Product Description

Like most people who own their own business, 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 ...Mechanic Mercy Thompson is woken at 3am by a vampire calling in a favour. He has to deliver a message to a fellow undead and needs a witness that won't be noticed - and Mercy's shapeshifting abilities make her the perfect candidate. But the assignment turns into a bloodbath and Mercy attracts the attention of not just a powerful vampire, but the even more powerful demon possessing him. She can count on the supernatural community for protection - and alpha werewolf Adam would like her to rely on him in other ways too - but when it comes to being proactive, she's on her own.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25860 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Review
'Plenty of twists and turns ... Kept me entertained from its deceptively innocent beginning to its can't -put-it-down end' Kim Harrison, bestselling author of Dead Witch Walking

About the Author
Patricia Briggs graduated from Montana State University with degrees in history and German. She worked for a while as a substitute teacher but now writes full time. Patricia Briggs lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Customer Reviews

An excellent follow-up to Moon Called
I loved "Moon Called" by Patricia Briggs, her first werewolf/vampire book (she has also written several fantasies). The VW mechanic Mercy Thompson, a coyote walker, who lives next door to a werewolf and mends a vampire's bus, is a great central character - full of energy. "Moon Called" focused mostly on the werewolves including their Alpha, Adam Hauptman, and a lone wolf who was formerly Mercy's boyfriend, Dr Samuel Cornick.

The events in "Blood Bound" take place about six months after the end of "Moon Called". This book focuses more on the vampires, particularly Stefan but also including the Mistress, Marsilia, and several other vampires. The book starts with Mercy and Stefan going to investigate a strange scene and discovering that there is a vampire sorcerer on the loose who has powers enough to cause problems for Stefan, a very strong vampire.

Most of the rest of the book involves the vampires, werewolves and Mercy trying to find the Sorcerer and stop him. But of course things are always more complex than they seem and it's possible that some of those apparently trying to stop the sorcerer may instead be in league with him. In this story Mercy takes a more central role in the heroic endeavours, her abilities as a walker giving her a few extra tools to help her in her search. I liked the way that she faces up to the reality of the vampire and werewolf situations - she knows that the vampires are evil, even Stefan who she likes, and that the werewolves are dangerous. She also finds herself involved in killing and suffers with the knowledge of that, and that others kill people to keep her safe.

There are moments of humour in this book, particularly in the relationships between Mercy, Adam, Samuel and to some extent Stefan. The writing is excellent as always, fast-paced and descriptive with minor characters, such as the other werewolves, well drawn. Some reviewers on Amazon have said they are disappointed that Mercy's love life isn't more clear-cut in this book - she has Adam and Samuel to choose from and another suitor appears by the end of this book. Her romantic situation is left open - hopefully for another instalment in this series! - but I know which of the three I want her to end up with.

In summary, this is an excellent book that has a different take than many on the vampire and werewolf myths, is an interesting story as well as a slight "whodunit" plot and has some great characters. It helps to have read "Moon Called" but isn't necessarily vital but the pair of books together make for some really great reading.

Just as good as the first!
Blood bound is the second novel in the Mercy Thompson series. It sizzles right from the first page and keeps the pace all the way to the end.

Stefan is calling in his favour that Mercy owes. It sounds simple; accompany him as a witness when he is meeting with a new vampire in town who is set on causing chaos. But of course nothing is that strait forward in Mercy's life, as she becomes embroiled in the vampire world where she is both weak and strong.

She has many allies at her side including Alpha Werewolf Adam, Samuel, her teenage love, newly arrived back on the scene, and the vampires - who all seem to have their own agendas. Who can she trust and who will make things worse for all of them?

Mercy learns more about herself in this book, while fighting vampires and trying to stop Adam and Samuel fighting each other for her. They both want to claim her for their mate, but seem to forget she has a say in the matter - not that she knows which she would choose - even if they did ask her!

There are a few minor plot lines that appear to go nowhere, but we may see their importance in the next book!

Thrilling Sequel to Moon Called
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 the other 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.