Book 2), Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson

I finished this book last night and loved it. Her characters are always the selling point for me -- interesting, rather sharp-edged and complicated. The plot is good, but not necessarily the main attraction. It's the words and the story telling that draw me. I was also suitably terrified during one particular scene, which is impressive because I'm rarely frightened by scary scenes.

Briggs is honestly my favorite author next to JK Rowling, who is rather stiff competition.

Patricia Briggs onces again brings us an awesome story with wonderful characters. If you liked Moon Called then you will love this book. Her character development is fun. I was sorry when the book was over. Briggs leaves us wanting more Mercy Thompson adventures. A very enjoyable read.

I'm still trying to get into Ms Biggs' world of werewolf and vampires. It is a little different from what I'm used to. Being a female I normally don't go into books were my place in the hierachy is dictated by my mate in the pack. I also don't know where Stefan, Samuel, and Adam stand. Wondering how long she will keep us guessing about the 4 of them.

Great read! This is the kind of book I love to read. The story is interesting...just enough excitement,just enough romance. It hooked me and kept me hooked right to the end. I enjoy everything Patricia Briggs writes. Please keep the good books coming!

I would have given this book 5 stars but i was disappointed with the lack of resilution with Mercy and her men. The writing and the plot rocked but I was left wondering what man/Werewolf/vampire Mercy loved. I really hope there is a third book in this series on the way cause I really want Mercy to pick Adam. LOL

I love Patricia Brigg's writing style. She is just an excellent story teller. You should probably read the first book in the series before this one, but I think on its own it is a satisfying read. This is one of the best in this genre.

Alright finished thankfully. I really like the characters in this book however I feel like I am watching a scene and the main character has to stop in the middle of it to explain stuff to me over and over, then get back to whatever conversation or scene was happening. For me it really took so much away from the story. It could have been a great series but I won't be continuing with it. I see so many glowing reviews but I just don't get it. Just way to much repeating of the same info over and over again, as as I said before to much cutting in the middle of what should have been good scenes.

In many ways, Blood Bound is a true winner. I read it in one sitting, it easily kept my attention, the plot moved, the action was intense. I enjoyed myself thoroughly from start to finish. In that aspect, I agree with every review already here.

After I put the book down, I started feeling a slight twinge of dissatisfaction. Despite all the lip service concerning protection by all the Alpha men in her life, why, among all the males that Mercy seems to attract, is she the only one doing the actual rescuing? In the first book, Moon Called, Mercy saved Adam and his daughter. Great for a one time deal to show Mercy is independent and can take care of herself, but where's the reciprocation? In this sequel, she rescues Adam, Sam, Ben, and Stefan from disaster. Even Bran and the Calvary come in just about ten minutes too late to save the day or give Mercy a hand in anything but the cleanup. They are all angry that she put herself into danger, and they provide lectures galore, but they are not especially embarrassed that she had to pull their butts out of the fire - again.

Don't get me wrong, I love strong women, but "the hero in distress" should be a fluke, not a pattern. Werewolves who growl a great deal but constantly have to be rescued by the heroine start feeling a bit neutered and lose their "Alpha" designation no matter how much they posture and fight each other to show off their sexual prowess.

Hopefully, in the next adventure, at least one of Mercy's men will have more bite to match their bark. Only time will tell.

This book was one of the first novels where I truly appreciated an author calculating the ramifications of a character's actions. Mercy owes Stefan a favor (from Jesse's rescue in Moon Called) and he's come to collect. But when a vampire asks a favor, blood is almost certainly involved.

As you make your way through the series (I'm on my nth reading), you should gain a greater appreciation for the book titles. They seem simple, with only two words, but they are all indicative of each novels' main struggle. The title of this book is 1000x better than the cover. Anyone else frustrated by books read by women with covers designed for men? Mercy would never saunter around her garage like that, she'd also wear a shirt under her coveralls! *Sigh*

Back to the story! I simultaneously enjoyed and was thoroughly creeped out by learning more about the vampires in Patricia Briggs' world. She does a great job of balancing Mercy's friendship with and perception of Stefan, with the visceral and terrifying experience she has had with other vampires. Too many characters (ie. Throne of Glass series) make bold declarations and never turn back, but Mercy weighs her heart and brain and continues to develop her beliefs. I liked that human aspect. Ironic, because Mercy's non-human nature is a vital aspect of this book.

Beyond vampires, we get some tantalizing developments in the relationships between Mercy and Adam and Mercy and Samuel. For anyone suffering from post-Twilight love triangle fatigue, stick with me. Mercy has a long history with Sam that she just won't toss away. Equally, Adam respects her unlike any werewolf ever has. For a staunchly independent woman like Mercy, that respect is incredibly important.

This book has a rough ending, in that I was as creeped out as Mercy and saddened by some characters' actions. The ramifications once again linger, but you feel settled between books. Some of us had to wait for these novels to come out year by year, and the lack of cliffhanger was reassuring!

4.5 Stars for me...I really loved the storyline of this book...focusing on the vampires and their inner workings as well as a demon possessed vampire!!!!....CRAZY....I also am enjoying the love triangle brewing between Mercy, Adam, and Samuel...I normally despise the whole love triangle and the drama around them, but Patricia Briggs is handling this one with some finesse...it is more focused on the nature of the wolves and how that impacts the connection to Mercy which I find fascinating...although, in my opinion Adam is the clear choice, I liked Samuel a little more in this story...his losses are profound and in some ways that built his connection to Mercy a little more in my eyes.... I still feel more of a connection between her and Adam though and am looking forward to how this storyline will unveil itself in the coming books...finally, I enjoy the strength, determination, independence, and loyalty that encompasses Mercy's personality...she does what she feels is right but not without thought as to the potential consequences not only to herself but those she loves...great addition to the series and am looking forward to the next one:)

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Mercy takes on a sorcerer vampire in this thrilling second installment in this urban fantasy series.

Opening Sentence: Like most people who own their own businesses, I work long hours that start early in the morning. So when someone calls me in the middle of the night, they’d better be dying.

Excerpt: Yes

The Review:

Notable Scene:

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs is the second novel in the Mercy Thompson series. This is an urban fantasy series about a walker named Mercy who can change into a coyote at will. This is my second time reading this novel and I enjoyed it the second time just as immensely as I did the first time I read it. Mercy’s world involves werewolves, vampires, fae and many more supernatural creatures. Mercy learns a lot more about the vampires in this second installment.

A few months have passed since the first novel, Moon Called. Mercy has been getting along with her new roommate. She has also gone on a few dates with Adam the werewolf but she’s avoiding him now because she can’t handle the feelings she gets when she is around him. Stefan the vampire has pretty much laid low keeping Mercy’s secret until one night he calls her up asking for a favor. As a walker, Mercy has some immunity toward vampiric powers and Stefan needs her to observe. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned and Mercy is confronted with a powerful sorcerer vampire who has a demon along for the ride. This vampire has no problem leaving dead people in his wake.

The boys being boys won’t let Mercy play because she is a weak little coyote. Stefan, Warren and a couple others are sent after the sorcerer vampire but things don’t go well. Warren is gravely injured and then more werewolves disappear. Mercy can’t stand not being able to help her friends so with the backing of the vampires she is allowed to hunt the sorcerer.

There is a wee bit of a love triangle with Mercy, Adam and Samuel. I have a favorite but I am rereading this series so I do remember some of the things have happened after this book. It doesn’t help that Mercy is a little bit of a flirt and aggravates matters more even though deep in her heart she has already chosen.

I loved the ending of this novel because you think it should be over with but it is not. Mercy dispense her own brand of justice and it is wonderful even in its terribleness. And this is why I love Mercy so much, she doesn’t let anyone tell her no. She knows she has her weaknesses but she doesn’t let it stop her. People underestimate her and she does underestimate herself but she always gets the job done.

I really enjoy Patricia Briggs writing. She’s very detailed with everything so I feel like I’m in the same world with Mercy. Plus, I really enjoy this world that she has created and the rules that govern the supernatural of this world. I am enraptured by the history and love it when I learn more about the paranormal creatures/cultures. I really enjoy how writers make these creatures their own. This series is written in a present past tense style. (I’m sorry I don’t know the correct term.)

Overall, this is a really good series and I highly recommend it. I’m really excited about reading some of these books for a second time. These books are highly entertaining and so detailed that I can’t help to be enthralled by this series. If you like reading about a diverse group of characters then I definitely recommend checking out this series.

FTC Advisory: Ace/Penguin provided me with a copy of Blood Bound. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

This is the second book in the Mercy Thompson series, and I have to say I am really enjoying these urban fantasy novels! The books are written so pragmatically that when Mercy is explaining the politics of the Fae and the Werewolves announcing themselves to the human world it makes perfect sense. It seems so realistic that you start to believe that maybe there could be supernatural beings walking among us. Okay, maybe not really, but I think Briggs handles this topic so well that it's believable.

I really like the woman who does the narration on the audiobooks, and I think I'm going to continue doing this series on audio. I got pretty used to her voice, that I actually discovered she does some voice work in the new Mass Effect Andromeda game. (She's the Asari Scientist in the lab on the Nexus.) I think she does a really good job of making Mercy came alive for me. I also get a feel for Mercy's don't mess with me attitude from Lorelei King's narration.

I think a reason I really enjoy this novel is that Mercy is such a strong character. She's an independent business woman, she doesn't need a man (or rather werewolf) to complete her life, and she also will do ANYTHING for her friends. Like shift into her coyote-form to help out her vampire friend Stefan, or help the vampires take down a rogue sorcerer-turned vampire. Mercy doesn't really listen to anyone, she does what she wants, and I kind of like that about her. I mean we also see that she gets herself stuck in a bind sometimes, but I like her take-charge attitude.

This novel in particular is also part-mystery because Mercy spends a huge chunk of the novel just trying to find the Sorcerer. She also tries to figure out who could have turned this guy into a vampire in the first place. You find out in the end, and I didn't really see it coming, but it was kind of obvious. I'm really interested to see where the next book takes us.

If you love supernatural books with a little mystery/suspense I highly recommend this one. Definitely don't judge Urban Fantasy by it's cover.

Blood Bound By Patricia Briggs.

I got this book several years ago along with a half dozen other Briggs books as I had read a very positive review on her writing. Alas life got in the way of reading and I finally, just got around to reading three of them so far. I am happy to report that whoever influenced me with their review was spot on! Patricia Briggs rocks! Mercedes who I introduced in my last review of Briggs is back with a new problem. Sorcery doesn’t seem to play nicely with werewolves or vampires.

I am enjoying the continuing characters. Zee a fae mechanic, Samuel an old friend or possibly more, Bran the honcho and Adam the grumpy next door neighbor. There is lots of action with excellent character interplay.

I really enjoyed this book as well as the first one and immediately jumped into the next one.

Normally I'd space out a series so I didn't get bored with it, but this is the second series I've read so far that I just want to read all the way through. I can't seem to get enough of Mercy!! And Adam... and Samuel... and now STEFAN!!! I don't know if I should call her a lucky woman or not, but she's one very popular coyote! Although I'm still Team Adam, I've got my eye on Stefan. I'm just not sure what to make of him yet.

Anywho... this book was as action packed as the first. It read almost like a history on vampires at times, but to me that didn't take away from the story at all (though from other reviews I see that a few people didn't like that). In my opinion, it helped to explain why certain things were done. Plus it was just plain interesting to me to see the slightly different take on vampire lore.

Patricia Briggs has won herself another fan. I'm super stoked for book 3. I NEED to know what happens next with Mercy and her many men (lol).

The Mercy Thompson Series is UF at its addictive best! Having finished book 1 and instantly downloading this book, Blood Bound (book 2), I've gone on to do it again and am now eagerly devouring book 3 (Iron Kissed)! The fantastic world building of Moon Called continues in Blood Bound as we get an intense look at the vampires in Mercy Thompson's world. It is no surprise then that the owner of the VW bus that Mercy frequently works on, Stephan, is a central character to the suspense plot of this novel. However, there is still plenty of action by all the other magical beings, including walkers (shape shifters), werewolves, fae and even witches to keep you on your toes and enjoying the intricately woven world that only Patricia Briggs' imagination could conjure up!

In addition, to the intense suspense, we also get a slight bit of development in the romance department. Adding to the two suitors that featured prominently in Moon Called, Mercy definitively learns that she can add a third one to the count!

Moreover, as noted in the first book, not only is the story top-notch but the narration is equally divine! Lorelei King continues to impress me with her talented narration in Blood Bound. Not only does Ms. King maintain remarkable consistency in her voices from the previously introduced characters, but she continues to add even more unique, character appropriate ones in Blood Bound! Ms. King's talented performance no doubt brings this already well-developed listen to an even higher level!

NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4 1/2
Another wonderful adventure with Mercy Thompson and the supernatural creatures of the Tri-Cities. I just love Mercy. She is smart, tough and wily just like the coyote that she is. Mercy had to use all of her skills in Blood Bound! There is a lot of things that happen that will make future stories very interesting.
The love triangle between Adam-Mercy-Samuel is driving me a bit nuts!! Make a choice girl!!! I love both of these wolfs and am going to be be heartbroken for one of them.
I can’t wait to see what is next for Mercy!!!
And of course the amazingly talented Ms. King lends her voice to bring Mercy, Adam, Samuel, Stefan and the rest of wolfs, vamps, shifters, fae and others. I always love having Ms. King read to me a story. Because she doesn't’ just read it she lives the story. There is a huge difference between reading and telling a story and Ms. King does this job wonderfully!!!
On to the next story!!

Disclaimer:
I purchased this book from audible.com and this review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

It's sometimes hard to remember that Mercy's friend Stefan – the t-shirt wearing Scooby Doo fan – is a vampire, and vampires are inherently evil; he's such a nice guy. So when he asks a favor, Mercy is willing, even though it means being a witness as he confronts another vampire who is in the territory without having asked permission. What neither of them knows before approaching the stranger, though, is that this isn't just a vampire: it's a demon-ridden vampire. This a Bad, Bad Thing.

What ensues is one of the more difficult scenes to read in my experience. Granted, I don't seek out the difficult – but this was rough. This was the sort of thing that made me give up the Patricia Cornwell novels. The fact that it's set in the first person, and that person is someone I've come to care about, makes it so much harder. (Not as hard as … other things will be, but hard.)

So begins a rather darker book than the first in the series, in which Mercy is called on to help locate and rid the world of this demon-ridden vampire. She learns a lot in the course of this mission: about vampires, and Stefan in particular, and about her men Simon and Adam – and about herself and her own strengths. And by the end of it she's ready to do what must be done, even if it puts her in acute danger.

I'll say this: Patricia Briggs is not afraid to put her characters through the wringer. The fact that she is able to do this and bring them – and the reader – out the other side with all the scars to show for it, affected but resilient, and instead of driving characters apart from each other and readers away from the characters … She's good, is Patricia Briggs. For me this isn't reading with the possibility of bailing on the series when the going gets too tough. For me this is visiting old friends – and sticking with those friends through their travails, as one should with friends, and being glad for and with them when it's all over. This isn't the best in the series – but since it's one of my favorite series, that still puts it miles above most of the rest.

Blood bound is the second book in the Mercy Thompson series, and picks up several months after the events of Moon Called. The werewolves are now public knowledge, with a “heroic” spin on their image. Vampires however, are not and they would like to keep it that way. But when a rogue vampire becomes responsible for an increasing body count, the public needs somebody to blame.

Blood Bound begins with Stefan calling in on his favor from Mercy. He needs her (in coyote form) to accompany him while he investigates a new vampire in the area. One that is there without proper approval from the vampire mistress Marsilia. He believes there is little to no risk regarding Mercy’s safety since she seems to have an immunity to vampire powers, making her the perfect witness. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned. This man is much more than just the average vampire, and his very presence wreaks havoc on the local humans and especially, the werewolves. And Mercy believes she is the only one that can stop him…

I really enjoyed Blood Bound. It never really slowed down, and I probably wouldn’t have put it down if life hadn’t gotten in the way. I am interested in how certain events will play out in later books as well, since some of Mercy’s actions will have repercussions, I am sure.

For more reviews visit Kickassurbanfantasy.ga

Blood Bound is book two in the Mercy Thompson series. In this installment, Mercy is asked to help out a vampire friend, Stefan, to warn off another vampire in their city. It leads to some crazy s*** going down, though. You see, this new vampire that Stefan wanted to talk to has a demon inside him. So he's super strong and not afraid to kill whoever he wants and he just doesn't play by the rules. The body count is growing and the demon vampire is taking people Mercy cares about as prisoner. She and the gang have to figure out how to stop him and how to find him before her friends die.

I'm glad that this book involved both the vampires and the werewolves. Book one had a tiny bit of vampire bits in it, but not to this extent. I like learning about the different beings in this world. I didn't remember a lot from this book as I was rereading so I'm glad to have restarted this series. The audiobook version was awesome, though it took me this long to realize this is the same narrator as the Charley Davidson series, which I love as well. I'm loving the audiobooks and recommend them if you're wanting to reread the series or just read these for the first time.

So far this is the only Mercy Thompson book I have not reread. Part of the reason is that I didn't enjoy it much and it's always been my least favorite book in the series. However. For many years now I've been wondering if it had to do more with my over hyping of the book. Before it came out I was literally counting down the days. (No really I had a paper count down that I hung up on the fridge.) With that kind of anticipation no book could ever live up to my mind’s expectations.

After finishing up the reread I know this to be true. Because Blood Bound is an excellent follow up. It continues to flesh out the world and the characters. It's still very action packed, though it doesn't feel as intense as the last book.

Maybe what struck me hardest back then was the setup for a love square. Sam, Adam, Stephan, and Mercy at the center of it all. However, I also think I might have been too young to appreciate older themes. Heck, I was not that experienced of a reader and couldn't appreciate the quality of love drama that Briggs was setting up. One where all the characters are known and there's build up. Because Blood Bound is not a romantic read. Many reviews state it could have used more romance. To me this series highlights how to build up a love interest(s), and develop every character. So when the time comes the emotions feel real and intense. Blood Bound is perfect in that sense.

It's great to learn a bit more about Mercy's powers as a Walker. Even more as she interacts with Adam's pack and learns that maybe Adam is serious about making her his mate. Some of the pack mates are already deferring to her as Alpha and it also helps to show that maybe the pack hierocracy about women isn't a sexist thing, but indeed a wolf thing.

Mercy's big turning point to me, where she finally took conscientious action to kill someone was probably struck me as lame back when I was younger. Her actions were sloppy and unplanned. Leaving to some bad openings where she could have been killed. She was injured. Now that I can come back and see it with wiser eyes it fits Mercy. She's not some kill crazy lead. It fits Mercy as to how everything went down. She's not a killer, and it felt comforting to see her fumble.

In the end this is a fabulous follow up to Moon Called. And people, why does every series have to have the lead falling into bed with someone? Emotional and character build up are great. It's what leads to better love triangles and a better payout when love finally comes knocking. By the end I want more-more-more on what a Walker is and their background. Not to mention more-more-more on all of the characters, and especially Mercy. It was interesting seeing Mercy herself come off very sexist towards Honey—a “bimbo” werewolf—but then as she learned more she began to change her opinion. That's what I like about Mercy she genuinely develops as a person. Blood Bound captures the magic perfectly on how important it is to have characters that readers can understand and in the end feel real.

Sexual Content: Sexual humor, and some talk of darker themes.

4/5- Great! Really enjoyed it.

Originally reviewed at Book Whispers.

I greatly enjoyed this addition to the series and getting to know more of the inner workings of the Vampire seethe. Since everything we know is from Mercy and she was raised with werewolves and works with a Fae we had a little more knowledge of those two groups than the vampires. From the beginning I've liked Stefan as a side character. He is not the typical vampire and the progress that he goes through in the series, starting with this book as been a treat to watch. Briggs is phenomenal at setting up her characters for the long haul and peeling away just enough each book to get to know these people in a realistic way, showing us instead of telling us. I just love how she does character development and that is one of the reasons she is one of my top authors and an auto-buy for me. I enjoy solid world building and I think its tough to create a world that works and makes sense but what truly sells a series for me are the characters, which she nails every single one of them. So many sophomore books tend to lag a little for me in this department but not here and not with this author. Which is why I was so excited that in this book we get to see a little more of Ben, who is one of my favorite wolves. Right from the first time he appears on the page I knew there was more to him and his tough exterior than met the eye. I was so intrigued by him and so its interesting to go back and read the earlier books knowing what I know now. Some of the little things people do or say, or just how they respond and interact take on new or clearer meanings. This is hands down one of my favorite worlds to visit.
Happy Reading!

I really enjoyed this book and I am still in on this series 100% and will be picking up book three right after I write this review. That said, I didn't feel like it was as strong a book as Moon Called (book 1). Book 2 was still an excellent story and excellent writing, but I just didn't feel as in touch with the main characters as I did while reading book 1. There are dips and swells in the pacing and I started to get a little tired of the numerous times some things were mentioned and then mentioned again. I'm not senile yet - I think I can remember certain things about wolf behaviour and other details well enough the first couple times they're mentioned... Anyway, despite my criticism, like I said above, I'm still enthralled with this series and I'm still standing behind Mercy. She's a heroine's heroine kind of gal. Recommended read and I'm off to pick up Iron Kissed, book 3 in this series.

Gripping continuation to this exhilarating series. I cannot help but get sucked into this fantasy world all over again! Blood Bound continues where Moon Called left off however it can be read as a stand alone book, but why would you want to?

Mercy hits the ground running when Stefan, The Soldier vampire, calls to cash in a debt, little does she know she is required to wear a leather harness. Stefan suspects something dark is brewing in the Tri-Cities and believes Mercy, the coyote, can assist in uncovering it.

Once again, Mercy runs head forward into what turns out to be a conspiracy that threatens the fragile peace between the supernatural and the humans. Mercy, being the stubborn and unyielding person that she is, gathers assistance from vampires, fae, werewolves, and humans alike to decipher the clues that lead to the discovery and elimination of what turns out to be the most horrifying out of this world creature yet.

Of course while Mercy is running around trying to save the world and her loved ones, her personal life becomes complicated as the werewolf, Samuel, who broke her heart when she was 16 turns his short stay into a roommate situation, the Alpha, Adam, who has claimed her as his mate without her consent continues to court her, and she begins to question Stefan’s true intentions.

Briggs did not leave her supporting characters uninvolved and secondary plots continued to evolve in an interesting way. Most importantly, relationships and friendships continue to grow and mature, though there are undertones of a love triangle/square that could prove to be disastrous. I’ll give Briggs the benefit of the hope for the best, she hasn’t disappointed yet.

Book 2 was intriguing. Unsure of where the plot was going after the dominating evil was identified, I kept jumping to conclusions and found myself immersed in Mercy’s deductions. Anticipation kills me. Every time I thought I had the motive figured out, things got more complicated. While I deeply enjoy books that are not predictable, story progression was just a bit off this time around. The cover just didn't do it for me either, so I felt I had to rate it. Overall, great quality book well worth the read.

Blood Bound (2007) is the second urban Fantasy novel in the Mercy Thompson series, following Moon Called.

In the previous volume, Mercy was working on a Jetta in the garage and missing her former employee. He had gotten an opportunity to attend Harvard and she hasn't hired a replacement yet. He did a much better job on the paperwork than she did.

Mac came in while Mercy was installing a transmission in the Jetta. Mercy could smell him, dirty, hungry and werewolf. After she got the first bolt in to hold up the transmission, she slid out to find out what he wanted.

Mac asked if she had any work that needed doing. Mercy knew that he had been a werewolf only for a few weeks. He knew practically nothing about his new abilities.

Mercy decided to give him a chance. She sent him to the shower room to cleanup and change clothes. She also told him to eat something from the refrigerator.

In this novel, Mercedes Thompson is an automotive mechanic and a shapeshifter. Mercy owns a garage in Kennewick and a single-wide trailer in the Finley neighborhood.

Tony Montenegro is an undercover cop for the Kennewick Police Department. He is half Italian and half Venezuelan, so his dark skin color can be anything from Mexican to Afro-American. He uses different body languages to change how he is seen.

Siebolt Adelbertsmiter is a Metallzauber fae. Zee likes to call himself a gremlin.

Adam Hauptman is the Alpha of the local Werewolf pack. He is divorced and has one human daughter, Jesse. He lives next door to Mercy.

Bran Cornick is the Marrok -- King -- of the North American werewolf packs. He has two sons, Samuel and Charles. He is at least several centuries old.

Marsilia is a vampire and the head of the local seethe. She was exiled to the New World a couple of centuries ago and wants to return to Milan.

Stefan is a vampire, but is not traditional. He drives a VW Vanagon painted like the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine. His menagerie has a low death rate and is loyal to him. He eases them into new vampires on a regular basis.

Daniel is a member of Stefan's menagerie. Yet Andre is his master. He has prior experience with Cole.

Andre is a vampire and a former friend of Stefan. He is jealous of Stefan's relationship with Marsilia and has deliberately turned Daniel.

Wult is a vampire. He is called the Wizard.

Cole Littleton is a vampire sorcerer. As such, he is surrounded by chaos and death.

Medea is Mercy's cat. She is a very friendly cat and even Adam lets her sit on his lap and purr. But he won't let her stay for very long.

In this story, Mercy gets a call at three in the morning from Stefan. He wants her to go with him as a witness. Mercy owes him a favor, so she agrees.

Stefan is dressed is traditional black and flowing vampire garb. He wants Mercy to change to a coyote and provides a leash and collar. He drives them to a hotel near the freeway.

Stefan heads directly to a room on the first floor. He stops in front of a door and waits for it to be opened. Cole lets them in.

Stefan sits down and seems in a daze. Cole tortures a maid in his presence. Mercy tries her best to attack Cole. She gets in one terrible tasting bite and he slams her against the wall.

Zee fills in for her as she recovers from the wounds inflicted by the sorcerer. Zee also provides a vampire staking kit for her. She also receives information and advice from the fae community.

Afterward, Marsilia calls a judgment session. Stefan sits in the truth chair while Wulf monitors his responses. Stefan tells the vampires what happens, but Wulf notices that he doesn't believe his own memories.

Stefan asks Daniel to testify. Andre places him in the chair and impales his hands on the thorns. Daniel tells of the terrible things he had done, but is confused about time and place.

Then Mercy testifies. She hates to stick her hands into the metal thorns and feels some discomfort from the magic. She tells an entirely different story about Stefan's actions within the hotel room.

Stefan says that Cole could have changed Mercy's memory, but overlooked her as an animal. The vampires want to disbelieve him. Yet Marsilia sends Stefan and Daniel to hunt Cole.

Mercy also wants to hunt the vampire sorcerer. She has nightmares about his torture of the maid. She also resents the vampire's cover up of the deaths and the effect of these lies on the victims' families.

Tony drops by to ask her about the increase in violent crimes. Mercy tells him a little bit about the problem without mentioning vampires. She also tells him to ask Adam for permission to talk to the werewolves.

Then the sorcerer finds Mercy. He tears up her trailer sidings and breaks into the volume under the trailer. She fires silver from her .444 Marlin into him and draws blood, but he heals too fast to die.

Meanwhile, a reporter comes to Mercy's garage. He has a daughter who turned were. He has been locking her in the basement during the full moon, but she has become stronger.

A werewolf friend had saved her from a rogue who attacked her. The friend also told him not to contact the local Alphas. So Mercy gives him the name of several Alphas who would be more considerate. Adam tops the list.

She also calms his fears of his daughter and asks her werewolf bodyguard to show the man her werewolf body. The reporter is impressed at the beauty of her wolf. He decides to call Adam the next day.

This tale soon involves Adam in the sorcerer problem and he is out of touch. So Mercy tells the reporter to contact Bran. Mercy also asks him to search for information on Cole.

The story delves into Mercy's relationship with ghosts. She can't remember when she first began seeing ghosts. But she often talks to a dead neighbor.

Mercy learns much about vampire politics and too little about sorcery. Several ghosts are disappointed with her, but some are very helpful. Tony and the KPD provide some useful information. Mercy still is attracted to both Samuel and Adam.

Mercy gets her chance to hunt Cole. The next installment in this sequence is Iron Kissed. This novel is also included in the omnibus volume Preying for Mercy.

Highly recommended for Briggs fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of preternatural creatures, paranormal politics, and a bit of romance. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin

I read Moon Called in two days, it took me 3 to read Blood Bound because life kept getting in the way!

Blood Bound picks up very shortly after Moon Called, and in this book we meet a few more characters of the Other realm that were perhaps introduced in #1, but now we get to meet them. (I closed one book and immediately opened the next, so the stories sort of blend for me.)

Ms. Briggs has developed a most interesting world, and does not just toss fae, vampires, weres, etc. into it, she has carefully, and deliberately, given us the rules for each of the kinds of Others. The fae made themselves known, and now live, for the most part, on a reservation near Walla Walla, WA. They were the first to come out. Then some of the wolves. It's necessary, as science, especially forensic science, will out them one way or the other, and since many of the wolves, especially, work in high level jobs. Vampires may be another story altogether.

There is logic in the way Ms. Briggs has built this world, this world of fiction in which I live right in the middle in the mundane world. I love a good story where I can enter, and even play with the characters. This is one of those stories. Ms. Briggs doesn't just spin a good yarn, she invites you to come in and play, too. But, be careful, you may meet some playmates you aren't expecting, and, well, blood has been known to make an appearance now and then. Especially when wolves and vampires mix it up.

One of the truly refreshing aspects of this book, and I assume the series, is the romance element. It isn't harlequin—it's real. And Mercy is her own woman, and won't settle for any just any man, she demands love, and respect. Eventually, I'm sure, she will find it, but the chase is going to be interesting, so to speak.

I look forward to reading all the books in this series. Although I'm sure I could read them as stand alone books, especially now that I know the characters, I think I'll read them in order written, and enjoy the unfolding of the various story lines. I highly recommend this book, though if you've yet to read a Mercy Thompson book, I strongly suggest you start with Moon Called.

5 Stars:
The relationship between Adam and Mercy grows stronger in its own way, while her relationship with Samuel take an unexpected turn and brings them closer together than ever before. Passion, suspense, and determination fill the pages and have on the edge of your seat when yet another love interest is introduced in Mercy already confused love life.

Among some of my favorites. Outstanding literary work. The characters are well developed, interesting. The liked characters are likable and the hated are unlikable. The writing is captivating enough to keep you interested until the end and leave you wanting more. It has a fairly original or uniquely well-developed plot. The pretense and romance was well balanced and done with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors and chemistry. Not so much predictable if at all. Overall, loved it, I recommend reading!!

My Review:
Overall.... 4.5
Performance... 4.75
Story.... 4.5

I read the first book in this series 2-3 years ago and thought it was "okay" but nothing to rave about. I also listened to the Alpha & Omega series all on audio and LOVED them. I know the two series intertwine, so I decided to give this one another shot on audio. (I did re-listen to book #1 on audio too and while I don't plan on re-reviewing it, I will tell you that I loved it much, MUCH more the second time around.)

So this is my review of book #2 in this series...in a nutshell...I'M SOLD. I'm definitely a Mercy Thompson fan now. I did a mix of reading and audio on this book depending on my schedule and that is honestly how I'll probably do the rest of this entire series. I adore Lorelei King's narration, but can read myself so much faster so there are times when I just want to get to the juicy parts and then I relish those on audio with all the narration inflections that add so much to ALL of these many characters.

Things have changed for the wolves in this book since book #1...werewolves have come out to the world. But rather than focus the story line on that, this book really dealt with the vampires in this world and their abilities to manipulate magic. There were some amazingly interesting scenes in this one. I'm especially intrigued by Wulfe. And OMG, Stefan...I knew he had a different perspective on Mercy, but did not expect that story line to go where it did, but I like it! My heart aches so hard for Samuel. Because I've read all the Alpha & Omega series, I have a pretty good idea of what the future holds for him and like Mercy I just want to hold him tight and comfort him. Those scenes with her and him are magic. While I fully think she belongs with Adam, I love the connection she has with all the males in these books. She's an empathetic person and that enables her to reach them in a way that other women can't. She also has a special place as a walker which I think furthers that.

I'll be honest, there wasn't a whole lot of quality Adam and Mercy time in this book, but I was okay with that. Everything about this installment of the series made me love it more. I like how strong Mercy is. She's tough, but it's an honest tough...she gets terrified, but is absolutely willing to work through that to save her friends. She may not be part of the Pack officially, but she has her own bigger pack filled with the wolves, Stefan, Zee, Tony, and humans that she protects with everything she is. And she is a lot. This story really began to delve into her Walker capabilities, but I think the author has barely scratched the surface. I'm ready to dive into book #3.

And Mercy Thompson sees her powerful friends and acquaintances being killed, maimed and kidnapped for future torture. Our heroine will find that she must succeed where far mightier beings failed, or else disastrous consequences will occur.

The author created one of the most compelling horror-police mystery in the market. The monstrous villain, the vampire nest politics, the vampires flocks and the blood bound vampires gained in this series an amazing and fresh vitality with this second novel in the series. Since the world of darkness books, I've never seen vampires such as these. They are truly the lords of darkness, humans are sheep and there are even worse things than vampiresâ and one of those is at loose and its not easy to find at all.

Great supernatural novel, with amazing characters. Werewolves that are truly beastly and act like wolves in human shape; Vampires that are mostly amoral, unliving immortals; faeries that are ostracized and perilous. Welcome to the second installment of one of the greatest heroines of supernatural novels, Mercedes Thompson, and it's almost as good as the first in the series.

After my initial whirlwind of an intsa-love romance with Moon Called, I was worried there might be a cooling off period in the relationship between Mercy Thompson and I. Luckily (I like to think for both of us), Patricia Briggs delivers in book 2 in a way that kept the love alive, and I'm certainly ready to commit to a long-term relationship with the series. And clearly I'm not the only one...the girl has more guys showing romantic interest in her than even Penn Jillette could juggle.

Things have had enough time to calm down around the Tri-Cities, that is, until Stefan comes to cash in the favor Mercy owes him after everything that went down in Moon Called. She agrees, not realizing until it's too late that she's just signed up to face down evil incarnate. As the local vampires and werewolves band together to hunt and destroy the mass-murdering sorcerer wreaking havoc on their territory, Mercy begins to learn more about her role as a Walker.

Patricia Briggs is really impressing me, not just with the action-packed plots that keep me glued to my headphones long after I probably should've put them down, but with her impeccable balance. She knows how to make Mercy a real character for us as readers by giving her a mundane life that we can all associate with, but doesn't bore us. Yes, Mercy gets caught up in the action of the hunt, but she also has concerns about her business, her home, her relationships; there are issues in her life that extend beyond the main focus of the plot. The werewolves have finally come out to the general public, and with that action has been a certain amount of consequence, and exposure that is falling back on Mercy to deal with. I love the fact that as mindful of everything that she is, Mercy doesn't have it all together. She doesn't yet have a grasp on who she is as a Walker, or how exactly she relates to the preternatural creatures in her life, but she always strives to do the best and right thing for those around her.

Briggs is still kind of killing me on the romance front, the love-triangle of Adam and Sam just as constant and undecided in Blood Bound as it was in Moon Called. I've been assured by readers that this won't draw on for long, but the thing that's torturous is that I don't know which way it's going to go/which way I want it to go (and if you spoil it for me I will cut you). Like Mercy, I tend to lean in the direction of whichever man she's with at the time. Quit playing games with my heart, Patty!

Aside from this, however, the plot of Blood Bound is so much tighter and more well-drawn than its predecessor. Without the need to introduce readers to the characters and their world, Briggs digs right in to the gritty world of evil, sorcery, and vampires, and manages in the end to leave readers completely satisfied but hungering for more. Where the first installment really focused on giving readers an insight into wolf politics, Blood Bound let us branch out into the supernatural world and get the slightest glimpse of Mercy's potential as a purposeful (and not merely incidental) BAMF. Blood Bound is darker, with moments that sent chills down my spine, and a humor that had me laughing over the proliferation of vampire cliches. Not only do the stakes seem higher, and the climax more intense, Briggs really surprised me by drawing out the end in a way that didn't drive me nuts. She ties up the loose ends and then some while keeping the action going, leaving us not only satisfied with the big bad, but with pretty much all plot points (aside from said romantic tangles).

An extremely solid second installment, Blood Bound built upon the base Moon Called had carefully constructed, proving that Mercy Thompson is more than just a passing fling or fluke within the Urban Fantasy genre. And can we talk about the sheer awesomeness of a vampire who loves Scooby Doo enough to drive a Mystery Machine with a giant stuffed Scooby Doo in the front seat? Because I would totally hang with that blood sucker. I, for one, give Mercy Thompson a stamp of approval as I head off to read book 3.

I have to admit, I have forgotten a lot about this book, but not the fact that I love this series. In this second book, Mercy learns more about vampires, and how to deal with them, and how to kill them.
Mercy owes Stefan a favor, and he asks her to accompany him to interrogate a strange vampire who has not paid his due to the local vampire mistress. This man has been in town before, and Stefan thinks he put one of his friends in big trouble. He wants to find out the truth, and Mercy as a walker should be immune to most of his vampire tricks. Stefan does not expect her to be in danger, or he would never have asked her to come in her guise as coyote.

But Stefan has underestimated the stranger, and he should have warned Mercy as soon as he smelled the demon inside the hotel, and all the dead people. He though the could not be controlled as he is an old and powerful vampire himself, and not a fledgling like his friend Daniel, but as soon as the vampire invited them in, Stefan was lost. Mercy can’t escape the leather harness he put on her, so she can’t shift back and safe them, and the woman this strange vampire is slowly killing. When she wakes up again, she is back in her trailer, sore all over, and Stefan and Samuel are arguing about her. She has no memory how she got out of the hotel and back home, but apparently, the vampire let them go. Stefan is riddled with guild, as he clearly remembers killing the cleaning lady himself, and revelling in his bloodlust, but Mercy tells him what really happened in that room.

Now she has to help him convince his Mistress, Marsilia, that he is innocent of killing so many people in bloodlust, even though his own memories tell him so. And for that, Mercy will have to visit the vampire seethe again. Samuel should not come this time, as the Mistress has taken a liking to him, and she should not be tempted again. Warren and Ben will go with Mercy as her bodyguards; although two werewolves against a house full of old vampires are not match either.

Here Mercy meets an old friend of Stefan, Andre, who has turned Daniel while he belonged to Stefan. Mercy has her doubts about the friendship between them, but Stefan trusts him. But when Stefan and the wolves go hunt this sorcerer turned vampire together, to prevent more public slaughter of innocent humans, things go wrong quickly.
The demon incites a lot of violence in all the people around him, and the police are swamped with crime and killings. Tony asks Mercy for her help; as they start believe the Fae are behind this. And so Mercy ends up being some kind of liaison between the police and the werewolves and Fae. Or course there is not much she is allowed to tell the police, but she is determined the help them as much as she can. When the general public becomes afraid of the Fae that would be bad news for all the supernaturals out there. There are enough hate crimes already.

When Warren is found deadly injured in a dumpster, and Ben and Stefan are missing, it is up to Mercy to find them before the sorcerer kills them all. Especially when Samuel and Adam go missing as well. Now suddenly she is the highest ranking member of the pack, because Adam pronounced her his mate. Not that she really is, or wants to be, but it does keep her safe from some members of the pack.

I very much enjoyed re-reading this book. I like how Mercy brings Warren and Kyle back together, and stands up for them. How all the big male werewolves want to keep the little human frail Mercy safe and out of the action, and in the end it is only because of her, and her being a walker, that she can save them all. Mercy doesn’t like killing, but sometimes it is necessary, and she is very grateful to Zee for giving her the nifty vampire killing kit.

I know the next book focuses on the Fae, and I look forward to re-reading that one soon.

9 stars.

© 2013 Reviews by Aurian </p>

There is something about this series that I really like. I can’t seem to put my finger exactly on it whether it is the plethora of alpha males, the different supernatural creatures that are a little different than other series, the plot of the story or just Mercy herself. There is something that makes this fun and better than some of the other UF out there.

I enjoyed Blood Born just as much as Moon Called. The world around Mercy is opening up and letting us in a little at a time. In this book, we get a better look into the life of Vampires and all the politics that go along with it. Stefan helped Mercy in moon called and now she wants to return the favor. But Stefan’s problem turns out being bigger than he first thought it might be. What’s worse than a vampire or a demon? How about a vampire possessed by a Demon. Yep, that is worse.

The things I like about Mercy: She is strong willed and quick to react. She doesn’t sit and ho hum like some of the other characters in novels. She doesn’t have super strength or Buffy moves. She takes martial arts and can hold her own in a fight but isn’t a high flying kick ass superhero or anything. She is smart and uses her instincts to solve problems. Sure there is something a little magical about her but even she isn’t sure what that is. She is not perfect, she has so many trust issues and is afraid that giving into Adam or Samuel will mean that she will lose her in independent self. Mercy is self-aware, kind and doesn’t take herself too seriously. When push comes to shove Mercy pushes right back.

Again the side characters are great. I really love Stefan, the vampire who is kinder than most but still a vampire. Getting a look into Samuel‘s character I started to like him more, don’t get me wrong I’m still team Adam all the way, but I get where Sam’s character is coming from and see that he truly cares for Mercy still. Adam, well *sigh* I love Adam. He is strong and protective, however he tries not to stand in Mercy’s way and let her be her own woman and help her friends. He trusts and respects her, he seems to know who she is and doesn’t try to change that.

The Fae are definitely interesting, they are not the fairies of other books. They are dark, mysterious and seem to have a lot of power. Zee is my favorite, he is like a father to Mercy and I have to love that. Grumpy and cantankerous are just a bonus.

The Demon possessed vampire story line was well thought out and scary enough. Mercy will go a long way for her friends. It was horrifying the depths of evil that seemed to be incorporated into the demon aspect and I was really scared for the characters in the story.

All and all enjoyable and another nice addition to the series.

Once again, Mercy Thompson finds herself in a bit of trouble. It can never be easy, can it? She just wants to run her mechanic shop in peace but being friends with werewolves, vampires and fae seem to complicate that.

This is the second Mercy Thompson book that I finished in less than 24 hours. I didn't even have time to put it on my "currently reading" list.

Mercy is just as strong and vivacious in the second book as she is in the first. She is unwillingly (well, not completely unwilling)caught in a love square with three attractive and powerful men but she doesn't let them push her around. That's probably what I admire most about her. It would be so easy to have a "not my chair, not my problem" attitude about what is going on around her. Instead of backing down and letting others take care of it, she steps out on her own and kicks some ass.

Girl Power!

You learn a lot more about the other characters in this book. Samuel is no longer just the strange and domineering past flame. Adam isn't big macho Alpha either. Everyone in Patricia Briggs' stories develops.

I need my kindle and the store account to be taken away from me for a while. Otherwise, I will burn through these books in a week. I can't wait to read the next installment but I wish I could just slow down!

Mercy is really growing on me as a heroine. I like how "real" she is and how Briggs takes readers through every part of Thompson's daily life. The fact that she's a coyote instead of the standard werewolf or vampire also adds to the appeal and to her uniqueness as a protagonist. Blood Bound is fully-loaded with non-stop action, character growth and multiple, equally gripping plot lines. Moon Called had its ups and downs for me but there's not a single aspect of this second installment that I didn't enjoy.

I felt a real connection to Mercy and she has a lot of things going for her as a heroine. I liked the fact that she's your average Joe. Thompson has a job, bills to pay, guy troubles, etc. Briggs doesn't sugar coat her life either. Mercy wakes-up every morning, puts her pants on one leg at a time and goes to work to make ends meet just like the rest of us. Many authors choose to skip over the more mundane parts of their characters' lives so I really appreciated the fact that Patricia opted to incorporate these details. In Blood Bound Thompson somehow becomes the go-to person in the preternatural world which causes her to get dragged into a bunch of messes to help clean them up. Readers are given a tad more information about Mercy's unique abilities as a walker but there are still so many unknowns; which is part of the fun! I'm super curious to find out what the future has in store for this kick ass chick. There's a really good reason why vampires fear her, we just don't know it yet!

There's countless plot twists and turns in this second installment that keep the action flowing and make for a really exciting read. Briggs' strong writing kept the story streamlined and on target. In between her shifts at the auto shop, Mercy is busy diffusing werewolf tempers, helping the vampires catch a killer and finding a solution for a newly changed teenage girl. That's a lot for one person to handle but it's even more challenging from an author's perspective; luckily Patricia is up to the task! There's also a prevalent "creepy" feeling throughout Blood Bound that really comes through thanks to the author's obvious skill. All this to say, I have nothing but praise for Patricia Briggs after reading this book!

The romance is on the tamer side of the spectrum in this novel but who cares; just so long as I get lots of Adam face time I'm happy! This werewolf is beyond yummy! I appreciate the fact that it's not exactly easy for an alpha to talk about his feelings but our girl Mercy deserves nothing less! Adam's efforts show that his interest for Thompson is more than just a passing phase but it looks like he might have to get in line. Samuel clarifies a few things which was a good starting point at least but I'm still not a fan. Although, I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for the time being. Then there's potential candidate number 3! In a book about werewolves I didn't expect that the vamps would be contenders in the race for my (and Mercy's) heart but Stefan is looking pretty good right about now too.

Blood Bound has it all: breakneck action, charismatic characters and an off the charts awesome story line. This is definitely a series worth reading!

Blood Bound is the second book in the Mercy Thompson series.

Mercy is contacted in the middle of the night by her undead friend, Stefan, who asks for her help. She owes him a favour for his help in the last book, Moon Called, so she agrees when he asks her to accompany him in coyote form to visit another vampire named Cory Littleton. Stefan knows that Littleton will not be threatened by Mercy's coyote and that it is unlikely that he will be able to use mind control on her. Stefan, however, is not so sure that he is immune to Littleton's powers, who is not just an ordinary vampire but also a sorcerer. He allowed the demon to take possession of him, which makes him dangerous. While the two survive the encounter, Stefan has been ordered by Marcilia, the leader of the local vampire seethe, to bring Littleton to her so that she can take him under her control. When Stefan disappears and is presumed dead, no one is more surprised than Mercy when Marcilia asks for her help in finding Littleton and putting a stop to him.

Stefan was one of my favourite characters in Moon Called, so I was really stoked that he was featured prominently in Blood Bound. I enjoyed the book, but I am afraid that Briggs has spoiled me with her Alpha & Omega series. I love Mercy, who totally kicks ass, but I am missing the hot romance that is present in her other series. The love triangle between Mercy, Adam, and Samuel has potential but there have not been any major sparks so far. I am hoping that this will change.

I'm still a fan of the series and will keep reading!

Lorelei King does this series justice. It is often difficult for female narrators to successfully pull off the male vocalizations, but King pulls it off. I also think she does a great job with the tongue-in-cheek humour that is sprinkled throughout the book.

In Blood Bound, Stefan calls in the favor Mercy owes him and asks her to accompany him (as a coyote) to act as a witness to his meeting with a vampire in town without permission. When they arrive at the vampire's hotel room the situation quickly deteriorates, leaving Stefan incapacitated and Mercy trapped. When the sun begins to rise, Mercy is left injured and Stefan has altered memories of what happened in the hotel room. The hunt is on for the vampire-sorcerer, and until he's caught, no one is safe.

Though Blood Bound is about the vampires and the sorcerer terrorizing the Tri-Cities, what really stood out for me was the relationships between the characters. Whether the relationship is romantic or just friendly, they seem to take more a front seat than the hunt for the evil vampire-sorcerer. This gives us more insight into the characters and even the reasons behind why they do what they do within these relationships.

Tensions within the Mercy, Adam, Samuel triangle are at an all time high with the arrival of the sorcerer. Mercy is avoiding Adam because the power he has over her makes her uncomfortable. What time she does spend with Adam is making Samuel jealous, especially when she comes home smelling like Adam. Samuel and Adam try to stay out of each others way except when it's necessary for them to be in the same place. And now it seems like this triangle may become a quadrangle when Stefan tells Mercy that she's "important" to him.

The sorcerer being in town is causing those beings with a volatile nature to lose control, especially the werewolves. Samuel seems to be affected the most but also he is showing signs of a werewolf that wants to die. It gets really bad when he has to care for an infant who was a victim on a car accident. It's well known how much Samuel loves children and this incident brought back to the forefront what happened to him in Texas before he returned to Montana. Samuel's painand heartache are so heartbreaking, especially when it's causing him to lose control and just want to give up. Also the fact that Mercy can't give Samuel what he wants adds to that heartbreak.

There was a moment that I found just as terrifying as Mercy did. I think it would terrify just about anyone to wake up and find that your creepy enemy has found you while he's outside slicing your trailer to ribbons trying to get in. It's definitely a good thing that vampires can't enter your home without permission or invitation.

It was interesting to see how much power Mercy actually has within the werewolf pack. Because Adam publicly claimed her as his mate in front of the entire pack in order to protect her, she now has his rank within the pack, and since Adam is the alpha Mercy is next in rank in the pack. It's easy to see how most of the pack would not be happy having a coyote dominant over them.

When Warren is brought back severely injured and Adam and Samuel go missing in search of the sorcerer, Mercy comes to the rescue (really, what would they do without her?). While one enemy is destroyed, another is given pardon. Mercy can't accept that and goes hunting. What this action will mean for the future we won't know until later books, but it's bound to be another adventure.

**Spoiler Alert!** If you plan on reading the book, do not continue reading this review. ... Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you.

The second book in the series, we begin not too far where the first one left off.

Stefan, a vampire, calls Mercy for help. A vampire has come to the city but not has not asked Master vampire, Marsilia, for hunting rights. That is vampire law. But Stefan also believes that this is the vampire that hurt his friend Daniel, and he wants to make the vampire pay. But he wants Mercy's help - in her coyote form. The vampire won't see more than that, and if Stefan's right, he's going to need a human witness. Reluctantly, being the wee hours of the morning, she agrees, and changes form when he picks her up.

Trouble quickly escalates. This new vampire, Littleton, isn't just a vampire. He's also a sorcerer. This was known to be forbidden, to turn a sorcerer. Whoever turned him has lost control of him, and now they need to discover who.

Marsilia sends Stefan to hunt down this vampire. Stefan wants Daniel at his side, even though he's in bad shape. Adam sends Warren and Ben with Stefan to help, and as back up. But then they all go missing. Warren turns up beaten and near death. Mercy has seen the ghost of Daniel and knows that bad is getting close to worse. Worse comes when Adam and Samuel both go missing after they set out to find Ben and Stefan. And the strange thing happens: Marsilia asks Mercy for her help. Together, with Marsilia's second, Andre, they set off to find the missing and make sure Littleton's dead. However it was unsaid, Marsilia wants Littleton alive. Mercy's determined to make sure he's dead.

Oh, I loved this one almost as much as the first! What I hadn't realized in the first book, was that Mercy is a Shifter, not a were and because she is a Shifter, vampire wiles don't work as well on her. Plus, she can see and talk to ghosts. I hadn't realized that Mrs. Hanna was a ghost in the first novel. Oh, but I got it this time, when she saw Daniel's shaking form and no one else did.

I was sort of surprised by who had turned the sorcerer, and sort of not. If I'd known about how jealous this vamp was of Stefan, I'd have caught on earlier. (And while my reviews are usually littered with spoilers, I'm not saying who!) What I truly took to heart and completely understood, was the final chapters and what Mercy felt and her actions. I completely understood and agreed why she went after the vamp. She did what she had to do, what she thought was right, regardless of whatever trouble she could get into. And for another vamp to tell her that he could do the same, gave me chills. Will he keep his word and not tell Marsilia? Will he keep his word and not turn a sorcerer? Only time will tell - but I get the chills every time I think about it.

Again, Mercy's integrity plays a roll, and I adore her for it.

Samuel has been having a tough time. He's admitted to something in his past, while he was in Texas, and I can understand why his current state of mind is close to destroying him. Still, I don't trust him. I don't trust that he truly wants Mercy for her, and not for the fact that she's a Shifter and could very possibly carry their children to term.

The attaction between Mercy and Adam still simmers just below the surface, and I quiver every time. There's a scene where they are sparing, and just when I think this is it, Jessie, Adam's daughter, interrupts. Dang it!

~4/5
[Also available on my blog.]

I've been rather pleasantly surprised by this series since it started, it seems. Probably because I was expecting it to be more of a smutty supernatural flick, somewhat like the Anita Blake series, and this is very far from that series, but still.

A little bit into the book, I hit a slow spot (which might actually have been all my fault, not the books'), but once I really got into it, I didn't want to put it down, and I wanted to start the next book immediately (especially because, apparently, the next book ends the love triangle thing, which I am so excited for).

Mercy faces off with a demon-ridden vampire in this one, which is a lot more complicated than her and her friends thought it would be. There's a lot of damage done, and a lot of things come out of it, not much of it very good. We find out more about Mercy and her friends, some relationships grow in interesting ways, and the love interests expand maybe a bit, as well as some development with the previous ones (including some kissin').

I love the group of characters in this series, and I'm just really looking forward to finding out what happens with them all next. I'm looking forward to seeing how they all grow, what develops between them, and I'm sure the next book is going to be interesting. I'm really looking forward to it.

Reviewed at Another Look Book Reviews

This series just got even better with Blood Bound. I really liked Moon Called book 1 but Blood Bound completely solidified my admiration for this series. What an action packed enjoyable read.

I've determined what I really like about the characters that Patricia Briggs created is that she doesn't waver and change the foundation of what she originally developed. When the werewolf character Warren was gravely injured, he was challenged by a pack mate for his place in the wolf hierarchy. Of course I completely disliked the other wolf from making that stake but that is truly the wolf mentality. I respected the author for keeping up with the pack frame of mind and sticking with it. Same with the vampire seethe. The vampires are not a nice sexy group but rather a cruel assembly. With the exception of one character Stefan, they continue to be pitiless and not adjust even if the story line would be easier to write if they all of a sudden decided to take on more of a human justice approach.

The sorcerer turned vampire villain was perfectly despicable and hauntingly spooky. The scene at Mercy's trailer made me sweat. He was cruel and the way Patricia Briggs wrote his destruction and murders made the reader's imagination bloom and the body shudder. I LOVED that particular writing talent in an author. Instead of saying exactly what the villain did, she leaves it more to the readers intelligence. My favourite style!

The love triangle of Adam, Mercy and Sam continues but it's not the center of the story. Sam may have been Mercy's past but Adam is her future and I find myself just wishing Sam would go back to Montana. I like him fine and perhaps there are camps of fans that would rather the Mercy/Sam team, but honestly I am all about Adam and I have a book crush on him.

The ending was climatic and even though Blood Bound does not end with a cliff hanger, I cannot wait to start book 3. These books are not really stand alones and are to be read in the series. The heat level at this point has only consisted of kissing.

Teasers - garage workout, ghostly encounters, vampire love words, "let the warmth of his body sink into my soul"

Plot Summery (MINOR SPOILERS): Mercy is approached by her vampire friend, Stefan, to help in tracking down a vampire gone rogue. The two quickly discover that the vampire in question is also a powerful sorcerer, and that his mere presence in the city is causing a surge of violent crimes. When the task of taking down the villain foils both vampires and werewolves, it falls to Mercy, with her unique abilities as a coyote shape-shifter, take him down.

Patricia Briggs isn't a perfect urban fantasy writer, but she does several important things very well. The world building is simple compared to a lot of paranormal books, making them easier to follow and more enjoyable. Instead of complex mythology, the story rides on interesting characters. In this book, readers get a slightly more in depth look and Mercy's personality, as well as the secondary characters--Adam, Samuel, Stefan, etc. The relationships begin to get more complex. Meanwhile, the action is present and ongoing. Everything, both action and character developing, is done without repetition or flowery language. It is an intricate yet readable story, with touches of horror and humor.

The issues I have with this book are more due to content than style. Perhaps I'm bored with vampires and the way they're often portrayed in urban fantasy, or perhaps this book was using too many cliches. I was a bit bored with the vampire politics and details of vampire nature, which are no different than what I've encountered in so many other books. The villain was suitably scary, but not very original. Also, I had to sigh a bit at the growing love triangle between Mercy, Adam, and Samuel. Personally, I don't care for that kind of conflict in my books. At least Briggs didn't sink to the lowest common denominator by having Mercy sleep with every hot man she encountered. In fact, I thought Mercy handled things fairly well. But the mere hint of a love triangle always irritates me.

All told, I love Mercy as a character and I think the series is well worth reading. One overarching detail that I love is that in the midst of all the violent drama, Mercy is still a woman with a full time job as a mechanic. She doesn't forget this even when the world is falling apart--a very admirable character trait. I look forward to the rest of her adventures. 4 stars.

(originally reviewed for Reading to Penguins)

In Blood Bound, Mercy is called by the Vampire Queen to help track down a demon/vampire who is wreaking havoc in the area. Mercy and her friends, as well as everyone in the entire Tri-Cities area is in danger, and it will take everything Mercy has to find this evil being and get rid of it.

I really enjoyed re-reading this book. It's so nice to go back and read the series again with some background on the characters and a greater understanding of Briggs world-building. I think Mercy is a great character, and I love this series. I was glad to see Adam and all of the wonderful secondary characters again too. The storyline of the demon/vampire murdering people was compelling and kept my interest. I think Blood Bound is a great follow up to the first book in the series!

Summary: 5 stars. Entertaining urban fantasy with a cast of well-developed characters, an intriguing mystery, and great writing.

Blood Bound continues to build on the great urban fantasy world created in the first Mercy Thompson book. The mystery is well done, and the scenes with the ghost lady Mrs. Hanna were a nice use of foreshadowing. The writing is excellent, and the characters are complex and believable. I particularly liked that Mercy, the underpowered one amongst tons of powerful supernaturals, steps up and succeeds where they failed.

If you like urban fantasy with a butt-kicking heroine who takes matters into her own hands (no matter how fragile everyone thinks she is), then you'll likely enjoy this great book.

My Thoughts

This wasn't a favorite of mine but it isn't for lack of trying. We get intimate with the vampire seethe, which is quite the eerie bunch. I find their magical chair bloody fascinating, literally. What a contraption. Unfortunately, the vampire plotline just wasn't exciting for me, but you can't deny that vamp-demon dude was hella scary. There is one scene that I found to be one of the best "scary" scenes in any UF I've come across. It involves Mercy and the crazed demonic vampire. If you've read the book, you know exactly what I'm speaking of. And if you haven't, get ready for a great look-under-your-bed-and-say-your-prayers scary scene! This particular foe definitely brings the physical and psychological terror.

We do get to see Mercy use her brains and brawn and, as expected, the woman comes out a true heroine. Mercy is a fantastic character and she never falters from why so many of us love her so: She is a courageous, witty, tough, intelligent, compassionate soul. She gets into trouble in the very first chapter because she just can't "look the other way", which is why I love her so much. We social workers are all about ethics.

Samuel and Adam are definitely on edge about who Mercy will choose, and two Alphas on edge is great entertainment! Mercy has a deep history with Samuel but Adam can definitely hold his own. There is a smexy scene between Adam and Mercy, and you can view the smexiest line in the entire book below. Like, woah, baby. Samuel also confides in Mercy, and tells a very sad tale. My heart was breaking for the guy. Also, a loveable character in the series gets ripped to shreds and hangs on to dear life for days...it's definitely a heart wrenching book in many ways!

My Favorite Quotes

He bit the nape of my neck and I moaned. (I think I may have moaned too. LOL)

Now, I'm not very vain. If I'd ever been, making my living covered in various grease and dirt mixtures would have cured me quickly. Still, I wasn't up to facing two sexy men when I had one eye swollen mostly shut and half of my face black and blue.

So in the sweltering heat of a July night, I sang a Christmas carol to a room full of fae, who had been driven out of their homelands by Christians and their cold-iron swords.

A dominant wolf's desire to protect was a strong instinct- Samuel was very dominant. Give him an inch, and he's take over the world- my life, if I let him.

Read this review over at Smash Attack Reads! [...]

I'm still enjoying this series. I've had people tell me it gets really good after the first few, I think, and I'm definitely seeing a lot of promise in here. I like the main character, and a lot of the supporting characters.

I find what the author is doing with vampires interesting. Like many readers, I'm a little burnt out on bloodsucking fiends, and rather appreciate being fairly certain I'm not delving into yet another vampire romance. Despite that, I do find most of the vampire characters rather compelling. Except for Marsilia. I really could do with out her. She is probably the most boring character in the series.

As far as the romance goes, it's still slow to develop, which is fine. My only complaint is that I don't feel like there's enough interaction with Adam. I'd like to see more development between him and Mercy. I could do without Samuel. He feels more like a red herring to me than anything else, and thus, I tend to just be annoyed by him. But Adam I like. I also like seeing a man with a teenage daughter as a possible love interest, rather than the typical, single twenty-somethings.

I'm not sure I'm thrilled about the religion in the book. It's a little more heavy-handed than I care for, but not enough to discourage me from continuing on. I'm also not really pleased with the way Mercy interacts with other female characters, which has overtones of internalized misogyny. I'm still optimistic that as the character develops, this has a possibility of changing. I want to see more of Honey.

I'll be moving on to the next one as soon as I have the time. Overall, I find the series thus far enjoyable enough to recommend, though not particularly heavy.

There are some sequels that can't measure up to the potential of a good series. Blood Bound is not one of those sequels. In fact, I enjoyed it even more than the first installment in the Mercy Thompson books.

A little backstory: Mery is a shapeshifter (a walker) who can transform herself into a coyote. She was raised by werewolves and is tight with their leader, Bran. She is living with Bran's son, Samuel, who was her first love. Things ended badly between them years ago when she found out he only wanted her, so she could bear his kids. They only became reacquainted about 6 months ago, and now Sam is Mercy's roommate... though he wants to be more. Adam is the local werewolf alpha and he lives next door to Mercy. And there is something between them.. but it hasn't gone far. --Mercy is a mechanic by trade, and that explains her ties to Zee, the fae who used to be her boss, and Stefan, the vampire whose van she is working on.

As our book begins, Stefan comes to Mercy to collect on a favor. There is a demon possessing vampire and Stefan believes Mercy will be immune to his mind control. He's right, but the demon-vamp poses a much greater risk. He is crazed with bloodlust --and once everyone figures out his true nature, Stefan is tasked with bringing him down. Mercy's wolf-friends get pulled into the search, which threatens their very lives. And of course, when all is said and done, they need Mercy to help finish the job.

This was a great book. I love the world-building in this series; And while Moon Called focused mainly on the wolf-world, this one gives us an inside look at the vampires. It's heavy on the action and light on romance; but it's very character driven. Would definitely recommend this series to any Urban Fantasy reader. 4 1/2 stars.

I truly loved this book, I read it none stop in one sitting because I couldn't bring my self to put it down. I am a lazy reader, I'll read a few pages, put it down and come back to it in a few days- but with Moon Called and Blood Bound I couldn't walk away for a second. Both of these books are the best books I've read!!

Moon Called I think was better because of the complexity of characters. Mercy was faced with struggle at every corner yet some how managed to survive. The characters were very complex. You start out with one opinion of them, and through discovery, by the end you had a completely opinion of them. I finished Moon Called because I was interested in the characters, not in the plot. Blood Bound was mostly interest in plot but there was some great character development as well. A few people had said there was too much sexual content. I disagree, the only brief moment there was anything sexual, it really symbolized how she was giving into the pack life but that she was still strong enough to walk away by resisting him. Seriously, how many guys can we ladies resist that are that good looking and have feelings for? So, Kudos to Mercy. Plus, she's an adult, we can't expect her to never chose a love interest and follow through. Grant it, I hope Briggs doesn't take it too far. Sex itself doesn't need to be in the book, although a little sexual involvement doesn't bother me ( I can do with or without), but it doesn't need to be all the book is about. I think she used the situation to show her loosing control, which Mercy did all through out the book. It also shows just how dangerous Adam is to Mercy's independence. If brief making out is too sexual for you, perhaps adult fantasy books shouldn't be your genre.

In Blood Bound, the second book in Patricia Briggs's Moon Called Series, Mercy Thompson is back at work as a mechanic in the garage she owns, and hopefully done dealing with werewolf trouble. Thankfully, that does seem to be the case, unless you count the fact that her former love, Dr. Samuel Cornick, has moved into her trailer since he's decided to move away from his father's pack, and her new possible love, Alpha Wolf Adam Hauptmann, is so intense that it's making Mercy nervous. No, this time it's not the werewolves, it's the vampires; specifically it's Mercy's vampire friend Stefan, who needs Mercy to go on a visit to see a new vamp in town, the catch being that Mercy must go incognito as her walker self, a coyote. Mercy agrees (because really it's a payback) and during the visit, encounters evil so violent that she is shaken and physically harmed in the process. From there, things go downhill; Stefan turns up missing, along with three local werewolf pack members who had agreed to help Stefan find the demon vampire currently terrorizing the town. It comes down to Mercy to track the missing wolves and Stefan and take care of the truly evil vampire conjured in order to take over the local vampire seethe.

Mercy's one tough cookie, and she's no less hardheaded in this installment. Her interactions with the local fae put her in danger, along with her determined attempts to find the demon vampire Littleton in order to rescue her friends from his decidedly demented plans. Mercy's ability to interact with ghosts also plays a role in this action packed novel, and even though she's not physically as strong as the wolves and vampires, she uses cunning and her religious senses to help her defeat evil. Her willingness to sacrifice herself for her friends is one of her best traits. But she's also got a dark side, and the ending of the novel leaves one with the sense that in Mercy's world, there is no gray area. Right or wrong, Mercy makes up her mind and forges ahead.

This novel has a lot going for it, including an entirely scary scene where a demon bangs repeatedly on the side of her trailer throughout one very long night. Briggs has a way of pulling you directly into the story so that you have to know what happens next. The fact that Mercy's love life is complicated adds tension to the plot but never does she let it get in the way of getting the job done. Mercy's one smart chick and she's loyal but ruthless when necessary. This one's not for the squeamish. I admit it; I'm hooked!

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.

Blood Bound is the second book in the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. It continues the story of Mercy, a fierce, butt kicking mechanic. Oh yeah, she's also a Walker, able to become a coyote at will.

Book one of the series, Moon Called, introduced us to Mercy and the werewolves. Book two continues the storyline by introducing us to the darker side of Mercy's world, the part where vampires are not only real and bloodthirsty but also require her help. When Mercy's friend Stefan asks her to accompany him to deliver a message to a stray vampire intruding in their territory, Mercy agrees, having no idea what kind of danger she's about to put herself in. Friendship will be questioned and loyalties tested while Mercy and Stefan attempt to discover the sinister truth behind this seemingly simple intruder.

Briggs does a fantastic job in Blood Bound of continuing Stefan's story line. We get to learn a lot more about him as well as the rest of the vampires. I love the way she uses the books and the stories to help bring us into the world gradually instead of just saying, here are the Werewolves, here are the Fae and here are the Vampires. It's a nice way to bring us into the story instead of just telling the story to us.

I love Mercy because she is a strong, butt-kicking woman. She knows how to stand on her own two feet and takes control of her life. I would probably love the books just for that fact; the spicy little love triangle between her, Samuel and Adam is just icing on the cake. Seriously, who wouldn't want two attractive powerful men vying for her attention? Now the only question is, who will she choose?

As always, I feel compelled to give a fair warning. Seems strange that even with books I absolutely love, there's always some sort of warning. Now, I'll begin by saying that I am easily spooked. Yes, I am still afraid of the dark. Everyone has their quirks; that's one of mine. That being said, there is a quite creepy part in Blood Bound. So much so that I had to run around the room flipping lights on before I could continue with the chapter. If you like creepy, spooky parts then I think you will love Blood Bound. If you're not quite into the creepy side of things, then just remember that it only lasts for a few pages. Flip some lights on, grab your nearest pet (or stuffed animal) and hug it close for comfort and then continue on. Trust me, you'll definitely want to get to the end of the book!

Owing favors is not something Mercy likes to have on her plate, but when vampire friend Stefan asks her to go with him to speak to a new vampire in their territory she agrees. Unaware that this vampire is also part sorcerer, they head to a motel only to end up caught in dangerous situation. with both their lives on the line. His magic doesn't work on Mercy, but it ends up putting Stefan in some kind of trance, leaving Mercy to fend for herself in her coyote form. This vampire as it turns out has a demon riding him, and this turns the city into a violent place to live. Wrecking havoc is something that comes along with this sorcerer turned vampire. Mercy must find out who made this vampire and kill it. With the help from the Fae and some of the werewolf pack they might just succeed.

I'm really enjoying the progression of these novels. They start with only the werewolves involved, and now we have the vampires involved. It's good to mix things up, because werewolf politics can be exhausting! Having Mercy get involved with the vampires seems like the next logical step in the series. I hope in the future she will get involved with other species. It's also nice that just because she's entrenched in vampires, the wolves don't automatically drop out of the picture. They still have Mercy's back and try to help as much as possible. We're still having trouble with this love triangle between Adam, Samuel, and Mercy. It also looks like Stefan might be a little infatuated by our favorite Coyote.

Again, this series is easy to fall in love with. I enjoy how, like Kim Harrison's Series, these books aren't just based around the magic, monsters, or drama, but instead around the relationships. It's so important to have fantastic secondary characters. Sometimes I think Briggs writes the other characters better than she does Mercy.

Great series, a definite must read for Urban Fantasy fans!

_Blood Bound_ by Patricia Briggs is the second book in the Mercy Thompson series. Mercy is a walker, who can change shape between coyote and human at will. She has a few other minor abilities, but generally keeps a low profile around other more powerful types of supernatural creatures. In the Tri-Cities area of Washington state (where she lives), this includes fae off of the local fae reservation, where the various elves, goblins, faeries, etc. went after outing themselves to the general public a few years ago; a local werewolf pack, who are still unknown to the general public but will probably have to reveal themselves as well in a couple of years; and a number of local vampires, who have no intention of outing themselves to the public anytime soon and who see regular humans as nothing more than meat.

_Blood Bound_ covers the incidents that start when Mercy is asked for help by Stefan, a local vampire. Mercy generally stays clear of vampires, but Stefan is sort of cuddly for a vampire -- he even drives a VW bus painted like The Mystery Machine from Scooby-Doo. And she owes him a favor.

After going along with Stefan in coyote form to check on a vampire traveling through the area, things quickly spin out of control. The new vampire is a vampire, a sorcerer who is likely losing control of the demon he possesses for his power, and an all-around brutal sadistic [...]. Mercy's injuries from that encounter bring in Adam, the alpha of the local werewolf pack who is Mercy's local protector (when she lets him be that), and Samuel, a lone werewolf living with Mercy who has known her since she was a child.

I'm not going to go into much more detail about the plot, as quite a lot happens and it gets a bit desperate at times. Mercy is in a unique and unpleasant position -- as a walker, she has some abilities and personal control that both the vampires and werewolves lack. But she also has much less physical power than the vampires and werewolves, so she must tread carefully when she does decide to act.

For me, this book really stood out for two reasons: one is Mercy's need for thought before she acts and the things she has to figure out along the way. The revelation of why vampires hate walkers was both stunningly simple in its facts and almost mind-boggling in the implications. The second is the depth of some of the male characters. Many novelists will create only one- or two-dimensional characters of the opposite sex. But with _Blood Bound_, Briggs did a good job exploring the struggles of Adam, who is a rather authoritarian figure that has a hard time learning how to be both honest and willing to compromise with a couple of independent women he really cares about (Mercy being one of them); and Samuel, who is a strong-willed loner with some very old and very deep emotional wounds that are starting to kill him. The scene on the bed where Samuel talks about what happened in Texas with the woman he was living with was well-written and heart-breaking because of that; Mercy's subsequent call to Samuel's father Bran was also a conversation that was well-scripted, well-written, and almost painful to read because it's such a messy situation.

Overall, _Blood Bound_ is a much darker book than _Moon Called_, but it's also deeper and it's a good sequel. I am looking forward to book 3.

I would definitely suggest new readers pick up _Moon Called_ first; there are a lot of details that will be missed otherwise.

Mercy Thompson #2: Blood Bound, by Patricia Briggs

Owing a vampire a favor can be a very dangerous thing, as Mercy is about to find out in this sequel to "Moon Called."

Stefan comes to Mercy in the middle of the night, needing the special defense against magic that being a walker provides to her. He is going to meet with another vampire, but fears that the other vampire may be able to manipulate his memories. Stefan's fears turn out to be right, leaving Mercy the sole witness to a dangerous bloodbath. The other vampire turns out to be a sorcerer - a magic user possessed by a demon. And he's been busy killing.

Though Stefan and the werewolves tell Mercy to stay out of it, she knows she can't. Especially not when one of her favorite werewolves, Warren, is severely wounded by the sorcerer. But how can one little coyote face off against a demon-vampire?

In the second book of the Mercy Thompson series, Briggs introduces us more thoroughly to vampires. Her vampires are much like those of legend - they can't go out in the light and sleep during the day, some have superpowers, and they can be killed by using a stake and burning the body. But Briggs' vampires also keep menageries - humans that have willingly agreed to be vampire food. Stefan is probably the most atypical vampire - he drives a van painted like the Scooby Doo van and is kind to his menagerie; he's experimenting to find how vampire blood can help blood-borne illnesses. But the rest of them...well, I'd be scared to meet them in full daylight, let alone in the dark.

"Blood Bound" fleshes out more of Briggs' supernatural world populated with werewolves, vampires, fae, and more. I didn't think it was quite as captivating as "Moon Called," but it was still a very solid book, with lots of action and an intriguing plot that will keep you reading. I'm a little over-saturated with vampires, that may be why I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first book. But don't let that keep you from picking this up, as the story in "Blood Bound" will keep you bound to the pages.

4/5.

Read for Fun!
Overall Rating: 4.50
Character Rating: 4.50
Story Rating: 4.50

First thought when finished: Yeah I have the next one sitting right here and ready to go!

What I Loved: I really love Mercy! I love her wit, no-nonsense attitude, and her ability to stick up for herself. I also love that she doesn't always make the best decisions! I was glad that we got to glimpse into the vampire life a little more. While I don't think they are all evil (not my sexy Stefan), I do think they have all shades of gray going on in their little den. I love how Patricia Briggs writes such strong female characters and makes you wonder just how powerful they are. The twists and turns with the Vampire/Demon were just fantastic.

What I Liked: Oh how I love the wolf pack! Seriously, I want to move in with them and shelter them after bad times. I really like how we are getting to know more and more about each of them through little snippets here and there! That is done rather brilliantly so that you don't notice that by the end you know each of them a little bit more.

What made me go huh?: Still not loving the triangle!

Final Thought: Let me grab book 3

Okay, I'll admit it. I am totally hooked on this series. I finished Blood Bound last night and immediately -- without even taking a break -- picked up book three of the series, Iron Kissed. That's the sign of an addictive read.

Blood Bound picks up the story of Mercedes Thompson six months after the conclusion of book one, Moon Called. Mercy is a walker -- a human that can turn into a coyote at will -- and immune to many of the magics of the preternatural community. That makes her a valuable ally against the new Big Bad in town -- a demon-possessed sorceror that's been turned into a vampire. Mercy's vampire best friend Stefan and both of her could-be werewolf loves are missing, tempers and crimes are on the rise because of the heat wave and the evil in town, and Mercy's trying to figure out how her ability to talk to ghosts can help her find the monster that threatens everything that's important to her.

I read a lot of books in this genre, and Briggs writes some of the most believable characters out there. Even though they're werewolves, and walkers, vampires and fae, they're all people first. You won't find flat stereotypes here -- Briggs characters are the kind you find yourself thinking about long after the final page has been turned.

Another thing to note -- for paranormal romance/adventure books, Briggs' Mercy Thompson books are all very "clean." In a genre kind of known for steamy bedroom scenes and colorful language, Blood Bound includes no foul language that I can think of, and no hot-and-heavy romantic exchanges. Those elements don't detract from my reading experience, but I know they bother some people, so it's worth noting. Mercy is a surprisingly good moral model, and a Christian -- even if she does have to kill a rogue werewolf or crazy vampire every once in awhile to keep the peace. She's one of the most interesting characters I've "met" in a long time.

In the 1st book in the series, Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1) the author introduces Mercedes "Mercy" Thompson. It was learned that Mercy is somewhat resistant to vampire compulsion. Because of her resistance in the 2nd book, Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, Book 2) Stefan Uccello, a vampire, calls in on a favor. He wants her to come along while he delivers a message to Cory Littleton, a visiting vampire, who failed to pay respect to Stefan's seethe. He believes that Cory might be able to compel him to do things he against his will. He asks Mercy to accompany him, in coyote form; since she is immune to compulsion and would be able to report back to his seethe if anything happen to him. Things turn bad and soon Mercy gets involved in a hunt for a vampire-sorcerer.

The werewolves have also made their existence known to the public. As with the Fae centuries earlier not all werewolves were made known.

Mercy must also contend with Adam Hauptman and Dr. Samuel Llewellyn Cornick's "Sam" interest in her and the territorial contentiousness that results from it. Sam once chose Mercy as his mate, even though he didn't love her - he wanted her to have his children, after she left his pack he mourned the loss of his mate. Apparently her feelings for Samuel, an old flame, are still unresolved. More recently Adam claimed Mercy as his to his pack, even though she has not accepted - and it not official considered his mate. Mercy and Adam went on 3 dates between the of end `Moon Called' and prior to `Blood Bound' but, then she avoided him - she didn't want to fall in line with his pack and as an Alpha's mate, that would have been unavoidable.

Throw in a bit of vampire, Fae, and werewolf politics and this story really takes off.
The other book in the series...
Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, Book 2)
Iron Kissed (Mercy Thompson, Book 3)
Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson, Book 4)

"Like most people that own their own businesses, I work long hours that start early in the morning. So when someone calls me in the middle of the night, they'd better by dying. "Hello, Mercy," said Stefan's amicable voice in my ear, "I wonder if you could do me a favor." Stefan had done his dying a long time ago, so I saw no reason to be nice."

Stefan is Mercy's vampire friend. If you could possibly call a vampire a friend, that is. And yes, she owes him a favor. He had gone to bat for her with his seethe when she had some werewolf trouble, and now he is calling in that favor. Stefan has been asked to investigate the appearance of a new vampire in town. One that didn't ask permission from the seethe, which is a big no-no in the vampire community. And Stefan wants Mercy to come along as a witness, in case something happens. He needs her for 2 reasons. Because she is a Walker, she is virtually immune to the powers of a vampire. And she can shapeshift into a coyote and no one will know who she is.

So Mercy goes along on the meeting. But when they meet up with this vampire, she knows that trouble has come to the Tri-Cities. Not only is he a vampire, but a sorcerer.....that has let a demon inside. He actually had the ability to control Stefan, and he's about the most powerful vampire around. And now this new vampire's bloodlust is causing a rather large body-count. Which for a group of vampires that don't want the human world to know their existence is big trouble.

What can I say? This is one fantastic series!! Mercy is tough as nails, funny, and exceedingly humble. I just love her! Strong female characters are always good for me, and Mercy is definitely one of the best. The main storyline is fascinating, as we learn a lot more about the vampire community. And Mercy's lovelife is only getting weirder. Not only is she caught in the middle between 2 dominant werewolves, now there is a little something with Stefan the vampire! Blood Bound is ever bit as good as the first book, Moon Called. Maybe better. I can't wait to see where Mercy goes next!!

This is probably one of my favourite series, if not my favourite ever. I read Blood Bound with a stupid grin on my face and at times I thought I needed a pillow to hug and squeal. I love when books do this to me.

Mercy Thompson just can't catch a break, although, in part of this book she went looking for trouble and I can't blame her one bit. Blood Bound is slightly darker than the first book. OK, so scratch out slightly. There's murder, more murder, scary vampires, scary werewolves, basements...well, basically, there's a whole lot of evil going on.

I didn't particularly enjoy the first few chapters, and that was only because the werewolves hadn't appeared yet. Stefan was our main feature in the beginning and I only sort of like him- if you don't count the ending of Blood Bound when I finally liked him.

At least three quarters of this book is nerve-wracking. There are so many things going on and the characters will get to saying things and the next thing you know YOU believe them. All evidence points that they were right and it's just...you don't want to believe them and here's Mercy with all her hope and just... My feelings cannot be properly explained.

I like all the feelings I got. Even if I felt manipulated.

This is the second of the Mercedes Thompson books. In Moon Called, Mercy recruited the help of her vampire friend, Stefan, to help out with some werewolf trouble that descended on the Tri-Cities. Now, the favor has come due, and it is Mercy's turn to help Stefan and the vampires -- a dangerous position to be in. Her partial immunity to vampire magic (a result of her walker heritage) may not be enough to help her when the vampire trouble turns into sorcerer trouble, which turns into demon trouble.

Though I rated Moon Called a 4 (nearly a 5), Blood Bound was an easy 5 for me. It is good at being exactly what it's supposed to be. The tension is taut throughout, even when the story splits off and goes in a direction I wasn't expecting. The action and the danger were intense enough to lend a sense of urgency to the book, while never making it seem too extreme (leaving nowhere to go in the rest of the series). Briggs' characters are full and dynamic, even many of the minor characters; they're layered and interesting, but not distracting. There aren't tangential paragraphs describing rippling abs and long waving hair; what description there is, is to the point and effective.

I continue to be surprised by Briggs. She makes choices that initial make me leery, and then she makes them work. I'm not used to that. Normally, if I stumble on something that I think is going to make me groan, it eventually does. In Blood Bound, the potentially groan-worthy thing was a split focus at the end. When the main trouble is over and the foe vanquished (is that spoilery? We all know how these things work out, don't we?), Mercy still has a bone to pick, a score to settle. It didn't really fall into the category of tying up loose ends because it was a bit too big for that. I expected it to be dealt with in the next book, and instead, a little mini-plot developed while Mercy pursued this new Big Bad. I really thought it was going to feel disconnected and tacked on, and instead it worked out perfectly. It fit the story rather than being wedged in to it, and it was just as engaging and proportionately dangerous and tension-worthy as it should have been. Briggs handles things well and either has a damn good content editor or a keen sense for it herself. Well worth the read.

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I like the Mercy Thompson books, though I remember liking the first one better than this; Briggs does a wonderful job of world-building here, particularly with the society of the werewolves, and Mercy's a great character -- the underhanded sneaky one in a world of serious power-brokers. I also like that she's a mechanic who lives in a single-wide, and that she has apparently no ability, or any particularly overwhelming need, to deal with romance. But in this book, it focuses on the vampires, and in particular on a demon-possessed vampire, and the vampires don't work as well. It's like Briggs wanted to make them evil, but she couldn't help but write them sympathetically; almost as if she chose people she liked as the mental models for some of the vampires. So while the vamps are certainly intimidating and alien, particularly the bad guy, Littleton, they're also pretty okay folks. Stefan painted his van like the Scooby Doo Mystery Wagon. Wulfe, the Wizard, is freaky and all, but he turns out to be a good guy. As nasty as the Mistress can be -- and was, in the first book -- she takes Mercy's side in this one, and comes off as much more human and likable. The whole seethe (and I like "kiss" better) are not the blood-soaked villains they are portrayed as, which is odd since Briggs is the one who portrayed them as the consummate evil.

But I like the chair of truth, and the way Mercy takes advantage of the vampire's traditional weakness to gain the upper hand, and Littleton, at least, was extremely scary -- I love the part when he's hiding under the floorboards, and Mercy shoots him, and he pushes the bloody bullets back through the holes. That's a great image. And to be sure, part of the problem I had with this book was that I've been spoiled, a bit, in reading the Anita Blake books, which have absolutely the best (IMO) depiction of vampires that I've ever read, so these end up paling in comparison despite having their own strengths. It was still a good book, and I enjoyed it.

Still enjoying this series. This book was centered more on the Vampire aspect of this universe. The Werewolves have come out of the close as well. Pretty grim events in this book, but enjoyed the twist and how the 'weak' little coyote was the only one who could save the day. It appears we also have a third party interested in Mercy. The vamps in this world are closer to the monsters they used to be portrayed as, which is my only complaint, I like my vamps being the good guys. Although the characters are pretty diverse and true to people's personality in reality. Meaning you have good and bad people in each branch of paranormal. Being a Vampire doesn't necessarily make you bad guy and being a werewolf doesn't mean you are a good guy, so I won't pout too much... I do like stefan, though, and hope to see more of him, even if he doesn't stand a chance with Mercy.

Blood Bound is the second in Patrcia Briggs's Mercy Thompson series. After reading the first book in the series, Moon Called, I wasn't too impressed and only reluctantly started this one. Well, all I can is WOW!! I'm hooked. This one was so good it makes me want to go back and read the first one again to see what I missed.

Book Two picks up shortly after the end of Moon Called, which you may want to read if you haven't already. Our heroine, walker (coyote) Mercedes "Mercy" Thompson, owes the vampire Stefan a favor and he comes to collect. Stefan and Mercy discover a dangerous sorcerer- turned- vampire capable of mentally disabling a powerful vampire like Stefan, and murdering innocent humans. The paranormal community is unsure of how to handle the demon-ridden vampire; the fae want to stay out of it, the vampires are weakened by the sorcerer's devices and the demon incites rage in the werewolves. It's soon discovered that as a walker, Mercy may be the only one able to destroy the sorcerer. In between all the action, there is a touch of romance as the tension in the Samuel-Mercy-Adam triangle heats up. It also seems that our Mercy might have another suitor, but I won't spoil that surprise :-)

The action started at the first page and never let up!! Somewhere in the second chapter, I realized that I was now hooked on this series. Briggs did an excellent job of creating characters that are well-developed, realistic and lovable. In each book, we learn a little more about all of them - the insight into Mercy's special talents in this book were great. Much like other talented authors in this genre, Briggs creates a world where all of these paranormal characters exist and are believable.

I'm now reading the third installment, Iron Kissed, and I'm looking forward to finding out what else Briggs has in store for Mercy!

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.

To read more reviews like this one, check out Obsessive Book Nerd!

Blood Bound was a strong follow up in the Mercy Thompson series. It was pretty obvious soon into the book that the issues Mercy would face would come from the vampires. I really enjoyed getting to know more of the characters in the Mercy Thompson world. Stefan, the Scooby-Do loving vamp brings an enjoyable new level to the story line.

While there is clearly a love triangle between Adam, Mercy, and Sam, it takes a back seat. I'm thinking the "romance" aspect is just not a focus in this series. And that's OK, because I'm hooked either way.

This is a supernatural adventure for those who like the focus on the adventure and less so on horror. Mercy Thompson is a shapeshifter and appropriately for a North American native, she turns into a coyote. The small size is a disadvantage to this member of the dog family, however, given so many of her neighbours are werewolves. Mercy is a garage mechanic running her own premises while she lives in a mobile home, and her greatest asset is that a member of her team is a Fae smith who can work cold iron. Vampires also feature in this series of books, by no means all friendly. The supernatural people have by and large come out of the closet, but much still remains hidden from normal humans. In this book, there is even a demon, which is generally considered to be a bad thing to have happen to you.
The early books in these types of series are usually the best - the later ones become focused on rules and who gives orders to whom. Get in while it's still fun.

At the end of Moon Called (first book in the series), Mercy Thompson the shapeshifting mechanic, owed the local vampires a favour, and in Blood Bound they want paying back. A visiting vampire is causing problems and Stefan, (Mercy's vampire friend) wants her help whilst he tries to sort it out.

In my opinion Blood Bound is a much more tightly written story than Moon Called. We already know about the relationships, pack-conflicts and back story, so here we are able to get stuck in to the meat of the story straight away. Although I do think it's possible to read Blood Bound as a standalone, it would be much better to read Moon Called first so you've got all this rich background information in your head.

The relationships within the werewolf pack continue to evolve and I think this is far and away my favourite part of the story. Each werewolf is such an individual character and to see how they are located within the hierarchy and how they struggle or accept that, gives the story a depth it might not otherwise have had. In Blood Bound this pack structure is held in direct comparison with the more clinical vampire society, which makes for fascinating reading.

If I had a concern at all, it would be as mentioned in another review. Mercy picks up another admirer and I think this has the potential to take away from the tension in her relationship with the two werewolves already vying for her attention.

Blood Bound is resolved very nicely, but there are enough plot threads left dangling to leave me desperately looking forward to the next book in the series - especially the new werewolf who only appears off-page here.

There will be a short story set in Mercy's world in the On the Prowl anthology released in August 2007.

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.

This is a very unique paranormal tale-not just another story where the main character falls in love with a vampire or werewolf. In this book, the main character is ALSO a paranormal (a shape-shifting coyote) and falls is love with BOTH a vampire and a werewolf, or two.

In this second installment of the series, Stefan, Mercy's vampire friend asks her for a favor-to accompany him to the master vampire's house. Stefan gets more than he bargained for and now he isn't safe, and neither is Mercy. The paranormal aspects of this book get really deep as a demonic possessed vampire goes up against Mercy's werewolf neighbors.

I really like this series. It is the perfect amount of paranormal, adventure, mystery and romance. My favorite part, though, is the romance with next-door neighbor Alpha-wolf Adam, who is competing with Mercy's feelings for her first love, werewolf Samuel. The cheesy covers don't do the story justice as this series continues to get better and better.

Werewolves are now out of the closet but it doesn't ease out any of Mercy's relations with the pack. She owes a favor to Stefan, after he helped her on a previous mission, Mercy agrees to escort him in her coyote form as a costume accessory. Being an piece of clothing ended up being more painful then it first seemed, when she witness a bloody murder and takes some good hits in the mean time. A vampire, also sorcerer possessed by a demon roams in the streets of Tri-Cities, leaving a bloody trail behind. Werewolves and vampires work together to stop him and Mercy won't stay on the bench for so long!

An other great Mercedes adventure here. I really enjoyed the book, was already and the last pages without realising I already reached the end. I love how Mercy can't set her mind about her desires for Sam and Adam, and now Stefan is poking around showing some interest to. I'm excited to know how all of this will unfold in the next novel.

Mercy is still a very strong character but we can see that she evolved since the precious novel, she's more careful with who she trusts and get some serious thinking and effort into her mission. She comes out stronger but also wounded and it sure will be interesting to see the consequences.

Once again a great novel from Patricia Briggs!

Ok, so it's official - I have such the HUMUNGOUS girl crush on Mercy Thompson. LOVE HER!!! WANT TO BE HER!!! Mercy is such the BADASS!!! I am obsessed with this series and everytime I finish a book, I get so excited wondering what the next book is going to be about.

On another note though, I am totally on team Adam and just really wish she would cut him some slack and throw him a bone and quit driving him so cray cray. And another thing, Samuel needs to go back home and quit cock blocking her and Adam. Don't even get me started on Stephen.

Anyways, can't wait to see what kind of holy hell Mercy gets herself into in Iron Kissed. I'm sure it will be so exciting!!!

I love this series. Female mechanic shape-shifter, argues and irritates the sexy werewolf Alpha.

Mercy Thompson is a super cool character. Raised by a werewolf pack before abandoning everything she knew, fell face first into the real world.

The walker comes from the Skinwalkers of Southwest Indian tribes, but I have less in common with a Skin-walker, at least from what I've read, than I do with the werewolves. I don't do magic, I don't need a coyote skin t change shape-and I'm not evil.

Without her knowledge, Bran, the main werewolf Alpha dude, assigned Adam, Mercy's sexy and irritating Alpha neighbor, to keep an eye on her. Sharing a property line with her, the animosity between Mercy and Adam is funny. Their relationship in the first book was awesome. This book is intense and amazing. It's always fun to see how things progress. I know I use that word a lot, progress or progression .. but is there any other point? Really?

Falling in love with a werewolf is not a safe thing to do-but falling in love with an Alpha is worse. Especially for someone like me. I had fought too long to belong to myself, to allow myself to fall into line with the rest of the pack.

Werewolves are made, not born. To become a werewolf, you need to survive an attack so vicious that you nearly die-which allows the werewolf's magic to defeat your immune system. Man, many of the werewolf's kin who try to become werewolves themselves die in the attempt.

Blood Bound is twice as heart pounding as Moon Called. Stefan needs her help, and she owes him a favor. She finds herself victim to a psycho nut job demon-ridden sorcerer vampire. He takes over your mind, messes with your memories, and forces you to eat your friends. Eww, right?

Everyone is searching for the vampire, but he evades. It isn't until Warren shows up on the doorstep looking like hamburger. Near death, his trauma is so brutal that he is unable to speak to report important details. Details that would help rescue the others that are now being held prisoner.

I can't say TOO much more!

I will say this. The little triangle between Adam, Samuel and Stefan is becoming interesting. I just wonder ...(Actually, I know! I have read this series before ...) but you'll have to read the books yourself.

I recommend this book to mature adults. Moderate to semi deliciously bloody violence. Some snuggling but unless I remember incorrectly, there is no actual sexual content.

Read this series in order.

Mercy Thompson is a VW auto mechanic and a walker. She owes Stephan a favor and he's calling to collect. Neither Stephan or Mercy expect what's about to happen yet the consequences are dire for everyone involved. They meet up with a sorcerer named Corey Littleton who also happens to be a vampire. They discover that Littleton also has demon inside him. Mercy is injured during the favor which upsets Stephan and Samuel to no end. Now the hunt is on to find Littleton and destroy him before he does anymore damage. Mercy is not sure how to act around Adam yet doesn't want to hurt Sam's feeling either. When Warren is found injured at Uncle Mike's, Mercy is determined to reunite him and Kyle no matter the cost which is not a popular idea among pack. Can Littleton be stopped? Can Mercy find Littleton? Who created Littleton? Will Warren be okay? What does Mercy really feel for Sam and Adam? Your answers await you in Blood Bound.

All of Patricia Brooks is good. And all of the Mercy Thompson series is good, although I began reading her ages ago with my favorite book of hers being 'the hob's bargain'. Anyway its hard to say anything except its a great sequel to the first of this series and be sure to read it. What I like about Mercy Thompson best is she has flaws. I do hate a perfect character. But Mercy has flaws that I can live with, they arent the dishonorable sort. So read 'Moon Called' first, the first of the series and then work your way up. 1. Moon Called (2006), 2. Blood Bound (2007), 3. Iron Kissed (2008), 4. Bone Crossed (2009), 5. Silver Borne (2010), 6. River Marked (2011), 7. Frost Burned (2013), 8. Night Broken (2014)

I've read all the books in this series, and I love them... that said, it is slow to start. The author doesn't really find her footing until book 3 or 4, and that is why these 1st two books are less than stellar (this being book 2). Do I recommend them? Absolutely! But only because the long term pay-off is very much worth it. If the series had stopped here, it would have been nothing remarkable, and I wouldn't have bothered to write a review. Take that for what you will.

Book Two of the Mercy Thompson series picks up pretty quickly after the first book and starts right in on the action.

Mercy is an auto mechanic and a walker that can turn into a coyote but raised by werewolves and trained by a fae. To add to that Mercy is actually friends with Stefan, one of the local vampires. When Stefan asks Mercy to accompany him to confront a new vampire in town things start to get really prickly.

The new vampire is also 'demon-ridden' and a sorcerer. The demon-vamp causes all sorts of discord just by his presence and can affect the minds of other vampires. Only Mercy really has a prayer of stopping him and she is not exactly the kind of chick that goes looking for that kind of action. But with the werewolves and the vampires nearly incapacitated Mercy steps up the plate with a little help from the fae.

Mercy is a terrific heroine because she is not a know-it-all, kick-@ss, overly sexual character. She is portrayed as very human and seems to only manage to get herself out of situations through luck, bravado and sheer perspicacity. This unperfection makes her very endearing and Mercy continues to grow as a character.

The second installment of the Mercy Thompson series shifts focus from the werewolves to the vampires. This time her vampire friend, Stefan, decides to call in a favor from Mercy. She risks life and limb to thwart an evil sorcerer-turned-vampire (as if vampires weren't evil enough on their own) causing numerous deaths all around the city. The supernatural cream of the crop are all involved to take this sucker down, from head vampires to head werewolves. And even still, somehow Mercy's abilities prove useful to help save them all.

While I'm still not totally hooked, it's definitely a step in the right direction. This book is a lot better in terms of action and the characters are more established, so I could relate to them a bit more. The love triangle (or maybe quadrangle?) is definitely kicked up a notch and confirmed here. Adam seems to be becoming my Were of choice, but there is enough argument for her other suitor(s?) as well, so I will just see how Mrs. Briggs decides to develop that angle. I liked the incorporation of ghosts this time around, and their use is quite intuitive and sensible. The vampire politics are somewhat more interesting than the first book since I didn't find myself zoning out quite as much.

Stefan, has potential to be an extremely interesting character as the series progresses. It's hard to tell what motivates him which will only keep everyone guessing. That's a good sign of complexity considering that vampires are inherently evil in this series.

So all in all, it was certainly better than Moon Called, but I don't really have the urge to want to inhale it like I've had with some of my favorites. Of course, that's not necessarily a bad thing since I can be a much more productive human being, but this doesn't necessarily need to be shot up to the top of your TBR list, even though it's a decent read. I am still interested enough to want to continue and see what unfolds for Mercy and her friends, so that's a good thing. Onto Book 3!

Mercy is back and there is yet another problem that she has gotten herself caugt up in. More than one actually. First problem deals with Stefan returning and asking her to payback her favor that she owed him from Moon Called. Mercy agrees since she said she owed him one. The favor Stefan has in mind leads to a dangerous homoicidal vampire that kills humans for kicks. He's also more powerful than Stefan in his powers. Although the vampire is only acting upon his master's wishes and this vampire is just as dangerous, especailly since Stefan nor anyone else in the vampire community knows who that is, that or no one wants to share that information.

Mercy's love life also takes an interesting turn. In the beginning she begins to date Adam, as it was hinted in the end of Moon Called. Samuel, who is living with Mercy in her trailer is not happy about the situation ad Mercy's feelings get all flip flopped between the two men. Another possible love interest comes in at the end, that may or may not be anything particular, but it does raise some questions. Although I don't want to spoil that for you by revealing his identity.

Overall a good book and looking forward to more Mercy novels in the future.

This is the second book in the Mercy Thompson novels and it lived up to my expectations. After borrowing the first one from the library I couldn't wait to read the rest so I went out to buy them. This is rare for me because I search through so many to find the one that I can't wait to finish.

After the first story I just loved the character. She's strong, stubborn and has strong loyalties. I will admit there are some points where I didn't understand her for example instead of searching for clues or something she would go to work....I know I know the bills must be paid but still. Anyways from the first story I knew she was a shape shifter in the form of coyote. She was raised by a pack of werewolves then she was on her own at a young age but she was under watchful eyes.

In this book Stephan calls her in to return the favor that she owed him. And like the good person she is she does but that ends up being a bigger problem than expected. There is a new vampire in town and there is more to him than just that. There is something inside him....A lot of events take place and Mercy is the only one that can take care of business.

This book was non stop fun. I couldn't put it down at all just waiting for the next event or conversation. It had plenty of action and some really cute scenes. I still can't pick what team I'm on. After the last book I was starting to say she should go with Stefan so she doesn't have to pick between Adam and Sam...This one it turns into more choices...

Team Adam?
Team Samuel?
Team....well you'll have to read it

I just can't pick..I love them all. Yes they all have their flaws but that's what makes them likable. There is just something about each of them that I wish they can be combines into one person. I have usually been able to lean towards one and I was close until this book and now I'm in limbo.

Overall I'd give this a 4.5 because of the lack of the werewolves which is what I thought was going to be the focus of the story. Event wise thought it was great and Mercy learns more about herself and what powers she posses and the story is resolved nicely.

This is a supernatural adventure for those who like the focus on the adventure and less so on horror. Mercy Thompson is a shapeshifter and appropriately for a North American native, she turns into a coyote. The small size is a disadvantage to this member of the dog family, however, given so many of her neighbours are werewolves. Mercy is a garage mechanic running her own premises while she lives in a mobile home, and her greatest asset is that a member of her team is a Fae smith who can work cold iron. Vampires also feature in this series of books, by no means all friendly. The supernatural people have by and large come out of the closet, but much still remains hidden from normal humans. In this book, there is even a demon, which is generally considered to be a bad thing to have happen to you.
The early books in these types of series are usually the best - the later ones become focused on rules and who gives orders to whom. Get in while it's still fun.

At the end of Moon Called (first book in the series), Mercy Thompson the shapeshifting mechanic, owed the local vampires a favour, and in Blood Bound they want paying back. A visiting vampire is causing problems and Stefan, (Mercy's vampire friend) wants her help whilst he tries to sort it out.

In my opinion Blood Bound is a much more tightly written story than Moon Called. We already know about the relationships, pack-conflicts and back story, so here we are able to get stuck in to the meat of the story straight away. Although I do think it's possible to read Blood Bound as a standalone, it would be much better to read Moon Called first so you've got all this rich background information in your head.

The relationships within the werewolf pack continue to evolve and I think this is far and away my favourite part of the story. Each werewolf is such an individual character and to see how they are located within the hierarchy and how they struggle or accept that, gives the story a depth it might not otherwise have had. In Blood Bound this pack structure is held in direct comparison with the more clinical vampire society, which makes for fascinating reading.

If I had a concern at all, it would be as mentioned in another review. Mercy picks up another admirer and I think this has the potential to take away from the tension in her relationship with the two werewolves already vying for her attention.

Blood Bound is resolved very nicely, but there are enough plot threads left dangling to leave me desperately looking forward to the next book in the series - especially the new werewolf who only appears off-page here.

There will be a short story set in Mercy's world in the On the Prowl anthology released in August 2007.

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.

This is a very unique paranormal tale-not just another story where the main character falls in love with a vampire or werewolf. In this book, the main character is ALSO a paranormal (a shape-shifting coyote) and falls is love with BOTH a vampire and a werewolf, or two.

In this second installment of the series, Stefan, Mercy's vampire friend asks her for a favor-to accompany him to the master vampire's house. Stefan gets more than he bargained for and now he isn't safe, and neither is Mercy. The paranormal aspects of this book get really deep as a demonic possessed vampire goes up against Mercy's werewolf neighbors.

I really like this series. It is the perfect amount of paranormal, adventure, mystery and romance. My favorite part, though, is the romance with next-door neighbor Alpha-wolf Adam, who is competing with Mercy's feelings for her first love, werewolf Samuel. The cheesy covers don't do the story justice as this series continues to get better and better.

Werewolves are now out of the closet but it doesn't ease out any of Mercy's relations with the pack. She owes a favor to Stefan, after he helped her on a previous mission, Mercy agrees to escort him in her coyote form as a costume accessory. Being an piece of clothing ended up being more painful then it first seemed, when she witness a bloody murder and takes some good hits in the mean time. A vampire, also sorcerer possessed by a demon roams in the streets of Tri-Cities, leaving a bloody trail behind. Werewolves and vampires work together to stop him and Mercy won't stay on the bench for so long!

An other great Mercedes adventure here. I really enjoyed the book, was already and the last pages without realising I already reached the end. I love how Mercy can't set her mind about her desires for Sam and Adam, and now Stefan is poking around showing some interest to. I'm excited to know how all of this will unfold in the next novel.

Mercy is still a very strong character but we can see that she evolved since the precious novel, she's more careful with who she trusts and get some serious thinking and effort into her mission. She comes out stronger but also wounded and it sure will be interesting to see the consequences.

Once again a great novel from Patricia Briggs!

Ok, so it's official - I have such the HUMUNGOUS girl crush on Mercy Thompson. LOVE HER!!! WANT TO BE HER!!! Mercy is such the BADASS!!! I am obsessed with this series and everytime I finish a book, I get so excited wondering what the next book is going to be about.

On another note though, I am totally on team Adam and just really wish she would cut him some slack and throw him a bone and quit driving him so cray cray. And another thing, Samuel needs to go back home and quit cock blocking her and Adam. Don't even get me started on Stephen.

Anyways, can't wait to see what kind of holy hell Mercy gets herself into in Iron Kissed. I'm sure it will be so exciting!!!

It isn't often that you read a sequel and think it is better than the first, but this book falls into that category. This is book two of the Mercy Thompson Novels and she is back with a vengeance. At the end of book one she had two wolfs lusting after her, Sam and Adam. She owed a vampire, Stephen, after borrowing his VW van to try and save Adams life. And she still has all the customers at her auto shop to help. In Blood Bound there is an animal or creature that is killing loads of humans, whole hotels full of people. Stephen figures out that it is a vampire who is a daemon as well. He asks Mercy for her help and this is when all hell breaks loose. Vampire magic doesn't work on a shifter like Mercy, so she is the perfect choice to take with him. But, Mercy is also a 40-pound coyote that really can't do much when Stephen falls under the control of the demon vampire. Figuring out how to stop the vampire, how to save the vampires and wolfs that have fallen under the control of the demon and killing all of the naughty vampires falls squarely on Mercy's shoulders. She steps up to the calling and does everything within her power to help save the people she loves. Dang good novel!

I love this series. Female mechanic shape-shifter, argues and irritates the sexy werewolf Alpha.

Mercy Thompson is a super cool character. Raised by a werewolf pack before abandoning everything she knew, fell face first into the real world.

The walker comes from the Skinwalkers of Southwest Indian tribes, but I have less in common with a Skin-walker, at least from what I've read, than I do with the werewolves. I don't do magic, I don't need a coyote skin t change shape-and I'm not evil.

Without her knowledge, Bran, the main werewolf Alpha dude, assigned Adam, Mercy's sexy and irritating Alpha neighbor, to keep an eye on her. Sharing a property line with her, the animosity between Mercy and Adam is funny. Their relationship in the first book was awesome. This book is intense and amazing. It's always fun to see how things progress. I know I use that word a lot, progress or progression .. but is there any other point? Really?

Falling in love with a werewolf is not a safe thing to do-but falling in love with an Alpha is worse. Especially for someone like me. I had fought too long to belong to myself, to allow myself to fall into line with the rest of the pack.

Werewolves are made, not born. To become a werewolf, you need to survive an attack so vicious that you nearly die-which allows the werewolf's magic to defeat your immune system. Man, many of the werewolf's kin who try to become werewolves themselves die in the attempt.

Blood Bound is twice as heart pounding as Moon Called. Stefan needs her help, and she owes him a favor. She finds herself victim to a psycho nut job demon-ridden sorcerer vampire. He takes over your mind, messes with your memories, and forces you to eat your friends. Eww, right?

Everyone is searching for the vampire, but he evades. It isn't until Warren shows up on the doorstep looking like hamburger. Near death, his trauma is so brutal that he is unable to speak to report important details. Details that would help rescue the others that are now being held prisoner.

I can't say TOO much more!

I will say this. The little triangle between Adam, Samuel and Stefan is becoming interesting. I just wonder ...(Actually, I know! I have read this series before ...) but you'll have to read the books yourself.

I recommend this book to mature adults. Moderate to semi deliciously bloody violence. Some snuggling but unless I remember incorrectly, there is no actual sexual content.

Read this series in order.

Mercy Thompson is a VW auto mechanic and a walker. She owes Stephan a favor and he's calling to collect. Neither Stephan or Mercy expect what's about to happen yet the consequences are dire for everyone involved. They meet up with a sorcerer named Corey Littleton who also happens to be a vampire. They discover that Littleton also has demon inside him. Mercy is injured during the favor which upsets Stephan and Samuel to no end. Now the hunt is on to find Littleton and destroy him before he does anymore damage. Mercy is not sure how to act around Adam yet doesn't want to hurt Sam's feeling either. When Warren is found injured at Uncle Mike's, Mercy is determined to reunite him and Kyle no matter the cost which is not a popular idea among pack. Can Littleton be stopped? Can Mercy find Littleton? Who created Littleton? Will Warren be okay? What does Mercy really feel for Sam and Adam? Your answers await you in Blood Bound.

All of Patricia Brooks is good. And all of the Mercy Thompson series is good, although I began reading her ages ago with my favorite book of hers being 'the hob's bargain'. Anyway its hard to say anything except its a great sequel to the first of this series and be sure to read it. What I like about Mercy Thompson best is she has flaws. I do hate a perfect character. But Mercy has flaws that I can live with, they arent the dishonorable sort. So read 'Moon Called' first, the first of the series and then work your way up. 1. Moon Called (2006), 2. Blood Bound (2007), 3. Iron Kissed (2008), 4. Bone Crossed (2009), 5. Silver Borne (2010), 6. River Marked (2011), 7. Frost Burned (2013), 8. Night Broken (2014)

I've read all the books in this series, and I love them... that said, it is slow to start. The author doesn't really find her footing until book 3 or 4, and that is why these 1st two books are less than stellar (this being book 2). Do I recommend them? Absolutely! But only because the long term pay-off is very much worth it. If the series had stopped here, it would have been nothing remarkable, and I wouldn't have bothered to write a review. Take that for what you will.

Book Two of the Mercy Thompson series picks up pretty quickly after the first book and starts right in on the action.

Mercy is an auto mechanic and a walker that can turn into a coyote but raised by werewolves and trained by a fae. To add to that Mercy is actually friends with Stefan, one of the local vampires. When Stefan asks Mercy to accompany him to confront a new vampire in town things start to get really prickly.

The new vampire is also 'demon-ridden' and a sorcerer. The demon-vamp causes all sorts of discord just by his presence and can affect the minds of other vampires. Only Mercy really has a prayer of stopping him and she is not exactly the kind of chick that goes looking for that kind of action. But with the werewolves and the vampires nearly incapacitated Mercy steps up the plate with a little help from the fae.

Mercy is a terrific heroine because she is not a know-it-all, kick-@ss, overly sexual character. She is portrayed as very human and seems to only manage to get herself out of situations through luck, bravado and sheer perspicacity. This unperfection makes her very endearing and Mercy continues to grow as a character.

The second installment of the Mercy Thompson series shifts focus from the werewolves to the vampires. This time her vampire friend, Stefan, decides to call in a favor from Mercy. She risks life and limb to thwart an evil sorcerer-turned-vampire (as if vampires weren't evil enough on their own) causing numerous deaths all around the city. The supernatural cream of the crop are all involved to take this sucker down, from head vampires to head werewolves. And even still, somehow Mercy's abilities prove useful to help save them all.

While I'm still not totally hooked, it's definitely a step in the right direction. This book is a lot better in terms of action and the characters are more established, so I could relate to them a bit more. The love triangle (or maybe quadrangle?) is definitely kicked up a notch and confirmed here. Adam seems to be becoming my Were of choice, but there is enough argument for her other suitor(s?) as well, so I will just see how Mrs. Briggs decides to develop that angle. I liked the incorporation of ghosts this time around, and their use is quite intuitive and sensible. The vampire politics are somewhat more interesting than the first book since I didn't find myself zoning out quite as much.

Stefan, has potential to be an extremely interesting character as the series progresses. It's hard to tell what motivates him which will only keep everyone guessing. That's a good sign of complexity considering that vampires are inherently evil in this series.

So all in all, it was certainly better than Moon Called, but I don't really have the urge to want to inhale it like I've had with some of my favorites. Of course, that's not necessarily a bad thing since I can be a much more productive human being, but this doesn't necessarily need to be shot up to the top of your TBR list, even though it's a decent read. I am still interested enough to want to continue and see what unfolds for Mercy and her friends, so that's a good thing. Onto Book 3!

Mercy is back and there is yet another problem that she has gotten herself caugt up in. More than one actually. First problem deals with Stefan returning and asking her to payback her favor that she owed him from Moon Called. Mercy agrees since she said she owed him one. The favor Stefan has in mind leads to a dangerous homoicidal vampire that kills humans for kicks. He's also more powerful than Stefan in his powers. Although the vampire is only acting upon his master's wishes and this vampire is just as dangerous, especailly since Stefan nor anyone else in the vampire community knows who that is, that or no one wants to share that information.

Mercy's love life also takes an interesting turn. In the beginning she begins to date Adam, as it was hinted in the end of Moon Called. Samuel, who is living with Mercy in her trailer is not happy about the situation ad Mercy's feelings get all flip flopped between the two men. Another possible love interest comes in at the end, that may or may not be anything particular, but it does raise some questions. Although I don't want to spoil that for you by revealing his identity.

Overall a good book and looking forward to more Mercy novels in the future.

This is the second book in the Mercy Thompson novels and it lived up to my expectations. After borrowing the first one from the library I couldn't wait to read the rest so I went out to buy them. This is rare for me because I search through so many to find the one that I can't wait to finish.

After the first story I just loved the character. She's strong, stubborn and has strong loyalties. I will admit there are some points where I didn't understand her for example instead of searching for clues or something she would go to work....I know I know the bills must be paid but still. Anyways from the first story I knew she was a shape shifter in the form of coyote. She was raised by a pack of werewolves then she was on her own at a young age but she was under watchful eyes.

In this book Stephan calls her in to return the favor that she owed him. And like the good person she is she does but that ends up being a bigger problem than expected. There is a new vampire in town and there is more to him than just that. There is something inside him....A lot of events take place and Mercy is the only one that can take care of business.

This book was non stop fun. I couldn't put it down at all just waiting for the next event or conversation. It had plenty of action and some really cute scenes. I still can't pick what team I'm on. After the last book I was starting to say she should go with Stefan so she doesn't have to pick between Adam and Sam...This one it turns into more choices...

Team Adam?
Team Samuel?
Team....well you'll have to read it

I just can't pick..I love them all. Yes they all have their flaws but that's what makes them likable. There is just something about each of them that I wish they can be combines into one person. I have usually been able to lean towards one and I was close until this book and now I'm in limbo.

Overall I'd give this a 4.5 because of the lack of the werewolves which is what I thought was going to be the focus of the story. Event wise thought it was great and Mercy learns more about herself and what powers she posses and the story is resolved nicely.

I read "Moon Called" in a day and a half. I looked forward to the adventures of Mercedes. I was not disappointed, I expected to enjoy the book so much that I read it quickly; again a day and a half and I was done. I just couldn't put it down.

I had hoped that the author would delve into the budding relationship of Adam and Mercedes. I had also hoped that Samuel would have left or at least learned modern women want more than what he was offering. I was disappointed that Briggs opted to delve into the vampires. I was completely baffled why Stephan would be in love with Mercedes.

However, I did enjoy Mercedes learning how to use the gifts she had taken for granted. I would like Briggs to continue with this series. I rarely find myself vested in written characters; yet I found myself vested in all of them through both of these books...even Ben.

The actual story itself kept me reading (as the first did); it was entertaining, balancing humor with tension. She took several turns with the characters and events that suprised me as they happened.

Overall a great, fun, easy read for those looking to escape from life without having to remember how all the different fantasy species interact and such. It was a back to basics take on werewolves, shapeshifter/skinwalkers, and vampires. For me, that was refreshing.

The second book is a much stronger book than the "Moon Called". My main complaint for "Moon Called" was that the plot was a bit too confusing. This is not the case for this book. The action was more exciting and I found myself plunging through the story, regardless of what else I had going on. I really appreciate how most of the characters from "Moon Called" came back because at this point, I feel like they are my friends and I really care about what happens to them. Also, instead of recapping everything that happened from the previous book in one big lump(something I find annoying) Briggs does a wonderful job of recapping in small bits here and there. Mercy Thompson is my kind of heroine. Despite the fact that she's strong and resourceful, she is also sensitive, vulnerable and fearful. This makes her feel more like a real person and when she's hurt, it means that much more. The romance is definitely very, very light in the story but I'm willing to wait for it heat up since that's more in line with Mercy's character. I'm already looking forward to reading the next book.

Just barely 3 stars. I liked this better than the first book in the series, Moon Called. The plot was more fully developed and more coherent. The characters acted as expected, in accord with their beliefs, values, experiences, etc.

There is not much romance, and we still have the blasted love triangle between Mercy, Samuel, and Adam. The love triangle continues through this entire book, just as it did with book 1, only now Samuel is living in Mercy's trailer. The love triangle is reminiscent of the Stephanie Plum series, with Ranger versus Joe Morelli. Not a hit with me. If Mercy can't care deeply for either Samuel or Adam, then how can Briggs expect me to??

Some of the secondary characters are growing on me: Stefan the vampire, Zee the fae, Ben the red werewolf from London, etc.

Is it Christian fiction?? Briggs appears to be torn between story-telling and sermonizing. This is a tale about vampires, and particularly, a psychopathic sorcerer who willingly becomes a vampire and then willingly accepts a demon, selling his soul to the devil. Lots and lots of gore and blood. Discussion of vampires and wolves eating human babies (NOT something I want in a beach read fantasy). Varied descriptions of floors running with blood, walls dripping with blood, heads decapitated, etc.

Amidst the gore and far-out fiction we have Mercy sharing her views about good and evil, God, Jesus, faith, and religion. Mercy feels the cross is a symbol of torture and that people should NOT wear it or display it. (I know, cuz she repeats this view, including a little vignette describing how, when she was little, she visited a church and never forgot the blood dripping from the Lord's feet, on the cross). Instead -- claiming that Jesus is the Lamb of God -- Mercy wears a lamb necklace, not a cross. In self-defense against a vamp, she recites John 3:16.

I like a story to be a story, not a pulpit for any author agenda. It would be fine if Mercy simply showed the vampire the lamb necklace, stated briefly that she didn't like to associate Christ with torture, and recited John 3:16, but Briggs went way beyond that. It is resoundingly clear that Briggs eschews the Catholic cross -- the one showing Christ suffering and dying. That's totally fine...but does it belong in this story??

>>> I got no beef with a Christian character in urban fantasy. That's fine. But Briggs is too heavy handed.

After reading only a few pages of this book, I was totally hooked. This book was full of possessive werewolves, frightening vampires, fae of all sorts, and even a demon-ridden vampire created by one of the local seethe's own members. This was an extremely suspenseful read-Briggs has a way of making things jump at you when you least expect it.

I began to like Mercy's character much more after starting this book. Her character is developed much more as she finds out more about her past as well as her own powers, which she begins to recognize as weapons rather than curses. Although the werewolves, vampires, and fae are much stronger than she, she develops a strength of her own-a strenght that only a walker can possess. Her stubbornness and refusal to conform to werewolf political structure makes her a true rebel who is willing to do anything for justice in the complex world she is surrounded by.

I just loved this book. If you are a paranormal romance lover, this series is a must read!

I was so excited to hear Briggs had finally come out with the second in the series featuring Mercy. I thought the first was excellent and now have discovered the second to be even better. I love this tough, intelligent, educated character. How wild to have a college degree in history only to have to make a living fixing VWs and living in a 20 year old trailer. (I don't mean wild and in good-but typical of some college degrees. I mean, really, how much can you do with a degree in history, but teach history?) Mercy is not just a pretty great mechanic, but she's also a skin-walker who can turn into a coyote at will. She's the only skin-walker that she know of. As a young girl, her mom brought her to a local werewolf tribe and asked their help in raising her. She was lucky when they agreed and did right by Mercy (most wolves would kill a coyote outright). Now Mercy is being looked after by the local werewolves of the new town she lives in as a favor to her foster father. She's living with her childhood sweetheart (holding him off at arms length) being courted by the local alpha (holding him at arms length) and being recruited by the local friendly vampire (being totally freaked out). Then there is the serial killer who's come to town. Mercy is told by just about every male in rock throwing distance to stay out of it (which she agrees wholeheartedly) but when all those same males turn up missing, she's all that's left to rescue them.

Overall I find it fabulous and I absolutely cannot wait for the next. Great characterization with extremely well rounded and versatile characters. The plot is to die for. The scene where Mercy is alone in her little trailer and the demon/vampire is right outside her window looking in left me at the edge of my seat, holding my breath. My eyes could not travel across the line fast enough. Great! Great! Great!

I read this in one setting. It isn't a short enough book for a one-setting read, but I loved it that much. I really like Patricia Briggs, and will read Moon Called next. Apparently Moon Called is the first novel in the series.

She's also written some short stories for Charlaine Harris' anthologies. Of course, lots of other books, too.

The cover is misleading. I think. In Blood Bound, Mercy does no more than kiss a couple times. She's not a tattoed bimbo, as the cover suggests. She doesn't work in her garage with her bra showing. How annoying. Why not portray a strong, capable woman who owns her own business? Maybe a werewolf or coyote in the background? I don't know. It should be better than this.

In the second book in the Mercy Thompson series Mercy is asked by a friend who happens to be a vampire for a favor. She knows she owes him one for helping her before, but she never dreamed that helping him would lead to a whole lot of trouble.

This one also lets Mercy know that she Sam, and Adam wanting to mate her. But she also has another unlikely person wanting her affections.

This book has lots of action, some major hot guys, and a very awesome female heroine. I can't wait to read more. I was constantly wanting to know what was going to happen next. This story, and series is so intriguing.

Ok, Mercy is a used car auto-mechanic who specializes in German manufactured cars. Mercy is also a coyote skin-walker. Her best customer is a vampire who drives around in an old VW mini-van with a Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine paint job, and her next door neighbor is the alpha-male of the local wolf pack, who she has gone out on a couple of dates with. Her room-mate is the son of the chief were-wolf in North America, who she almost eloped with when she was 16. Her ex-boss is a fey who calls himself a gremlin, and whose talent is working with metal and iron (normally poisonous to all fey.)

With her first book, Moon Called, we barely meet the vampires and fey in the Tri-Cities of Eastern Washington State. In this book, not only have the weaker fey creatures been outed, but the were-wolves have also outed themselves to humanity. Vampires are still unknown however; and the local vampire sidhe queen needs help stopping a rogue vampire who is a sorcerer, a human who has invited a demon into his body giving him powers over vampires, were-wolves, and fey. Can Mercy stop this sorcerer/vampire?

Part of what makes this book and series important is the look into the politics of the various supernatural groups in Briggs's modern world, and Mercy's struggles as a businesswoman and member of the paranormal community. She must also help protect her fellow humans, while struggling with her potential boyfriends, and helping all her friends whether human or paranormal. Briggs along with David Weber, Kim Harrison, and Charlaine Harris do an excellent job of this with differing levels of emphasis. By the way, I agree with Patricia Briggs that this 2nd novel is an improvement over the first novel, and I am avidly looking forward to book 3 which has been submitted to the publishers even as we speak.

my biggest problem is the lack of dialogue. i didn't get attached to any of the characters because her conversations were so few and far between. and it was too bad because i enjoyed her dialogue when she did have it. she als never describe what anyone looked like in any detail, so i couldn't visualize any of them. the story is good enough.

Like Everything about this series & tje serving book- rem tho I've read it before -was still as good as the first time. I'm NOOR usually into romance triangles butt outs booty the running there there's soo much more going on but iut is there something mercy has to deal with, I def recommend thos book to ANYONE who LOVES this genre

I enjoyed this book much more than Moon Called. Maybe it's because this one dealt with the vampires. The wolf pack is there, and you get more insight into the inner workings of the Alpha and his pack. But, I loved the vampires. This seethe (as its referred to in the book) is more how I picture vampires. They are evil and not to be trusted. Even Stefan, who Mercy considers to be a friend, I wouldn't want to be alone with in a room. I loved the descriptions of how each mythical creature's magic works. And the scene with the demon and Mercy at her trailer actually freaked me out a little (made me wish I wasn't reading it late at night with all the lights off)!

It's difficult to find good urban fantasy these days, but Patricia Briggs has started a new series. The first book, "Moon Called" which came out last year, introduced us to Mercedes 'Mercy' Thompson, a girl who was raised by wolves--well, werewolves to be exact. It seems Mercy is a skinwalker. She appears to be human, but can change to a coyote form at will. In this society, the fae have come out and many are restricted to reservations. Weres and vamps are also in the process of coming out, but there's quite a bit of politics and public relations involved in this process.

Mercy isn't in your typical glam profession, either. She's a mechanic, a VW mechanic to be precise, named "Mercedes."

The second book, "Blood Bound" returns to Mercy's world. Stefan, a friend and not your typical vampire (he drives a VW bus decorated as the "Mystery Machine"), asks Mercy to come along as witness in her coyote form. He suspects a vampire-sorcerer is loose in the Tri-Cities area. He's right--Mercy witnesses a vicious murder.

Worse, as the heat increases, tempers everywhere are flaring and the body count is rising. Marsilia, the Master Vampire, comes to Mercy and tells her that she's the only one who can stop this sorcerer. Between the vamps and the fae, Mercy has the skills and the tools to do the job.

Just before she can, the vampire-sorcerer has taken the Alpha Werewolf and her close friend, Samuel. Mercy's pretty sure by nightfall that the two of them will be added to the death toll.

Mercedes is definitely a likeable heroine. I enjoy reading about a VW mechanic's life juxtaposed into a fantasy situation. The world she's created is interesting and mostly believable. Briggs definitely knows how to keep you turning pages. I certainly did til I was done with the book.

Another fantastic Mercy Thompson story. This time Mercy's up against a vampire sorcerer who's wreaking havoc among the citizens of the Tri Cities and even the help of the werewolves, vampires and fae might not be enough to take this monster down. I love this feisty coyote shifter and her friends, and look forward to the next book in the series, Iron Kissed.

I really enjoyed this book. I agree with a previous reviewer...my only complaint is that at 292 pages, the book was too short.

This book has Mercy pulled into vampire politics by Stefan who is calling in a favor. The storyline follows Mercy, the vamps and the weres, along with a little help from the fae, trying to stop a demon possessed sorcerer turned vampire. We learn a little more about the seethe, which is the vampire world, and a little more about were hierarchy and rank. The story is fast-paced and Briggs does a great job of bringing the characters to life. I love that Mercy has some practical and common sense and aknowleges that she's not indestructable. but at the same time, is a strong/smart heroine. I enjoy the slow steady build up of a relationship between Mercy and Adam, in what I hope will continue with future books.

I loved this book. I enjoyed revisiting Samuel, Bran, Warren, and company.

I know that most of Ms Briggs previous books are not long running series. I hope this storyline and characters will be the exception. I would love to see many many more books in this series.

I've yet to read anything by Briggs that I didn't love. This book is no exception. The Mercy Thompson series, in general, is brilliantly written and highly entertaining. "Moon Called" introduced us to Mercy and her world. "Blood Bound" picks up the story, showing us that Briggs definitely knows how to write vampires. No glittery skin, no weeping angst ... just good, ol' fashioned creepy with a side of cool. There are no downsides to this book. You'll find everything you could ask for in an urban fantasy series: action, magic, fantastical beings, clever writing, and a taste of romance.

I've read the full Mercy series and now am on Night Broken. It's a great series with lots of unique characters to fall in love with. Mercy is funny and has an attitude. She gets into lots of trouble. She also is brave and helps get her friends out of trouble. I find it to be one of the better Urban Fantasy series cuz there are laughs, lots of action, romance but not erotic sex scenes which I really don't need. It is best read in sequence....

Patricia Briggs writes like Sharon Shinn: with a very quiet, understated elegance that engulfs you and immerses you in the story without you realising it. Very subtly she manages to make you care about all her characters (well, all of the ones that matter, anyway) and make you invested in both the story and their HEA.

I will admit to being underwhelmed by MOON CALLED, but boy am I glad I continued. This was such a good book! The suspense and intrigue built up soooooo slowly, and ended in a roaring crescendo.

And her characters are some of the best in urban fantasy. Mercy is fantabulous; and so is Adam; and Samuel; and Bran; and Stefan: and Zee; and even Ben, yes even that annoyig werewolf.

Besides, who doesn't love a good werewolf story? Exactly.

So if you are looking for well-fleshed out, interesting, and awesome characters, a great plot, and four especially hot werewolves (Bran, Charles, Samuel, and Adam) then this is your book. And of course, a fantabulous female lead. (less)

It's a snowy day in the Tri-Cities today, but I'm keeping warm with some cocoa and the Mercy Thompson series! As a fan of Charlaine Harris and lots of YA paranormal books, I can't believe that it took me this long to find Patricia Briggs--especially since she's a local author! I just finished Blood Bound and enjoyed the stronger vampire influence in this book. Also of course, adding Stefan into the "romantic" mix was fun! Mercy just has all sorts of possibilities in the strong, silent, and paranormal hunk category! Don't get me wrong, the romance is not the main focus of this series. The main point of this book was a hunt for a demon-possessed, vampire sorcerer, and as such had tons of intrigue, kick butt action, and all sorts of things that guys would like in addition to the subtle romantic undertones that made me happy. Perhaps the most fun for me though is all of the local color that Briggs adds to these novels. She does a great job of establishing the Tri-Cities and surrounding area as the setting. It all rings very true! I'm looking forward to reading more of this series and trying the Alpha and Omega books too.

The first in the series, "Moon Called" was so good, I finished in a matter of hours, the second installment was even better. Mercy (Mercedes the Volkswagen mechanic) is turning out to be quite the enigma, as we are not quite sure what a "Walker" really is at this point. This allows her to move between the different paranormal characters that we get know (werewolves, vampires and Fae) with ease, and adds a layer of suspense. I love the tension between her, Adam and Sam (Who will prevail and win her heart?), which adds a fantastic undercurrent to the main plot. I also find her particularly humane (which is rare in a paranormal book), not given to much omnipotence delusions, and generally keeping it real within a matrix of "abnormality". I can't wait for the third book in the series, which (according to PB site) is will be called "Iron Kissed" and will deal mostly with the Fae (Zee? Iron? Gremlin of mischief?). I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of paranormal such as the SK's "Dark-Hunter" series (Although I think this series is so much better, and I'm sure the next installment will reach the top 10 on the NYT list with ease!).

Go, Buy it - Now!

If book one was werewolves, book two is vampires. It's all about how Mercy Thompson interacts with the local vampire seethe, and what life is like for vampires in the supernatural world of Patrica Briggs. It takes place about half a year after the first novel, with the big off-screen development being werewolves are finally 'public' following the lead of the fae. (Vampire still aren't public, that's a big plot point.) This felt weird being off screen given the themes and emphasis of book one.

A sub-theme of the book is the political structure of the supernatural community, especially in the face of an obvious supernatural threat. The general view is pure human lives are not worth much, and the most sympathetic perspective for humanity comes from the werewolves (not a surprise given who the heroine is). Plotwise, the werewolves must help the vampires (hunt lead by Stephan) kill off a rogue vampire possessed by an underworld being (demon/devil, not explained). This vampire has terrible powers and spends the majority of the novel walking all over the groups who oppose it.

What is means to be a skinwalker is developed slightly, but not much. It's closer to the end, so that footnote is it.

On the whole, Briggs once again delivers a decent novel and a neatly wrapped plot. However, in terms of character development no romantic progress was made, and if anything I got the feeling Mercy was leading on both Adam and Samuel. I don't mind no romance; in fact, I prefer it. However Briggs took the time to write multiple scenes that ended leaving the reader with a whole lot of nothing, which is something I don't enjoy reading.

Not impressed with the series to either the point of praise or ridicule, so on to book three.

Blood Bound is the second title to explore the life of Mercy Thompson. Briggs does a wonderful job of adding to the world she first showed us in Moon Called. Blood Bound is a much more focused effort that is a one sitting read.

The Tri-Cities has a problem -- a big one -- in the form of a demon inhabiting a sorcerer who has been made a vampire. Mercy reluctantly sits back while Warren, Ben and Stefan take the lead on tracking down the monster. At least until Warren is hurt and Ben, Samuel, Adam and Stefan all go missing, then Mercy realizes she might be the only one who can catch the terrible creature.

I love this series because, slowly, Mercy is finding out who she is. She's exploring her options as far as the men in her life and she's learning more and more about the fae world around her. The dialogue is sharp, funny and real and the pace is strong, but not out of control. For all those out there that loved the earlier books in the Anita Blake series you should pick up Moon Called and Blood Bound right now. And for others that are looking for a solid "other world," great characters and a good mystery/chase look no farther than Patricia Briggs!

This series continues to go strong. It sticks with your basic paranormal lore--vampires this time--but gives it a twist by bringing in a demon-ridden vampire and a touch of what I would consider essentially necromancy. The Big Bad is much tougher this time, and it's sprinkled with a nice bit of vampire intrigue.

I really like this series. Mercy's character is growing steadily and her attachments to Adam and Samuel are getting a little more involved. She is also proving herself to be someone to be reckoned with both in the wolf pack and among the vampires.

This book focused more on the seethe and how they lived. I found the book to be a bit slower than book 1, but not in a bad way. It is a progressive build where as book 1 was in your face action through most of the book.

Patricia Briggs is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I hope that the Mercy Thompson series
continues for some time.

The first book in this series was a relatively playful even with death and undertones of violence. This is a much darker entry and also more religious basis showing through. The vampire society is greater shown and examined and we learn more about Mercy's powers.

I enjoyed this book much more than Moon Called. Maybe it's because this one dealt with the vampires. The wolf pack is there, and you get more insight into the inner workings of the Alpha and his pack. But, I loved the vampires. This seethe (as its referred to in the book) is more how I picture vampires. They are evil and not to be trusted. Even Stefan, who Mercy considers to be a friend, I wouldn't want to be alone with in a room. I loved the descriptions of how each mythical creature's magic works. And the scene with the demon and Mercy at her trailer actually freaked me out a little (made me wish I wasn't reading it late at night with all the lights off)!

It's difficult to find good urban fantasy these days, but Patricia Briggs has started a new series. The first book, "Moon Called" which came out last year, introduced us to Mercedes 'Mercy' Thompson, a girl who was raised by wolves--well, werewolves to be exact. It seems Mercy is a skinwalker. She appears to be human, but can change to a coyote form at will. In this society, the fae have come out and many are restricted to reservations. Weres and vamps are also in the process of coming out, but there's quite a bit of politics and public relations involved in this process.

Mercy isn't in your typical glam profession, either. She's a mechanic, a VW mechanic to be precise, named "Mercedes."

The second book, "Blood Bound" returns to Mercy's world. Stefan, a friend and not your typical vampire (he drives a VW bus decorated as the "Mystery Machine"), asks Mercy to come along as witness in her coyote form. He suspects a vampire-sorcerer is loose in the Tri-Cities area. He's right--Mercy witnesses a vicious murder.

Worse, as the heat increases, tempers everywhere are flaring and the body count is rising. Marsilia, the Master Vampire, comes to Mercy and tells her that she's the only one who can stop this sorcerer. Between the vamps and the fae, Mercy has the skills and the tools to do the job.

Just before she can, the vampire-sorcerer has taken the Alpha Werewolf and her close friend, Samuel. Mercy's pretty sure by nightfall that the two of them will be added to the death toll.

Mercedes is definitely a likeable heroine. I enjoy reading about a VW mechanic's life juxtaposed into a fantasy situation. The world she's created is interesting and mostly believable. Briggs definitely knows how to keep you turning pages. I certainly did til I was done with the book.

Another fantastic Mercy Thompson story. This time Mercy's up against a vampire sorcerer who's wreaking havoc among the citizens of the Tri Cities and even the help of the werewolves, vampires and fae might not be enough to take this monster down. I love this feisty coyote shifter and her friends, and look forward to the next book in the series, Iron Kissed.

I really enjoyed this book. I agree with a previous reviewer...my only complaint is that at 292 pages, the book was too short.

This book has Mercy pulled into vampire politics by Stefan who is calling in a favor. The storyline follows Mercy, the vamps and the weres, along with a little help from the fae, trying to stop a demon possessed sorcerer turned vampire. We learn a little more about the seethe, which is the vampire world, and a little more about were hierarchy and rank. The story is fast-paced and Briggs does a great job of bringing the characters to life. I love that Mercy has some practical and common sense and aknowleges that she's not indestructable. but at the same time, is a strong/smart heroine. I enjoy the slow steady build up of a relationship between Mercy and Adam, in what I hope will continue with future books.

I loved this book. I enjoyed revisiting Samuel, Bran, Warren, and company.

I know that most of Ms Briggs previous books are not long running series. I hope this storyline and characters will be the exception. I would love to see many many more books in this series.

I've yet to read anything by Briggs that I didn't love. This book is no exception. The Mercy Thompson series, in general, is brilliantly written and highly entertaining. "Moon Called" introduced us to Mercy and her world. "Blood Bound" picks up the story, showing us that Briggs definitely knows how to write vampires. No glittery skin, no weeping angst ... just good, ol' fashioned creepy with a side of cool. There are no downsides to this book. You'll find everything you could ask for in an urban fantasy series: action, magic, fantastical beings, clever writing, and a taste of romance.

I've read the full Mercy series and now am on Night Broken. It's a great series with lots of unique characters to fall in love with. Mercy is funny and has an attitude. She gets into lots of trouble. She also is brave and helps get her friends out of trouble. I find it to be one of the better Urban Fantasy series cuz there are laughs, lots of action, romance but not erotic sex scenes which I really don't need. It is best read in sequence....

Patricia Briggs writes like Sharon Shinn: with a very quiet, understated elegance that engulfs you and immerses you in the story without you realising it. Very subtly she manages to make you care about all her characters (well, all of the ones that matter, anyway) and make you invested in both the story and their HEA.

I will admit to being underwhelmed by MOON CALLED, but boy am I glad I continued. This was such a good book! The suspense and intrigue built up soooooo slowly, and ended in a roaring crescendo.

And her characters are some of the best in urban fantasy. Mercy is fantabulous; and so is Adam; and Samuel; and Bran; and Stefan: and Zee; and even Ben, yes even that annoyig werewolf.

Besides, who doesn't love a good werewolf story? Exactly.

So if you are looking for well-fleshed out, interesting, and awesome characters, a great plot, and four especially hot werewolves (Bran, Charles, Samuel, and Adam) then this is your book. And of course, a fantabulous female lead. (less)

It's a snowy day in the Tri-Cities today, but I'm keeping warm with some cocoa and the Mercy Thompson series! As a fan of Charlaine Harris and lots of YA paranormal books, I can't believe that it took me this long to find Patricia Briggs--especially since she's a local author! I just finished Blood Bound and enjoyed the stronger vampire influence in this book. Also of course, adding Stefan into the "romantic" mix was fun! Mercy just has all sorts of possibilities in the strong, silent, and paranormal hunk category! Don't get me wrong, the romance is not the main focus of this series. The main point of this book was a hunt for a demon-possessed, vampire sorcerer, and as such had tons of intrigue, kick butt action, and all sorts of things that guys would like in addition to the subtle romantic undertones that made me happy. Perhaps the most fun for me though is all of the local color that Briggs adds to these novels. She does a great job of establishing the Tri-Cities and surrounding area as the setting. It all rings very true! I'm looking forward to reading more of this series and trying the Alpha and Omega books too.

The first in the series, "Moon Called" was so good, I finished in a matter of hours, the second installment was even better. Mercy (Mercedes the Volkswagen mechanic) is turning out to be quite the enigma, as we are not quite sure what a "Walker" really is at this point. This allows her to move between the different paranormal characters that we get know (werewolves, vampires and Fae) with ease, and adds a layer of suspense. I love the tension between her, Adam and Sam (Who will prevail and win her heart?), which adds a fantastic undercurrent to the main plot. I also find her particularly humane (which is rare in a paranormal book), not given to much omnipotence delusions, and generally keeping it real within a matrix of "abnormality". I can't wait for the third book in the series, which (according to PB site) is will be called "Iron Kissed" and will deal mostly with the Fae (Zee? Iron? Gremlin of mischief?). I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of paranormal such as the SK's "Dark-Hunter" series (Although I think this series is so much better, and I'm sure the next installment will reach the top 10 on the NYT list with ease!).

Go, Buy it - Now!

If book one was werewolves, book two is vampires. It's all about how Mercy Thompson interacts with the local vampire seethe, and what life is like for vampires in the supernatural world of Patrica Briggs. It takes place about half a year after the first novel, with the big off-screen development being werewolves are finally 'public' following the lead of the fae. (Vampire still aren't public, that's a big plot point.) This felt weird being off screen given the themes and emphasis of book one.

A sub-theme of the book is the political structure of the supernatural community, especially in the face of an obvious supernatural threat. The general view is pure human lives are not worth much, and the most sympathetic perspective for humanity comes from the werewolves (not a surprise given who the heroine is). Plotwise, the werewolves must help the vampires (hunt lead by Stephan) kill off a rogue vampire possessed by an underworld being (demon/devil, not explained). This vampire has terrible powers and spends the majority of the novel walking all over the groups who oppose it.

What is means to be a skinwalker is developed slightly, but not much. It's closer to the end, so that footnote is it.

On the whole, Briggs once again delivers a decent novel and a neatly wrapped plot. However, in terms of character development no romantic progress was made, and if anything I got the feeling Mercy was leading on both Adam and Samuel. I don't mind no romance; in fact, I prefer it. However Briggs took the time to write multiple scenes that ended leaving the reader with a whole lot of nothing, which is something I don't enjoy reading.

Not impressed with the series to either the point of praise or ridicule, so on to book three.

Blood Bound is the second title to explore the life of Mercy Thompson. Briggs does a wonderful job of adding to the world she first showed us in Moon Called. Blood Bound is a much more focused effort that is a one sitting read.

The Tri-Cities has a problem -- a big one -- in the form of a demon inhabiting a sorcerer who has been made a vampire. Mercy reluctantly sits back while Warren, Ben and Stefan take the lead on tracking down the monster. At least until Warren is hurt and Ben, Samuel, Adam and Stefan all go missing, then Mercy realizes she might be the only one who can catch the terrible creature.

I love this series because, slowly, Mercy is finding out who she is. She's exploring her options as far as the men in her life and she's learning more and more about the fae world around her. The dialogue is sharp, funny and real and the pace is strong, but not out of control. For all those out there that loved the earlier books in the Anita Blake series you should pick up Moon Called and Blood Bound right now. And for others that are looking for a solid "other world," great characters and a good mystery/chase look no farther than Patricia Briggs!

This series continues to go strong. It sticks with your basic paranormal lore--vampires this time--but gives it a twist by bringing in a demon-ridden vampire and a touch of what I would consider essentially necromancy. The Big Bad is much tougher this time, and it's sprinkled with a nice bit of vampire intrigue.

I really like this series. Mercy's character is growing steadily and her attachments to Adam and Samuel are getting a little more involved. She is also proving herself to be someone to be reckoned with both in the wolf pack and among the vampires.

This book focused more on the seethe and how they lived. I found the book to be a bit slower than book 1, but not in a bad way. It is a progressive build where as book 1 was in your face action through most of the book.

Patricia Briggs is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I hope that the Mercy Thompson series
continues for some time.

The first book in this series was a relatively playful even with death and undertones of violence. This is a much darker entry and also more religious basis showing through. The vampire society is greater shown and examined and we learn more about Mercy's powers.

The first book, Moon Called (Mercy Thompson Series, Book 1), had more of an introduction to Mercy Thompson's world and a little less story, while this book, "Blood Bound", is brimming with a serious, believable, complex, tightly written plot. The theme of "Good" vs. "Evil" is kept firmly in the center of the story, and around that central theme of white vs. black swirl all sorts of grays. Is evil absolute? Can friendship, like Mercy's friendship with a vampire, lessen evil? (Mercy was taught that all vampires are evil.) Is good absolute? Can good justify all acts done in its name, like killing a helpless being (even a vampire with plans to commit specific, evil acts) in cold blood? Ms. Briggs explores these, and many other, questions in this wonderful book, in which Mercy, her friends the werewolves, and the surrounding community find themselves dealing with a nearly pure example of evil: a demon-possessed vampire.

In addiion, romantic elements, nearly absent in "Moon Called", make their presence felt in "Blood Bound" as Mercy battles old, but still very real, feelings for Samuel, her first love, and at the same time she begins to face the complex emotions that Adam, the local Alpha, brings out in her.

"Blood Bound" is still far more a paranormal adventure than romance, but at least it can realistically be referred to as a paranormal romance, which the first book in the series really couldn't. Personally, I like some (sometimes even a lot of) romance with my paranormal adventures.

Now I eagerly await the next installment, not only for the excellent adventure I'm sure Ms Briggs will have for us, but also because I'm dying to see Mercy's further emotional (romantic!) development. (Patricia Brigg's website says, dated January 22, 2007, "...I've got to finish the third Mercy book (due in February) -- and find a good title for it.") So I've got to wait a year (sigh*), but at least I know it is coming.

"Blood Bound" is simply an excellent book. And what is even more startling is the almost complete absence of typos and other writing errors. That, by itself, in today's world of rushed or poorly trained editors and proofreaders, is enough to make me like this book. Add in everything else, and I'm really impressed. So be sure to read Moon Called (Mercy Thompson Series, Book 1) first, so you'll understand Mercy's world, then definitely, definitely read "Blood Bound".

Mercy Thompson, walker and mechanic, finds herself once again being dragged of into werewolf, vampire and fey politics. This time, Stefan the Scooby-Doo loving vampire, calls in his favor and drags Mercy in coyote form off to deliver a message to leave to another vampire. Only, this new vampire is more than he seems, and he doesn't want to play nice. As a result, the werewolves and fey get involved with the vampires' problem, and not everyone survives.

This book, the second in the series (after Moon Called), is particularly interesting because Briggs starts to explain why the vampires historically almost wiped out Mercy's kind. MMM?

Also, the romantic tension(s?) has been upped in this installment.

Also try Elaine Cunningham's Changeling series and Karen Chance if you like these. Right now, this series is my top choice for an Anita Blake replacement.

Loved it, it kept me turning the pages. The story with werewolves, fae and vampires is interesting and I end up staying up way too late reading just one more page. Also not filled with gratuitous sex, which some books tend to overdo to the point of boredom. Love the realtionships Mercy has with the wolves and Stephan the vampire. Already reading the next book in the series.

While the mystery was a little predictable, I didn't find this took away from the story very much. The excitement and interesting topics kept me interested. The characters and the romance storyline develop further in this novel as well. A good read. 3.5 stars

This one is even better than the first, because you already know (and love) most of the characters.
I just finished book #6 on this series, and so far so great!. Patricia Briggs has become one of my favorite authors, great imagination, she delivers the stories in a way that keeps you guessing what will happen next, and lots! of action throughout the book.
Note: If you are looking for a lot of romance (or steamy scenes- for that, search for Kresley Cole), these books are NOT for you. There are some sweet parts, but the books are mostly about the adventures of Mercy, the romance is icing on the cake.
I love this series, and I love Adam, and Samuel, Bran, Stefan...
If you like these books, you should try Patricia Brigg's 'Alpha and Omega' series.

"Blood Bound" follows shape changing coyote M--, a young lady in an alternate modern setting. M-- pays back a debt owed to her friend vampire, by accompanying him in coyote form to confront a vampire from another town -- undercover, per say, since shape changing coyotes are nearly unheard of. The encounter goes sour, revealing a rogue vampire/sorcerer that threatens vampires, werewolves, and humans alike.

"Blood Bound" is that very rare comodity, a sequel that is actually better than the first book in the series. This novel is intended to be read after "Moon Called", but you don't need to read that other novel to enjoy this one. The light romance from the previous book continues, developping only a little, which I found appropriate. Most of the action centers on a sort of murder mystery, concerning the location and identity of the rouge vampire/sorcerer.

The only thing I didn't like about this novel was at the climax, wherein the werewolves act in a fashion that is entirely contrary to the personalities established earlier and in the previous novel. The author sacrificed continuity and consistency to get the desired climax, and I must say I am very disappointed.

Altogether, "Blood Bound" is just plain fun. If you enjoyed this novel, also consider "Forged Without Fire" by K. Morrow Pinson, and "Urban Shaman" by C. E. Murphy.

Yes, I did read Moon Called, the first in the series & loved it! Why write the review for the second book? Because it really rocked me. Moon Called successfully shows Briggs as an inventive, captivating storyteller w/ intriguing characters in an interesting world. In Blood Bound, she took it a few steps further for me & intertwined a genuinely creative monster that actually gave me the freaks. And I don't scare easy. It was the perfect amount of mayhem added to this already gripping read. I thoroughly enjoy this series & anxiously/impatiently await the next book...

This is exactly why i was hooked on laurell k. hamilton. Patricia Briggs has a girl character that is girly and exhibits all the characteristics of young female adults. Yes i know feminists in the world don't like that comment! Mercedes does a little falling in love and a little falling out all while she is greasy from her garage and splattered with blood from taking on the local vamps... ah fantasy writing heaven. Highly recommend this book if you want light on mind. Definitely a nice way to continue her mercy thompson series.. looking forward to #3.

I loved this book even more than I did Moon Called. Mercy is an amazing character. She is charming, without being aware she is charming. She is loyal, and strong spirited. She is what a strong willed woman should be. She is emotional about her friends, but not in the whiny,crying,overly dramatic way. This book was well-written and hard to put down. I can't even imagine how a series could get better than this (but I'd be eager to see it). Only negatives: two many beaus. I don't want to sound like a broken record, but please don't turn another Anita!

This is the second book in the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. It was about on par with the first book. It was okay but nothing special.

In this book Mercy is contacted by Stefen who calls in a favor that Mercy owes him and asks her to accompany him on a short trip. Stefen is supposed to check in on a vampire who entered the area unannounced. Stefen is nervous about the encounter and wants Mercy to come along because her Walker abilities should make her immune to any magic effects that this vampire has. Well, the vampire is more than he initially seems to be and the remainder of the book is dedicated to hunting him down and destroying him.

The story is straight forward and is a quick, fun read. I am still having trouble really liking any of the characters. The tension in the relationship between Mercy, Samuel and Adam is getting old. The vampires seemed kind of boring and predictable. The writing is still nothing special. Mercy's walker abilities are also nothing really interesting so far. The bright spots in this book for me were Mercy's dealings with the fey and the interesting weapons they gave her. I also though that the Wizard was an interesting character and I hope we see more of him in the future.

All the above being said, I'll read the next book because I already have it. Hopefully the next book will really draw me in. If not that's it for this series and I won't read anymore.

This is the second book in the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. It was about on par with the first book. It was okay but nothing special.

In this book Mercy is contacted by Stefen who calls in a favor that Mercy owes him and asks her to accompany him on a short trip. Stefen is supposed to check in on a vampire who entered the area unannounced. Stefen is nervous about the encounter and wants Mercy to come along because her Walker abilities should make her immune to any magic effects that this vampire has. Well, the vampire is more than he initially seems to be and the remainder of the book is dedicated to hunting him down and destroying him.

The story is straight forward and is a quick, fun read. I am still having trouble really liking any of the characters. The tension in the relationship between Mercy, Samuel and Adam is getting old. The vampires seemed kind of boring and predictable. The writing is still nothing special. Mercy's walker abilities are also nothing really interesting so far. The bright spots in this book for me were Mercy's dealings with the fey and the interesting weapons they gave her. I also though that the Wizard was an interesting character and I hope we see more of him in the future.

All the above being said, I'll read the next book because I already have it. Hopefully the next book will really draw me in. If not that's it for this series and I won't read anymore.

I am a Kim Harrison and Charlaine Harris fan. The world created in this book is very similar to the Sookie Stackhouse and Rachel Morgan series. I did not like this book as much as the first book in the series, but I liked it enough to want to read the third book. I usually get all my books from the library, but purchased Books 1 and 2 of this series because they reminded me so much of the Kim Harrison, Rachel Morgan series, which I also own. Easy reading and leaves you wanting to read the next book in the series.

I loved this book. I thought it was as good as, if not better than, the first.

Mercedes Thompson is a shaping changing coyote as well as auto mechanic. She's a tough, no nonsense woman who gives as good as she gets. She doesn't have superhuman strength and can't heal instantly. Her powers aren't unlimited and she struggles to deal with those she does have. Which is a refreshing change compared to other all powerful heroines in other novels.

The second book starts out with Mercy doing a favor for her vampire friend Stefan. It soon turns into something bigger than either of them initially thought. Marisilia the vampire mistress wants Mercy to track down a renegade vampire/sorcerer and his maker. Using her unique ability to talk to and find ghosts she manages to find the killer's lair. Clues along the way also help her to piece together his maker's identity.

While on the hunt for the murderous sorcerer, Mercy struggles to deal with her feelings for Adam and Sam. She's attracted to Adam, but hates that he can use his power as Alpha to control her against her will. She also still loves Sam, her childhood sweetheart. And if that isn't enough, the vampire Stefan is thrown into the mix with the revelation that he has feelings for her. Personally, I'd prefer her to end up with Sam. I think that now Sam is getting to know the real Mercy, he's begun to fall in love with her and wants her for more than just the mother of his children. Through everything he's been through I think he deserves to find happiness. I think he's more laidback and easy going than Adam (who comes off as controlling and bossy), and therefore much better suited to Mercy's independent fiery nature.

All in all this is a great book and I can't wait for the next in the series.

Patricia Briggs has the unique gift of being able to make the reader believe, for the space of 300 some pages, of her truths. That vampires, fae, werewolves, and magic makers live in tentative harmony with humankind. Her world is just like ours, only a bit more dangerous and a bit more sexy.

Mercy Thompson is a walker. As a walker, she has very few powers. She can shift into coyote shape and is somewhat resistant to other magics such as vampire compulsion or werewolf pack control. Because of her resistance to, vampire friend Stefan calls upon her to deliver a message to a visiting vampire who has failed to pay the proper respects to Stefan's seethe. Stefan is fearful that the visiting vampire has some type of magic that can compel him to do things he wouldn't ordinarily do and that Mercy is hopefully immune and will be able to report back to his seethe should anything happen to him.

Of course, things go badly and soon Mercy is wrapped up in a hunt for a vampire/sorcerer who is causing the Tri Cities area to have an increased rise in violence, harming werewolf friends, and endangering lives of innocents. To complicate things, her feelings for Adam, the local Alpha, are scaring her and her feelings for Samuel, an old flame, appear unresolved. Throw in a bit of vampire, fae, werewolf politics and the story does not stop.

The strength of this story is in that the details of the world construct and the consistency of characters that create a believable alternate reality. Mercy has a keen sense of smell, consistent with the canis species, that she employs on an everyday basis. She uses it when she is in danger, when she is working and when she is full of desire. She uses her brain to solve problems but doesn't hesitate to ask for help when she needs it. Mercy is portrayed as unassuming but loyal. She is the kind of person that you want to befriend so that when she is in danger or hurt or angry or in lust, all those emotions are felt keenly by the reader.

The complaints that I would have for the book is that, at times, Mercy monologues in a very educated manner. I felt that was more a reflection of the author's learnedness than Mercy's character (although she is described as being a history major in the previous book, Moon Called). Briggs has a small tendency toward repetitiveness. Certain details she deems important are inserted often. For example, Samuel is described as more dominant than the Alpha, Adam, about five times.

Additionally, there is another love interest developed for Mercy other than Adam and Samuel and while I am not philosophically opposed to this, I winced slightly upon reading it. I would loathe to see Mercy's unaffected charm be wiped away by having everyunattached male in the Tri Cities area falling for her.

Those are small quibbles and didn't really affect my appreciation for this book. The characters, the action, seem so alive. That's power of the pen - the ability to change a reader's perception. It's why we readers read fantasy.

Wow ... what a sequel! I didn't think anything could equal the taunt, fascinating tale of "Moon Called," as many sequels just don't measure up to the initial book, but I shouldn't have worried. Patricia Briggs certainly delivers an intriguing and captivating sequel in "Blood Bound;" which is, in my opinion, a stronger book than "Moon Called." And that's saying a lot!

In "Moon Called" the reader is introduced to Mercedes Thompson, a strong female character whose father was a mysterious Native American. She is a 'walker,' which means that she can change into a coyote, is immune to most magic, and can converse with ghosts. Mercy was raised by werewolves and repairs cars in her garage free of charge for vampires in exchange for protection. She lives in a world dominated by preternaturally strong males and yet she usually saves the day.

In "Blood Bound" the characters and hierarchies in the vampire seethe and Adam's wolf pack are further defined, giving the reader a deeper understanding of the rules governing each group. New characters are introduced who may play key roles in future sequels and the reader learns more about Mercy's abilities as a walker. I particularly enjoy the complex relationships Mercy has with Adam, Alpha of the local werewolf pack, and Samuel, an older dominant werewolf from her past. I applaud Ms. Briggs on her 'less is more' attitude in expressing and exploring romantic interests. And my oh my how the dynamics are changing between Mercy and Adam's pack.

I highly recommend "Blood Bound." Aside from being a most excellent sequel, the characters are rich and 3-dimentional and the first person narrative is awesome. I'm on my second read!

Patricia Brigg brings her coyote shape-shifter character Mercy back in this sequel to Moon Called. Mercy is a rare coyote shape shifter raised by a werewolf pack. By day she works as a mechanic in a world that has only recently become aware of the fae--who live on a reservation, and werewolves--who keep a very low profile. Vampires are still not part of the mainstream.

Yet Mercy seems to collect preternatural friends of all types, from her werewolf roommate, to her fae ex-boss and her vampire friend. When a demon possessed vampire goes on a killing spree, Mercy goes into action to stop him from outing the vampires in a very bad way. Her friendships and budding love-affairs with two werewolves are put to the test as Mercy resists efforts by the local vampires and werewolves to control her.

Briggs does a nice job of portraying a gutsy preternatural hero in a supernatural alternate universe. Her characters are appealing and lively. The writing in Blood Bound is tight and creates spine-tingling suspense. My only gripe is that I wish it were longer!

Patricia Briggs is an amazing author. And so far each book of the Mercy Thompson series is getting better and better. If you like the no traditional paranormal this is a great series. It brings the paranormal and the everyday life together. I love that it takes place in a place I have spent a lot of time visiting family and it uses real life places. Can't wait for the next book.

Wish I had known Mercy Thompson before now, but then again, I'm glad I didn't. I can read them as fast as I can and hopefully if she is writing another, it will come out before I am through with these. I can't afford to buy them but the public library is great. You have to read this book. It is awesome and I highly recommend that anyone that loves paranormal books, to read this book.

Vampires, sorcerers and demons take the stage in Mercy Thompson's second chronicled adventure.

A coyote "walker", she often has to intervene when her werewolf buddies are doing the whole "mine's bigger than yours" faff, and the vampires are no different in this respect.

But the link between vampires, sorcerers and demons becomes clear; placing innocents in danger, and Mercy's vampire pal Stefan goes missing. Not to mention the wild outbreak of violence from seemingly on-the-level citizens. So where you do find a demon? In a church, of course.

I had the same problem with this that I had with the first book in this series, MOON CALLED. They're okay, but they're just not wowing me. And the endless talk of dominants and submitting to them gets old fast. As a coyote, Mercy's more American than the werewolves and vampires, who came from Europe. Yes, Europe has royalty, but it's evident that North America has blatant class systems of its own, so don't go thinking that dominance and submission is an archaic European thing that's come along to the free-spirited West. I'm not sure what the author's trying to say with this.

But while this series isn't quite a page-turner, it's still a decent read. Even if some werewolves and vampires do deserved to be kicked in the crotch.

Blood Bound starts off when coyote skinwalker, Mercy Thompson, is called upon to return a favor to Stefan, her vampire friend/customer which she owed to him from Moon Called. All she is supposed to do is bear witness to a meeting between him and a strange vampire he is checking out. Unfortunately things don't work out quite the way they were planned.

I enjoyed Blood Bound as much as I enjoyed Moon Called, which was quite a bit. Mercy is a smart heroine who doesn't let anyone push her around but is still intelligent enough to know when to be afraid. No stupid heroics for this girl. Even when she does decide to take the plunge and take things into her own hands, she deliberates very carefully before taking action. The only problem I see is that since this book has just been released, and I've already read it, now I'm sure I'll be waiting a very, very long time for the next story installment.

I'd highly recommend both Moon Called and Blood Bound to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy stories or stories about werewolves.

Some years ago, the fae were outed by the Grey Lords and recently the werewolves made themselves known to humans. It is due to a fantastic public relations job that the weres did not come under attack by human mobs. Mechanic Mercy Thompson is a one of a kind (as far as she knows) supernatural entity, a Walker who turns into a coyote at will, has a strong sense of smell, and is able to run very fast.

Stefan the Vampire asks Mercy to go with him in her coyote personae to witness what happens when he visits what turns out to be a demon vampire Corey Littleton. After the encounter, Stefan believes the messily killed humans, calling attention to vampires who are still in the closet. Mercy remembers that it was Corey who made the mess and through vampire magic her words are accepted as truth. Corey goes on a rampage killing indiscriminately; the werewolves become involved when one of their own is hurt. However, the vampire mistress believes the Walker is the one who can find and kill the demon vampire sorcerer and when he hurts her friend she sets out to do that.

BLOOD BOUND is a compelling and fascinating supernatural tale that fans of Laurel K. Hamilton and Charlaine Harris will thoroughly enjoy. Patricia Briggs is a powerful storyteller who convinces readers her earth inhabited by supernatural creatures actually exists. Compelling and multidimensional characters that the audience cares about will lead to readers seeking the previous tale MOON CALLED.

Harriet Klausner

Awesome book! I really was looking for a good writer after Anita went down hill and Kim Harrison killed her series for me. There are few in this genre that keep my interest enough to make me a loyal reader but this book did. Mercy is unique and fantastic, a total individual. I like how she's not at all like some of the strong female characters in paranormal romances where if you changed the she to a he it wouldn't make any difference. Mercy is a strong femanine female despite being an automachanic and still very much a child inside. She is extremely nurturing and warm hearted, I have missed that alot in my books lately.

Patricia Briggs second book featuring Mercy Thompson. The Fae and knowledge of werewolves are now public knowledge, however, vampires are not known about and they want to keep it that way. Mercy, a skinwalker (the only known present coyote shifter) and tenuous member of the Tri-Cities Pack led by Adam, teams up with vampire Stefan to confront a new vampire to the area who is a bit overzealous in his feeding. Stefan and Mercy discover that it's not a regular vampire but rather a quite rare sorcerer that was turned into a vampire and is now 'leasing' out his body to a demon. So begins this book and the ride through the rest of the book takes off. Mercy is helping out the vampires despite the fact that the werewolves are not too keen on this.

In my review of Moon Called (Mercy Thompson Series, Book 1), I compared it to Carrie Vaughn's Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Kitty Norville Series, Book 1)and stated I preferred that book. There are similarities in both series by Vaughn & Briggs, almost too many. Now that both authors have their second books in their respective werewolf series out, I must say, 'Blood Bound' is much better than Vaughn's Kitty Goes to Washington (Kitty Norville Series, Book 2). Both series are good, but Briggs wins the second round on these tales of things that go bump in the night.

I love this series. It just gets better as Ms Briggs develops her characters. While they seem developed in the first book, this story gives them more and u never find ur self thinking that character would never do that. Each one is well drawn and her store keeps u reading. Although when u finish u wish u hadn't .

I don't really want to write about this book. It is pretty well written, it has an interesting story, it kept me entertained which is what I wanted. However, the book tells us all something very unfortunate about the publishing world. Patricia Briggs has written a number of quite original romance tinged fantasy books. Hobbs Bargain, the two books in the Dragon series come to mind. The first book in this series, Blood Price, had many original and interesting concepts.

However, this book is essentially a re-write of an early Laurell Hamilton story and Ms. Briggs seems to be struggling with some pressure about how sexually oriented the story should become. I can only imagine some marketing survey driven publisher (or agent?) telling Ms. Briggs what will sell and what won't. As one of the other reviewers commented, this sense of marketing pressure is only reinforced by the unusually off the mark art on the cover. Whereas the first cover was fairly accurate (and interesting) the second was not. Perhaps I'm wrong, but this book seems to me to be a very unfortunate and unnecessary constraint of an artists creativity by a misguided idea of the "market."

This is a very entertaining series to read. I like the main character Mercy Thompson and her friends and associates very much. I have been reading these books so fast and I will definitely reread them often.

I. Love. This. Series. It brings back memories of Laurell K Hamilton's books before they became more about the erotica and less about the characters and conflict. Now don't get me wrong, I like my books laced with some romance and steam, but Patricia seems to just be doing such a great job of mixing both along with the suspense and struggle we all still need and love! A great read on a rainy weekend and I can't wait for the next in the series!

This is a great addition to the series. I love that we get to see so much of Stefan.

I highly recommend the cross-over series, Alpha and Omega. The first two full books in the series are very good!! But start with the Alpha and Omega short story in the anthology, On The Prowl- you'll need the back story of Anna and Charles' relationship.

I just finished reading the book Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs. It's the second one in a two book series. The first is Moon Called. It's all about shape shifters and vampires. Very well written. Looking at her previous work all of her series are only two books long. I am hoping that this series will have more books in it. I would hate it if these wonderful characters were left in limbo and I never found out who she chooses for her lover and if Stephan the vamp makes a move on her. It has shades of the early work of LKH's work. I am keeping my fingers crossed for this little coyote and which were or vamp she chooses for her lover. She is always saving them and keeping the peace between the Fae, Were's and Vamps. Because she can get away without playing by the rules after all she's not any of those things, she's different, special, a Skin Walker, a Coyote. Looking forward to more in this series.

I liked this one a lot better than the first one. So much so that I'm re-evaluating the first one. I'm starting to really like all the characters Briggs has created for this series. The writing is fresh and smart, and the plot was tight and suspenseful. I was kept on the edge of my seat the whole time reading this. Can't wait for the next one!

Mercedes Thompson is awesome. She's got her first love living in her house(who happens to be a very powerful very dominant just gone lone wolf, werewolf). She knows she has some serious feelings for the local werewolf Pack Alpha who happens to be her next door neighbor, and now her vampire buddy is calling in a favor she owes him for helping her get the pack Alph's daughter back from kidnappers in the previous book. She ends up in the middle of huge vampire mess involving a demon riden vampire. All the men in her life try to protect her, but who ends up coming to the rescue? Read the book and find out!!

Mercy is paying off a debt to the vampire Stefan for helping her friend Adam in Moon Called. Now she has to show up in coyote form with Stefan seeing why there is a unnanouced vampire in town. The vampire is making sorcerer vampires and thats a big no no. Next thing you know Mercy and Stefan are at her place with Sam and Mercy is injured and Stefan remembers nothing. Mercy agrees to look into this vampire problem with Andre another vampire and she gets a big suprise when the answers shes looking for come out.

I'm a new reader to Ms. Briggs's writing, so this is truly the second book of hers that I have read.

This book was even better than the first in this series. WHile this format of story appeals to the soft-core risk taker, once into the story and the chase began, there were several times where I had to put the book down and relax, look around the house, and check to see if my cats were picking up on anything weird. I was scared and that usually doesn't happen.
I'm on the third in the series now and my daughter has already come and taken this (2) book for she loves the series too.

Blood Bound, the second book about mechanic Mercy Thompson, is more suspenseful and bloody than the first, but has the same fabulous world building, dash of humor and heart that made Moon Called a Desert Island Keeper.

Blood Bound, which I read first (do not repeat - read them in order!), delves into the world of the vampires. And a scary, violent world it is too. Mercy's friend Sebastian, the Scooby-Doo loving VW bus owner who shows briefly in the first book, asks Mercy for help with a vampire matter. As a Walker, Mercy can not only shift into a coyote at will, but is also immune to some magic. Sebastian and Mercy visit a rogue vampire and discover he is a psychopathic killer. They escape, but the werewolves are drawn into the hunt as the body count piles up. Everyone tells Mercy to stay out of it, but she isn't the sort of person to sit idly by while her friends are in danger. Meanwhile, tension grows in the pack as Samuel and Adam compete for Mercy as mate.

Mercy is one of the all-time greatest heroines in fiction. She is brave, loyal, and flawed. If it sometimes seems like every straight male immediately falls in love with her, I understand the appeal. The secondary characters are full and vibrant too. I really enjoy the way Ms. Briggs weaves in the psychology of werewolf behavior throughout the book, with Mercy using body language to communicate, calm tempers, and get what she wants.

Patricia Briggs is a fabulous author. Her dialogue is witty, her ideas are fresh, and her characters are well-developed. I plan to read every book she puts out.

I was really eager for this sequel to Moon Called and I almost screamed in delight when I saw it at my local bookstore just mere days after its release date.

It lived up to my expectations! There might not be hot sex of any kind between Mercedes and the men in her life, but the storyline boils with how she has to cope with them as well as what it means to be a Walker.

This book definitely speaks more of Mercy's abilities, but I was a little disappointed by Sam's character. He seems to pale in comparison to Adam in this book, although the first one fairly sizzled with his alpha male syndrome. Hope to see more of it in following books. Stephan's role definitely takes on a more romantic aspect here and looks to complicate matters even more in Mercy's love life. I can't wait!

I like the Mercy Thompson books, because they are about the paranormal without the over-the-top sex scences. It seems more real. Although the plot is engaging what I find the best page turner about this book is that the characters are real people with real issues. The schemes and machinations are just a side note to well fleshed characters. If you want a break from the sex driven paranormal books this is an excellent place to go.

Well, at least it is to me. Because this volume is all about vampires, demons, and BLOOD! And I happen to like vampires. As a subject matter for a story, of course. Not that I know any in real life. Honest.
What happens is simple - Mercy Thompson is needed to handle a problem even the vampires can't handle. That's simple enough, right?
Wrong. Buy it, read it, enjoy it.

This book is fascinating. Patricia Briggs writes fast paced stories with plenty of plot twists. I own every book that I can find of Patricia's and I would certainly recommend her writing to everyone. My favorite series is the Mercy Thompson series. I first read the book "Moon Called" and then started searching for her other stories. I rarely will pick up a new author and so when I find one this good, well, she definitely goes to the top of my must have list! I hope the people who haven't read Patricia Briggs will take the time to pick up this series. They won't be sorry they did.

Briggs' Mercy series is quickly becoming one of my favorite modern fantasy series. Briggs' writing is wonderful, and I love the character of Mercy and the world she has created for her.

This book has a thrilling plot, and is exceedingly well told. You get to know a bit more about some of the characters, and find out more of what it means to be a Walker. I think 'Blood Bound' is even better than the previous book, 'Moon Called,' but both are well worth the read.

Like Moon Called, this book is very fast paced and gives you the feeling that you are experiencing Mercedes life right along with her. This is greatly helped by the fact that the book spans a very brief period of time which if not read in a single sitting could easily take as many days for you to read the book as it takes for Mercy to save the world. The downfall of this is that it feels somewhat like a television show where you have to wait a year in between episodes. Briggs is very good at character development and despite Mercy's stubbornness she is extremely likable. As someone else mentioned in a previous review, Mercy is a little too desirable to be real or relatable. A new possible love interest was introduced in this book, which seems a little extraneous even in light of Mercy's special circumstances. It is obvious that nothing will come out of this scenario so it felt somewhat like an add-in in order to create more drama where it wasn't needed. Her life is already dramatic enough. I do like the fact that Briggs has strongly alluded to who Mercy has chosen amongst the suitors. I think it would have been out of character if Mercy were weak in that respect. I have read a few of Briggs other books, and I find this series to be her strongest to date. This urban fantasy is well written and well worth reading. The only real complaint is the fast pace means that it is over very quickly which is a little depressing considering how long I am sure Briggs took to write it. Another two hundred pages would have been greatly appreciated and given the reader a little bit more time to get acquainted with Mercy, Adam and Bran. A few days in her life every year is somewhat a let down for how long we have to wait in between books. I wish we could see months or years as opposed to days or weeks.

I had bought and read the 3rd and 4th book in the Mercy Thompson series without having read the first two books. Such was my interest / involvement in the charactor and the idea of this story that I had to buy and read the beginning of the series. The writer has created an entire world with all the rules and bias for her charactors and has me hooked from start to finish. Mercy is given full life with Patricia's writing and I fully visualise the story as it unfolds with growing revelations about the Fae and Mercy's childhood with the wolves. Time now to read again books 3 and 4.

Mercy Thompson is a great series, for any werewolf lover. I understand that she herself isnt a were, but a changeling, but she does one hell of a job with keeping not just one, but a few different were males in line. That includes a couple alphas.

After reading 'Moon Called' I had to go out and get 'Blood Bound' right away. It was a great follow up to Book 1. You see more of the vampire in this book - which fed my love for the character and kept me wanting to see where everything was going. I ran out to get Book 3 (Iron Kissed) before I was even done so I didn't miss a beat.

In this book, Mercy hunted and killed a crazy vampire sorcerer and saved her vampire and werewolf friends. I like the series so far and I would like to know more about her "walker" powers. I just hope that her relationship with the vampire and her two werewolves doesn't turn out to be another Laurell Halmilton's Anita Blake series (those of you who have read the other series know what I mean). Keep your creative juice flowing Mrs. Briggs!

Patricia Briggs is my favorite shape shifter writer. I'm so sucked into this whole story and Mercy and her friends and how the writer brings it all together. My only complaint is her books don't come out fast enough ;)

This author has never disappointed me, and she certianly didn't start now. This book is highly recommended for urban fantasy fans, of which I am unflinchingly one. If you are as disillusioned with LKH as me, this will restore your faith in the genre. I felt that Blood Bound was actually better than the prequel, more cohesive and realistic. The right mix of pacing and characterization. No complaints. Waiting (impatiently) for the next installment.

"This was a great third book. I liked the characters more and more as I got to know them. I normally HATE it when I buy two books, read them, and find out I will have to wait for a third, but this one was worth the wait. Looking forward to the next one too!"

Well, at least it is to me. Because this volume is all about vampires, demons, and BLOOD! And I happen to like vampires. As a subject matter for a story, of course. Not that I know any in real life. Honest.
What happens is simple - Mercy Thompson is needed to handle a problem even the vampires can't handle. That's simple enough, right?
Wrong. Buy it, read it, enjoy it.

This book is fascinating. Patricia Briggs writes fast paced stories with plenty of plot twists. I own every book that I can find of Patricia's and I would certainly recommend her writing to everyone. My favorite series is the Mercy Thompson series. I first read the book "Moon Called" and then started searching for her other stories. I rarely will pick up a new author and so when I find one this good, well, she definitely goes to the top of my must have list! I hope the people who haven't read Patricia Briggs will take the time to pick up this series. They won't be sorry they did.

Briggs' Mercy series is quickly becoming one of my favorite modern fantasy series. Briggs' writing is wonderful, and I love the character of Mercy and the world she has created for her.

This book has a thrilling plot, and is exceedingly well told. You get to know a bit more about some of the characters, and find out more of what it means to be a Walker. I think 'Blood Bound' is even better than the previous book, 'Moon Called,' but both are well worth the read.

Like Moon Called, this book is very fast paced and gives you the feeling that you are experiencing Mercedes life right along with her. This is greatly helped by the fact that the book spans a very brief period of time which if not read in a single sitting could easily take as many days for you to read the book as it takes for Mercy to save the world. The downfall of this is that it feels somewhat like a television show where you have to wait a year in between episodes. Briggs is very good at character development and despite Mercy's stubbornness she is extremely likable. As someone else mentioned in a previous review, Mercy is a little too desirable to be real or relatable. A new possible love interest was introduced in this book, which seems a little extraneous even in light of Mercy's special circumstances. It is obvious that nothing will come out of this scenario so it felt somewhat like an add-in in order to create more drama where it wasn't needed. Her life is already dramatic enough. I do like the fact that Briggs has strongly alluded to who Mercy has chosen amongst the suitors. I think it would have been out of character if Mercy were weak in that respect. I have read a few of Briggs other books, and I find this series to be her strongest to date. This urban fantasy is well written and well worth reading. The only real complaint is the fast pace means that it is over very quickly which is a little depressing considering how long I am sure Briggs took to write it. Another two hundred pages would have been greatly appreciated and given the reader a little bit more time to get acquainted with Mercy, Adam and Bran. A few days in her life every year is somewhat a let down for how long we have to wait in between books. I wish we could see months or years as opposed to days or weeks.

I had bought and read the 3rd and 4th book in the Mercy Thompson series without having read the first two books. Such was my interest / involvement in the charactor and the idea of this story that I had to buy and read the beginning of the series. The writer has created an entire world with all the rules and bias for her charactors and has me hooked from start to finish. Mercy is given full life with Patricia's writing and I fully visualise the story as it unfolds with growing revelations about the Fae and Mercy's childhood with the wolves. Time now to read again books 3 and 4.

Mercy Thompson is a great series, for any werewolf lover. I understand that she herself isnt a were, but a changeling, but she does one hell of a job with keeping not just one, but a few different were males in line. That includes a couple alphas.

After reading 'Moon Called' I had to go out and get 'Blood Bound' right away. It was a great follow up to Book 1. You see more of the vampire in this book - which fed my love for the character and kept me wanting to see where everything was going. I ran out to get Book 3 (Iron Kissed) before I was even done so I didn't miss a beat.

In this book, Mercy hunted and killed a crazy vampire sorcerer and saved her vampire and werewolf friends. I like the series so far and I would like to know more about her "walker" powers. I just hope that her relationship with the vampire and her two werewolves doesn't turn out to be another Laurell Halmilton's Anita Blake series (those of you who have read the other series know what I mean). Keep your creative juice flowing Mrs. Briggs!

Patricia Briggs is my favorite shape shifter writer. I'm so sucked into this whole story and Mercy and her friends and how the writer brings it all together. My only complaint is her books don't come out fast enough ;)

This author has never disappointed me, and she certianly didn't start now. This book is highly recommended for urban fantasy fans, of which I am unflinchingly one. If you are as disillusioned with LKH as me, this will restore your faith in the genre. I felt that Blood Bound was actually better than the prequel, more cohesive and realistic. The right mix of pacing and characterization. No complaints. Waiting (impatiently) for the next installment.

"This was a great third book. I liked the characters more and more as I got to know them. I normally HATE it when I buy two books, read them, and find out I will have to wait for a third, but this one was worth the wait. Looking forward to the next one too!"

I prefer to keep my reviews very short.
one
two
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five
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eight
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the store: your requirement for 20+ words is completely rediculous. What's wrong with being concise?

Lorelai King has a deeper husky smoker type voice. I wish audiobooks would at least get two voices when doing an audiobook; one for female parts and one for male parts. But because of Lorelai's voice I didn't really mind when she was doing male parts. That one part in the beginning when she says fort instead of forte was very distracting and I lost my ability to concentrate on what was going on for the rest of the chapter. The should have fixed that mistake.

I am enjoying this series though and love Patricia Briggs's work.

Generally speaking the story and plot was good enough to keep me interested and wanting to finish the book. Not a good, in my opinion as the Charlaine Harris "Sookie Stackhouse" books (True Blood), but still a nice escape. I think the first book, Moon Called, was a bit stronger and - though these are fantasy - a bit more "believable."

My only qualm with the story itself was that, particularly towards the end, it felt as though Briggs was struggling to meet a page quota by rehashing ideas that had already been covered quite well at least once previously (if not twice or more).

Now for the spelling and grammar issues...
Extremely disappointed in the editing of this particular book. As with the story feeling stretched at the end, the editing in the last 100 pages (paperback) just dropped off completely in quality. I will forgive a few throughout (and the earlier portion had at least a few), but when I start seeing things like the word "judgment" misspelled as "judgement" twice in the same sentence (yes, I know British English allows for the E after the G, which I had to look up prior to writing this review; however, this is an American author, and a story set in the Pacific Northwest), followed on the next page with the word "faired" instead of "fared" (as in "she fared well") I just cringe and begin to focus on the errors instead of the story.

Grammatically, there were many times that I had to reread sentences to be sure I knew who was completing the action. I'm no grammar expert, but I think these are considered "dangling participles"? For instance, there was a sentence like, "The man was lying on the floor when I opened the door muttering and whimpered..." Now, I GET it. I know the GUY was muttering and whimpering, but it did cause me to go back and figure that out. Perhaps a better sentence would have been, "When I opened the door, a man lie there muttering; he whimpered..." (If my use of LIE is incorrect, I apologize - I recognize that is a tough one).

So, good enough story. Just don't expect a well-written or edited one.

I'm really enjoying the Mercedes Thompson books; hopefully Patricia will write a dozen more! Blood Bound was a better book than Moon Called - much harder to figure out the plot as you read. Although Patricia, if you're reading this review, your editor really, really needs to drink more coffee. There were way too many spelling, spacing and punctuation mistakes in this book that distracted from the enjoyment of the story.

I really enjoyed this book. It was faster paced than the first one. I like Mercedes. She doesn't pretend to be a badass who's not scared which makes her a more believable heroine to me. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes werewolves and vampires.

I am enjoying this series so far. "Moon Called" was a good start, and this was a more than adequate sequel. I thought the first ended a little abruptly, but the author did better wrapping things up this time around.

My problem with the series is not what it is now, but what it shows signs of becoming. Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series started out as a sort of cross between vampire fiction and detective film noir, with a feisty heroine fending off the advances of a couple of supernaturals. That series has, over the course of about fourteen books and a handful of short stories, morphed into a melodrama/erotica series, with a smidge of supernatural plot to prop it up. With all of Mercy's supernatural suitors, I worry that "Blood Bound" has wandered in that direction. Not far enough to punt the series, but far enough to be concerned.

I picked this book up based on the blurb on the back cover alone, and I wasn't disappointed at all.

Mercy Thompson, is a strange anomaly in a world of shifters and vampires, she's a skin walker and her talent helps her get in and out of a bad situation.

The plot couldn't have been tighter, the characters couldn't have touched my heart any more and the thrill was better than hopping on a roller coaster at Magic Mountain.

I have read every single Patricia Briggs book I could find, and the Mercy series is by far my favorite. It's action packed from page one, and every page after that. I absolutely could not put this book down. Definitely A must read!

This is the second book about Mercy Thompson and it is just as enjoyable as the first. The character are all interesting . . . characters. Even though the majority of the characters are not human they are all very believable and have their own code of honor. Like all Patrica Briggs books the story is very interesting and fast paced. Its a quick read, but a good read. The only slight problem I have with this book is that every man in it seems to fall in love with Mercy and she still can't decide between them. Its still a really good book though.

This was a wonderful story in the Mercy Thompson Series. Patricia Briggs does an excellent job in weaving the tale, and her spin on vampires and their feeding habits was quite interesting. She did a good job on invoking emotions in her readers. I loved the scene with the Fae at the bar and am looking forward to the fae centric novel "Iron Kissed."

I hadn't heard of this series or the author when I picked up this book for a weekend read. I loved it! Briggs doesn't give her characters easy outs and Mercy is a well-drawn heroine who parallels the traits of her coyote incarnation. Great new world populated with complex characters. I've already bought the first in the series and can't wait for the third book, Iron-Crossed, which doesn't come out until January of 2008.

This is the second of a new series by Patricia Briggs. I haven't read her other books. I really enjoyed it. It's a thriller. This is a very violent book. I was a little turned off by the violence of the werewolves and the blase evil of the vampires but it is different from the usual romaticization. This a romantic book without any sex or real romance. The characters have flaws but they remain likeable. This book is also pretty scary.

Briggs has created an interesting, cohesive world and does action very well. But I think Mercy is lacking something as a heroine. She's a little too by-the-book and seems scared too much of the time. I know this makes her more realistic than heroines in other paranormal series, but I personally prefer a heroine who is more of a renegade, one who is larger than life. Also, Briggs can't write romance. If you're not looking for a romance, this is a great series, but if you want steamy love scenes - or even romantic tension - you won't find it here.