Bloggin 'Bout Books Blog

Mastiff by Tamora Pierce provides a less than satisfactory ending to The Hunt Records. So, before I turn this into a rant, let me give the people who care a quick recap. Beka Cooper is one of the finest Dogs in the Provost's Guard. It's been three years since the end of Bloodhound, and she has only become more renowned with her partners, Tunstall, and Achoo, her scent hound. This book features the three being joined by a Mage to find something that's been taken from the rulers of the realm. MAJOR SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT FORWARD. I seriously can't talk about this book without spoiling it, because I am so furious. First of all, the book opens with Beka's boyfriend/fiancee being buried. He has never shown up in the previous books and it's very very jarring. Then we find out that she didn't love him in the first place? And he was sort of abusive? And we're supposed to believe that Beka would have stayed with him and let it get to the point wher...

Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce is the second book in the Hunt Records.  This book finds Beka a proper Dog, although one that can't hold a partner. It's been five months since she became a Dog, and she's gone through three partners. She finds Achoo, a scent hound, being abused by her current handler and finds herself partnered with a scent hound and returned to her former trainers. But after Tunstall's legs are broken at a riot over the rising cost of bread and the presence of false coins in the market, Beka and Goodwin are sent to find the source of the false money. This book was just as exciting and intriguing as the first book. Beka grows as a character, but still retains the same personality. She has trained herself to speak up when necessary, but she's still the shy girl we met in the first book. There were a few things I really liked about this book. The first is that, even though I loved the characters from the first and want to hear more about ...

Terrier by Tamora Pierce is a fantastic mystery-based fantasy novel. Or fantasy-based mystery novel? Who knows. Basically it's just really good. I first read Terrier around the time it came out in 2006, I think. The second book hadn't been released, I thought it was a stand-alone, and I was psyched to have a new Tamora Pierce book to read. However, it'd been a long time since I'd read the first book, so while I vaguely remembered the characters and plot line, I couldn't exactly remember what had happened. Beka Cooper is a Puppy (the training stage of becoming a Dog aka the law enforcement of Tortall). She works in the lowest areas of the city (aptly named The Lower City). Since Beka was born there and lived there for most of her childhood, she has a certain level of respect for the place. She's paired with two of the most revered Dogs, Tunstall and Goodwin. Between the three of them, they'll need to find the source of a new and semi-illegal gem...