Book Title: Bloodhound
Author: Tamora Pierce
Published: 2009
Pages: 534
Category: fiction: young adult, fiction: fantasy
I’ve put Tamora Pierce’s books up on this blog before – I read them over and over again, and always love the characters she presents to her readers.
Bloodhound is the continuation of the story she began with Terrier, set hundreds of years before the other books she has written in the same universe of Tortall. We see Beka Cooper grow more into her role as a City Guardswoman, pushing for the truth and pursuing her ‘rats’ with a strength of character and doggedness that is remarkable.
We are taken with her as she goes undercover to a new city and grows more into herself. Many times with series, the stories run together, and the second book is not as remarkable as the first. I did not find this with Bloodhound – its a wonderful continuation of the world and characters that we already knew, and allowed us to find new characters to love and follow.
I love how these books differ from the style of her other works as well, being written as the character’s journal gives us more insight into the inner workings and thoughts of our protagonist, Beka, than other formats would have allowed.
I was lucky enough to meet Tamora Pierce on her book tour for this novel, at Kidsbooks in Vancouver, and my copy – which I share with my friend Katrina – is autographed to us “Be Legendary”. Just like Pierce’s characters, I try to be!
Philippa Adams 