Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, Book 2)
by Patricia Briggs
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Book Reviews of Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, Book 2)
Book Review: He bit the nape of my neck and I moaned.
Summary: 4 Stars
My Thoughts
This wasn't a favorite of mine but it isn't for lack of trying. We get intimate with the vampire seethe, which is quite the eerie bunch. I find their magical chair bloody fascinating, literally. What a contraption. Unfortunately, the vampire plotline just wasn't exciting for me, but you can't deny that vamp-demon dude was hella scary. There is one scene that I found to be one of the best "scary" scenes in any UF I've come across. It involves Mercy and the crazed demonic vampire. If you've read the book, you know exactly what I'm speaking of. And if you haven't, get ready for a great look-under-your-bed-and-say-your-prayers scary scene! This particular foe definitely brings the physical and psychological terror.
We do get to see Mercy use her brains and brawn and, as expected, the woman comes out a true heroine. Mercy is a fantastic character and she never falters from why so many of us love her so: She is a courageous, witty, tough, intelligent, compassionate soul. She gets into trouble in the very first chapter because she just can't "look the other way", which is why I love her so much. We social workers are all about ethics.
Samuel and Adam are definitely on edge about who Mercy will choose, and two Alphas on edge is great entertainment! Mercy has a deep history with Samuel but Adam can definitely hold his own. There is a smexy scene between Adam and Mercy, and you can view the smexiest line in the entire book below. Like, woah, baby. Samuel also confides in Mercy, and tells a very sad tale. My heart was breaking for the guy. Also, a loveable character in the series gets ripped to shreds and hangs on to dear life for days...it's definitely a heart wrenching book in many ways!
My Favorite Quotes
He bit the nape of my neck and I moaned. (I think I may have moaned too. LOL)
Now, I'm not very vain. If I'd ever been, making my living covered in various grease and dirt mixtures would have cured me quickly. Still, I wasn't up to facing two sexy men when I had one eye swollen mostly shut and half of my face black and blue.
So in the sweltering heat of a July night, I sang a Christmas carol to a room full of fae, who had been driven out of their homelands by Christians and their cold-iron swords.
A dominant wolf's desire to protect was a strong instinct- Samuel was very dominant. Give him an inch, and he's take over the world- my life, if I let him.
Read this review over at Smash Attack Reads! [...]
Book Review: Mercy Shows No Mercy
Summary: 5 Stars
In Blood Bound, the second book in Patricia Briggs's Moon Called Series, Mercy Thompson is back at work as a mechanic in the garage she owns, and hopefully done dealing with werewolf trouble. Thankfully, that does seem to be the case, unless you count the fact that her former love, Dr. Samuel Cornick, has moved into her trailer since he's decided to move away from his father's pack, and her new possible love, Alpha Wolf Adam Hauptmann, is so intense that it's making Mercy nervous. No, this time it's not the werewolves, it's the vampires; specifically it's Mercy's vampire friend Stefan, who needs Mercy to go on a visit to see a new vamp in town, the catch being that Mercy must go incognito as her walker self, a coyote. Mercy agrees (because really it's a payback) and during the visit, encounters evil so violent that she is shaken and physically harmed in the process. From there, things go downhill; Stefan turns up missing, along with three local werewolf pack members who had agreed to help Stefan find the demon vampire currently terrorizing the town. It comes down to Mercy to track the missing wolves and Stefan and take care of the truly evil vampire conjured in order to take over the local vampire seethe.
Mercy's one tough cookie, and she's no less hardheaded in this installment. Her interactions with the local fae put her in danger, along with her determined attempts to find the demon vampire Littleton in order to rescue her friends from his decidedly demented plans. Mercy's ability to interact with ghosts also plays a role in this action packed novel, and even though she's not physically as strong as the wolves and vampires, she uses cunning and her religious senses to help her defeat evil. Her willingness to sacrifice herself for her friends is one of her best traits. But she's also got a dark side, and the ending of the novel leaves one with the sense that in Mercy's world, there is no gray area. Right or wrong, Mercy makes up her mind and forges ahead.
This novel has a lot going for it, including an entirely scary scene where a demon bangs repeatedly on the side of her trailer throughout one very long night. Briggs has a way of pulling you directly into the story so that you have to know what happens next. The fact that Mercy's love life is complicated adds tension to the plot but never does she let it get in the way of getting the job done. Mercy's one smart chick and she's loyal but ruthless when necessary. This one's not for the squeamish. I admit it; I'm hooked!
Book Review: Improved...but PLEASE get a new editor: 5-star story, 2-star editor
Summary: 5 Stars
Read Moon Called first. Do not start with this one because much of the backstory, even though it's repeated throughout Blood Bound, is required reading to understand a lot of this one. Plus, if you still read this one first, you'll only go out and get Moon Called at the first opportunity. Save yourself spades of confusion and start where the author meant you to.
If you liked Moon Called--despite the grammar and mechanics errors--then you'll love Blood Bound. Not because the editing has improved, but because the potential I described in the Moon Called review met and surpassed what I'd predicted. The humor is still there, in full force, with new turns of phrase--it's the same style as the first, but it's not content repetition, as some otherwise wonderful authors seem wont to do.
The complaints I had about not being given enough time with the characters in order to be able to figure out at least the major plotline have no place in this novel: I did, after shifting suspicions, finger the culprit, if not some of the finer details. Briggs has taken this one to novel-level, way beyond the novella-level Moon Called.
However, the gripes I had with grammar and mechanics in Moon Called still diminish this story; I had to at least consider slapping this one with the 4 stars I'd given Moon Called, but this story strength won me over. Given that I'd physically winced at more than one such error, that I still give this 5 stars says more than something for the story. Like the last one (that I'd read twice), I could not put this down. Anyhow, back to the novel's one downfall. As I said with Moon Called, the plethora of extra commas in the wrong places makes for a clunky read. There are also missing commas, running two separate sentences together so badly that I had to go back and puzzel out what was going on. Occasionally, even two words are run together. Some of the commas and spaces where there should be commas ought to have had semicolons in them, again eliminating a much-needed separation/distinction between thoughts. Before I'm pegged as an English prig, I'm not; even middle-schoolers would notice, if not be bothered, by the grade-school level errors.
And, as I said last time, I DID NOT DRAW THE COVER. It is in no way indicative of the contents of the book. Sure, there's some kissing and such, but nothing nearly as steamy as the cover suggests. Bodice-rippers (unless it's of the battling-in-mortal-danger variety), please look elsewhere.
Book Review: A Serious Heart Stopper
Summary: 5 Stars
Blood Bound is the second book in the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. It continues the story of Mercy, a fierce, butt kicking mechanic. Oh yeah, she's also a Walker, able to become a coyote at will.
Book one of the series, Moon Called, introduced us to Mercy and the werewolves. Book two continues the storyline by introducing us to the darker side of Mercy's world, the part where vampires are not only real and bloodthirsty but also require her help. When Mercy's friend Stefan asks her to accompany him to deliver a message to a stray vampire intruding in their territory, Mercy agrees, having no idea what kind of danger she's about to put herself in. Friendship will be questioned and loyalties tested while Mercy and Stefan attempt to discover the sinister truth behind this seemingly simple intruder.
Briggs does a fantastic job in Blood Bound of continuing Stefan's story line. We get to learn a lot more about him as well as the rest of the vampires. I love the way she uses the books and the stories to help bring us into the world gradually instead of just saying, here are the Werewolves, here are the Fae and here are the Vampires. It's a nice way to bring us into the story instead of just telling the story to us.
I love Mercy because she is a strong, butt-kicking woman. She knows how to stand on her own two feet and takes control of her life. I would probably love the books just for that fact; the spicy little love triangle between her, Samuel and Adam is just icing on the cake. Seriously, who wouldn't want two attractive powerful men vying for her attention? Now the only question is, who will she choose?
As always, I feel compelled to give a fair warning. Seems strange that even with books I absolutely love, there's always some sort of warning. Now, I'll begin by saying that I am easily spooked. Yes, I am still afraid of the dark. Everyone has their quirks; that's one of mine. That being said, there is a quite creepy part in Blood Bound. So much so that I had to run around the room flipping lights on before I could continue with the chapter. If you like creepy, spooky parts then I think you will love Blood Bound. If you're not quite into the creepy side of things, then just remember that it only lasts for a few pages. Flip some lights on, grab your nearest pet (or stuffed animal) and hug it close for comfort and then continue on. Trust me, you'll definitely want to get to the end of the book!
Book Review: Mercy to the Rescue!
Summary: 4 Stars
From the back of the Book
Under the rule of science, there are no witch burning allowed, no water trials or public lynchings. In return, the average law-abiding, solid citizen has little to worry about from the things that go bump in the night. Sometimes I wish I was an average citizen...
Mechanic Mercy Thompson has friends in low places--and in dark ones. And now she owes one of them a favor. Since she can shape shift at will, she agrees to act as some extra muscle when her vampire friend Stefan goes to deliver a message to another of his kind.
But this new vampire is hardly ordinary--and neither is the demon inside of him...
My Review of the Book
Mercy's got a new roommate, Samuel, is not only crashing in Mercy's trailer but looking to get back with her and take her as a mate. On the other side of her back yard she also had Adam vying for her affections. He has already claimed her as his mate, but since she has yet to agree we are left in a messed up triangle. While Sam and Adam, who are two very dominant wolves, play tug of war for Mercy (which is kind of hilarious to witness). Her vampire acquaintance and friend Stefan, yep this would be the one who drives a van resembling the Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo, calls in the favor that she owes him. This favor has Mercy biting off more than she can chew both literally and figuratively.
She and Stephen must produce a sorcerer turned vampire. This creature is no joke and is looking to take out anyone who gets in its path. The Wolves, Vampires, and the police are all trying to stop this crazy creature, but it looks like Mercy may be just what the doctor ordered to handle this creature.
If you are a Mercy fan you definitely need to read this book. I would suggest to people who haven't read Moon Called (Mercy Thompson Book 1) that they go ahead and read that book first. With series type books it is best to start from the beginning.
Patricia Briggs did a wonderful job of building the characters and the world that Mercy lives in. She is very descriptive in creating the world. It is like I can see it as I am reading it. This may get on some peoples nerves but I like it. Patricia continues to keep our Mercy headstrong and stubborn to a fault sometimes. Mercy will do whatever she can to protect those that she loves. That is one of the main reasons that I love her characters so much.