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Bloodhound (Beka Cooper #2)

by Tamora Pierce (Goodreads Author)

4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 · rating details · 15,680 ratings · 655 reviews

Beka Cooper is no longer a Puppy. She's a Dog now - a full-fledged member of the Provost's Guard, which keeps the peace in Corus's streets. Beka's natural skills of observation and tenacity are augmented by her unusual magical talents, which allow her to gather information both from pigeons are from the eddies of dirt and dust that swirl on street corners. But even her mag...more

Hardcover, 551 pages

Published April 14th 2009 by Random House (first published January 1st 2009)

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Sep 20, 2009 Cara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Cara by: Valerie

Shelves: fantasy, series

Uhhhh..... What should I say? I loved it and didn't at the same time. Does that make any sense? I'll have to explain myself.

We get to see the same great action sequences and heart that Beka has. Though we only stay in Corus for probably a fourth of the book and I thought the change of scenary did the series good. There is a trickle of new characters that come in. The most notable her new dog, Achoo. This comedian of a dog really made you love dogs even more.

Ok what I didn't like. I'm pretty sur...more

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Mar 20, 2009 Fran rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, own-tammy

I was filled with glee when I got my advance readers copy of Bloodhound. I tore my way through Terrier as quickly as possible (and I’m glad I did), before I started on Bloodhound as soon as I was able.

Whilst waiting for Bloodhound to come out (and it has been a long wait) I would eagerly read all the news from Tammy about the progression of the book. I was a little dismayed to learn that Beka would be out of Corus and in Port Caynn, therefore away from all of those much loved characters from Ter...more I was filled with glee when I got my advance readers copy of Bloodhound. I tore my way through Terrier as quickly as possible (and I’m glad I did), before I started on Bloodhound as soon as I was able.

Whilst waiting for Bloodhound to come out (and it has been a long wait) I would eagerly read all the news from Tammy about the progression of the book. I was a little dismayed to learn that Beka would be out of Corus and in Port Caynn, therefore away from all of those much loved characters from Terrier – Aniki, Kora, Rosto, Ersken, Tansy and et cetera. I also learned, while she would still be with Goodwin, Tunstall would be out of the picture with broken legs! However, it turns out (as it usually does), that my fears were unfounded and what I think sounds odd in summary turns out to be grand in actuality.

Bloodhound takes place sixteen months after Terrier, and the action happens over the course of (almost) three weeks. The book builds on what Terrier established. There are new words introduced into the language (one reason why re-reading Terrier before Bloodhound is such a good idea) as well as an expansion of Dog methodology. Bloodhound is one long hunt to resolve the issue of coles being filtered into the money stream, which are raising the prices of food and causing civil panic. There are some sterling action sequences in Bloodhound, making me feel like I was actually part of the riots and chases and also making me feel that poor Beka must have had some terrible hand cramps after her long stretches of diary and report writing! There is also significant time spent in Corus before the adventures ‘round Port Caynn begin, giving some quality moments with all of the well loved characters before we meet the new folk. Yes, the old faithful were keenly missed at some moments during Bloodhound, but this is good for both Beka and the reader (but mostly Beka, as we are selfish readers who want things Our Way!).

We are introduced to a vast quantity of new characters, mostly in Port Caynn but some in Corus too. The most notable addition is Atchoo, the scent hound who was mentioned in Terrier takes a leading role here (and once you read the book you will understand why the cover was changed to focus on her and leaves Pounce out). Atchoo is a fantastic partner for Beka, who adds to Beka’s skills set and resources as well as being a loyal and lovable companion (in the way that dogs are). Another of our new characters is Dale Rowan, a clever and likable cove who captures Beka’s affections and won over me too! Other new characters include the Port Caynn Rouge, her Rats and Port Caynn Dogs. As with Terrier, there are familiar family names in Bloodhound – watch out for a member of one particularly famous family who proves that insanity really did run in the family! I suspect that the majority of these characters we will never see again, but it’d be a crying shame if we didn’t see a few back in ‘Mastiff’ – or at the very least a mention of what they’ve been up to.

There are further explorations into things that have previously been touched on in the Tortall universe books – the female warriors of the temple of the Great Mother are featured in Bloodhound somewhat, providing welcome detail into something that was merely mentioned in passing in ‘Song of the Lioness’. The Dancing Dove is introduced, and I was pleased to note that the reasons behind its name have changed since the preview in the back of Terrier. Also, if anyone was still in any doubt, Pounce’s identity is confirmed once and for all. Beka’s magic also gets further explanation, which is welcome, and ties her to a particular god as she experiments with methods of using her magic. Her understanding and implementation of her magic is markedly improved from what it was in Terrier. It is these touches that make the book so vivid. They are woven into the story in such a way that they are part of the tapestry for the book itself and the larger Tortallan history. For those of us who are Tammy devotees this is an absolute delight and will enrich your knowledge of the Tortall world.

It was a hard trial to put the book down every time I had to, and once I got into the final stretch I simply could not put it down until I was finished. The plot is set up in such a way that it’s fairly obvious early on who is behind the cole-mongering. However, Tammy throws in something she’s become rather good at – making you feel that sense of empathy for the characters behind the very thing that Beka is racing to put a stop to. You don’t want it to be them, you want to be proven wrong and at the final turn you can understand why they took the actions they took, but you really wished they hadn’t. There is a rich layering of detail that makes such a complex plot believable.

Beka makes mistakes during the book (at one point I wanted to shake her for forgetting something); she also does remarkably astounding things too (she spends a lot of time traipsing through sewers, which made my stomach turn). I was pleased to see that alongside her natural aptitude for Dogging she is still learning how to be a Dog, they ways of people and the ways of the world. It humanises and humbles her, and I felt that she learned a lot from her experiences, both professionally and personally. By the end of the book several things fall neatly into place – how Beka’s partner problem is solved and also the set up for explaining why Lady Knights (and more gender equality across the board) exists in Beka’s time yet the mentality has changed by the time Alanna disguises herself and turns Tortall on its head. This will, I expect, be explored in ‘Mastiff’.

I’m very much looking forward to ‘Mastiff’ and the conclusion of the Legend of Beka Cooper, here’s to settling in for another Very Long Wait (although, mercifully, not as long as that between Terrier and Bloodhound)!
(less)

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Dec 12, 2008 Caroline rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, read-in-2008

I don't think I was ever so excited to get my hands on an ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) of anything more than I was to get this. I'd already been waiting years for this to come out, and even waiting a few months until the release date at the end of April was making me fidgety. I loved the first in this series and had devoured it and had been looking forward to more Beka Cooper ever since. I've been selling the first Beka Cooper novel to anybody that will listen to me ramble about how great it is,...more

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Apr 16, 2009 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'm not sure if Ms. Pierce is prescient or just more economically savvy than the rest of us, but this book was chillingly suitable for our times. The economic crisis in this book is caused by forgers -- colemongers, in her inimitable idiom -- rather than hotshot MBAs and back room financiers, but the general aura of panic and financial woe was dead on.

If only a smart, savvy young cop could fix out problems as easily as Beka fixed Tortall's.

My only complaint about the book is just that -- it was...more I'm not sure if Ms. Pierce is prescient or just more economically savvy than the rest of us, but this book was chillingly suitable for our times. The economic crisis in this book is caused by forgers -- colemongers, in her inimitable idiom -- rather than hotshot MBAs and back room financiers, but the general aura of panic and financial woe was dead on.

If only a smart, savvy young cop could fix out problems as easily as Beka fixed Tortall's.

My only complaint about the book is just that -- it was all solved rather quickly and easily. Beka and Goodwin did a brilliant job, but throughout the book, Ms. Pierce hints that there's an outside power working with Pearl to deliberately bring to chaos over a long, hard winter. I was all set to hear that some foreign country was planning a spring invasion. I was even looking forward to the next book, about keeping peace at home during wartime abroad. The idea that a man fired from the army would be that angry AND that thoughtfully destructive struck me as a reach. I wonder if Ms. Pierce didn't have something else planned and had to take a shortcut because the book was getting too long. (It is a long and luxurious book for a Y.A. novel.)

I'll admit that I wasn't fond of the journal conceit when I read the first book, but it's grown on me. Particularly as Ms. Pierce expanded and took advantage of her fantastic street cant. I can NOT believe she snuck some of those comments past the watchdogs that slaver over Y.A. books -- her use of the word "sack", in particular, made me chuckle.

And WOW on the LGBT front, too! Ms. Pierce is the first children's author I know who put gay people in a book without the book being ABOUT BEING GAY! I'm sure that there are tons of others, but she was the first one I found -- the Circle of Magic Books. So I wasn't surprised when one of the characters in the book was gay. But I didn't think that even a writer of Ms. Pierce's standing could but a transgender character in. (Transgender or cross-dresser? I'm going with transgender based on some textual evidence, but it could go either way.) But she does and makes him a small but vital part of the story.

I'm sure others will bemoan the lack of Pounce in the book, but I was thrilled. Ms. Pierce is a little too fond of the wise animal trope, one of her only flaws as a writer. Watching her and Beka do without was a pleasure.

Ms. Pierce clearly did her research for this book and Tortall, which is already a well defined world, came much more richly to life. I love this look into the lower classes -- what they eat and drink, what they wear, how they live. The mechanics of how the police work in this pseudo-medieval world is brilliant and nuanced. She clearly has some things to say about torture but never gets heavy handed with it. And the constant gnawing danger of hunger is very real, very terrifying, and very relevant to today's world.

And, Bake got laid! Yay Beka!(less)

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Apr 10, 2009 Roxanne Hsu Feldman rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 6-8grade, fantasy

really liked the first one and have been waiting for the second installment for a long long time. The second book still works. My initial quibble of not believing Beka able to write all of the stuff down in her journal still stands -- even with the explanation of ciphers and reports and how events are chopped down into several installments. Still seems a bit far-fetched. However, I guess if one believes in ghost-carrying pigeons and a young woman talking to street dust winds, one has to somewhat...more really liked the first one and have been waiting for the second installment for a long long time. The second book still works. My initial quibble of not believing Beka able to write all of the stuff down in her journal still stands -- even with the explanation of ciphers and reports and how events are chopped down into several installments. Still seems a bit far-fetched. However, I guess if one believes in ghost-carrying pigeons and a young woman talking to street dust winds, one has to somewhat allow her to be able to write dialogs and descriptions in such minute details when recording her own exploits.

That's another thing: the pacing is a bit draggy at moments because it seems a bit too much of JUST Beka -- just her thoughts, just her experiences, and just her achievements. All the secondary characters (POUNCE, for example, who is absent for most of the story) take a real Secondary position here. Achoo the hound, although very important to the plot, is not satisfying as a strong supporting character because she is too much of a hound, no human traits at all. I love her, but she cannot replace Pounce whose wry humor adds so much to the flavor of the story.

Dale, as a secondary character at the beginning of the story, never got his chance to even remain in that position. By mid-book, he's already just a bit of thoughts in Beka's mind. This shows Beka's dedication to her work and how incredibly sensible she is, but I feel slightly let down by Dale's demotion. He definitely could have played a larger part in the story (either helping or hindering Beka's tasks) because he was positioned to do so from the get go (but peters out...)

Having Hanse explain all the rhymes and reasons seems a bit of an easy and very basic mystery device (for that is what this series is... Law and Order meets Tortall Fantasy.) I was hoping for huge surprises and unexpected villains and deeper plots.

Oh, I sound too critical, I do believe. Going to end by saying that I definitely enjoyed following Beka through the streets, watching her eat sea food, seeing her fight various villains -- above ground and underground. It's great to be back in the land of such cool magic. Am I now again eagerly waiting for the next book? You betcha!(less)

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May 01, 2009 Libby rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, girl-power, young-adult-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. True to form, Tamora Pierce presents another intriguing Tortall legend and a satisfactory continuation of Beka Cooper's adventures. In her afterword, Pierce expresses doubt about the subject of counterfeit money being exciting enough for her readers. However, I found the subject engaging and timely. The description of food riots and other societal consequences of a damaged economy were appropriate topics based on the current world situation. Also, I continue to be impressed with Pierces' fiction...more

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May 06, 2009 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

god, you would not believe how many due dates this thing has!
and it looks like nobody realy has a clue which ones true.
im hoping for the soonest one (obviously), but im not getting my hopes up.

ok, this is really confusing, so try to keep up.

Publishing deadlines already past:

Original date: 10-28-07
Next date (on amazon): 12-23-07
library binding at borders: 1-__-08

Publishing deadlines not yet proven right or wrong:

product.half.ebay, barneandnobel: 4-__-09
chapters.indigo: 4-28-09

Amazon now has no cl...more

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Nov 28, 2008 Elizabeth marked it as to-read

Beka Cooper is finally a Dog—a full-fledged member of the Provost’s Guard, dedicated to keeping peace in Corus’s streets. But there’s unrest in Tortall’s capital.

Counterfeit coins are turning up in shops all over the city, and merchants are raising prices to cover their losses. The Dogs discover that gamblers are bringing the counterfeit money from Port Caynn. In Port Caynn, Beka delves deep into the gambling world, where she meets a charming banking clerk named Dale Rowan. Beka thinks she may...more

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Jan 20, 2009 Claire rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, ya, rev

This is the second book of a series set in Tortall's distant past (if you consider Alanna, Daine, and Kel to be the present). I'm impressed with how Pierce, whose books always seemed slightly formulaic to me even as I ate them up, has transitioned to the journal format and a more hardscrabble plot.

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Dec 27, 2008 Alli rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-favorites, books-2008

I won't write any spoilers, as I know the books isn't out yet. I received this books as a gift from family who met the author. In addition to asking her to sign the Trickster books for me, she gave them a signed advanced publishers copy of this. An amazing gift, possibly the best I've ever received.

It was a good book, I look forward to reading the published version in April. It took me a reading or two of Terrier to get used to the diary, first person style, but it works very well for this chara...more

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Feb 16, 2009 Lioness rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, mystery, teen

I enjoyed this second book about Beka but I do wish that Pierce would allow Beka a few mistakes. She is *so* good at what she does that it is a wonder that everyone doesn't bow before her! That aside, this is a typical Pierce good read. She introduces characters that might be seen as controversial in some places- a gay friend with his lover who is a transexual but since Beka doesn't blink an eye at it, one can hope that neither does the reader.
The mystery in the story is minor but kept me guessi...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

How many fantasy novels have you read where the main plot centers around counterfeiting? This, coupled with a strong female lead, sold the book to me. Yes, it is the second book in the trilogy, but it stands quite well by itself, and I was actually disappointed when I went back and read the first book.

Bloodhound is an interesting story, in that it is the procedural, but in a fantasy setting. Beka is sent to investigate the counterfeit coins that are suddenly more abundant, and which threaten th...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Linda Harley rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book for the 3rd time on audio books. Usually I know a book is superb when I re-read it and learn something new every time. Although this is a detective story, it has so many other things that make it a priceless story... such as a lovable hound Achoo that's a tracker, a cove gambler that swoops Beka off her feet, and adventure and a new town to explore at every corner. Beka is taken completely out of her element and placed in a city where she does not know...more

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Jan 04, 2013 R added it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 13, 2012 Wealhtheow rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, ya, queer-characters

Beka Cooper is now a full member of the Provost's Guard, who are charged with keeping the peace and upholding the King's laws. But after a terrible injury, she's sent to Port Caynn, to keep out of the way of her enemies and find out where the counterfeit silver coins flooding Tortall are coming from. At the port, she finds that the guards are led by an ineffectual and cowardly man (Alanna's ancestor!) and the port's Rogue is greedy and selfish, even by criminals' standards.

The writing is notica...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Kirstie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I'm starting to wonder if Tamora Pierce could even write something that would disappoint me. No, I'm not looking for her to fail me, but usually after reading this many books by the same author I've read at least one dud. I'm still waiting to find that dud in Pierce's works.

Beka Cooper is a great and beleiveable character and appears to be a touch older than the other characters that Pierce's books usually focus on, which appeals to me because my teen years are getting further and further behind...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Tompkins Mcgee rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who read Terrier

Terrier, in my opinion, was a 5 star book. Compared to that, Bloodhound would be more around 4.

Terrier was a great book because it had great characters and an intriguing plot. The mystery moved kind of slowly, but that was okay because we were introduced to a new world. Bloodhound is also a great book, but in the end I was left with the impression of "Oh. That was cool." I'm not going to reread this book.

One problem I had with this book was the lack of my favorite characters. I adore Rosto, even...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Tiffany Coffin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce is a thrilling and adventurous book!! If you like danger, suspense mixed in with a little bit of romace than this is the book for you!

Throughout this book, Becka(main character) is hit with nothing but clues, danger, and the constant threat of assasins as she gets closer and closer to Pearl Skinnner; an unhelpful rougue that is polluting the towns money streem with false silver. Determined to stop her, Becka and her partner Goodwin, accumpanied by her scent hound Acho...more Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce is a thrilling and adventurous book!! If you like danger, suspense mixed in with a little bit of romace than this is the book for you!

Throughout this book, Becka(main character) is hit with nothing but clues, danger, and the constant threat of assasins as she gets closer and closer to Pearl Skinnner; an unhelpful rougue that is polluting the towns money streem with false silver. Determined to stop her, Becka and her partner Goodwin, accumpanied by her scent hound Achoo, embark on this thrilling journey to save Port Caynn before Enemies of tortall catch wind of the mess, and decide to invade while Tortall is at a loss for money.

But, on top of this, friends goodwin and becka made while breaking up a riot might not be so friendly.Decpite their hospitality and willingness to help with the situation, becka is not fooled.

In the cover of shadows, becka overhears them plotting to further damage kingdom and is left to come with a solution on her own as goodwin leaves to come back with reinforcements to help catch pearl and her associates. and becka cant help but suspect Dale, a charming cove with looks and skill that has yet to capture Becka's heart. As becka tries to play her part as a flirty dog(police officer), she finds herself becoming entrapped into Dales game. But known as a nortorious better, and having actually invented a betting game himself, becka cant help but be suspicous that he might be smuggling coles into port Caynn through gambling.

Becka struggles to keep dale off her mind as she continues to hunt her prey. But that problem is some what resolved as becka is left alone in the vast city of Port Cayyn, with only Achoo and her pigeons that carry the souls belonging to the Black God to help her in her quest to uncover a plot even more puzzling than she would have imagined. Can goodwin arrive in time with reinfocements, or will becka have to face Pearl and her fierce, sword brandishing body gaurds alone?

Read this book to find out!!!!!(less)

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Jan 12, 2011 Helaman rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book, Bloodhound, starts out where the last book in the series ends. The main character,Beka, is a Dog. She is part of the Provost Guard. A Dog today would be considered a policeman. Dogs, however, do more that give tickets, they patrol the streets stopping pickpocketers and stopping fights. They also are detectives, so pretty much are anything that that is needed at the moment to keep tha peace and preserve the law. In this book Beka is required to be a detective and find out where the col...more

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Nov 16, 2010 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Ah, I do so love Tamora Pierce's narrative style.

We return to the kingdom of Tortall where young Beka Cooper - no longer a Puppy but a junior Dog in the Provost's Guard - stumbles onto a criminal conspiracy involving counterfeit silver coins flooding the capital city of Corus. Coupled with an unfortunately poor harvest season, the situation quickly escalates to threaten the entire kingdom with economic ruin. Beka finds herself pulled from her 'comfortable' situation in Corus to travel incognito...more

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Jun 05, 2010 Rosalia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, 2010

I really loved this book and I am not sure how to explain why. Beka is back but this time she is a full fledged Dog. She does seem to be having trouble finding a partner, so she once again is partnered with Goodwin and Tunstall. Someone is pouring coles (counterfit money) into the money stream and Goodwin and Beka are off to investigate. In this volume Beka gets involved in a romance and it is interesting to see how she handles it. The mystery story in this one is sooo exciting, and I really tho...more

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Apr 19, 2010 Sally Linford rated it 2 of 5 stars

You all know I love Tamora Pierce. This is another great story, but nothing I can say about this book will matter as much as: THIS BOOK IS TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE FOR TEENS! (Sorry for screaming.)

She writes a thrilling story, and you love Beka, but when she goes off to a far away city to investigate a counterfeiting ring, she falls into a VERY CASUAL, sexual relationship with a quasi-criminal. Of course, she only has sex after she's gone to a mage to get a charm that prevents pregnancy. All the t...more

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Dec 08, 2009 Kat rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, first-person, girl-power, young-adult

Unlike most sequels (exempting the Harry Potter series, obviously), this book was even better than the first. I think that Pierce did an excellent job creating an absorbing overarching plot--and this time the climax was just as fantastic as the build-up to it, unlike the first (which was a little disappointing). I also appreciated the expansion of world-building as Beka learns her way around the Provost's Guard and around Tortall. Really made me get excited for Mastiff!

Unlike many, maybe, I enjo...more

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Dec 02, 2009 Samantha (Harlequin Twilight's Book Blog) rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 sk...more 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 Tunstall and Goodwin, 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 cause 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, in a strange city.

Along the way, Beka sees Dale Rowan, a bank courier that sometimes works on the caravan, whim 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 in they need to get their investigation started. Things finally start falling into place when Goodwin goes to Corus to report what they have 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 place.

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 are 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 in 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 waiting for the next book, Mastiff.(less)

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Nov 27, 2009 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Gr 7 & up

Shelves: fantasy, ya, washyarg

In this sequel to Terrier in the Beka Cooper trilogy, Beka advances from police officer Puppy status to junior Dog only to have trouble finding a compatible partner. Along the way she acquires a police bloodhound named Achoo and begins to investigate counterfeit silver coins that are causing panic and riots in Corus. The trail of the counterfeit coins leads Beka and her old mentor, Goodwin, to Port Caynn and enmeshes them with gamblers, corrupt politicians, and Pearl, Queen of the Thieves. A ba...more

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Jul 25, 2009 Corrie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, fantasy

I really enjoyed this sequel to Terrier. I had a bit of trouble buying Beka's powers (talking to dust spinners and speaking with the dead via pigeons) in Terrier, but Bloodhound was able to jump right in without so much explanation and it helped me enjoy the book a lot more. In Bloodhound, Beka, now a second year dog (term for police) struggles with lazy partners until she finds a great partner in Achoo (a scent hound). She goes back to her old partners of Goodwin and Tunstall as they attempt to...more

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Jun 29, 2009 Shaya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer-2009, tamora-pierce, audio-books, fantasy

I really really got into this book. I liked Terrier but I really got into Beka Cooper's world with Bloodhound.

Tunstall is laid up with broken legs at the beginning of the story. Beka gets a scenthound, Atchoo, who is a fun character to watch. Goodwin, Beka, and Atchoo are sent to Port Caynn to investigate cole passing (fake silver coins). They meet several river gamblers who they become friends with including Dale Rowan and Hans. Beka becomes romantically involved with Dale but keeps wondering...more

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Jun 13, 2009 Nikki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

[Review of Audio version, read by Susan Denaker.:]

I was very impressed by Denaker's ability as she completely embraced Pierce's unique use of language. Young Adult writers in the business of creating fantasy worlds often create their own dialects and style after the example of Tolkien (though usually not to that technical, linguistic extent). Pierce is very grounded in her world, and though this book occurs earlier in the timeline than previously published books, Beka's world is of the "Lower Ci...more

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Apr 30, 2009 Korynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fifantasy

Keeping to the diary style and linking in directly to the first book we find Beka a 6 month Dog and still with a nose for trouble. Like most Pierce heroines she attracts animals like a magnet but there is an interesting departure as some of her pets step off the playing field. The story is that Beka is removed from the familiar streets of Corus to Port Caynn to track down counterfeiters. For the Pierce faithful some of the new characters are intriguing because of their associations, such as Treb...more

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Apr 27, 2009 Ms.Larkin Larkin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: magic, ya-fiction, adventure, fantasy

I was thrilled when my pre-ordered copy of this book arrived the day before my birthday. Perfect!

Like all of Pierce's work, this features a strong female heroine: Beka, a young Dog (police officer) in ancient Tortall. It also features Pierce's signature helpful animals, occasional magic, sensible approach to teen sexuality, and creative cast of lovable characters.

And, as usual, you get a comforting sense when reading it that the world has troubles, but they're solvable; that good will win out i...more I was thrilled when my pre-ordered copy of this book arrived the day before my birthday. Perfect!

Like all of Pierce's work, this features a strong female heroine: Beka, a young Dog (police officer) in ancient Tortall. It also features Pierce's signature helpful animals, occasional magic, sensible approach to teen sexuality, and creative cast of lovable characters.

And, as usual, you get a comforting sense when reading it that the world has troubles, but they're solvable; that good will win out in the end, although maybe a little bruised and battered; and that girls can do anything they please if they are only steadfast, determined, mostly sensible, and a little bit lucky.

But to my mind--and maybe it's just because I've been reading Pierce's livejournal lately--it seems to have a darker, bleaker undertone than her other works. Pierce has written that this book took much longer than she expected; I felt as if I could read in it some of her despair at certain recent events, and indeed there are connections.

Beka places her faith in the rule of law, and starts off the novel without a partner because she is so energetic in her pursuit of criminals. But as the novel goes on, she finds herself transplanted to a strange town where she must deal with a weak Provost, a corrupt Rogue, and Dogs who torture suspected counterfeiters.

The scene in which Beka and her partner interrupt a prisoner's waterboarding--the term's not used in the novel, but that's clearly what's happening--was the place where I finally was able to put my finger on it. Although the novel starts and ends the way I had expected a Pierce book to read, I wasn't able to shake a feeling of underlying unhappiness, and I wonder if Beka's story is going to go in a different direction than I had thought--at the beginning of the first novel, Terrier, she's described as George Cooper's "legendary ancestress," and I had assumed her legend was based on her tough detective work. But now, I wonder--is she going to have to face the larger systematic problems that underlie Tortall's entire system of justice? I had forseen her having some adventures and maybe or maybe not coming to terms with Rosto's hotness/criminality, but now I wonder.

Of course, the Alanna books are set hundreds of years later and yet still seem to have many of the same systematic problems (privileged nobility, corruption, etc) as Beka's Tortall.

I'm always eager to get the next Tamora Pierce novel, but now I'm more curious than ever to see where Beka's story goes...(less)

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About Tamora Pierce

Hey, folks! I just discovered that apparently I have given some very popular books single-star ratings--except I haven't. How do I know I haven't? Because I haven't read those books at all. So before you go getting all hacked off at me for trashing your favorites, know that I've written GoodReads to find out what's going on.

I return to my regularly scheduled profile:
Though I would love to join gro...more Hey, folks! I just discovered that apparently I have given some very popular books single-star ratings--except I haven't. How do I know I haven't? Because I haven't read those books at all. So before you go getting all hacked off at me for trashing your favorites, know that I've written GoodReads to find out what's going on.

I return to my regularly scheduled profile:
Though I would love to join groups, I'm going to turn them all down. I just don't have the time to take part, so please don't be offended if I don't join your group or accept an invitation. I'm not snooty--I'm just up to my eyeballs in work and appearances!

Also, don't be alarmed by the number of books I've read. When I get bored, I go through the different lists and rediscover books I've read in the past. It's a very evil way to use up time when I should be doing other things. Obviously, I've read a lot of books in 54 years!

I was born in South Connellsville, PA. My mother wanted to name me "Tamara" but the nurse who filled out my birth certificate misspelled it as "Tamora". When I was 8 my family moved to California, where we lived for 6 years on both sides of the San Francisco peninsula.

I started writing stories in 6th grade. My interest in fantasy and science fiction began when I was introduced to ‘The Lord of the Rings’ by J. R. R. Tolkien and so I started to write the kind of books that I was reading. After my parents divorced, my mother took my sisters and me back to Pennsylvania in 1969. There I went to Albert Gallatin Senior High for 2 years and Uniontown Area Senior High School for my senior year.

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, I wrote the book that became The Song of the Lioness fantasy quartet. I sold some articles and 2 short stories and wrote reviews for a martial arts movie magazine. At last the first book of the quartet, Alanna: The First Adventure was published by Atheneum Books in 1983.

Tim Liebe, who became my Spouse-Creature, and I lived in New York City with assorted cats and two parakeets from 1982 - 2006. In 2006 we moved to Syracuse, New York, where we live now with assorted cats, a number of squirrels, birds, raccoons, skunks, opossums, and woodchucks visiting our very small yard. As of 2011, I have 27 novels in print, one short story collection, one comic book arc ("White Tiger: A Hero's Compulsion") co-written with Tim, and a short story anthology co-editing credit. There's more to come, including a companion book to the Tortall `verse. So stay tuned!(less)

More about Tamora Pierce...

Books by Tamora Pierce

Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, #1)

In the Hand of the Goddess (Song of the Lioness, #2)

Lioness Rampant (Song of the Lioness, #4)

The Woman Who Rides Like a Man (Song of the Lioness, #3)

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Trivia About Bloodhound

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Quotes from Bloodhound

“Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.” — 131 people liked it

“Goodwin scowled at her cup. "With all due respect, my lord, I hate it when you make sense.” — 55 people liked it

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Bloodhound (Beka Cooper #2)

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