Mercy Thompson #2
“Why is it that in all the adventure movies, the heroine doesn’t have to get up and go to work?”
Mercy Thompson
Blood Bound is the second book in the Mercy Thompson series and builds on the great foundation of Moon Called. Tensions are high, the danger is real, and the sass is splendid. Exactly how I like my urban fantasy.
If you haven’t read Moon Called yet, you will want to read it first. Like many series that center on the life of one character, people, places, and plot points carry over from one book to the next. Blood Bound grows the supernatural community of the Tri-cities and takes Mercy even further in learning about her unique powers and the power struggles between the different factions.
Patricia Briggs does a great job of making each race distinct. Werewolf packs are dramatically different from the Vampire Seethes that we see more clearly in this book. Hints of Fae culture also make an appearance, but their society is still mostly shrouded in secrecy. Mercy’s situation allows her to see how each group functions, but she is outside the rules of any of their social structures. She also tends to thumb her nose at their regulations if she is annoyed with them and feels like it won’t get her killed. She walks a fine line of being the weakest in the situation, but still maintaining her independence.
A sorcerer has arrived in the Tri-cities, and the body count is rising every day. Mercy gets a front-row seat as the vampires and werewolves track this new threat that could expose more of their community to the humans than they’re ready to accept. The plot keeps up a good pace, and time skips keep the story in the middle of the action while little dots of normalcy like going to work show how life goes on even with a crisis brewing under the surface. When Mercy gets dragged into the thick of it, she remains aware of her vulnerability and uses it to her advantage.
Some vendors shelve this book as a paranormal romance, but I consider it an urban/paranormal fantasy novel because the relationships are a secondary element to the main story. Mercy wavers between her ex, who broke her heart years ago, and the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, which is a situation that started in Moon Called. Mercy cuddles up to people, there is some kissing, but no explicit sexual content.
I love these books for the great characters and exciting situations they face. Each personality is unique, and you can count on Mercy to be getting into trouble on her terms every time.
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