Blood Bound
Book #2 of the Mercy Thompson Series
by Patricia Briggs
Published: ACE – February 2007
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 292 (paperback)
Purchase at:
Rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars)
Summary
Mechanic Mercy Thompson has friends in low places-and in dark ones. And now she owes one of them a favor. Since she can shapeshift 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…
The Good
Blood Bound is all about vampires, which is a nice change of pace from book one which was more about werewolves. It was interesting when the vampires and local werewolves join forces to track down the demon possessed vampire. But when they go missing, Mercy is ordered by the vampire queen, Marsilia, to find them. That’s when things get really interesting.
This book takes place a half a year later from Moon Called. The werewolves have followed the fae in outing themselves to the public. Mercy is still conflicted with her two potential beaus, Adam and Sam. But this is not a romantic story. Mercy’s love life is a side-plot that only spices things up but doesn’t control the story as a whole. This book has all the right elements of fantasy, action, mystery, and horror, (with a side of romance) that makes it a compelling read.
Mercy, our shapeshifting mechanic, is her same, old smart-ass self. I really enjoy Mercy as a character. She’s smart, tough, and caring. Her interactions with other characters is what makes her shine. She doesn’t let anyone push her around, even if they are terribly frightening. I find Mercy refreshing in comparison to other urban fantasy protagonists. She is kind of the girl-next-door that you just love to like. She has a job and her life is somewhat normal if not for the supernaturals around her…oh, and her being a coyote shifter.
The plot was well thought out and fast-paced. I was entertained from beginning to end. I pretty much read this book in one sitting. I really enjoyed learning more about vampires and their political structure.
I think Briggs really excels at character development. I become easily emotionally invested in each character. They are believable and have natural interactions that only help me believe in the world Briggs has created.
The Bad
Nothing. It’s a nice change of pace compared to other urban fantasy books out there. Not so much in your face.
The Snuggly
Sorry to disappoint but this is not really a love story, so you get no snuggly.
Overall
Briggs has found a way to pull a reader in by simply creating dynamic characters in a world not too much unlike our own. I could easily imagine our world being quite similar to Mercy’s if fae and vampires made themselves known. My only gripe is that I have to wait so long for the next book to come out. Highly recommended read.
