Mercy Thompson 14: Winter Lost

Mercy Thompson 14: Winter Lost by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Bonarata seems to still be a problem, but he's hovering on the outskirts. Instead we see a lot more of the fae along with the return of Mercy's brother Gary, and even her father in this installment. Coyote really does cause as many if not more problems than most, but this time around his chaos does seem to be for everyone's benefits, or at the very least very much to Mercy's benefit. It's understandable why Adam was so shocked, though it would be even more interesting perhaps to see Zee's reaction after he's done so much to try to heal her. Heck, even Mike has been in on helping mitigate the effects if his drink at the start is any indication. While the silver spider seemed rather creepy and possibly ominous at the start, this character too is fascinating and has a very interesting role in how things play out. 

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Mercy Thompson 13: Soul Taken

Mercy Thompson 13: Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Took awhile to get to read this installment of the series, but it's still just as engaging as other books in the series. This one gives us more insight into the vampires, especially Wolfe and even Bonarata. Bonarata is likely going to continue to be a problem, and can't help but wonder what is going on with Samuel. Perhaps if he really is with Charles, we'll get more on that side of the story in the next Alpha & Omega book. Perhaps this is the same trouble that was hinted at in Wild Sign. Wulfe and Tilly are also likely to continue to be interesting twists along the way, though at least for the moment, it seems they are more likely to be allies than enemies.

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Alpha & Omega 6: Wild Sign

Alpha & Omega 6: Wild Sign by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Wow, we get a lot of back story between Bran and Leah here even though it's more about Leah's past and Anna getting caught up in everything again. Turns out music can be both dangerous and a safety depending on how you use it. The ending also is rather cryptic and unsettling, hinting that Coyote himself is related to the Singer, and by that token, Mercy would be as well. He also references many walkers, which leads to wondering if all are tied back to the Singer in the same way or if they truly are their own separate creatures with some similarities in how their lines continue? As usual, things mostly work out in the end, with a lot of questions and potential left hanging to lead into the next installment - from either side of this series. Even Samuel's brief reappearance leans towards more questions and hints and more adventure (or trouble depending on how you look at it) down the road.

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Mercy Thompson 12: Smoke Bitten

Mercy Thompson 12: Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It was good diving back into one of my favorite series. A couple of times really wanted to smack Adam in this book. Small wonder he was acting so out of character a lot of the time. Of course it wouldn't be so easy to be done with the witches, and now with Underhill literally in their backyard... hopefully that year and a day is up before anything else escapes or explodes on them, but somehow doubt it with Mercy and her pack's track record.

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Mercy Thompson 11: Storm Cursed

Mercy Thompson 11: Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I meant to read this when it first came out, but life kept happening or I'd be reading something else instead. Finally started it thanks to my business trip this summer. Most nights, I was too tired to pick it back up again until this last week. Two more nights of a little bedtime reading, and the story was wrapped. Once I finally got into it, this was a very quick read. As with most things involving Coyote, there's more than a little confusion mixed in with a little bit of understanding. We get more on Wulfe, Frost, Elzevita, and the Hardesty witches mostly this time around, while Mercy learns a few new tricks. For all that she complains about not being a leader, she sure seems to be the one in the thick of things and often calling the shots.

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Alpha & Omega 5: Burn Bright

Alpha & Omega 5: Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This took me a long time to read, significantly longer than most Patricia Briggs books take me. Part of it was that I got sucked into the world of Yuri!!! on Ice fanfiction. Another part is that the constant conflict with Leah annoys and drains me. I love the characters in this world, and I know Leah plays a very important part in keeping Bran sane, but she drives me nuts. I do not like her, and it is unlikely I ever will. Despite this, she ends up doing some good in the end of the book that isn't as aggravating when she helps against the skinwalker and clues into everything so quickly when Bran finally does return. No one can fault her intellect, that's for sure.

This story does perhaps make more sense since I also follow the Mercy Thompson series as this book takes place directly during the same time as Silence Fallen. If anything is the most interesting here, it is probably the lore of the skinwalker and seeing Anna learn even more about her unique abilities as an Omega within the pack.

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Mercy Thompson 10: Silence Fallen

Mercy Thompson 10: Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This one has a lot of twists and turns in it - one that you won't get until the very end (and it's a great one)! The alternating POV can be a little confusing, especially since the chapter headings often say something along the lines of "this happened before/after/during the last chapter." The during/after makes sense, but I would have thought things happening before maybe should have been put first. Despite this, it's just as easy to get pulled into this new tale and not come up for air until it's over. Adam ends up with a rather interesting group helping him "rescue" Mercy (who at least got away from her original kidnapper before ending up in another cage). It's interesting to see how Adam works with all these different creatures for a change, despite his claims of not being diplomatic. There's a reason he's one of the most well known U.S. werewolves after all. Mercy ends up learning a bit more about her own abilities too, leading to a couple of new tricks that may or may not end up being all that great. Hopefully she can stay sane with them, unlike her troublesome brother who seems to exasperate even Coyote.

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Mercy Thompson 9: Fire Touched

Mercy Thompson 9: Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I think it's safe to say this has stayed as one of my favorite series. Toyed with the idea of re-reading the others just for a refresher course before this came out, but was sucked into too many other books to get around to it. Didn't end up mattering as I was completely sucked in once I started it last night. Had to force myself to put it down and get some sleep, then wanted to dive right back in once I had the kids settled down for their respective breakfasts this morning.

Mercy never does things halfway, though she shows vast improvement in this book when it comes to following orders, thinking about others, and looking at both the big and immediate pictures of things. Sometimes it takes a little while for her to process everything (like fully realizing all the options after the bridge troll at the start), but she's obviously working on it. Have to say that Adam's pack meeting sure went a long way towards bringing the pack to heel in a way that's been necessary for a long time. Just in time too, with Bran's forced hand. Hopefully that keeps going the way it is, because right now the pack is working at the best it has in the entire series, and it needs to keep going that way to swing the end of the fae treaty in everyone's favor permanently. It's heading the right direction at least, and I have to admit really liking this new fae woman Mercy befriended. It would be easy to see her become both a casual friend and a valuable source of information, even if it's just old legends/views from her father, when it comes to fae popping up in the future.

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Alpha & Omega 2: Cry Wolf Volume 2

Alpha & Omega 2: Cry Wolf Volume 2 by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The art still feels off in this portion of the series, especially in contrast to the images painted of the characters from the original book descriptions. Still, it's fun to see the stories come to life. Anna is still the most surprising character of the series, though there are less flashbacks in this half of the story than in the first. Can't help but feel bad for Asil with everything haunting him this turn around.

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Alpha & Omega 1: Cry Wolf Volume 1

Alpha & Omega 1: Cry Wolf Volume 1 by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


It's interesting how the story is brought to life here. The flashbacks are always slightly different colored so you can tell them apart from the main line. The coloring also seems to indicate if it's part of Anna's backstory or Charles's. Something about the characterization this time around makes the werewolves seem a little more lanky, made up of more sharp angles and skinnier than other characters we see more often in the Mercy Thompson arc. Of course, it has to pick a cut off point that has you right on the edge of a cliff so you have to get the second volume. Makes me glad I picked them both up at the same time instead of having to wait through the time to read the rest. I've read the full novels already, but it still feels both familiar and completely different reading the story as a graphic novel format. Probably also doesn't hurt that it's been awhile since I read the original books, so a refresher is good.

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Mercy Thompson 4: Hopcross Jilly

Mercy Thompson 4: Hopcross Jilly by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This story seemed to serve more to show how life is for Jesse with the pack than it was focusing on Mercy. Mercy's Fae contacts come in handy once again to figure out the murders dug up from the past as well as the fresh ones happening, though it is ultimately Jesse who stops the Fae this time around and ends up in the middle of a police investigation, by no fault of her own. Turns out it's a really good thing Jesse is like her dad - brutally honest and always truthful. Ends up saving her life and the lives of who knows how many other children to mark all four corners of Jill's new land boundaries. The name similarity from Jillian Cross to Jill, the new student at Jesse's school, made the connection rather obvious for readers. The constant "she's right there!" feeling looking at the graphics makes you want to reach out and strangle someone for being so dense while at the same time keeping you on the edge of your seat waiting to see if Jesse will be the next "bad girl."

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Mercy Thompson 3: Moon Called Part 2

Mercy Thompson 3: Moon Called Part 2 by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


It took ages to actually get my hands on a copy of this. Took some re-adjustment to get used to the images again instead of the pictures I see of the characters in my head when I read the normal books. Still some obvious short cuts. It's also interesting to see how different Mercy appears in the comics as opposed to how she appears on the covers of the novels. Wish there was a little more consistency overall, but still amused to see how the characters live in this different form.

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Mercy Thompson 4: Bone Crossed

Mercy Thompson 4: Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I doubt I'll ever get tired of this series. Got sidetracked from my re-reading binge by other life events, but couldn't stay away from it for long. This picks up directly where Blood Bound left off, literally in the same scene. The vampires come back for a larger appearance this time around and more of Mercy's abilities regarding ghosts are revealed. This is also the first time we actually meet Mercy's mother, and Bran comes to visit. Is it really any small wonder Mercy can't seem to keep her nose out of so many preternatural plates when she is literally surrounded by them and dragged into them repeatedly. There's a lot of educating going on between events in this book - pack magic, especially mating bonds, vampire magic regarding sheep (vampire human pets essentially), and walker magic at least as far as ghosts are concerned. There are also hints that perhaps it is this same magic that allows control over the newly dead without making them a zombie or a vampire outright - a little on the creepy side and thankfully not something Mercy is likely to ever attempt or have an interest in. Now if Mercy could shake off these panic attacks and stay out of the limelight for awhile - though we know that's not likely to happen with all of her ties and own coyote nature.

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Mercy Thompson 2: Blood Bound

Mercy Thompson 2: Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The unplanned re-reading marathons continue. Something made me decide I was in a mood for Mercy Thompson, and just reading the first book didn't cut it. I've re-read the first several books in this series many times over and still enjoy it. I expect the same will be true of the newer books when I get back to them.

This one focuses more on vampire politics than werewolf politics as Mercy is called out on a favor to Stephen that turns out to be more trouble for the wolves than they can handle. Add into that the fae's reluctance to involve themselves in anything outside their own species and the witch's fear of being possessed themselves if they get too close, and you're down to our favorite solo walker trying to save the day again. We also start to see the real acknowledgement and development of Mercy's relationship with Adam at this point, though it is still muddled by her relationship with Sam. For wanting to stay out of preternatural politics as much as possible, Mercy does a terrible job of staying just the local mechanic and not being stuck somewhere in the heart of whatever trouble is brewing. It could also be said that this is a turning point for Mercy's relationship with Ben as he doesn't really appear to begin recovering until Mercy goes after Andre. Turns out these two might not be the instinctive enemies they portrayed themselves as at the start anyways. Hard to be angry and gruff with someone that's constantly saving your skin.

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Mercy Thompson 1: Moon Called

Mercy Thompson 1: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I meant to just kinda skim for entertainment and ended up getting sucked into an unexpected re-read. There is a definite reason this is one of my favorite series - the characters are unique and interesting. The story draws you in, even when you aren't planning on it. Mercy does strike as a rather unique character from the beginning, being the only one known of her kind and the only of the different species that apparently doesn't have a problem working with many other species at the same time. Add in her obvious hitch with both Sam and Adam being after her... maybe being raised by/with werewolves wasn't the best thing for her after all - though all that knowledge about their actions and intents serves her very well dealing with the packs.

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Alpha & Omega 4: Dead Heat

Alpha & Omega 4: Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Okay, first off, I very much enjoy this series all on its own. Secondly, we get a huge dose of a very active horse world in this book - my favorite animal and a serious joy of mine. Result: a double dose of happy! Charles has always been an interesting character, even more since Anna came on the scene and started bringing him out of his shell. There are the occasional references to the rest of his family that make more sense if you are also reading the Mercy Thompson series, like the notation about Samuel and his mate. It isn't required though, which is a nice bonus. Bran is always there at least on the sidelines, but we get enough interaction with him as well to fill in some of those desired gaps from what little we get in the original series. Overall, this series and it's further glimpses into the full workings of the Werewolf community as a whole is very enjoyable.

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Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson

Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I had already read most, if not all, of the previously released short stories. That didn't stop me from enjoying reading them again. As a bonus, each story has a short introduction that helps you place where in the series that bit fits in, making it all the more enjoyable since the pieces don't feel as random as some short stories occasionally do. Very few actually even mentioned Mercy, let alone had her in them. While this is somewhat sad given that the stories are in her universe and she is the main character, it's refreshing to get some details and inside looks at some of the other characters we see her interact with. If anything, I rather enjoyed the variety found in this story as it takes us clear back to Bran and Samuel's Change, clear up to current events with Mercy's near death. If anything, the stories are too short as they leave you wanting more. Definitely one to add to the collection for any fan of the series.

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Mercy Thompson 3: Iron Kissed

Mercy Thompson 3: Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I can't remember when I first read this, though the stars are a result of the first read and still apply. Of any book in the series, this is the one I come back to the most. There are a lot of turning points in the book, especially regarding Mercy and Adam, that really make this book stand out from the others. Mercy ends up in more trouble than usual and goes to Adam for saving enough times that she unintentionally validates his mating claim. Might not be exactly what her independent nature wanted, but they are good for each other. This is definitely a more sensitive book with all the things that happen to Mercy towards the end, but Adam handles it really well. Or rather, he does once Ben has a rather risky heart to heart with him. That magic cup sure did a number on Mercy's usual solid self esteem that she definitely needed to be knocked out of before doing anything stupid.

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Mercy Thompson 8: Night Broken

Mercy Thompson 8: Night Broken by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Not the best installment in the series, but still pulled me in and was a good read. Mercy was a little too understanding and passive with Christy, especially considering her Coyote nature. Adam has always had issues where his ex has been concerned, but the homey family dinner scenes excluding his new wife were just a little too out of character for him, especially with how attached and controlling he is otherwise. Did not set a good precedent for the rest of the pack behavior. If anything, it was Mercy's interaction with Honey, Gary, and Coyote that were the highlights of the story. Christy, I felt, really showed her true colors when she came to the hospital after the blue dye incident. If any character needs to move away permanently or die, it's her. Then there's the ending of the book - what?! I'm sorry, but that is not an ending. Cliff hangers are one thing. This was so far above the edge I'm not sure it even qualified as that. Is the next book out yet? Because I think that's going to be the only cure this time around.

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Down These Strange Streets

Down These Strange Streets by George R.R. Martin

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I have had a really hard time digging into this book, as evident by both the rating and the amount of time it took me to read it. Sure, books are taking me longer to finish as more of my time is spent either working or with my daughter than reading, but May to July? Nearly 3 months for one book. Ouch.

Originally picked this up because it had shorts from authors that I normally read. Sadly, they mostly seemed to be filler that you could already more or less guess from the main series and didn't fill any real gap or need. The rest of the stories were dry and failed to draw me in, lending to the extended reading time. Maybe I would have been more interested in them if I knew more of the stories or characters aside from the brief snippets given at the start of each one. Either way, this book was overall a rather large disappointment that I finished more out of sheer determination than a desire to find out what happened next.

The only saving grace that earns the second star is Patricia Brigg's snippet from the Mercy Thompson series. I adore that series and never seem to get enough of it. This was the only part of the book that I didn't take a break during or have to trudge through to finish. Wish I could say that about more of the book.

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