REVIEW for Bloodhound

Today, I am pleased to have a guest post by Donna's (over at booksbound) daughter Allison:



http://booksbound.blogspot.com/



A great big thank you goes out to her!



Bloodhound is the 2nd book by Tamora Pierce, focusing on Rebakah ‘Beka’ Cooper. For past readers it’s an interesting return to Tortall, the realm of Alanna, Daine and Kel, but 200 years in the past. In the first book, Terrier, George Cooper is being told of his ancestor Beka, who was part of the Provost’s Dogs. The second book continues her story, where she is no longer a trainee, but a full-out Dog. Besides having to take care of the daily muggings, fighting, and murders, a bigger problem begins to show itself. Silver coins begin to come up false, horrifying merchants and customers alike. Distrust mounts and the economy begins to suffer badly. Beka and her fellow Dogs step in, tracing the source of the coins to the city Port Caynn, and they travel there. Beka and her partner have to deal with the dangerous Court of the Rogue, without the support of the local provost’s Dogs, and try to solve who is making fake coins, and why, before it’s too late.

This book is quite exciting and fast-paced, showing both Beka’s daily life and major events. It’s different from Pierce’s other series in many ways, including the setting, the format, and the characters. The format is different in that it’s in the shape of a diary, Beka writing almost daily, detailed entries. This lets the reader know Beka better then if it had been 3rd person, as she writes down her thoughts and inner feelings.

The most interesting aspect of the book is the characters. I loved Beka right away, simply because she’s shy. While most of Pierce’s past heroines have been bold and outspoken, Beka has trouble making eye-contact with people, and struggles with speaking her mind. For many teenage girls who read this book, myself included, it’s pleasing to read about a young woman succeeding to overcome her timidity.

Another interesting character is the result of a progression I have seen throughout Pierce’s Series. In Protector of the Small, homosexuality was mentioned once in passing. In The Circle of Magic series, a main character is a lesbian. It is never made a big deal of, but it is made clear. In Bloodhound, however, two men are paired up; one is a cross-dresser and often passes himself on as a woman singer. Pierce has evolved from casually mentioning homosexuality to having a character that does not hide it and feels no shame.

Bloodhound is an exciting tale with intriguing characters that I liked, and a satisfying ending.