed to happen, ostensibly people had to consent but there are ways around that and the more money and position orientated Binders were ready to take full advantage.
It did feel a little disconnected at times, as though I'd missed some essential parts, but that didn't affect the overall story, and the gentle, unfolding romance was beautiful. If this magic was real, yes, I could see all the things in the novel happening all too easily. Its not a HEA story, there's a conclusion of sorts, but its very much a possible HFN, and maybe the magic HEA, though in that time and clime I think its unlikely.
Would I reread this? Possibly, and I'd certainly read more from this author.

Stars: Four, a really unusual and entrancing story but the pacing was a little off for me, and I would have liked a bit more of an ending.

ARC via Netgalley and publishers

This is the kind of story that captures the imagination and gives it a life of its own. I absolutely adored the idea of the bookbinders and their special powers. In fact when you think about the idea aren’t authors the same kind of bookbinders? Putting pen to paper to transcribe stories and memories, so hungry readers can satisfy their cravings.

I was mesmerised by the idea of being able to take someone’s memories and keep them locked in a book, thereby extracting them forever from the giver. Also by the idea that books are something evil, forbidden, perhaps even salacious. Imagine if someone had the ability to take away your most awful memory, but of course it also means they would be able to take the most beloved of memories also.

Emmett feels shocked and betrayed when his parents pack him off to work with the old woman everyone calls a witch. His inability to help out on his parents farm has become an obstacle between himself, his parents and his sister. Being unable to pull his weight makes him just another unhelpful mouth to feed, but surely getting rid of him is a little heartless and extreme.

Seredith is an eccentric employer. She believes in the old ways, and that the moral compass of a binder should come before making any profit. She also believes Emmett needs the right supervision and patience to learn how to understand and control his potential. Unfortunately it might mean he has to confront his demons and the secrets swirling in his head.

I’ll admit I was surprised when the story veered off into one of a forbidden love. More so because I really wanted Collins to explore the magic of the bookbinding a little more. It’s such a wonderfully unique idea I hope the author brings us another novel with a focus on this aspect of the story or a sequel to this one. Saying that, it is also a book which has the ability to remain a staunch solitary read.

The combination of fantasy, historical, speculative fiction and the unique story of love creates a remarkable read. It’s enchanting, heart-wrenching and magical. Collins has outdone herself and I applaud her creativity.

The Binding by Bridget Collins is one of them books you will keep thinking about for a long time.
Emmett Farmer is a son of a farmer and lives on a farm with his parents and sister Alta. Emmett is recovering from an illness of the mind and is still quite weak. When a letter arrives for Emmett asking him to become an apprentice bookbinder for a local one. A bookbinder is a person who binds unwanted memories, and experiences into a book. Emmett is worried as books are feared and are told to be evil and his parents told him never to go near them. Emmett at first only learns the basics on binding but after the death of his mentor. He is taken on by their son De Havilland where he finds out more of the trade. But De Havilland sells the books on and not store them in a vault like his previous mentor.
This is a beautifully written historical/fantasy book. Which I think will be a best seller when it is released. This is a story about forbidden love between different classes, betrayal, intrigue. It’s a magical tale. It pulls you in from the very first page. And it leads you on a journey. The story has three parts. What happened before and led up to the present day and what happened after. I highly recommend.

I didn't want this book to end - I would have happily kept turning over the next page and the next. It is truly unique and definitely one of my top reads for 2018.

When my father reads Dickens he always says it takes him hours to read a few chapters as he likes to go back and savour the language. I have never particularly related to that, as I like to devour my books, but with 'The Binding' I finally understood what he means. Bridget Collins' descriptive prose is just sumptuous. Again and again I found myself re-reading sentences just to re-enjoy them. I am just sorry I can't find a better turn of phrase myself to describe how delightful I found the writing.

'The Binding' tells the story of Emmett Farmer who becomes an apprentice 'binder' - freeing people from memories which are too painful for them to bear, and locking them into books. However, while this might give people a new start, a blank page on which to start re-writing their life, it also leaves an emptiness where the memories previously lodged. Are any memories so painful, that this price is worth paying? And what will happen when Emmett discovers his own name on a book?

The book is divided into three parts. I don't want to describe what each section reveals as it is really a story which needs to unfold itself. I liked the way the author shifted to the present tense for the final section, as it really brought a sense of urgency to the text. I suspect that, at this point, I stopped re-reading sentences and went back to devouring the story!

It seems a real shame to have read this book in a Kindle version, when the physical binding is so beautiful and the craft of bookbinding is so vividly described in the book itself. I think when it is published, I may well purchase a hardback copy.

Most sincere thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a review copy of this wonderful book.

In the vein of Diane Setterfield and Natasha Pulley, The Binding is rich immersive, spellbinding storytelling at its best.

Emmett Farmer is summoned by a master binder, Seredith, to leave his farming life and become her apprentice. But this is no ordinary type of bookbinding. Binding is a feared craft that creates suspicion in the community; it enables someone to erase a set of memories, secreting their unwanted knowledge away into a book unique to them. Not as a novel, but as a true story unique to them, binding their memories to the page. 

Emmett learns what it means to bind someone’s memories and how high the cost can be. Because memories have value not just to their owners but to others…and they are prepared to pay handsomely for them. And if a book is destroyed, the memories are returned to their owner all in one emotional moment. 

This is a thought-provoking novel with genuine emotional depth. The character names feel almost Dickensian, in that they have obviously been lovingly crafted to suit each character, in true storytelling style.

My one quibble is that there is a significant shift of tone and narrative halfway through the novel; it moves from a tale of fantasy to one of forbidden love. I am not complaining, as I enjoyed the second half just as much, but after finishing The Binding, I felt as if I had read two novels not one. And please don't let that put you off, the two halves do complement each other neatly. 

This is going to be a huge hit in 2019 - I read it in proof format (thank you, NetGalley) and can't wait to get my hands on a printed copy; in deference to its binding subject-matter, the cover is gorgeous!

I am not sure how to review this book. It's an interesting idea, having ones memories taken away by a Binder to be bound in a book which will be kept in a safe place. But the taking leaves a hole, a gap, a space. It is supposed to be a once in a lifetime option but that is not always the case. It's a dark story of forbidden love, lusts and depravities. I am still not certain what period of history it was supposed to be set in, late Victorian probably but it often felt medieval. And I can't say I enjoyed reading it. But it is well written with a nice use of language. With thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this book it was a good concept where your memories could be taken and bound into a book. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a good fantasy read with a little bit of a difference.

Emmett Farmer is working on his family game and recovering from a serious illness when he receives a strange letter summoning him to be a bookbinders apprentice.  Emmett doesn't understand the process of binding, but this isn't an offer he or his family can refuse.  As Emmett, and us as readers, learn more about the craft of binding, of taking away someone's memories and storing them in the pages of a book, we also learn that Emmett has been bound.

It has taken me a few days to think about this one and write my review.  I enjoyed reading the book, but it wasn't at all what I was expecting.  I was expecting a story based on the ideas of binding memories, and the morals involved in that, however the main story arc is more of a romance than anything else.  In all honesty that isn't normally the sort of book I would choose, however I did still enjoy this one.

I found the first part of the book a little slow going in places. I wanted to know more about binding, and how that was related to Emmett being ill.  At times I got a little frustrated at the lack of information, and the use of 'not yet, you are not ready yet' as the reason for refusing to tell Emmett what was going on.  As the book progressed I realised this was necessary to set the scene, and it was important for the story for Emmett not to know a lot about being a binder.
The later parts of the book moved much faster I felt, and I enjoyed reading about the events leading up to Emmett being bound.  The final stages were probably my favourite though, being written from a different perspective, and for me this is where most of the action happens.

In terms of characters, it took me a while to warm to them.  I didn't really like Emmett at first, he seemed rather week and unable to stand up for himself, where as I prefer strong lead characters.  It did become clear why he was this way as the book went on though, and he became a stronger character.  I didn't like Lucian because he seemed horrible and extremely privileged and stuck up, but again he grew on me as the story progressed.

Overall, this wasn't what I expected, but I still enjoyed the read. I'm giving it 4*

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an arc in exchange for an honest review

An absolutely brilliant read. I couldn't put it down. The writing style was descriptive and flowed beautifully. The plot was magical, in both it's nature and it's execution, with a torrent of emotion to carry the reader in it's wake. The characters are wonderfully engaging and I found myself desperately hoping for a happy ending for the main character. The only criticism I have for this book is that it ended way too soon, I just want more and have my fingers crossed for a sequel, this story is too good to end there! A fabulous romantic fantasy, it swept me off my feet, don t miss out on this one!

Very difficult book to review this, without giving away the secrets that make it pure magic on the page, but let’s see how we go.

Imagine if you could bind away your memories in a book – once written and bound you forget. You can leave the bad behind. Is that good? Or would it empty you of that which makes you who you are..

Emmett has been unwell, a fever of the mind, when he is called to learn the trade of the bookbinder. So begins an unusual love story, a speculative fantasy tale, a beautifully complex social commentary in  a world that lives and breathes.

The Binding is a slow burner of a literary delight, gorgeous immersive prose and an utterly compelling story. A novel of many layers, with a huge heart and a melancholy emotional core, it was utterly riveting from the very first page. 

Gently impacting on you as you read in a way you won’t realise until you are done, The Binding is an intelligent and well woven story that speaks to who we are at a very human level. 

Recommended.

This is an interesting book. There's no doubt that this book will be a darling to a lot of book bloggers and influencers, particularly those who enjoy young adult fiction and fantasy based stories, particularly around books. It's a real successor of the Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke, with lyrical language and beautiful story that takes a complete unknown into a fantastical world.
It just didn't click with me.
This book is definitely designed for a certain type of audience. I'm not so into magical things and this novel is choc-full of mystical doings and curses and witches. The story of The Binder is one that I'm sure people will fall in love with, but much like 'The Hazel Wood' from last year, I just couldn't find a connection point in this novel. The writing is okay but I struggled to get through it.

Oh this is an exceptional truly unique book with a beautiful and unexpected love story at its heart.It starts off quite slowly but little by little the book takes hold and I found myself not wanting to put it down, I loved the whole concept of how everything unfolded and how memories could forgotten when bound to a book it was exquisite, very very different and brilliantly written by Bridget Collins, It’s hard to say too much without giving anything away so if you want something that is completely different and wonderful then you have it here it’s a beautiful read.
My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Uk for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The cover drew me in - the intricate detail and the dark, gothic feel to it with the gold key and writing just gave me goosebumps. I wasn't really sure what genre it was going to be before reading the synopsis although I could see a cover like this fitting into romance, gothic fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, YA fantasy and loads more.

The Binding is the story of a young farmer who is ill and not holding his own on the farm discovering himself and who he is. He's been ill for a while and struggling to keep up with all his work when one day he receives a letter summoning him to an apprenticeship with a BookBinder, Seredith. We follow his journey through his apprenticeship with Seredith and her explanation of the art of binding and the consequences of it. We discover that young Emmett Farmer isn't just an apprentice, he's a born binder and has experienced being bound. We follow his story of self-discovery and the story written in his book.

I don't want to go into too much detail as it will spoil the story itself - it was truly magical story to read and had me hooked. I sat in the pub one Friday evening after work with a glass of wine, waiting for the ever patient Fiancé, and I could not put this down. It’s so far from what I normally read (I'd class it as a Historical Romance with a touch of magical fantasy) but it really didn't matter. At All. I wanted to know more, I wanted to know how binding worked, I wanted to know what was in Emmett's book, I wanted to know more about Seredith, more about Emmett's family, his illness and everything in between.

The Positives:

- The characters. Every character had a purpose, a personality and was well written. I could almost hear their voices in my head as I was reading. I want to know more about each of them. I'd love a book just about Seredith and her story <3

- The actual writing. The author has a beautiful way with words. A descriptive cursive that drew me. The writing was slow and overly descriptive to start but that was ok, it was building what was essentially a very very small world into our imagination.

- The plot and premise. Books and book binding is something that has held great mystery, intrigue and respect for a long time. The art of writing someone's story and to bind it forever is something that absolutely intrigued me.

- The Romance - It wasn't insta love! <3 Add to that that we don't have a stereotypical m/f love story and it just makes me smile. If I tell you much more, it’ll spoil the story 😉

The Negatives

- The pacing. While it was a slow start and there were peaks and troughs throughout the book, I did feel like there was then a rush at the end and the crescendo and climax were slightly rushed. The beautiful, flowing, descriptive writing lacked ever so slightly there for me.

- Predictability. There wasn't an exceptional amount of this, but it was fairly easy to work out where some of it was going from the first act.

Overall, I gave this one 4* out of 5. I really enjoyed and would encourage people to go and pick it up. I do want to say that there is a rape scene involved although very well done it may be uncomfortable to some readers.

This review contains spoilers.

I think I expected this book to be more fantasy than it currently is. It started very slow for my liking, and I think if it wasn't all the PR campaign and the interest that's built on Social media, if this was a book I've myself picked, I'd probably give up around 20%. But I continued reading because I was really intrigued, also the reviews are really good for this book. Sadly I will not join the fan base, this time.

The idea of "Binding" is really creative but I didn't like the way it unfolded. At one point the text was being sarcastic, I think it said something like novels being other people's sorrows, overlooking the concept of fiction. But then, what is this book? The writing is good but., in the end it's people's sorrows and an LGBT romance.

Settling on 3 stars as I think the quality of writing was really well, however sadly the plot wasn't for me.

THE BINDING felt to be a unique read, within a historical/magically-orientated world. THE BINDING is about my favourite subject, books. It is about the making of them and what is behind the whole need to make a book; it wasn't at all what it seemed to be. More than anything, THE BINDING was about the binder, a young man, an apprentice, Emmett Farmer.

This is a book that started slow, and for me, it had pacing issues right through the first half. There were periods of confusion in the first few hours of reading this book. It definitely picked up pace from the mid-way mark and I found myself much more drawn in then. There is a slight past and present narrative that subtly enhanced the reader's understanding of the story line.

At the heart of the this story is a tale of forbidden love. A coming of age story that was beautiful and tragic. It was this element that I enjoyed the most when reading and that kept me needing to read in the latter half.

There are strong side characters, Emmett's family, the people Emmett is apprenticed to and of course, Lucian. The class divide was a key element to story and I appreciated the further barriers this brought to the tale.

Overall, this was an unusual fantastical tale of historical life. It was a solid and sometimes fascinating read with pacing and trudging feelings for periods of time. I would definitely like to read Bridget Collins again.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Bridget Collins has written a beautifully imagined piece of fantasy historical fiction, a sumptuous love story, of poor farmer's son, Emmet Farmer, and the wealthy, privileged Lucian Darnay, doomed to be star crossed lovers. In this world, books are not what we would recognise them to be, books are for all those things that people feel destroyed by and cannot live with in their lives. They are extraordinary hand crafted, leather bound repositories of actual peoples memories, their secrets, grief, and pain, erased for good after being stored in a book. Books are feared and forbidden, as Emmet finds to his cost when he is drawn to buy one. An unwelcome letter arrives for Emmet, an apprenticeship he cannot refuse, he will train to be a bookbinder under Seredith's tutelage, a sacred calling. For a while, Emmet has been ill, unable to contribute to the farm as he once did, but he, like others is afraid of bookbinders, a profession surrounded with ignorance, prejudice and superstition. He travels to Seredith's remote home, and surprisingly finds solace in his daily tasks, surrounded by a silence that turns out to be what he needs to bear his illness.

The narrative goes back and forth in time, from the time Emmet and his sister, Alta, meet Lucian Darnay, to the development of their relationship, and to Emmet's experiences with other bookbinders and their clients. The reader comes to understand how Emmet came to develop his mystery illness, and the effects and repercussions of bookbinding on his and Lucian's lives. Seredith turns out to be a remarkably ethical and moral bookbinder, storing and safely locking away the books in her vault. This is in sharp contrast to others, some bookbinders are happy to practice a corrupt, horrifyingly venal form of bookbinding for the rich and powerful that uses and abuses people. These bookbinders illegally sell and trade the books for profit, often to those with a prurient interest in the secret lives of others, and for the purposes of blackmail. In a story of murder, magic, separation and ruthless powerful forces, do Emmet and Lucian's love stand any chance in a hostile world?

Collins engages in complex world building in this utterly beguiling novel, making this world come vibrantly alive with her detailed descriptions of time and place, whilst relating a moving and original love story that charms and captivates. This is Romeo and Romeo for the modern age, the characterisation is compelling, with Emmet and Lucas's love crossing the social class divide, moreover a love story that crosses boundaries in so many other senses too. This is brilliant storytelling, that immerses the reader in a past where books are a dangerous and secret commodity, and a forbidden love that threatens to destroy Emmet and Lucian. Highly recommended. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins & Bridget Collins for my ARC of The Binding. 
First off, can I just express how beautiful this book is to look at? This is one of the most gorgeous covers I've ever seen! And thankfully it's not all on the outside! The story within is beautiful too.
The Binding is a truly unique story. It begins with Emmett Farmer, a farm boy recently apprenticed to the binder out in the marshes. He knows nothing about Binding, or books for that matter, other than that they are dangerous and his parents were furious the one and only time he read one.

With Seredith's help Emmett begins to learn about Binding. Every person can have their memories turned into a book. The price, is that they forget. And for most this is what they want to achieve, every terrible memory, every bad thing they've done or experienced can be taken away. Seredith is an artist and hopes to raise Emmett in the same way, but some out there are not, there's an increase in the fraudulent selling of people's memories for others to read.

But then Emmett finds a book with his own name on it and his world is turned upside down.

This book was an absolute delight to read, it's ability to completely capture human emotion, it's pace despite not being fast was perfect, it never felt like it was dragging or too slow. The characters were wonderful, the story was immersive and the language and writing was stunning.

I'm definitely going to go ahead and order the gorgeous Goldsboro edition now!

What a cracking idea,that you can choose to put some memories into a bound book.
Also a clever idea that books are essentially people's memories,some sold just for the money and some taken to forget something.
Throw in a love story,and characters that do or do not know each other... a isolated house with a witch... this was quite the read from page one.
Definitely one I'll be buying a few times.