Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, Book 2)
by Patricia Briggs
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Book Reviews of Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, Book 2)
Book Review: Another hit for Patricia Briggs!
Summary: 5 Stars
Mercy Thomas knew it wasn't a good thing when Stefan the vampire asked her to do a favor for him at 3 am. Mercy is a walker and can shift into a coyote. She is friends with at least one vampire, rooms with a werewolf and is mated to the local Alpha werewolf, and bought her garage where she is a mechanic from one of the Fae. But a new problem has come to town in the guise of Cory Littleton, who is the unthinkable.... a demon possessed sorcerer and a vampire. Will Mercy be able to stop Littleton's killings before the human population becomes aware of it?
I have to admit I was a bit worried about reading a sequel to the phenomenal MOON CALLED. Patricia Briggs had so entranced me with that first book that I was afraid BLOOD BOUND wouldn't reach the same high standards. Thankfully, Patricia Briggs demonstrates her true prowess as an author as BLOOD BOUND is exactly what urban fantasy is all about. Mercy is a superb heroine whose insecurities are as much a part of her as her talents. In fact, it is those very insecurities that keep her from being too over-the-top and make her so thoroughly likeable. While there are some romantic innuendos, BLOOD BOUND is not a romance novel and Ms. Briggs keeps her storyline focused on the urban fantasy aspects.
BLOOD BOUND drags the reader further into the quagmire that is the seethe. Vampire politics are very tricky but Ms. Briggs explains them well. The interaction between the various supernatural species is also very intriguing. Mercy has to sort through all of the various protocols and yet as a walker she is an outsider.
BLOOD BOUND is an excellent addition to the urban fantasy genre! Patricia Briggs has crafted a series that has an excellent mixture of intrigue and action with only a hint of romance. The only caution for readers is that the cover of BLOOD BOUND is a bit suggestive but by no means is representative of the actual book. Readers will be yearning for more after finishing this one! BLOOD BOUND is highly recommended!
COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES
Book Review: Another well-written mystery in this series
Summary: 5 Stars
Blood Bound is the second installment in the Mercy Thompson series. In this one, Mercedes is woken in the middle of the night by Stefan, her vampire friend, who needs someone to witness his encounter with another vampire. Reluctantly, she goes with him only to find out that the unknown visitor is not merely a vampire but a demon as well, a pretty mean one at that. A demon is an enemy she has never faced before but the violence he's spreading is enough to convince her to take some action.
With the book's main focus on the mystery, we, along with Mercy, have to endure the tension of not knowing who the enemy really is, why he's acting and where to find him or her. I have to admit that all my guesses were wrong while reading.
Like the first story in the series brought a lot on the werewolves, this one's main theme are the vampires. As the plot develops, we get to know more about the kind of vampire Briggs chose to have in the series, about Stefan as an individual and the structure behind the vampire's seethe (lair). We also learn more about Mercy's abilities as a walker but we only begin to understand why she's considered a threat to the vampires.
The only problem I had with this one was the annoyingly slow pace until at least half the book. It wasn't enough to make me stop reading, but Mercy stays in the side lines for a long time and we have to follow her musings about her non-existent love life while she has three different love interests. She can't seem to decide who she's going to give a chance and stubbornly avoids contact with the males she's considering (considering is a strong word here, because mostly she avoids considering as well). Also there was a side plot that made me expect more but had little meaning in the tale as a whole, perhaps it might come back in the next one.
The series continues to engage me, I would have rated it 4,5 stars if I could here and I'll definitely read the following installment, I just hope Mercedes doesn't dwell too much on her unfounded doubts and pointless fears in the future.
Book Review: This had my blood pounding
Summary: 4 Stars
After a long day fixing cars and getting yourself covered in grease and dirt, one would think that your friends would be thoughtful enough to leave you alone to unwind. Not the case with Mercy Thompson. When her vampire friend Stefan is sent by his Mistress to deliver a message to another vampire, he asks Mercy to accompany him. As a Walker, the ability to shift into a coyote, Stefan knows that Mercy is mostly immune to vampire powers. She, on the other hand, is suspicious but unable to say no. From the moment they arrive, Mercy knows that something sinister awaits them. It doesn't take long before the true evil is revealed and Mercy finds herself pulled into the fray, the only one (human and non-human) who may be able to save the day.
Yes, Mercy and the gang are knee deep in vampire drama. A sorcerer turned vampire is demon-ridden and wreaking havoc in the Tri-Cities. The body count is rising and the police are becoming concerned. Not a good thing for the vampires whose existence remains a secret. And it is up to Mercy to save her friends even if the thought of facing a creature so powerful makes her knees shake.
Patricia Briggs continues the series with this kickass blend of fantasy and horror. The plot races along providing you with a fast-paced and entertaining read. The characters are well-rounded and I really like how Mercy seems so believable, with her share of fears and weaknesses, unlike other fantasy heroines who can do no wrong. The author hints at further developments in the romance department, but here's hoping that the romance doesn't take over the menace and mayhem that I have enjoyed in this and the first book. While it is not necessary to read Moon Called (Mercy Thompson Series, Book 1), it would help to gain an insight into some of the secondary characters. Not to mention that it is a slightly better book.
This is recommended reading to lovers of dark urban fantasy. Don't wait to pounce on this series.
Book Review: Mercy, mercy on my mind and my time. I had to shove life aside so I could keep up with her!
Summary: 5 Stars
Panting my way to the computer, I must report that Patricia Briggs has done it again. This is another GREAT SEQUEL! Keep 'em coming Briggs, I am loving the ride. It is a roller coaster of nail biting suspense, eye popping horror and satisfying plot twists and surprises!
This is more mystery, crime noir a la Raymond Chandler and horror story than paranormal romance. In fact the biggest part of romance has to do with Warren (the ex-Vietnam hero homosexual number three/really number two of the Pack werewolf) and his human lover, Kyle who has to get over his anger at being lied to by Warren during the first book MOON CALLED, learn to love the werewolf Warren and use his love to bring Warren back from his near death encounter with the evil monster that EVERYONE in the novel is trying to find and kill.
I read some of the critics criticize the first person narrative. Forget about it. Maybe some writing teacher in some college droned on that first person narrative is not a good way to tell a story. Who cares? I like the first person narrative because it reveals Mercy (my wonderful coyote heroine) as she sees her world, herself and the view is just fine.
In this story, we get to learn more about Mercy and what makes her tick and what is really important to her. We learn about how the vampires really live, yuck, and how their societal structure functions. We learn about the struggle inside Mercy about love and sexual attraction and why she doesn't trust the love that is being offered by sexy Samuel Cornick and attractive Adam Hauptmann. Yeow! What female could choose between these two amazing males? Put yourself in Mercy's well worn, grease stained and blood smeared boots and ask yourself, who would you choose? True to herself, she chooses her own well earned independence and won't be forced to make the choice because they are insisting that she do. Bravo Mercy, that's why I love you. Dashing off to the next book, Iron Kissed.....in between eating, sleeping, working, life in general...can't stop.
Book Review: Bound to enjoy this Mercy Thompson installment
Summary: 4 Stars
I will admit that I haven't read much in the urban fantasy/horror/vampire genre, so I may not be as picky as other reviewers. I will say that I have only read two of Brigg's novels -- "Moon Called" and "Blood Bound" -- and both times I really got into the book. Brigg's conversational writing style makes it easy; after all, the protagonist, Mercy Thompson, is narrating the story.
Mercy has the ability to morph into a coyote. What I appreciated about Brigg's storytelling is how Mercy doesn't overuse her shape-changing ability in this book. She relies on her wits and intuition to solve the conflicts she faces.
Something else I appreciate about Brigg's story is how Mercy finds herself in the middle of life-or-death situations, yet still has to run her own business as a mechanic. In fact, Mercy wonders at one point how the heroines in movies find time to work and make a living while they are running around saving the world.
A couple of minor criticisms about this story: as the story progresses, Briggs throws in more an more of the "rules" about how vampire society is run, as well as the "rules" about demons and sorcerers. As someone who doesn't read much in this genre, it didn't bother me, but I kind of wondered how much of it Briggs made up to fit the plot. Doesn't ruin the story at all, but I just wondered about this.
Also, Briggs' male characters always seem a little too perfect. They are all ruggedly handsome, and yes they're all werewolves and vampires, but they're such hunky werewolves and vampires who got that "bad boy" thing going to entice the ladies. Even their negative qualities make them more macho. This kind of bugged me in "Moon Called" too. Briggs does keep the reader guessing as to who Mercy will ultimately fall for: Adam? Samuel? Stefan maybe? Again, it doesn't ruin the book, but it kind of makes me chuckle.
Overall, "Blood Bound" continues the fast-paced, suspenseful, creepy, action-packed storytelling that started in "Moon Called." Go for it.