Mastiff (Beka Cooper #3)
Summary:
Three years have passed since Beka Cooper almost died in the sewers of Port Caynn, and she is now a respected member of the Provost's Guard. But her life takes an unexpected turn when her fiancé is killed on a slave raid. Beka is faced with a mixture of emotions as, unbeknownst to many, she was about to call the engagement off.
It is as Beka is facing these feelings that Lord Gershom appears at her door. Within hours, Beka; her partner, Tunstall; her scent hound, Achoo; and an unusual but powerful mage are working on an extremely secretive case that threatens the future of the Tortallan royal family, and therefore the entire Tortallan government. As Beka delves deeper into the motivations of the criminals she now Hunts, she learns of deep-seated political dissatisfaction, betrayal, and corruption. These are people with power, money, and influence. They are able to hire the most skilled of mages, well versed in the darkest forms of magic. And they are nearly impossible to identify.
This case - a Hunt that will take her to places she's never been - will challenge Beka's tracking skills beyond the city walls, as well as her ability to judge exactly whom she can trust with her life and country's future. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
This was a fantastic conclusion to the series and I particularly liked the ending. The fiancée in the beginning seems a little hard to believe, but once you understand some of the motivating factors, it makes more sense to me how Beka would have ended up in the situation. She’s not one to be overly expressive and likes being cared for as well. That chaos and mixed emotion sets everything up well for the challenge she’ll have to face regarding the Hunt and working with the royal family.
I do have to say that there were some revelations that made me a bit upset, but in a “why can’t all characters be perfect” way, which I’d complain about if they were. People, and characters, should have faults and I think Pierce had some realistic character moments in this book. This was a fast-paced engaging book that I couldn’t put down and certainly would highly recommend to those who think there’s nothing more Beka Cooper could have done.
Warning: Contains repeated violence.
Rating: 5 stars!
Who should read it? Fans of the series – if you don’t have the background as to what the “Dogs” are, it would be a bit odd.
Want to read the whole series?
Terrier (Beka Cooper #1)
Bloodhound (Beka Cooper #2)