Mercy and her gang of fantasy creatures are back. Fresh from their adventures of stopping a mad-wolf from distributing a drug that can effect werewolves, Mercy has found herself in a new danger. She owes her vampire friend, Stefan a favor. So she accompanies him to give a rogue vampire a message. But what they find is not what they expected. It's 10 times more terrifying. Seriously just thinking about it gives me the creeps.

Stefan, who I find oddly, damn sexy, is a powerful vampire one of the most powerful in his Seethe. A seethe are to Vamps as what wolf packs are to well duh, werewolves. He isn't the typical brooding vamp. Stefan is humorous, he has a scooby doo obsession (which is totally adorable) and likes to laugh as well as, smells like popcorn. Yum!
Samuel, her first love has moved himself in as her roommate and it pisses her almost-but not really boyfriend, Adam off. As a rule, I hate love triangles. They are messy and you get the readers pulling for one side and the other guy eventually gets the girl and well, whatever the decision that the heroine via the writer makes, its gonna piss someone off, and usually it me. But Briggs does messy so good. Adam or Sam or...Stefan? Hmmm it is so delicious and don't even think its gonna get resolved easily or in this book for that matter. B, (What I have taken to callin Briggs; because we are that close. Chea right!) has Mercy drag this baby ouuuut. Romance is always a good sub-plot.

The pack plays a bigger roll in this book or well their existing role from last book is just expanded on. Warren, Mercy's best friend becomes even more lovable. I mean even coyote girls loves their gays right?

This installment of the series is darker and creepier than the first. But that is because there is more vampires and vamps looove blood and blood equals cree-py! Mercy has to venture into The Seethe that Stefan belongs too. And of course runs into trouble as well. She also gets Stefan into major doo doo for a secret he is keeping for Mercy. A secret Mercy has no idea he was keeping until she ventures into see the Seethe's Mistress. A sociopath crazy bi-otch who is hot for Samuel's bod and blood.

There are a few stand-out parts in this book. Warren and his boy toy comes to mind. As well as a creepy, confusing but hott blood/finger sucking exchange between Stefan and Mercy. Have a cold glass of water handy. Its a sqweee-yuck/oh-my-gawd that is so dang hot moment.

This book also brilliantly displays the differences between wolf and vamps. Where the wolves are more noble and loyal in their pack bonds and politics and the men are virile exudeing masculinity from their pores (even Warren), the vampires are just the opposite. They are sneaky, vicious and down right backstabbers and they (male and female) have this slinky, suave sexuality to them.
The entire book turns into a game of cat and mouse that never gets old or boring. Where neither sides, wolves and vamps, are strictly one or the other. They have a common enemy though but what the sides plan on doing with this enemy is not in agreement.

Warren is hurt and some of the pack is missing. Will Mercy be able to find her guys alive and in time? Well duh of course she will. She is one bad ass chick! But along the way she will discover some of what a walker can really do, forge new ties, rack up new debts that she will have to payback and make one Biiiitch of an enemy. ( )

Now that Mercedes (Mercy) Thompson had the werewolves public figure head (Adam Hauptman) as a neighbor, Dr. Samuel Cornick as a roommate and the oddly kind vampire (Stephan Uccello) as a kind of friend and her, with limited abilities other than being a ‘walker’ that shape shifts to be a coyote, what could she do about all the dominant men in her life. When the volume of violence started to increase in the area even her cop friend Tony came to Mercy to ask for help and advice. Having the mistress of the local vampire seethe ask for help even though they knew all the trouble was caused by an out of control sorcerer that had been turned to vampire (making it the vampires problem) that had the ability to control werewolves and vampires alike, left Mercy wondering what else there was about her that no one was telling her. Anyone could see that being immune to most of the magical control that a vampire has might help her defeat this monster, but what would being able to talk to ghosts help.

Book 2 ….. I thought it was over and then I read the last couple of chapters. They weren’t entirely necessary, but it did wrap things up for this story nicely before going to the next. Mercy is quite a unique character. Yet her cast of friends are even better. To have a story that has so many dominant, strong and controlling men yet have the women be the ’weakest’ player and still be able to hold them all together. This character is written in a way that makes her sensible in the a way that attracts the men and the reader to her. This character never takes anything away from any of them either, she may be stuck in the middle of them all but she shows respect to each and yet she is the strongest character. I like that, I just with she would decide. On to the next of the series (Iron Kissed), but there is also the related series (World of Marrok - the werewolves) that I think I want to read also, I will have to figure out which one to get next, but I am enjoying this series and want more of it. ( )

Mercedes Thompson is back in the second book of her series. This book was about a serial killer vampire/sorcerer running around Mercy's town and she is the only one who can do anything to stop it. Once all the men in Mercy's life are captured, she knows she needs to do something...and she does, a few things.

I felt the taste of Laurell K. Hamilton in this book as well, except better than her Anita series since there have still be no sex scenes, so much to the point that its about dang time that she gets to it, but, the first two Anita Blake books were sexless as well, we will see what the next one holds. I still really like the characters of this series, I can feel the personalities of each on the pages, and I love how Mercy remains to be a strong independent women, who knows how to kick ass and use her guns, even if she is just a coyote.

Also posted: http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/2... ( )

"Blood Bound" is the second book in the "Mercy Thompson" series by Patricia Briggs. Once again she's written a great book full of magic, adventure, and even a little bit of romance! Whereas the last book delved deep into the world of werewolves, this book takes us (and Mercy) into the secret lives of vampires.

Mercy knows that vampires are, by definition, evil. She makes an exception for her friend Stephen though, so when he goes missing, she's more than willing to investigate! Plus she has the advantage of being semi-immune to vampire magic, which has lead to the queen of the vampire coven calling on her for help, because they are dealing with a rogue vampire.

Along the way Mercy learns a lot about vampire society that she never knew, and a lot about her friend Stephen. Including that he seems to care for her a bit more than just as a friend. How complicated can her love life get? She already has two werewolves vying for her attention... ( )

Now dating the area Alpha Male, Adam, and living with her childhood flame, Samuel, Mercy is just asking for trouble. Of course, it finds her, when werewolves and vampires alike are turning up missing, and a rogue vampire housing a demon, is terrorizing her town. Werewolves and vampires come together along with a little fae help, and Mercy steps right into the heart of danger. Enemies are not what they seem, and Mercy learns to keep her friends at an arms length as well as her enemies.

Twists, turns, and danger around every corner keeps Mercy on her toes, and the reader turning the pages. Very well-written, and very enjoyable. ( )