Book Review: Boundary Born by Melissa F. Olson

Boundary Born is the third book in the Boundary Magic series by Melissa F. Olson. Something wicked is at work in Colorado’s supernatural community. Vampires are being paralyzed or killed with poison, a weapon favored by witches. This offense threatens to break apart the already-fractured alliance between witches and the undead. The state’s cardinal vampire, Maven, summons boundary witch Allison “Lex” Luther to stop the killing before it ignites a war. Lex has barely started investigating when she gets another surprise: the biological father she’s never met arrives on her doorstep. He has answers to all of Lex’s questions about her bloodline, but getting those answers could mean betraying the life she’s already built. Then the next vampire is poisoned—and this time it’s Maven herself. The new evil that hunts Lex is powerful and ruthless enough to stop the strongest supernatural creature in the state. In order to find such a killer, Lex will have to face down her own birthright and call on every ally—both living and dead.

Boundary Born is another winner from Olson, with a near perfect combination of character development, drama, and action. While reading I never knew if Lex was going to have a revelation, a big bad was going to pop up, or if a comic moment might be next. The constant surprises and highly developed characters kept me reading eagerly. Lex is a woman with some serious history and issues, and is well aware of that. I like that she is a complex character, and that even those that should be simple are more complicated than really needed to the story. No one is completely what they seem- no one is all good or bad. They characters are like real people, with shadows in light changing their perception and coloring their actions even when they do not seem aware of it. I like that we got to see more of Maven’s history and glimpses of Lex’s ancestry. I also like that while there is a romantic aspect to Lex’s life- it takes a back seat to more practical and immediately dangerous aspects of the day. 

Boundary Born is another wonderful book from Olson. I am a huge fan, after playing catch up on her previous series, and am looking forward to where ever these stories take us. If you are a fan, this book will keep you happy and eager for more. If you have not read anything from the author I highly recommend either starting from the beginning of this series, or starting at the very beginning with the Scarlet Bernard series. Trust me- they are all fantastic.