63 of 63 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bloodhound: Book 2 in the Legend of Beka Cooper series, April 17, 2009
I'll start by saying that I normally don't like 1st person narratives and avoid them whenever possible. It took me a few months before I finally picked up Terrier, the first book in the series, and flipped through it in the bookstore. I ended up buying it, even though it was still in hardcover, which is another thing I normally don't do.
The second book, Bloodhound, is equally absorbing. I won't summarize the plot, as that is covered elsewhere, but I will mention a few things that I love about this particular series (note that these are geared towards current fans of Pierce's Tortall universe):
1.) Since the heroine of Bloodhound lives so many years before the time of Alanna the Lioness, there are key differences between the two timelines. In Beka's time Tortall has slavery and in Alanna's time Tortall does not. Beka's time has Lady Knights and Alanna's time does not. These differences make me anticipate reading how these changes come about.
2.) Beka works in the worst part of the capital city Corus. The world you see through her eyes makes the court world of Alanna and Keladry seem innocent and pampered. And yet, the book is not dark and gritty as you would expect. Seeing things through Beka's perspective gives color, humanity, and compassion to what could have otherwise been a very depressing atmosphere. I found that Beka's book gave the world of Tortall, overall, a greater richness and depth.
3.) From the very first few pages of Terrier, the first book in the series, I expected Beka to eventually end up with the Rouge (romantically). It seemed just perfect, considering Beka is the ancestress of the Rouge that Alanna eventually marries. It made me chuckle. However, Beka refuses to just fall in line with the inevitable plot mechanisms and continues to go her own way throughout Bloodhound, developing other romantic interests and growing as a character. If she ever does end up with the Rouge (which I still root for) it will be a relationship developed over time and requiring a lot of work from both parties - which is much more satisfying, I must admit.
I highly recommend this book to anyone age 10 to 100. It is an absorbing story that blends adventure, detective work, and fantasy. If you are like me, and don't usually like 1st person narratives, give this series a try - it might change your mind.
A note about adult content: Since the book deals with the criminal underworld (albeit a fantasy one) there is some adult content (example: murder), and Beka is involved in adult relationships. In my opinion this is no darker than found in the HP or Twighlight series, but if you are considering this for someone under 6th grade you may want to flip though it and determine your comfort level.
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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Angieville: BLOODHOUND, April 30, 2009
I've been waiting for this book for three years. I loved
Terrier (The Legend of Beka Cooper, Book 1)--the first book in Tamora Pierce's Beka Cooper trilogy and I looked forward to spending more time in her company. I've been a Pierce fan for a long time now and with this series it was literally like coming home being back in Corus, the capital of Tortall. It was also a nice change of pace to have the story set a few hundred years before Alanna's time, and revolve firmly around the lower classes. Unlike Alanna's day, Beka's Tortall is a place where lady knights roam the countryside freely and girls can grow up to be part of the city guard if they want. That is exactly what Beka's alwasy wanted and, thanks to the Lord Provost's benevolence, she's able to escape the city slums and help support her mother and siblings on a Dog's salary.
In BLOODHOUND Beka finds herself typically partnerless. When one of the senior Dogs is laid up after a riot, Beka is temporarily partnered with her idol Goodwin and the two of them are sent to Port Caynn to run down the source behind a forgery ring that's been pouring silver plated copper "coles" into circulation throughout the realm. Transplanted out of her natural habitat, Beka is literally forced to step far, far outside her comfort zone in order to pass herself off as a flighty Dog who slides by on others' coattails and uses her womanly wiles to take credit for others' successes. Pretty much the polar opposite of her reserved, forthright, and honor-bound self. Going about her task with her standard single-mindedness, she doesn't expect to meet a young gambler who takes a romantic interest in her. She doesn't expect a mad Rogue who lets her people suffer and spends their takings. And she doesn't expect to be left alone.
BLOODHOUND weighs in at over 550 pages and the entire story is told through Beka's painstaking journal entries. This is a very interesting installment and not at all what I was expecting. The majority of the story simply follows Beka's daily movements as she prowls through Port Caynn, inserts herself into the underworld, and struggles with her growing isolation and strong need for companionship despite her at times overwhelming natural reticence. I missed Beka's circle of friends at home in Corus as they were absent the majority of the time. I missed Rosto and his prickly friendship with Beka, the way they stretch and counter each other. I found myself painfully uneasy as I watched Beka grow closer to the gambler/bank messenger Dale Rowan. In fact, I longed to step in and help Beka throughout this book. She is an amazingly strong character and I love her. I just wish she didn't have to stumble and fall sometimes. And I wish she didn't have to experience some of the pain she did. She deserves better and she can't seem to see a few very important things. At the same time I can be grown up about these things (honest I can) and recognize they were necessary and be okay with that. I am so very excited to read the third and final book in the trilogy--MASTIFF--due out sometime next year. Knock on wood.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well worth the wait!!, April 17, 2009
Wow! Once again Tammy has done an incredible job of bringing us back into Beka's life and enfolding us in the sights, smells and ambiance of Corus and Port Caynn. There are many fascinating new characters and the fun of seeing what has happened in the lives of old friends. Above all, there is the hunt for a menace that could ultimately destroy the entire economic structure of the kingdom. As always, you're left waiting anxiously for the next book... Hmmm, maybe I'll have a Kindle 2 by then. :D
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