amcgriff's review against another edition
2.0
I had an inkling from the first book in the series that the author was conservative based on the lack of drinking and cussing for situations that are prime drinking and cussing moments. Although I guess some people drink tea or hot chocolate after a major round of fighting and running for your life? Also, Mercy has moments of religiosity, but without a clear path or explanation as to why, but also sort of begs off in passing that she's not very religious.
The author's moral and political leanings are confirmed in this book with the language she uses to talk about abortion. For the man in the story, it makes sense he would use the phrase "kill my baby" based on the personality of the character that was developed over these first two books. But it doesn't really seem to make sense for Mercy's character who seems to be guided more by logic/fact rather than morally driven. To have Mercy use that phrase as well instead of "she had an abortion" or "killed his baby, as he put it" was out of place.
The majority of the time the author's personage fades and I can image the characters and their space while I read these, put that moment pulled me out of the story and had me envisioning the author sitting at her desk typing away in righteous right-wing fervor.
In the U.S. abortion is so very complicated because of morality and politics not because of anything scientific or fact based. But more importantly it is stupid crazy common, so there are definitely many readers who have had abortions who are reading for escape just to be smacked with judgement for no reason. Tossing it into an easy breezy supernatural mystery book when it's not necessary to the story arc and it's dripping with morality and finger wagging is selfish, lame, and annoying.
With all that said, it's was still an easy breezy supernatural mystery. It takes up maybe a page or two of the whole book. It's a quick exchange in part of a longer scene. I'll probably still read the others the library has, it's just disappointing and worthy of a good eyeroll.
The author's moral and political leanings are confirmed in this book with the language she uses to talk about abortion. For the man in the story, it makes sense he would use the phrase "kill my baby" based on the personality of the character that was developed over these first two books. But it doesn't really seem to make sense for Mercy's character who seems to be guided more by logic/fact rather than morally driven. To have Mercy use that phrase as well instead of "she had an abortion" or "killed his baby, as he put it" was out of place.
The majority of the time the author's personage fades and I can image the characters and their space while I read these, put that moment pulled me out of the story and had me envisioning the author sitting at her desk typing away in righteous right-wing fervor.
In the U.S. abortion is so very complicated because of morality and politics not because of anything scientific or fact based. But more importantly it is stupid crazy common, so there are definitely many readers who have had abortions who are reading for escape just to be smacked with judgement for no reason. Tossing it into an easy breezy supernatural mystery book when it's not necessary to the story arc and it's dripping with morality and finger wagging is selfish, lame, and annoying.
With all that said, it's was still an easy breezy supernatural mystery. It takes up maybe a page or two of the whole book. It's a quick exchange in part of a longer scene. I'll probably still read the others the library has, it's just disappointing and worthy of a good eyeroll.
bookgoonie's review against another edition
5.0
This was a yummy one. We get more of all our favorite characters. More Stefan. He is in his vampire glory, but also show his vulnerable side. Plus you see more than a little bit how important Mercy is to him. Ahhh….a vampire with a heart.
More Adam. It made me so mad that she was avoiding him. But PATRICIA takes us through all the issues MERCY is batting around in her head. She just doesn’t want to give up all the independence she has fought so hard for. I continue to love how Adam really gets her and doesn’t even dare to tell her she CAN’T do something.
Poor Samuel. We get a big old window into Samuel’s past and how it led him to MERCY. He is such a broken soul. It makes me even want to bake him some cookies to make it all better.
BLOOD BOUND has a big time scary bad guy and I love that it takes MERCY and her specialness to find him and bring him down. Once again, MERCY does what is right and protects those that she considers HERS.
LORELEI KING keeps it coming strong. She has to bring the range of emotions in this one. Not only does she ROCK the male voices, but manages to bring out all their FEELS.
Is it possible to have a LOVE square?
More Adam. It made me so mad that she was avoiding him. But PATRICIA takes us through all the issues MERCY is batting around in her head. She just doesn’t want to give up all the independence she has fought so hard for. I continue to love how Adam really gets her and doesn’t even dare to tell her she CAN’T do something.
Poor Samuel. We get a big old window into Samuel’s past and how it led him to MERCY. He is such a broken soul. It makes me even want to bake him some cookies to make it all better.
BLOOD BOUND has a big time scary bad guy and I love that it takes MERCY and her specialness to find him and bring him down. Once again, MERCY does what is right and protects those that she considers HERS.
LORELEI KING keeps it coming strong. She has to bring the range of emotions in this one. Not only does she ROCK the male voices, but manages to bring out all their FEELS.
Is it possible to have a LOVE square?
bookplaits's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sambo_0103's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
racheljoy7's review against another edition
3.0
This is one of those books that I'd really like to give a 3.5 rating to. I feel somewhere between "liked it" and "really liked it." I think I sort of really liked it.
The second in the Mercy Thompson series, this book was as good as the first.
I have to go off on a little rant here. I find the cover art for these books so incredibly insulting both to me and to the character of Mercy. I have made plain brown paper book covers to put on these books as I am reading them so that I can keep the author's vision of Mercy alive and well in my head while I'm reading. I am, quite frankly, surprised that Briggs is okay with Mercy being cheapened in such a vulgar manner. Do not judge these books by their covers, because Mercy would never be caught walking around with her tits hanging out of her coveralls. And she has only one tattoo, the claw on her belly.
Okay, done now ;).
I like Mercy. She's the kind of gal who doesn't need to be rescued by anyone, and in fact does some of the rescuing herself, which pisses off the alpha males in her life. I do think it's a bit of a stretch to have not one, not two, but three male characters all in love with her. Adam and Samuel make sense, but I think that Briggs went too far by adding Stefan to that list as well.
These books are fun and a definite recommend for anyone into the urban fantasy paranormal creatures world.
The second in the Mercy Thompson series, this book was as good as the first.
I have to go off on a little rant here. I find the cover art for these books so incredibly insulting both to me and to the character of Mercy. I have made plain brown paper book covers to put on these books as I am reading them so that I can keep the author's vision of Mercy alive and well in my head while I'm reading. I am, quite frankly, surprised that Briggs is okay with Mercy being cheapened in such a vulgar manner. Do not judge these books by their covers, because Mercy would never be caught walking around with her tits hanging out of her coveralls. And she has only one tattoo, the claw on her belly.
Okay, done now ;).
I like Mercy. She's the kind of gal who doesn't need to be rescued by anyone, and in fact does some of the rescuing herself, which pisses off the alpha males in her life. I do think it's a bit of a stretch to have not one, not two, but three male characters all in love with her. Adam and Samuel make sense, but I think that Briggs went too far by adding Stefan to that list as well.
These books are fun and a definite recommend for anyone into the urban fantasy paranormal creatures world.
kemendraugh's review against another edition
4.0
I still heart Adam, and Stephan. Like, way too much for my health. And Mercy continues to be pretty awesome. Also that little side bit with the reporter was so lovely (even though I'm not stupid, I'm sure this will come back to be tragic later on), I just want more about Mercy helping people and nobody getting killed.
I dislike the little ones always getting murdered for the greater good of the plot, buuuuut so far it's not been trivialized, at least. That maid tho. Not cool.
Oh Oh! I love Honey! Ladies helping ladies ftw!!
The werewolf and vampire and fey lore still continues to be on point, though dude, these people are SO messed up. SO. Messed. Up.
I dislike the little ones always getting murdered for the greater good of the plot, buuuuut so far it's not been trivialized, at least. That maid tho. Not cool.
Oh Oh! I love Honey! Ladies helping ladies ftw!!
The werewolf and vampire and fey lore still continues to be on point, though dude, these people are SO messed up. SO. Messed. Up.
rclz's review against another edition
5.0
Read this a long while back and since this is my days for rereads I figured the audio version this time. Good narrator and a great story. It's fun rereading this knowing what's going to happen. You can pay more attention to details you may not have fully understood the first time around. Like the wolves minding Mercy and her having no clue as to why.
somewheregirl7's review against another edition
4.0
The second Mercy Thompson book finds Mercy caught up in a vampire coup. A new vamp is in town and this one is a bit more blood-thirsty than the rest and oh yes, he's demon possessed. Mercy agrees to help Stephan track down the vampire before the entire city succumbs to violence and madness.
A fun, fast read. There was much butt-kicking and Mercy continues to be one of my favorite female protagonists. I will definitely be reading the next two books. I had two quibbles with this book, however, as it fell into two of the traps that annoy me the most:
SPOILERS BELOW
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1) Everyone and their cousin is in love with the female protagonist.
I really dislike books like that because they're pretty darn unrealistic and it normally goes hand in hand with creating a perfect, OMG most amazing person ever who can do no wrong, heroine. Bleh. Mercy isn't a Mary Sue. Yet. But she is straying a bit close. I groaned aloud when Stephan admitted caring for her romantically. Let's see, that makes three lead characters in love with Mercy. I could have easily done without that plot point.
2) Dead characters don't stay dead/there are no real consequences.
Stephan is alive! Erm well you know what I mean. Against all odds, villian's past behavior and common sense Stephan lives. So does Warren. Only Daniel (pft he was on screen for like two seconds anyway) and Ben (but of course Ben is not exactly likable) die. The others magically make it through! Yay. All is happiness and light. I have an issue with that. I don't like being misled. I don't like miraculous saves. I don't like villains who act contrary to their nature and in this case rather the opposite of past behavior. Littleton is a serial killer who LIKES killing. WHY would he leave Stephan alive that long? He wouldn't. I might, might buy that he left Sam & Adam alive long enough so he could draw out their murders and play with them. But it's inconceivable that he'd let Stephan live. That part of the story was disappointing and felt contrived.
A fun, fast read. There was much butt-kicking and Mercy continues to be one of my favorite female protagonists. I will definitely be reading the next two books. I had two quibbles with this book, however, as it fell into two of the traps that annoy me the most:
SPOILERS BELOW
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1) Everyone and their cousin is in love with the female protagonist.
I really dislike books like that because they're pretty darn unrealistic and it normally goes hand in hand with creating a perfect, OMG most amazing person ever who can do no wrong, heroine. Bleh. Mercy isn't a Mary Sue. Yet. But she is straying a bit close. I groaned aloud when Stephan admitted caring for her romantically. Let's see, that makes three lead characters in love with Mercy. I could have easily done without that plot point.
2) Dead characters don't stay dead/there are no real consequences.
Stephan is alive! Erm well you know what I mean. Against all odds, villian's past behavior and common sense Stephan lives. So does Warren. Only Daniel (pft he was on screen for like two seconds anyway) and Ben (but of course Ben is not exactly likable) die. The others magically make it through! Yay. All is happiness and light. I have an issue with that. I don't like being misled. I don't like miraculous saves. I don't like villains who act contrary to their nature and in this case rather the opposite of past behavior. Littleton is a serial killer who LIKES killing. WHY would he leave Stephan alive that long? He wouldn't. I might, might buy that he left Sam & Adam alive long enough so he could draw out their murders and play with them. But it's inconceivable that he'd let Stephan live. That part of the story was disappointing and felt contrived.
lessariel's review against another edition
5.0
Stevan, not your average vamp gives an incite into how they live in this world whilst propelling forward the story linking mercy to the wolves. A good easy flow story.
2016: still a good story, Mercy is your average 'I didn't ask for it' hero with ties to all communities in the book as a result she gets asked to help the vampires with a problem but will the walker survive the experience? (20th April)
2017: love this unfolding of how the vampire community works. So we have insight to wolves and vamps. What comes next?
2016: still a good story, Mercy is your average 'I didn't ask for it' hero with ties to all communities in the book as a result she gets asked to help the vampires with a problem but will the walker survive the experience? (20th April)
2017: love this unfolding of how the vampire community works. So we have insight to wolves and vamps. What comes next?
izzy_happyfornow's review against another edition
4.0
Heroine: 5 stars I love love me some Mercy she is just so bad ass. Her badassery continues in this book along with her methods of always doing whats right, determination and drive.
Hero: 4 stars. We kind of have a few heros in this book. I like all of them honestly. I'm very curious to see where it goes between Samuel and Adam. They both are great characters and I think we start to see more of their personalities come out in this book.
Plot: 5 stars This plot threw me for a major twist! I was shocked by some of what happened. This plot threw me for a few twists and turns and by the end I was jus freaked out. Seriously some of the creepiest villain stuff going on in this book ever!
Romance: 3 stars It is just so lacking in this department. I know it's going to be a huge pay off in the next book though at least (i'm hoping)...
Overal: 4 stars
Hero: 4 stars. We kind of have a few heros in this book. I like all of them honestly. I'm very curious to see where it goes between Samuel and Adam. They both are great characters and I think we start to see more of their personalities come out in this book.
Plot: 5 stars This plot threw me for a major twist! I was shocked by some of what happened. This plot threw me for a few twists and turns and by the end I was jus freaked out. Seriously some of the creepiest villain stuff going on in this book ever!
Romance: 3 stars It is just so lacking in this department. I know it's going to be a huge pay off in the next book though at least (i'm hoping)...
Overal: 4 stars