Book 95: Mercy Thompson: Homecoming

Mercy Thompson: Homecoming, by Patricia Briggs

I’m not normally a fan of graphic novels, but I had to check this one out because I love the Mercy Thompson series.

“Homecoming” is a type of origin-story, in that it explains how Mercy came to live in the Tri-Cities, and how she began working for Zee as a mechanic. There’s also a tangle with some rogue werewolves, her first meeting with Stefan, and a trip to Uncle Mike’s.

Overall I enjoyed “Homecoming,” and I did like getting a chance to see some of my favorite characters sketched out. I did feel that the characters were all very close to their descriptions in the novels, and often had the thought, “Oh so *that’s* what Zee looks like,” and the picture usually matched my mental image – a testament to the collaboration of Briggs and the artists. I absolutely loved one panel – Mercy as a baby coyote…it was just adorable.

I wouldn’t say that “Homecoming” is worth $22.95 though, I think it should been published in paperback. It’s short, but a good diversion for fans waiting for the next installment of the Mercy series. If you’re iffy on graphic novels, I suggest getting it from the library.

4/5.

Book 10: Mercy Thompson 4: Bone Crossed

Mercy Thompson #4: Bone Crossed, by Patricia Briggs

Mercy’s back, and it’s time for her to sort through the jumble of trouble she’s gotten into in the first 3 books. She’s trying to deal with the sexual assault she endured in “Iron Kissed;” getting ready to mate with Adam, the Alpha of the Tri-Cities werewolf pack; hiding from the local vampire seethe after killing one of their vampires; and more. Mercy made some enemies in her previous adventures, and they aren’t the kind to forget about it easily.

The start of the book feels a little too much to me – while she and Adam are making out, Mercy’s mother shows up suddenly, brought to town by the nationwide publicity of her daughter’s rape. About ten minutes later, a tortured Stefan lands in her living room. Next, an old friend from college shows up, to ask Mercy if she can help her with a ghost in her house. There’s a lot of action in too short of a time, even for the mischievous coyote.

Briggs settles down soon though, and launches the reader into yet another excellent installment in the Mercy Thompson series. Mercy heads off to Spokane to help her college friend while Adam tries to make a truce with the vampire seethe to prevent any more attacks on Mercy’s life. But of course, Mercy has the amazing luck of meeting the one and only vampire in Spokane, which at first seems like a coincidence…but quickly turns out to be the start of yet another very dangerous adventure for the trouble-prone mechanic. The action is a little rushed sometimes, but it usually works.

In “Bone Crossed,” we get an in-depth look at vampire politics – and they’re just as nasty as you’d expect. The leader of the Tri-Cities vampire seethe is not very happy with Mercy for killing one of her vampires…and she’ll go to great lengths to get back at Mercy. Then the vampire in Spokane is especially a nasty piece of work; he’s someone that no supernatural being wants to cross. He has the whole city to himself.

Mercy and Adam are finally ready to embark on a relationship together, but will all of the wolves in Adam’s pack welcome a coyote as their Alpha’s mate? The two also have to deal with intimacy issues left from Mercy’s rape; and then there’s a bump when Stefan claims Mercy as his own via blood.

I was pretty glued to this book, putting it down only to finish homework. Briggs is good with expanding on concepts she’s introduced previously and building on them; for example, Mercy’s ability to talk to ghosts. If you enjoyed the previous books in this series, or are looking for a good paranormal series, give the Mercy Thompson books a try. She’s not your typical heroine – she’s gutsy, impulsive, and not one to shake in her shoes when the action starts. And although she’s struggling with the panic attacks her rape brings on, she’s able to fight through those feelings to do what she needs to do. As I often say with Briggs, her characters feel real, and Mercy feels like flesh-and-blood to me after reading the series.

4/5.

Book 9: Alpha and Omega 2: Hunting Ground

Alpha and Omega #2: Hunting Ground, by Patricia Briggs

After finishing “Cry Wolf,” the first book in the Alpha and Omega series, I was quite eager to read “Hunting Ground.” The book doesn’t disappoint; I was actually trying to read slowly so I could make it last longer.

“Hunting Ground” starts by jumping right into werewolf politics. Bran, the Marrok (leader) of all American packs is planning on bringing the werewolves out to the public, like the fae did 30 years ago. Naturally, many packs, especially ones located in Europe, are not very happy about this – the fae are still facing discrimination despite being out for 3 decades. The werewolves are holding a summit in Seattle to discuss the Marrok’s proposition, with packs from all over America and Europe attending.

Charles and Anna, the main protagonists of the Alpha and Omega series, are sent to the conference in the Marrok’s place. Charles is the Marrok’s right hand man, and many other dominant wolves fear him. Anna is Charles’ new mate, a wolf who’s still becoming acquainted to her new husband and life as a werewolf. The two plan it as a trip to spend time together, but when Anna is attacked by vampires, it’s clear that more than just the werewolves are against Bran’s plan. Anna and Charles must figure out who hired the vampires, before the summit goes to hell and even more bad things happen…

I read on Patricia Briggs’ site that she spent a few days in Seattle to soak up the city in preparation for writing this novel. It definitely shows; one of the things I like most about the author’s writing is her descriptions and setting locations. To me, because the places are described so well, it just adds to the feeling that werewolves and vampires and all other supernatural creates that populate Briggs’ world could be real.

Anna and Charles are real people – with a habit of going furry and four-legged – struggling through a new relationship and Anna’s intimacy issues (due to previous abuse). They grow throughout the novel, and have grown from the first book, as well. Also important to me, their romance isn’t the main focus of the book; it’s part of the story yes, but not the whole thing. The two aren’t lovers who get everything magically right – they are *real.* The supporting characters are similar, each has a story, a purpose. You want to know more about each one you meet. And there are some very unique characters – a werewolf Alpha who thinks he’s King Arthur reincarnated, for example.

“Hunting Ground” is a fun read, one that will keep you turning the pages until the early hours of the morning. At times the plot felt a little bogged down with some unnecessary twists, but everything does finish up nicely in the end. As always with Briggs, there is a nice balance between humor and violence – we go from Charles sending Anna out shopping to a wolf filleted into steaks. It’s an enjoyable read; give it a try if you enjoyed the first, or if you like paranormal fiction. Briggs is one to watch in this genre.

5/5.

Book 8: Alpha and Omega 1: Cry Wolf

Alpha and Omega #1: Cry Wolf, by Patricia Briggs

“Cry Wolf” is the first in a new series by Patricia Briggs, one that’s a spinoff from her Mercy Thompson novels. In this novel the author introduces us more thoroughly to werewolves, including the Marrok, Charles, and a brand new wolf, Anna. Anna is a new wolf in more ways than one, she’s what’s called an Omega, a wolf that isn’t focused on pack structure. She doesn’t have the urge to be dominant or submissive that most wolves do – instead she’s a sea of calm. Being an Omega provides her with unique abilities, but also unique challenges.

Charles Cornick is the Marrok’s son, his enforcer, his assassin. He’s over two hundred years old, but has never had a mate, and doesn’t really have friends in the pack. Instead he’s more of a loner, and prefers it that way – it’s easier to kill someone you don’t have an attachment to. But that all changes when he meets Anna, formerly of the Chicago pack. Charles’ wolf immediately picks Anna to be their mate. He rescues her from her abusive pack and takes her to Montana with him.

The two, barely acquainted with each other, must immediately set off into the wilds of a Montana winter, to search for a rogue werewolf in the mountains. The trip gives them a chance to bond as they run into a threat greater than imagined.

I love Briggs’ Mercy Thompson novels; I didn’t think I could’ve found anything better in the paranormal genre. But I found that better novel in “Cry Wolf.” Briggs is in her element when writing about werewolves – even though werewolves are fantasy creatures, when I read her descriptions and actions I feel as if they are real. She’s complete down to the last detail, from how the change from human to wolf is agonizing, to the playfulness the wolves feel when they’re on a hunt. The little itch behind a left ear. A dominant wolf scolding a submissive wolf by biting him gently on the nose. It’s clear Briggs has spent some time researching wolf behavior and she weaves it into a fantasy concept to create something believable.

As always with Briggs, the plot is excellent, full of twists and action. We’re introduced to black witches and the evil they happily engage in. Briggs fleshes out a character mentioned peripherally in the Mercy Thompson novels, Charles, and he shines in a novel of his own. The only naturally born werewolf, Charles has a unique relationship with his wolf – they are two spirits sharing one body. Anna, the Omega, is also intriguing. Briggs hints at abuse, and slowly reveals the details over the course of the book.

This is my second time reading “Cry Wolf,” and I enjoyed it more than I did the first time. Briggs’ werewolves aren’t to be missed; if you like paranormal fantasy, I think you’ll enjoy this series.

5/5.

Book 7: Mercy Thompson 3: Iron Kissed

Mercy Thompson #3: Iron Kissed, by Patricia Briggs

When Mercy’s former boss, Zee, is accused of murder and arrested by the police, it’s up to her to figure out just what’s going on and clear his name. Mercy has enough obstacles to overcome while trying to do that, including Zee – he doesn’t want her help. Mercy fears that the Gray Lords, the rulers of the fae, are setting Zee up to take the fall for a crime he didn’t commit, and they don’t care that he’s innocent – they just want it to be over, and quickly.

But Mercy has her own trouble with the Gray Lords; while sniffing for evidence at a crime scene, she drifts into the Underhill, the magic land of the fae. That, and her fight for Zee’s innocence lead to a death sentence on her head…luckily she has the werewolves to help when things get a little swampy with a dangerous fae. And if that isn’t enough, Mercy also has to make a choice between Adam and Samuel, two dominant werewolves who both want her as a mate.

This third installment of Briggs’ excellent paranormal series focuses on the fae, as book 1 focused on werewolves and book 2 focused on vampires. In her world, the fae have been out to the public for over 30 years, but that hasn’t made them any less dangerous, as Mercy quickly comes to find out. We finally also learn Zee’s background, something that has been tantalizingly hinted at throughout the other books.

“Iron Kissed” kept me captivated; I couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough to find out just what was going to happen. The last 60 or so pages blew me away, I read them with a sick, but eager feeling in my stomach – I knew Mercy would triumph, but what she had to overcome was gut-wrenching. I absolutely love how Briggs writes her characters; rarely do I feel such affection and emotion in this short of a book. I also like how the author handles romance – Mercy has two men interested in her, but it isn’t the focus of the book, it’s just a nice side plot that isn’t overpowering.

I wish that “Iron Kissed” was longer, but it doesn’t need to be; I’m just greedy for more!

5/5.

Book 6: Mercy Thompson 2: Blood Bound

Mercy Thompson #2: Blood Bound, by Patricia Briggs

Owing a vampire a favor can be a very dangerous thing, as Mercy is about to find out in this sequel to “Moon Called.”

Stefan comes to Mercy in the middle of the night, needing the special defense against magic that being a walker provides to her. He is going to meet with another vampire, but fears that the other vampire may be able to manipulate his memories. Stefan’s fears turn out to be right, leaving Mercy the sole witness to a dangerous bloodbath. The other vampire turns out to be a sorcerer – a magic user possessed by a demon. And he’s been busy killing.

Though Stefan and the werewolves tell Mercy to stay out of it, she knows she can’t. Especially not when one of her favorite werewolves, Warren, is severely wounded by the sorcerer. But how can one little coyote face off against a demon-vampire?

In the second book of the Mercy Thompson series, Briggs introduces us more thoroughly to vampires. Her vampires are much like those of legend – they can’t go out in the light and sleep during the day, some have superpowers, and they can be killed by using a stake and burning the body. But Briggs’ vampires also keep menageries – humans that have willingly agreed to be vampire food. Stefan is probably the most atypical vampire – he drives a van painted like the Scooby Doo van and is kind to his menagerie; he’s experimenting to find how vampire blood can help blood-borne illnesses. But the rest of them…well, I’d be scared to meet them in full daylight, let alone in the dark.

“Blood Bound” fleshes out more of Briggs’ supernatural world populated with werewolves, vampires, fae, and more. I didn’t think it was quite as captivating as “Moon Called,” but it was still a very solid book, with lots of action and an intriguing plot that will keep you reading. I’m a little over-saturated with vampires, that may be why I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the first book. But don’t let that keep you from picking this up, as the story in “Blood Bound” will keep you bound to the pages.

4/5.

Book 5: Mercy Thompson 1: Moon Called

Mercy Thompson #1: Moon Called, by Patricia Briggs

Urban, paranormal, dark fantasy – whatever you want to call it. These genres are hot right now. Anything with werewolves or vampires is flying off the shelves, and everytime I turn around, there’s another new series out. A lot of them have way too much romance and fluff for me – no real story line or characters you want to follow for 300 pages.

Well, bring on “Moon Called,” by Patricia Briggs. I just finished this book about 10 minutes ago, and I could read it again, immediately. That’s how much I loved it.

“Moon Called” has werewolves, vampires, fae, and a new idea, walkers. Mercedes Thompson, aka Mercy, is a mechanic who transforms into a coyote. The only walker she knows, she was raised by werewolves, and now has a vampire and a gremlin for friends. Mercy’s happy minding her own business, but when a newbie werewolf shows up on her doorstep, she’s suddenly thrust in the middle of werewolf, vampire, and fae politics, while trying to rescue the local Alpha’s daughter from kidnappers.

Briggs introduces a world where lesser fae, such as brownies, have come out to humans. Werewolves are on the cusp of announcing their presence as well, as they can’t stay hidden anymore due to advances in forensic science. The world and the myriad politics of supernatural races are described as necessary, with just enough detail to leave you wanting for more. The book is in the first person point of view, which works very well with the character of Mercy. Mercy recognizes her own strengths and weaknesses, but she’s also gutsy and impulsive when she feels the need to be.

Briggs’ writing is alternatively dark and light – from a fight between dominant werewolves to a scene where a werewolf is acting like a big puppy, the author keeps enough humor in a somewhat dark story to give some needed laughs. The plot is full of twists, and you don’t quite see the ending coming until you’re there.

“Moon Called” reads to me like everything urban/paranormal/dark fantasy should be.

5/5.