Bloodhound: The Legend of Beka Cooper #2 [Hardcover]

 

 

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Incredible book! I enjoyed, as I do all of Tamora Pierce's books! Plenty of action, lots of intrigue, and fun with her usual blend of wit and humourous characters! I highly recommend Bloodhound!

Rebekah "Beka" Cooper is now a Dog, a fully qualified member of Provost's Guard, which is basically the police force in Corus, the capital of Tortall. Beka is a natural at Dog work - she's observant and persistent, but her magical traits set her apart from the rest. She has the ability to gain information from the spirits that attach themselves to pigeons and the dust and dirt that swirl on the ground called dust spinners. These skills, along with the help from the company she keeps, make Beka a skilled Dog.

Beka has been a Dog for five months at this point, and her fourth partner has just decided to leave her, which sends her back to her (amusing) training Dogs, Tunstall and Goodwin. One her first day back with them, they learn of counterfeit silver coins being used throughout Corus, which begins their investigation on the subject. On the second day, the merchants raise their prices in order to cover their losses, which causes a riot in the Lower City. During the riot, Tunstall is injured and in trying to get him to safety, they meet a group of men from a security caravan, who turn out to be quite useful to them.

After the riots, it's found that the counterfeit coins are being brought in by gamblers from Port Caynn and the Port Caynn Dogs don't seem to be doing anything about it. With Tunstall on bed rest, Cooper and Goodwin are sent undercover to Port Caynn to try and locate where these fake coins are coming from - and who is sending them out into the mainstream. Beka and Goodwin must explore the deep world of gambling and find the root of the problem, all in a strange city.

Along the way, Beka sees Dale Rowan, a bank courier who sometimes works on the caravan whom she met in the riot. Dale becomes more than just someone to help the women learn about the gambling places, and the eating houses that could help aid them - he becomes someone Beka really begins to like. He is handsome, buys her fine gifts, and becomes a bedmate for her, all in a matter of days. There is just enough romance that you almost want to root for him, but personally I am still rooting for her and Rosto, the Rogue of Corus.

With the help of the adorable Achoo, Beka's new scent hound, Slapper, a hilarious pigeon that carries the voices of the dead, and their new friends from the riots, they have just the aid they need to get their investigation started. Things finally start falling into place when Goodwin goes to Corus to report what they have found so far. Once Goodwin is gone, things come together rather quickly for young Beka, and it is up to her alone to keep it all from blowing up before help arrives. And it is up to Achoo to teach Beka that there is more to finding a criminal than the chase, and sometimes you have to sniff them out of their hiding places.

I love this story! It's told very well - everything you read is written through Beka's journal and, despite the length of the book, the entire story covers just under three weeks. I didn't read TERRIER, the first book in the trilogy, but BLOODHOUND seems to stand on its own, with only a slight temporary confusion. Some of the terminology is quite different, but there is a dictionary in the back, along with a few other things that are quite helpful when it comes to keeping things straight. The cast of characters is quite colorful, and very interesting, particularly when Dogs, mages, thieves, and the Rogue not only live in the same lodgings, but also dine frequently together and intertwine themselves in each others lives as they do. It's easy to see that despite what they all do for a living, they all care and respect each other as friends.

There are some aspects of the story that could become a little much for younger readers and I think I should state that Beka may only be 16 or 17, but in her time, that is classified as an adult. She deals with adult situations: there is crime, gambling, adult relationships, and violence, but nothing is told in explicit detail or anything like that. This is a story that I could totally recommend for almost anyone, male or female, teenager or adult. Either way, it is a good story and I, for one, am eagerly waiting for the next book, MASTIFF.

Reviewed by: Samantha Clanton, aka "Harlequin Twilight"

[...]

I love, love Tamora Pierce's books, her first book Alanna, is what first got me addicted to reading, well that and my Dad who is also an avid reader. Needless to say I was beyond excited that another book set in her Tortall universe was coming out! My favorite thing about the the Beka Cooper series is the slang that the common city and street folk use in this book, occasionally I would have to look up what a word meant but there is at trusty glossary at the back of the book that came in handy so I didn't have any troubles. I also sometimes found myself talking like Beka after reading because their language stuck in my head after putting it down. Also this book is written in a journal like format from Beka's point of view which is a refreshing take on books written from first person. Tamora Pierce is well know for her strong female characters and Bloodhound shows that again and again with Beka and her partner Goodwin. They are strong, they can take care of themselves and they know how to have a good time. Beka's unusual 'magic' gifts are different and I was glad to revisit them again. The story kept me interested and turning pages for more. I had taken this book on my family's annual camp out and I didn't hear the end of it, everyone was quite annoyed that I couldn't put it down! I cannot wait to read more about Beka Cooper & company and I hope that the next book does take too long to come out

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4.0 out of 5 stars This book really works!
Tonight on CSI-Tortall: Beka has finally achieved Dog status, but she still has a lot to learn. Her rough style has her unable to keep a partner, and she ends up back with her... Read more

Published on April 20 2009 by Vanessa M. Dow

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