This book starts the series out with a howl and introduces a great protagonist.
Mercedes “Mercy” Thompson is an auto mechanic that happens to shift into a coyote. Living in the Tri-Cities surrounded by fae, werewolves, and vampires, she is the weak one of the bunch. Growing up with werewolves gives her a unique perspective of knowing pack culture but not being a part of it. She also knows how to walk the line of being submissive but not being a pushover. Unlike many heroes and heroines who seem to be nearly indestructible, Mercy is always aware of her vulnerability when it comes to interacting with other supernaturals.
As an example, she finds herself in the middle of a love triangle with two werewolves (her ex and her neighbor for the past seven years). Instead of swooning over the situation or being happy about the dominance games that they’re playing, she yells at them or walks away and goes about her life, including doing what she can to annoy them.
She is not afraid to get involved in issues that may be dangerous for her to protect others. Even when it means confronting Werewolves that are bigger and stronger than her or going to visit the mistress of the local vampires, she will do what she believes is right, even if others object.
This book is an action-packed start to the Mercy Thompson series and a great introduction to the supernatural Tri-Cities.
Mercedes “Mercy” Thompson is an auto mechanic that happens to shift into a coyote. Living in the Tri-Cities surrounded by fae, werewolves, and vampires, she is the weak one of the bunch. Growing up with werewolves gives her a unique perspective of knowing pack culture but not being a part of it. She also knows how to walk the line of being submissive but not being a pushover. Unlike many heroes and heroines who seem to be nearly indestructible, Mercy is always aware of her vulnerability when it comes to interacting with other supernaturals.
As an example, she finds herself in the middle of a love triangle with two werewolves (her ex and her neighbor for the past seven years). Instead of swooning over the situation or being happy about the dominance games that they’re playing, she yells at them or walks away and goes about her life, including doing what she can to annoy them.
She is not afraid to get involved in issues that may be dangerous for her to protect others. Even when it means confronting Werewolves that are bigger and stronger than her or going to visit the mistress of the local vampires, she will do what she believes is right, even if others object.
This book is an action-packed start to the Mercy Thompson series and a great introduction to the supernatural Tri-Cities.
Persuasion has been my favorite Jane Austen novel for years. Unlike the bubbly youthfulness of her other works, Persuasion follows the life of Anne Elliot, a spinster at 27, who has lost the bloom of youth and has no expectations for marriage. Eight years earlier, she had been persuaded to break her engagement to Frederick Wentworth because of his lack of money and stability. This situation gives a more melancholic air to
the novel.
Through Anne, the life of a spinster is shown as the bleak future that it was. Passed around to relatives’ households, Anne is seen as a burden rather than a family member to be cherished. Frederick returns to her circle of acquaintances leads to a sense of heartbreak for Anne. She must now watch him court Louisa and Henrietta, the 19 and 20-year old daughters of her sister Mary’s in-laws, the Musgroves.
Like other Austen novels, the beauty of Regency England is shown in full-force. From the boisterous community in the countryside to the off-season Cobb in Lyme and onward to the halls of Bath, England comes to life. The characters are just as varied and colorful as the settings. Anne’s travels bring her into circles with the snooty and haughty, the carefree and funloving, the mourning, the ill, and the conniving.
Overall, Jane Austen’s last novel is a bittersweet journey for Anne and Frederick. Reconciling the hurts of the past and finding a way back together, no matter how others may seek to persuade them otherwise.
If you haven’t read Moon Called yet, you will want to read it first. Like many series that center on the life of one character, people, places, and plot points carry over from one book to the next. Blood Bound grows the supernatural community of the Tri-cities and takes Mercy even further in learning about her unique powers and the power struggles between the different factions.
Patricia Briggs does a great job of making each race distinct. Werewolf packs are dramatically different from the Vampire Seethes that we see more clearly in this book. Hints of Fae culture also make an appearance, but their society is still mostly shrouded in secrecy. Mercy’s situation allows her to see how each group functions, but she is outside the rules of any of their social structures. She also tends to thumb her nose at their regulations if she is annoyed with them and feels like it won’t get her killed. She walks a fine line of being the weakest in the situation, but still maintaining her independence.
A sorcerer has arrived in the Tri-cities, and the body count is rising every day. Mercy gets a front-row seat as the vampires and werewolves track this new threat that could expose more of their community to the humans than they’re ready to accept. The plot keeps up a good pace, and time skips keep the story in the middle of the action while little dots of normalcy like going to work show how life goes on even with a crisis brewing under the surface. When Mercy gets dragged into the thick of it, she remains aware of her vulnerability and uses it to her advantage.
Some vendors shelve this book as a paranormal romance, but I consider it an urban/paranormal fantasy novel because the relationships are a secondary element to the main story. Mercy wavers between her ex, who broke her heart years ago, and the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, which is a situation that started in Moon Called. Mercy cuddles up to people, there is some kissing, but no explicit sexual content.
I love these books for the great characters and exciting situations they face. Each personality is unique, and you can count on Mercy to be getting into trouble on her terms every time.