BLOOD BOUND by Patricia Briggs

Title: Blood Bound
Series: Mercy Thompson #2
Author: Patricia Briggs

Summary

After saving Adam, the alpha of the Columbia Basin Pack, and his daughter, Jesse, from the werewolves that had captured them, Mercy is ready to return to her life as a mechanic.

The only problem is that Mercy asked for Stefan's protection when she faced his vampire seethe, so she now owes him a favor.  When Stefan calls Mercy and asks for her help, she has no choice but to agree.

Stefan and Mercy visit a vampire who is visiting town without the permission of Marsilia, the Mistress of the Seethe.  Stefan doesn't trust this vampire, and with good reason.  Death surrounds his visit, and as she digs deeper in to the world of the vampires, Mercy learns that this one may not be an ordinary vampire.  But Mercy has proven that she can handle bad guys, and she'll need every bit of strength to save her friends from the monster that's now living in the Tri-Cities.

My Impression

This book goes deep into the world of the Mid-Columbia Seethe.  I liked that I got to learn more about the vampires in Mercy's world, especially since she is friends with Stefan, despite the warnings she receives from the wolves and fae.  The vampires are very political, much like the werewolves, but it is obvious that everyone who is aware of the existence of vampires is against revealing their existence to humans. I like that Briggs paints the darkness of the vampires in a way that clearly makes them seem monstrous but still allows us to see the moral side of certain vampires, such as Stefan.  As much as I liked this book, and I liked learning about the vampires, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed Moon Called.

There is also more development in the love interest in this series, though it does take a back seat to the vampire plot.  It's clear that Adam has feelings for Mercy, but Samuel also has an interest in Mercy, so she has to deal with the competition between the two dominant werewolves, as well as decide which one she wants to be with.  I both love and hate this development.  I think it's realistic that Mercy would still have an attraction to her first love, and that as a dominant werewolf, Samuel would want another shot at having Mercy as his mate; however, I really like the chemistry and understanding that Mercy and Adam have, and Samuel is just getting in the way.

Something I really liked about this book is that Mercy is a unique character, and though she is not always certain that she will come out on top, she is always willing to do what she can to save her friends.  Though some characters have more confidence in her strength and her ability to defeat monsters that the werewolves, vampires, and fae can't, there are still some that doubt her because she can turn into a coyote. Nevertheless, Mercy seems to be able to get herself out of the trouble that she gets into, even if she isn't sure that she can.

Why I Picked Up This Book

After reading Moon Called I wanted to find out what happened to Mercy.

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance
My Rating: Four Stars

Interested in other books by Patricia Briggs?  Check here to read my reviews of other books from this series.