Fair Game by Patricia Briggs

Why hello there my dear bloggy friends! Can I say how much I've missed you all? It's true. For some reason I just haven't really been feeling the 'vibe' to sit down and review any books of late but after I finished Patricia Briggs' latest Alpha & Omega novel, Fair Game, in one sitting I just knew I was gonna have to pimp it out to everyone I possibly know. Now I've been a Mercy Thompson fan for some time. I love every single tiny thing about that series. Sadly the first couple books in the Alpha & Omega spin-off series never really did much for me. I confess to picking them up in hopes of catching of glimpse of the Mercy gang or Bran(!) between books but never really investing much in the story itself. Well, I can honestly say that Ms. Briggs changed all that with Fair Game. It it truly one fantastic book and I am now fully on board with Anna and Charles.

Since the werewolves went public and thus penalties for wolves stepping out of line have become harsher, the Marrok's enforcer (who also happens to be his son), Charles, has been putting in more hours as the pack's assassin and is starting to feel the strain. Anna has watched him pull away from her for almost a year but still feels powerless, despite her abilities as an Omega, to help soothe his guilt. Knowing her husband is in trouble, Anna confronts Bran hoping that he can figure out some way to keep Charles sane. So it happens that Anna and Charles are sent to Boston to work with the FBI and Homeland Security on a serial killer case who recently added a few werewolves to his list of victims. Charles is on such a slim thread that the least provocation in this tightrope case could send him over the edge, but Anna is determined to remind her husband that he is the hero and not a villain.

I think some of my previous issues with this series was that for some reason, Anna still seemed to carry around the 'victim' vibe. Now, I know she fought off some major baddies (with the help of Charles) but I never just felt like she was truly standing up for herself. But from the very first chapter of Fair Game (at least the first one she appears in) she's laying down the law (to Bran no less) and fighting for those she loves. I don't know how to put it other than it's like Ms. Briggs finally became comfortable with her characters in Fair Game. The story flowed, the characters sparkled (I'm looking at you Anna and yes, you Leslie), and the action was pitch-perfect. Most of all I did't feel like Charles and Anna were so unbalanced as a couple -- despite facing some serious issues. They stood up for each other (Anna especially), they relied on each other. They just seemed to finally work as a believable couple. Friends, this book was just so...perfect.  I don't know how else to say it other than that. It was perfect. Go read it and have your mind changed too.

And Ms. Briggs? If you happen to read this review know that I'd pay really, really, really good money to read a book about Bran. Really good. Anybody else with me here?

series reading order:
~ "Alpha & Omega" (novella) in On the Prowl collection
~ Cry Wolf
~ Hunting Ground - my review

~ Fair Game

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:

Babbling About Books, and More review

Dear Author review

Fiction Vixen review

Smexy Books review

book source: my local library

River Marked by Patricia Briggs

***Just so we are all on the same page here, this review contains unavoidable SPOILERS for the previous FIVE utterly amazing Mercy Thompson books. So if you haven't read those ones yet (and why the heck not?!?), consider yourself warned.

Change could absolutely be Mercy Thompson's middle name. Well, that and Trouble. But Mercy's hoping for a little bit of R&R from all her recent troubles now that she's finally snagged her man, local alpha werewolf Adam as the pair are headed off to spend a few days - alone - alongside the Columbia River. Shortly after their arrival however, Mercy lives up to her reputation when a rescue effort reveals the presence of a centuries-old evil now residing in the river's depths. Struggling to understand this newest threat, Mercy is startled to find help coming from her unknown father's family - a Native American heritage she has never felt a part of - but one she must now turn to if she and Adam wish to return home alive.

Words cannot even begin to describe how incredibly pleased I was with this latest installment from Patrica Briggs. Truly I have loved every single book in this outstanding series, but River Marked gave us readers something just a little bit different and I wholeheartedly approve. For starters, essentially 90% of River Marked is about Mercy and Adam, together, but separated from the pack and their own regular friends and responsibilities. Forcing the two to spend so much time together, uninterrupted, allowed for some decidedly intimate conversations. Adam reveled himself to be so much more than Mr. In-Control-Alpha, and whoa baby, that man is all heart. But his love isn't one sided either. Each is so overwhelmingly in love with the other, my little heart just melted as I watched them simply be together... joking, flirting, and yes, even fighting together.

River Marked also gives us a much better handle on Mercy and her Native American heritage, including the father she never knew. I for one found the translation of Indian myths into Mercy's world utterly fascinating and hope like hades some of the key players make return appearances in future novels (sorry for the vagueness here...I'm trying to keep some secrets). Together with her newly cemented status as Adam's mate, Mercy getting a better grip on her own personal genealogy added yet another layer to her already complicated yet vivid personality with satisfying results.

Each and every book in this series is absolutely outstanding, but I think River Marked will always hold a very, very permanent place on my keeper shelf. Primarily due to that final letter which left me with tears streaming down my face and shaking my head over the absolute rightness of Mercy and Adam together. Truly my friends, THAT is something worth waiting six books for.

series reading order:
~ Moon Called
~ Blood Bound
~ Iron Kissed
~ Bone Crossed
~ Silver Borne - my review
~ River Marked

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
All Things Urban Fantasy review
The Book Smugglers review
Fiction Vixen review
Smexy Books review
Tempting Persephone review

book source: my local library

Cover Alert: River Marked

Holy crap guys! I just saw this cover of the sixth Mercy Thompson book via KMont on Twitter - the lovely leading lady of Lurv a la Mode - and basically had to pick my jaw off the floor.

I am in love with every single thing about it and am now sitting here, all giddy-like, wondering if Patricia Briggs plans to give Mercy a taste of her own Native American heritage. Thoughts?

As for me: Can. Not. Wait.

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

As I was sitting down to write my review for the latest Mercy Thompson novel, Silver Borne, I came across an astonishing fact. I have never before reviewed a Mercy Thompson novel here on the blog! Seriously? WHY NOT?!? Hands-down, Patricia Briggs writes some of the best urban fantasy out there folks. It seems like I'm constantly pimping her out to all my friends and fellow readers. Just yesterday I had a friend leave my home happily clutching the first four Mercy books with promises to start in right away. So why haven't I taken the time here on this lovely bloggy to proclaim my love for one smart yet fierce, coyote/mechanic with a sense of humor? No clue. Though now seems like a good a time as ever to fix that glaring oversight right up.

Over the last few months, life has settled into a rhythm for Mercy. Still dealing with the aftermath of her recent trauma, Mercy's taking her newly established relationship with Adam, local werewolf pack Alpha, slowly yet surely forward even if their bond and her position in the Pack only work sporadically at best. Adam's pack has never really welcomed Mercy with open arms (troublesome coyote that she is), but she never would have expected some of Adam's wolves to meddle directly with their relationship. Upset and unsure of her next move, Mercy distances herself from the pack only to discover that her good friend and werewolf-roommate Samuel isn't coping as well as he had claimed to be. Deciding to keep stick to Samuel's side like glue, Mercy takes him on a short trip to return a borrowed book about the fae (a little light bedtime reading) when she determines that what she has, is in fact a powerful and ancient object - full of secrets about the fae - and worth more, to some, than her very life.

Patricia Briggs is one of those authors who understands how to deftly compound kick-butt action with emotional turmoil. Her novels always contain a hefty portion of Mercy fighting tooth-and-nail to protect those she loves, but in Silver Borne, she also gave us a Mercy who had to struggle just as hard to keep the emotional aspects of her relationships intact. Mercy and Adam, as a couple, are really put through the ringer this go-round but, dang it, there is just something about those two together that makes my heart sing. Something that makes me want to stand up and cheer every time they get a moment of quiet together. Either that or giggle at every shared oddball joke. Adam has always been a big winner for me, but his selfless actions toward - and defense of - Mercy in Silver Borne, left me straight-up Adam's #1 Fan.

And although this is gonna sound like a obvious contradiction after my above statement, I was a tiny (very, very tiny) bit disappointed with Samuel's role in this novel. Ms. Briggs said that would be his book, but the end resolution for the demons he was staring down seemed a touch rushed. That said, I'm more than willing to overlook that small detail due to the enormous amount of goodness otherwise found in Silver Borne. Simply put: it's vintage Mercy. It's about a shapeshifting mechanic who, with brains and a heart, is always willing to go the distance to make things right for those she loves. I just love her to bits.

Furthermore, a word about these covers. Every single one of the Mercy Thompson books have been blessed with phenomenal covers, but I think my favorite to date has to be this one for Silver Borne. It's stunning and sublime and just plain gorgeous. I love the color scheme mixed with the shining gold window and even the look on Mercy's face is something special. Dan dos Santos does it again.

series reading order:
~ Moon Called
~ Blood Bound
~ Iron Kissed
~ Bone Crossed
~ Silver Borne
~ River Marked (Spring 2011)

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
All Things Urban Fantasy review
Angieville review
Book Harbinger review
Book Smugglers review
Dear Author review

book source: my local library

Mercy Thompson: Homecoming by Patricia Briggs

Patricia Briggs has really been feeling the love for her Mercy Thompson series lately. With Bone Crossed released in hardcover earlier this year and her very first Mercy Thompson graphic novel out as well, Mercy fans have plenty of reasons to become giddy. For myself, I'm not really a comic book person, but I am a dedicated Mercy fangirl and couldn't wait to catch a glimpse of her adventures in full-color.

Homecoming is basically an origin story for Mercy Thompson: how she meets both Adam and Stefan and how she lands the mechanic position at Zee's shop. Although it is a stand-alone story, unless you've already had the privileged of reading Mercy's other adventures, Homecoming may not feel as robust as the others. It's fun, it's fast but I did miss the trademark Mercy narration. Several little details of Mercy's life are revealed that only long-standing Mercy fans will appreciate the significance of - little things like how Mercy gets her cat.

As for the artwork itself: Beautiful and suitably shadowy yet very powerful. Though it was a little jarring to see how often Mercy herself changed. I know there were multiple artists working on this book, but since she is the title character, I would have expected a little more continuity with her character at least. But that said, her action scenes were fabulous. Consequently, I had buckets of fun matching up my mental picture of Mercy's gang with the artists' rendering. Adam and Zee were just as I pictured, but I was a little disappointed with Stefan as a '80s grunge rocker. Not really the way I pictured the mystery machine driving vampire.

On a side note, Patricia Briggs and the artists of Homecoming did choose not to shy away (at all) from the shape-shifting side of Mercy's life - which to be honest, I'm happy with because Mercy herself is never really concerned about whether she is clothed or not. But gentle readers be warned: there are several panels of Mercy naked which might be off-putting. The artwork is stylized and the important parts are usually covered, but it is all still quite clear, which may keep the book out of the hands of Mercy's younger fans.

Homecoming was a fabulous fast-paced action story and an efficient reminder of why I love the Mercy Thompson series so much. I do wish it had been longer, but I understand the format is more suited to quick action and less dialogue. Thank heavens we have Silver Borne coming in March 2010.

Mercy Thompson novels reading order:
~ Moon Called
~ Blood Bound
~ Iron Kissed
~ Bone Crossed
~ Silver Borne (March 2010)

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings review
Grasping for the Wind review
Janicu review

book source: my local library

Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs

I've firmly entrenched myself in the incomparable Mercy Thompson novels and am now feeling the love from Patricia Briggs' most recent series, Alpha & Omega. Following an initial novella titled Alpha & Omega and an actual full-length book, Cry Wolf, this second full-length book has totally found its rhythm that works on so many levels.

After having married the enforcer (or assassin) of the North American werewolf pack, Charles Cornick, Anna is still trying to figure how to effectively use her talents as an Omega while making a life for herself with Charles. Charles' father, the Marrok Bran, has decided that the North American werewolves are going to reveal their existence to the world no matter what other wolves might think. To try to the help wolves from other countries understand how this whole 'big reveal' will pan out, Bran has called a type of council where various alphas can come and discuss their options. Not wanting his father to be anywhere near the discussions, Charles agrees to go in his place to act as an intermediary. Only problem is, due to Anna's past, she has more than a little trouble being in the same room with a bunch of dominate males; leaving both her and Charles on edge. Hoping the group will be kept in check by the moderating presence of the powerful fae Dana, Charles agrees to let Anna come. Of course at the meetings, tempers escalate as disagreements arise but when wolves start getting attacked and an alpha is even killed, Charles becomes the prime suspect in a crime Anna is sure he didn't commit.

Even though Ms. Briggs' series are both set in the same world, they follow essentially two distinctly separate groups - albeit both under the direction of the Marrok - and must be viewed as individual stories with just a bit of overlap. I've come to enjoy the inherent differences between the two series; Alpha & Omega benefits from the perspective of multiple narrators who offer differing insights and viewpoints while Mercy narrates all of her books to perfection. Anna herself couldn't be farther from the gusty Mercy, but I like her just fine. As an Omega, Anna is often seen as a super submissive wolf, but in actuality an Omega is outside of the pack hierarchy and doesn't feel the compulsion to follow orders as other wolves do. They also don't have that 'killer instinct' but can kick serious butt when needed. Their most attractive feature (at least to other wolves) is their calming influence on other wolves because the more dominate guys can actually relax around them since they realize an Omega would never challenge them. Got it? It's taken me two books to finally understand this concept and in all honesty, it's only because of one enlightening conversation between Anna and another Omega, Ric.

Hunting Ground felt like such a tighter novel on so many levels. I figured out what an Omega does (finally) and now, I'm totally digging Anna and Charles' relationship (finally). Anna has had a rough start as a werewolf and has taken some time to get more comfortable and relaxed around Charles, which lead to some nice conversations between the two in this book. They have a nice give and take and I think they both are starting to trust and rely more on the other. This was a great second book and I'm more excited than ever for the next installment.

series reading order
~ Alpha & Omega (novella) in On the Prowl collection
~ Cry Wolf
~ Hunting Ground