RIVER MARKED by Patricia Briggs

Title: River Marked
Series: Mercy Thompson #6
Author: Patricia Briggs

Summary

Mercy and Adam, with a bit of help from their friends and family, are married and off to their honeymoon at a campground near the Columbia Gorge.  Time together, and away from the pack, fae, and vampires, seems to be the perfect way for Mercy to avoid trouble; after all, how much trouble can a coyote and her mate attract?

Mercy becomes suspicious of their vacation when she learns that Uncle Mike had a hand in the honeymoon plans, and her suspicions are only confirmed when her and Adam find a canoe in the river, one whose passenger is injured.  Something in the river is killing people, and it's determined to kill Mercy next.

But river monsters aren't the only thing that Mercy discovers in their campground.  For the first time, she sees the ghost of Joe Old Coyote, her father, and she can't help but wonder why he is suddenly appearing.

In order to defeat the monster in the river, Mercy has to learn a bit about her past, and what it means to be a walker.

My Impression

I loved that Mercy finally learns more about being a walker in this book.  As much as I've wanted to know about where walkers come from and Mercy's abilities, I had to accept that it was information that would never be provided in this series.  Since Mercy's dad is dead and the only knowledge of walkers comes from legends, more information seemed impossible, so I was really happy that this book not only gave more information, but introduced other walkers.  Mercy still doesn't have all the answers, but it was still nice to know a little more.

I also liked the development of Adam and Mercy's relationship.  I'm happy that they are married, but I was glad that their marriage didn't solve all their problems.  The two have a couple of things to work out, which made their relationship seem more realistic.  Along with their troubles, there are still great moments where they are able to confide in each other and we get to learn more about both characters as a result.

It was also nice to get out of the Tri-Cities area.  It seems like the area just attracts a lot of bad guys, and that the fae, wolves, and vampires in the area are the focus of these problems being brought out.  Though Mercy does travel out of the area in Bone Crossed, the villain was still targeting her and manipulating her arrival in the city.  In this book, despite Uncle Mike's hand in pushing Adam and Mercy into the situation, the bad guy doesn't target Mercy until she is in its territory.  It appears more happenstance, like Mercy and Adam partially fell in to the problem and then were expected to be part of the solution.  However, I'm also not sure I like that danger seems to follow Mercy; I can't tell if danger follows Mercy, or if her coyote nature means that she always falls into it.  Of course, without this constant danger, there wouldn't be any more Mercy books, and that would be a bad thing.

Why I Picked Up This Book

It was the next book in the series...need I say more?

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance
My Rating: Five Stars

Interested in other books by Patricia Briggs?  Check here to read my reviews of other books from this series.

SILVER BORNE by Patricia Briggs

Title: Silver Borne
Series: Mercy Thompson #5
Author: Patricia Briggs

Summary

Mercy is no longer a target for the Mid-Columbia Seethe, and she has repaid her debts to the fae and the vampires, with interest.  It would seem like Mercy can finally fly under the radar...except that life as a coyote is never peaceful.

In Iron Kissed, Mercy borrowed a book from Phineas Brewster, one that would help her learn some of the basic fae stories and artifacts.  When Tad calls and says Phineas is wondering if Mercy still has the book, she offers to return it. But Phin seems to have disappeared, and there are strange fae lurking around his bookstore and his home.  One thing Mercy knows is that if these fae are interested in the book, the only way she will be able to find Phin is if the book stays hidden.

The fae aren't the only people Mercy has to worry about.  Mercy's new status as pack member and mate to Adam is upsetting quite a few people, and they are doing what they can to get Mercy kicked out of the pack.  And something is wrong with Samuel, something bad enough that his wolf has taken control.  If Mercy can't figure out a way to fix Samuel, then he won't live much longer.

My Impression

I'm glad that this book focused on more of the pack dynamics.  Though Mercy was officially brought into the pack in Bone Crossed, the focus of that book was primarily on "vampire politics".  It was obvious from other books that there are a few members of the pack that barely tolerate Mercy, and that the only reason they don't attack her is because of Adam's protection.  I liked learning about other members of the pack and the unrest that has been taking place.

I also liked the plot with Samuel. This is another story that has been building throughout the series, and it seems pretty logical that Mercy becoming Adam's mate would increase Samuel's depression.  And since we learned in Iron Kissed that Samuel views Mercy as pack, I like that she is the one he turns to, and that the blame isn't placed on her.  It was also interesting to see the differences between Samuel and his wolf, since the only other characters we have seen that kind of characterization in are Charles and Anna.

Though the fae plot doesn't dominate this book, I think I enjoyed it because it built in intensity as the book went on.  It was also pretty cool that the fae that become involved have a history with other characters from the series, so meeting them also meant learning a bit of the past.

Why I Picked Up This Book

I just can't put this series down.

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance

My Rating: Five Stars

Interested in other books by Patricia Briggs?  Check here to read my reviews of other books from this series.

BONE CROSSED by Patricia Briggs

Title: Bone Crossed
Series: Mercy Thompson #4
Author: Patricia Briggs

Summary

Mercy was able to prove Zee's innocence, but at a high cost; as tough as she may be, Mercy still panics at the memory of Tim and his abuse.  She is trying hard to not feel victimized, but it's hard when everyone is walking on eggshells around her.

But Mercy has other things to worry about. When a starved Stefan shows up in her trailer, Mercy knows that Marsilia has discovered her betrayal.  While none of the vampires are making a direct move against her, Mercy's friends soon become targets; so when Mercy's friend comes to visit claiming she has a ghost in her house that is terrorizing her son, it seems best for everyone involved in Mercy goes to investigate.  Mercy believes that leaving town will lessen the targets on her friends' backs, whereas everyone else seems to believe that it will protect Mercy from the vampires' reach.

Either way, vampires don't just live in the Tri-Cities, and Mercy has a tendency to attract trouble, or in this case, the notice of the only vampire in Spokane.

My Impression

My main happiness with this book is that the love triangle has been dissolved. There is still some tension, which I find totally realistic, but I was worried that the love triangle would hold back this series, so I'm glad that it didn't overstay its welcome.  I am also really happy that Mercy chose Adam. While I do like Samuel's character, I never felt that Mercy could have a healthy relationship with him, which she also seemed to be aware of.

However, I also liked that things didn't just automatically work between Adam and Mercy. Much of this has to do with the Tim events at the end of Iron Kissed, events which were painful to read, and while I wish Mercy had been able to escape with less abuse, it did give the series a way of easing into the relationship between the two. (I really hope this doesn't make me sound like a monstrous person.)

The way that Mercy dealt with her rape and abuse was also realistic, in my opinion.  I found it believable that Mercy would quickly become irritated with being treated with pity, especially since she has a hard time controlling her panic attacks.  I also liked that she couldn't just brush away the horror of her rape, which was one thing I also feared with this book.  While Mercy is a remarkable strong woman, it would have been hard to believe that she could walk away without being haunted in some way.

As far as the plot went, I wasn't super interested in Blackwood, the vampire from Spokane, or the ghost haunting Amber's house. I liked that it gave a bit more insight into Mercy's abilities, and that it was one instance where Mercy really got herself into trouble; outside of that, I was more interested in the things happening in the Tri-Cities.

Why I Picked Up This Book

I honestly love this series, as well as Briggs' Alpha & Omega series.

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance
My Rating: Four Stars

Interested in other books by Patricia Briggs?  Check here to read my reviews of other books from this series.

IRON KISSED by Patricia Briggs

Title: Iron Kissed
Series: Mercy Thompson #3
Author: Patricia Briggs

Summary

Mercy fulfilled her debt to the vampires, but she was only asked to kill one vampire, not two.  Now it is only a matter of time before Marsilia realizes Mercy's betrayal and targets her.

In the meantime, Mercy travels to the Walla Walla far reservation to payback her debt to Zee. Some of the fae have been murdered, and Zee thinks Mercy's nose will help uncover who is behind the murders. But when the killer is discovered dead and Zee is found at the scene of the crime, Mercy refuses to let him be accused of a crime he didn't commit.

The Gray Lords seem content to let an innocent fae take the punishment for the crime in order to protect themselves from public scrutiny, so Mercy has to take the investigation into her own hands.  And she'll soon discover that sometimes the most monstrous people don't look like monsters.

My Impression

The characters in this series often comment that Mercy, like the coyote, seems to attract trouble. While that may be the case, it's more that she does whatever it takes to save her friends, but then she ends up owing favors.  She gets involved with vampire business in Blood Bound because she needed a favor from the vampires in order to save Adam and Jessie in Moon Called. While she is fulfilling her debt to the vampires, she asks a favor from the fae, which results in a debt that drags her into fae business in this book. I like that, though Mercy does seem to always find herself in danger, she doesn't go searching for it, and what may start as repaying a debt quickly becomes protecting her friends.

The love triangle is still there, though I did appreciate that it received more acknowledgement in this one. Mercy is obviously aware of the growing tension, and she knows that she needs to make a decision soon.  By the end, there is closure! (Though I won't say how.)

I enjoyed this book more that Blood Bound, and I'm not sure if that is because this book is focused on the fae instead of the vampires, or if there is some other reason. However, as much as I liked this book, I felt that there was very little focus on the werewolves. Though Mercy has been claimed by Adam, she isn't pack, so I can understand why the wolves aren't always the focus of this series, but I find them more interesting than the other characters, especially since they are the ones who Mercy most strongly associates with.

Why I Picked Up This Book

It's the next book in the Mercy Thompson series.

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance
My Rating: Four Stars

Interested in other books by Patricia Briggs?  Check here to read my reviews of other books from this series.

BLOOD BOUND by Patricia Briggs

Title: Blood Bound
Series: Mercy Thompson #2
Author: Patricia Briggs

Summary

After saving Adam, the alpha of the Columbia Basin Pack, and his daughter, Jesse, from the werewolves that had captured them, Mercy is ready to return to her life as a mechanic.

The only problem is that Mercy asked for Stefan's protection when she faced his vampire seethe, so she now owes him a favor.  When Stefan calls Mercy and asks for her help, she has no choice but to agree.

Stefan and Mercy visit a vampire who is visiting town without the permission of Marsilia, the Mistress of the Seethe.  Stefan doesn't trust this vampire, and with good reason.  Death surrounds his visit, and as she digs deeper in to the world of the vampires, Mercy learns that this one may not be an ordinary vampire.  But Mercy has proven that she can handle bad guys, and she'll need every bit of strength to save her friends from the monster that's now living in the Tri-Cities.

My Impression

This book goes deep into the world of the Mid-Columbia Seethe.  I liked that I got to learn more about the vampires in Mercy's world, especially since she is friends with Stefan, despite the warnings she receives from the wolves and fae.  The vampires are very political, much like the werewolves, but it is obvious that everyone who is aware of the existence of vampires is against revealing their existence to humans. I like that Briggs paints the darkness of the vampires in a way that clearly makes them seem monstrous but still allows us to see the moral side of certain vampires, such as Stefan.  As much as I liked this book, and I liked learning about the vampires, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed Moon Called.

There is also more development in the love interest in this series, though it does take a back seat to the vampire plot.  It's clear that Adam has feelings for Mercy, but Samuel also has an interest in Mercy, so she has to deal with the competition between the two dominant werewolves, as well as decide which one she wants to be with.  I both love and hate this development.  I think it's realistic that Mercy would still have an attraction to her first love, and that as a dominant werewolf, Samuel would want another shot at having Mercy as his mate; however, I really like the chemistry and understanding that Mercy and Adam have, and Samuel is just getting in the way.

Something I really liked about this book is that Mercy is a unique character, and though she is not always certain that she will come out on top, she is always willing to do what she can to save her friends.  Though some characters have more confidence in her strength and her ability to defeat monsters that the werewolves, vampires, and fae can't, there are still some that doubt her because she can turn into a coyote. Nevertheless, Mercy seems to be able to get herself out of the trouble that she gets into, even if she isn't sure that she can.

Why I Picked Up This Book

After reading Moon Called I wanted to find out what happened to Mercy.

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance
My Rating: Four Stars

Interested in other books by Patricia Briggs?  Check here to read my reviews of other books from this series.

Patricia Briggs Book List

Patricia Briggs is the author of many series, duologies, short stories, and a stand-alone novel.  Her most well known works take place in "Mercy's World".

Mercy's World

An urban fantasy world where werewolves, shapeshifters, vampires, witches, fae, and other creatures all exist in our modern world.  This universe contains two series (Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega), as well as a couple short stories, and a prequel graphic novel. For a timeline of how all of these works fit together, click here. 

Mercy Thompson

In a world full of werewolves, Mercy Thompson stands out. Not only does she change into a coyote, but her change is the result of her heritage: she is a walker, born with the ability to sense and resist magic, communicate with ghosts, and transform into a coyote.  Though Mercy would like nothing more than to stick with her day job as a mechanic, her friendships with Adam (the alpha of the Columbia Basin Pack), Stefan (a vampire), Zee (a fae), and the other supernatural creatures of the Tri-Cities area make it hard for her to ignore the magic of the world; especially when it is often up to her to save the day.

• Moon Called
• Blood Bound
• Iron Kissed
• Bone Crossed
• Silver Borne
• River Marked
• Frost Burned
• #8
• #9

Alpha & Omega

Anna is an Omega wolf, one who stands outside the pack structure and brings peace to the wolves of her pack.  Originally brutalized by her Chicago pack, she escapes their abuse with the help of Charles, the Marrok's son and executioner.  Though her wolf has chosen Charles as her mate, and Charles' wolf has chosen her, the human-halves have trouble following along; both are used to separating themselves from the people around them in order to protect themselves.  But when it comes time to protect those around them, they learn that they make a pretty perfect team.  

• "Alpha and Omega"
• Cry Wolf
• Hunting Ground
• Fair Game

Short Stories

The short stories that focus on characters introduced in Mercy Thompson or Alpha & Omega.

• "Seeing Eye"
• "Star of David"
• "In Red, With Pearls"

**Update: As of now, Briggs is under contract for two more Mercy novels (#8 and #9), as well as another book from Mercy's World.  This mystery project might be another Alpha & Omega novel or it could follow another character.  Either way, Briggs has stated that should would like to write another Alpha & Omega novel, though she isn't currently under contract for another book in the series.  She also has plans for a Mercy's World anthology, which would include the currently published stories, as well as some stories following additional characters, including Samuel and Ben.

Other Works

Sianim

• Masques
• Wolfsbane
• Steal the Dragon
• When Demons Walk

Raven Duology

• Raven's Shadow
• Raven's Strike

Hurog Duology

• Dragon Bones
• Dragon Blood

Stand-alone Novels

• Hob's Bargain

Short Stories

• "Wishing Well"
• "The Price"
• "Fairy Gifts"
• "Gray"

MOON CALLED by Patricia Briggs

Title: Moon Called
Series: Mercy Thompson #1
Author: Patricia Briggs

Summary

When a werewolf named Mac shows up at Mercy Thompson's garage looking for work, she's hesitant to hire him.  Mercy is no stranger to werewolves and their instincts, after all, she was raised by them. And while Mercy may look like an ordinary mechanic, she is a walker, born with the ability to transform into a coyote.  She can tell that Mac is new and unfamiliar with his new instincts, and even in coyote form she is no match for a determined werewolf.

After she learns Mac's story and sees the trouble that has followed him to Tri-Cities, Mercy has no choice but to contact Adam Hauptman, alpha of the Columbia Basin Pack.  But when Adam's house is attacked and he is severely injured, Mercy has to decide who she can trust, all while saving the alpha, rescuing his kidnapped daughter, and discovering who is targeting the werewolves.

My Impression

Mercy is an interesting character. While she is involved with the world of the werewolves (as well as the vampires and the fae), she is seen by many as weak.  However, as the book progresses, it is obvious that many people underestimate her and that very few actually understand what she is capable of. I liked that she has to make tough decisions and doesn't have solutions easily fall in her lap.  I think Mercy is a great heroine, and I admire that she sometimes gets herself in over her head because of her determination to save the people she loves.

However, I did get a bit frustrated because many of the people around her acted like she wasn't able to protect herself.  While most of their judgement of her was because she is not a werewolf (and thus doesn't have as much strength as they do), it was a little frustrating to see people not take this obviously intelligent female character seriously.

The other character I loved in this book was Adam.  He seems to be the person that could scowl at Mercy the most because he is a very strong and dominant male werewolf; however, he seems to be one of the few characters that completely trusts and depends on Mercy, and he actually believes that she is capable of a lot of things.  Plus, he just seems like a great character. (I will admit that my high opinion of him might be slightly influenced by later books, but I do still think he is a great character in the context of this book.)

I also really liked the conflict in this book.  Because this is the first view in to Mercy's world, it is almost impossible to predict who the villian is and what is motivating them.  I liked it this way because as Mercy tries to solve this mystery we learn a lot about the world of the werewolves, and it was in a way that didn't feel like I was just being told the information.

Why I Picked Up This Book

After reading "Alpha and Omega" and loving it, I wanted to read more books by Patricia Briggs. Once I learned that this series takes place in the same world with some of the same characters, I was hooked.

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance
My Rating: Five Stars

Interested in other books by Patricia Briggs?  Check here to read my reviews of other books from this series.