Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, Book 2)
by Patricia Briggs
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Book Reviews of Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, Book 2)
Book Review: A deeper and darker book than the first, but just as good
Summary: 5 Stars
_Blood Bound_ by Patricia Briggs is the second book in the Mercy Thompson series. Mercy is a walker, who can change shape between coyote and human at will. She has a few other minor abilities, but generally keeps a low profile around other more powerful types of supernatural creatures. In the Tri-Cities area of Washington state (where she lives), this includes fae off of the local fae reservation, where the various elves, goblins, faeries, etc. went after outing themselves to the general public a few years ago; a local werewolf pack, who are still unknown to the general public but will probably have to reveal themselves as well in a couple of years; and a number of local vampires, who have no intention of outing themselves to the public anytime soon and who see regular humans as nothing more than meat.
_Blood Bound_ covers the incidents that start when Mercy is asked for help by Stefan, a local vampire. Mercy generally stays clear of vampires, but Stefan is sort of cuddly for a vampire -- he even drives a VW bus painted like The Mystery Machine from Scooby-Doo. And she owes him a favor.
After going along with Stefan in coyote form to check on a vampire traveling through the area, things quickly spin out of control. The new vampire is a vampire, a sorcerer who is likely losing control of the demon he possesses for his power, and an all-around brutal sadistic [...]. Mercy's injuries from that encounter bring in Adam, the alpha of the local werewolf pack who is Mercy's local protector (when she lets him be that), and Samuel, a lone werewolf living with Mercy who has known her since she was a child.
I'm not going to go into much more detail about the plot, as quite a lot happens and it gets a bit desperate at times. Mercy is in a unique and unpleasant position -- as a walker, she has some abilities and personal control that both the vampires and werewolves lack. But she also has much less physical power than the vampires and werewolves, so she must tread carefully when she does decide to act.
For me, this book really stood out for two reasons: one is Mercy's need for thought before she acts and the things she has to figure out along the way. The revelation of why vampires hate walkers was both stunningly simple in its facts and almost mind-boggling in the implications. The second is the depth of some of the male characters. Many novelists will create only one- or two-dimensional characters of the opposite sex. But with _Blood Bound_, Briggs did a good job exploring the struggles of Adam, who is a rather authoritarian figure that has a hard time learning how to be both honest and willing to compromise with a couple of independent women he really cares about (Mercy being one of them); and Samuel, who is a strong-willed loner with some very old and very deep emotional wounds that are starting to kill him. The scene on the bed where Samuel talks about what happened in Texas with the woman he was living with was well-written and heart-breaking because of that; Mercy's subsequent call to Samuel's father Bran was also a conversation that was well-scripted, well-written, and almost painful to read because it's such a messy situation.
Overall, _Blood Bound_ is a much darker book than _Moon Called_, but it's also deeper and it's a good sequel. I am looking forward to book 3.
I would definitely suggest new readers pick up _Moon Called_ first; there are a lot of details that will be missed otherwise.
Book Review: Great sequel: Urban Fantasy with a smart heroine and good intrigue
Summary: 5 Stars
Patricia Briggs has the unique gift of being able to make the reader believe, for the space of 300 some pages, of her truths. That vampires, fae, werewolves, and magic makers live in tentative harmony with humankind. Her world is just like ours, only a bit more dangerous and a bit more sexy.
Mercy Thompson is a walker. As a walker, she has very few powers. She can shift into coyote shape and is somewhat resistant to other magics such as vampire compulsion or werewolf pack control. Because of her resistance to, vampire friend Stefan calls upon her to deliver a message to a visiting vampire who has failed to pay the proper respects to Stefan's seethe. Stefan is fearful that the visiting vampire has some type of magic that can compel him to do things he wouldn't ordinarily do and that Mercy is hopefully immune and will be able to report back to his seethe should anything happen to him.
Of course, things go badly and soon Mercy is wrapped up in a hunt for a vampire/sorcerer who is causing the Tri Cities area to have an increased rise in violence, harming werewolf friends, and endangering lives of innocents. To complicate things, her feelings for Adam, the local Alpha, are scaring her and her feelings for Samuel, an old flame, appear unresolved. Throw in a bit of vampire, fae, werewolf politics and the story does not stop.
The strength of this story is in that the details of the world construct and the consistency of characters that create a believable alternate reality. Mercy has a keen sense of smell, consistent with the canis species, that she employs on an everyday basis. She uses it when she is in danger, when she is working and when she is full of desire. She uses her brain to solve problems but doesn't hesitate to ask for help when she needs it. Mercy is portrayed as unassuming but loyal. She is the kind of person that you want to befriend so that when she is in danger or hurt or angry or in lust, all those emotions are felt keenly by the reader.
The complaints that I would have for the book is that, at times, Mercy monologues in a very educated manner. I felt that was more a reflection of the author's learnedness than Mercy's character (although she is described as being a history major in the previous book, Moon Called). Briggs has a small tendency toward repetitiveness. Certain details she deems important are inserted often. For example, Samuel is described as more dominant than the Alpha, Adam, about five times.
Additionally, there is another love interest developed for Mercy other than Adam and Samuel and while I am not philosophically opposed to this, I winced slightly upon reading it. I would loathe to see Mercy's unaffected charm be wiped away by having everyunattached male in the Tri Cities area falling for her.
Those are small quibbles and didn't really affect my appreciation for this book. The characters, the action, seem so alive. That's power of the pen - the ability to change a reader's perception. It's why we readers read fantasy.
Book Review: This is even better than the first book...
Summary: 5 Stars
The first book, Moon Called (Mercy Thompson Series, Book 1), had more of an introduction to Mercy Thompson's world and a little less story, while this book, "Blood Bound", is brimming with a serious, believable, complex, tightly written plot. The theme of "Good" vs. "Evil" is kept firmly in the center of the story, and around that central theme of white vs. black swirl all sorts of grays. Is evil absolute? Can friendship, like Mercy's friendship with a vampire, lessen evil? (Mercy was taught that all vampires are evil.) Is good absolute? Can good justify all acts done in its name, like killing a helpless being (even a vampire with plans to commit specific, evil acts) in cold blood? Ms. Briggs explores these, and many other, questions in this wonderful book, in which Mercy, her friends the werewolves, and the surrounding community find themselves dealing with a nearly pure example of evil: a demon-possessed vampire.
In addiion, romantic elements, nearly absent in "Moon Called", make their presence felt in "Blood Bound" as Mercy battles old, but still very real, feelings for Samuel, her first love, and at the same time she begins to face the complex emotions that Adam, the local Alpha, brings out in her.
"Blood Bound" is still far more a paranormal adventure than romance, but at least it can realistically be referred to as a paranormal romance, which the first book in the series really couldn't. Personally, I like some (sometimes even a lot of) romance with my paranormal adventures.
Now I eagerly await the next installment, not only for the excellent adventure I'm sure Ms Briggs will have for us, but also because I'm dying to see Mercy's further emotional (romantic!) development. (Patricia Brigg's website says, dated January 22, 2007, "...I've got to finish the third Mercy book (due in February) -- and find a good title for it.") So I've got to wait a year (sigh*), but at least I know it is coming.
"Blood Bound" is simply an excellent book. And what is even more startling is the almost complete absence of typos and other writing errors. That, by itself, in today's world of rushed or poorly trained editors and proofreaders, is enough to make me like this book. Add in everything else, and I'm really impressed. So be sure to read Moon Called (Mercy Thompson Series, Book 1) first, so you'll understand Mercy's world, then definitely, definitely read "Blood Bound".
Book Review: A must buy and read
Summary: 5 Stars
I LOVE the Mercy Thompson books.I first found out about it on amazon.com.I found the first book here.It sounded really interesting so I ordered Moon Called.The book was great and I wanted so much to find out if there was a second book.I looked it up and found out there is a second book.This time I bought it from a book store.I was just browsing and saw "Blood Bound" and who the author was and got so excited that I had found the second book.I didn't have to wait for it in the mail.I could buy it right there and I did.
I love this story because of who and what Mercy is.She is a Walker.A Walker being someone who can change there form into the Coyote at will.A Walker who was raised by a Werewolf and not just any Werewolf but the Marrok himself.The Marrok is THE Alpha,the Alpha of Alphas.Mercy maybe being the last of her kind, because she doesn't know of any others living around her area.No one really knows much about the Walkers or if there is any of them left other than Mercy.Having been hunted and killed by the Vampires years ago.Because Mercy,like all other Walkers she is immune to some forms of magic and more because they can see and talk to ghost.Because their prey die so viciously when they feed on them that when they die and turn into a ghost they tend to linger a bit where they died,that being a way for the Walkers to track down and kill the Vampires,for that reason the Vampires felt threatened.
She is surrounded by Werewolves and others mythical creatures.Not being a Werewolf and not a Fae she was a loner.
Blood Bound:
This is also a good story because Mercy just keeps getting involved in trouble that she was not looking for.Stephan(the Vampire) ask Mercy if she could help in a small matter as a way to pay him back for his help in finding Jesse in "Moon Called".She is just to be a small security measure for Stephan with a Vampire who did not check in with the leader of the Vampires.Unknowing what they are really dealing with they go in.Things take a turn for the worse the next time Mercy wakes she is in her own home with Stephan and Sam watching her.She is soon apart of the trouble that is happening all over the city.The Demon possessed Vampire is causing everyone within the area to all the chaos is becoming very short tempered and violent...It also continues the love triangle between Mercy,Adam,Sam and possibly adding Stephan(a Vampire)into the mix.I would have liked to see where that would have gone.Vampires are to be said that they can't be trusted seeing as how they don't really care for something or someone.
Book Review: An excellent follow-up to Moon Called
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved "Moon Called" by Patricia Briggs, her first werewolf/vampire book (she has also written several fantasies). The VW mechanic Mercy Thompson, a coyote walker, who lives next door to a werewolf and mends a vampire's bus, is a great central character - full of energy. "Moon Called" focused mostly on the werewolves including their Alpha, Adam Hauptman, and a lone wolf who was formerly Mercy's boyfriend, Dr Samuel Cornick.
The events in "Blood Bound" take place about six months after the end of "Moon Called". This book focuses more on the vampires, particularly Stefan but also including the Mistress, Marsilia, and several other vampires. The book starts with Mercy and Stefan going to investigate a strange scene and discovering that there is a vampire sorcerer on the loose who has powers enough to cause problems for Stefan, a very strong vampire.
Most of the rest of the book involves the vampires, werewolves and Mercy trying to find the Sorcerer and stop him. But of course things are always more complex than they seem and it's possible that some of those apparently trying to stop the sorcerer may instead be in league with him. In this story Mercy takes a more central role in the heroic endeavours, her abilities as a walker giving her a few extra tools to help her in her search. I liked the way that she faces up to the reality of the vampire and werewolf situations - she knows that the vampires are evil, even Stefan who she likes, and that the werewolves are dangerous. She also finds herself involved in killing and suffers with the knowledge of that, and that others kill people to keep her safe.
There are moments of humour in this book, particularly in the relationships between Mercy, Adam, Samuel and to some extent Stefan. The writing is excellent as always, fast-paced and descriptive with minor characters, such as the other werewolves, well drawn. Some reviewers on Amazon have said they are disappointed that Mercy's love life isn't more clear-cut in this book - she has Adam and Samuel to choose from and another suitor appears by the end of this book. Her romantic situation is left open - hopefully for another instalment in this series! - but I know which of the three I want her to end up with.
In summary, this is an excellent book that has a different take than many on the vampire and werewolf myths, is an interesting story as well as a slight "whodunit" plot and has some great characters. It helps to have read "Moon Called" but isn't necessarily vital but the pair of books together make for some really great reading.