Monday, September 28, 2015

Blood bound by Patricia Briggs

Blood bound is the second book in the Mercy Thompson series, and the fourth book set in the world shared with the Alpha & Omega series.  This review contains ***SPOILERS*** if you have not read the other books and I highly recommend reading them in the correct order.  So go back and read Moon called (Mercy Thompson) and Cry wolf and Hunting ground (Alpha & Omega) before reading anymore of this review.

The werewolves have come out and the world is coming to terms with more preternatural creatures roaming the world - the Fae are not alone.  As one of the lucky few, Adam Hauptman has become one of the faces of the werewolves, a hero who will make people think of werewolves in a positive light rather than a creature from their nightmares that might try and eat them.  The vampires are still a secret though, a tricky little thing when Mercy discovers that there is a vampire in town who harbours a demon inside.  Every where this demon riding vampire goes violence follows, and Mercy gets to see first hand just how much power he has when he messes with Stefan's head in a bad way.

When Stefan asks Mercy to testify to events she has no idea that she is about to be dragged into a deadly game of cat and mouse that will include Adam and his pack as well as Samuel before the chase is over.  Nothing should be able to take on vampires and werewolves with impunity, but this demon-riding vampire is able to do just that - and where muscle and brawn fail a little skin walker might be able to prevail, but at a cost.  Mercy barely understands what it truly means to be a walker, and all her skills and courage are going to be pushed to the limits before this battle is over - and not everyone will walk away unscathed.  How far is Mercy wiling to go to stop true evil, and to protect the people she loves?

Binge reading the Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series has been something of a guilty pleasure - mostly because it is so easy to read adn get absorbed in the action and the drama.  Binge reading between the series also makes the differences between the two series more apparent - Alpha & Omega is essentially a love story (with some pretty incredible obstacles in the way), while the Mercy Thompson series is somewhat more along the lines of a traditional fantasy series with a truly inspiring heroine.  

There is a lot to like in this series, particularly the treatment of the werewolves and the fact that real thought has gone into making them more like true canids rather than people wearing wolves clothing, or brainless beasts who lose control completely.  The mythology of this world is truly amazing, and I look forward to binge reading the rest of the series again so I can fill in the gaps in my reviews!

The recommended reading order is:

And to fill in the gaps there are some new (and old) short stories in:
  • Shifting shadows: Stories from the world of Mercy Thompson

If you like this book then try:
  • Tinker by Wen Spencer
  • Night shifted by Cassie Alexander
  • Kitty and the midnight hour by Carrie Vaughn
  • Dark descendant by Jenna Black
  • Burning water by Mercedes Lackey
  • Blood price by Tanya Huff
  • Urban shaman by C.E. Murphy
  • Spiders bite by Jennifer Estep
  • Dead witch walking by Kim Harrison
  • Precinct 13 by Tate Hallaway

Reviewed by Brilla

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