The plot is interesting but, as in Moon Called, almost secondary to the entire story. The idea of a demon-possessed vampire would dramatically chew up page after page in any other novel, but with Briggs at the helm one is less fascinated by this (to me) amazingly original plot device than with the further socializing between Mercy and her friends and compatriots.
While being a "sequel" novel, Blood Bound is by no means merely a transitory novel whose sole purpose is to move the characters closer to the final end goal. Real problems are solved, and real issues in the complex social dynamic Mercy inhabits are being addressed. In choosing to hunt down and proactively destroy the ultimate antagonist at the close of Blood Bound, Mercy as a person takes a decisive, character-defining step towards her role in this world. That other characters are willing to back her and protect her is a testament to her "character". That the dialogue and responses of the main and supporting characters continue to seem so natural and realistic is a testament to the author's.
