ISBN: 9780441018192

Mercy Thompson book 5

I was given this book as a gift.

There are three kinds of books in the world; the failures, the satisfying reads and the life-changing reads. Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series is one of the truly dependable satisfying series out there. These books won’t change your life, but they will give you a good, entertaining read every time, and stand up to rereads as well.

Silver Borne is the fifth book in the series following Mercy Thompson, mechanic and werewolf-raise coyote shifter with a knack for defying all odds. As such, there’s really no way to evaluate this book without spoilers for previous books, so be warned and if you’re just setting out in the Tri-Cities world, you might not want to read this review.

Last time in Briggs’ world Mercy Thompson got mixed up in a vampire plot that, after her brutal rape in book 3, nearly broke her. Luckily Mercy is getting a vacation from the vampires which allows her to deal with the other major things that happened in the last book–her magical mating to local werewolf Alpha, Adam. The attraction between defiant Mercy and overpowering Adam has been brewing from the first page of book one, when the two pretended to not be able to stand each other. But now Adam’s past actions–namely declaring Mercy his mate a very long time ago, before he even tried showing his affection for her in order to keep her safe from the very dangerous werewolves that might see another predator shifter as competition–are coming to light. Adam’s love and care are helping Mercy come back from the trauma of her rape, and ironically they’re causing him some major problems in the pack, since many of his wolves are suspicious that Mercy would show no interest in the pack for years of being Adam’s mate, and now suddenly wants a starring role.

Add to that Mercy unknowingly being the guardian of a very powerful fae artifact, and being unable to let those who have shown her friendliness and kindness be abused by others and you have a complex twist of plots that don’t go linear like most book plots, but blossom and grow into a collection of characters that seem to share bits of their lives with reader in each book.

Briggs’ books are fleshy and visual, featuring characters who are beyond fun and lovable. Humble and genuine, and dependable Briggs’ skill brings readers loyally back for more of this world, which is neither over powered, nor self important, but is simply and truly, entertaining.

ISBN: 9780441018369
I purchased this book.

Mercy Thompson book 3

This review contains spoilers for earlier books in the series.

Last time, Mercy was kidnapped, magically drugged and brutally raped. Bone Crossed picks up only a week later with Mercy still struggling to deal with her trauma, her newly exposed feelings for pack alpha Adam and now with area vampire queen Marsilia, who knows Mercy killed one of her own, decidedly pissed off at her. Though Mercy knows little of her own kind, being the only skinwalker (natural coyote shifter rather than an attack survivor like most other weres) currently known of, Marsilia knows what the walkers are, having been part of the Frontier-Era war between walker natives and European vampires.
Apparently nothing can kill vampires like a walker, so decades ago the vampires eradicated them. Once willing to let Mercy live as long as she wasn’t killing vampires and she remained useful, Marsillia now has declared war on Mercy, because Mercy was the one who fouled up Marsilia’s plans to make more demon-possessed vampires. But Mercy’s new position in the pack as Adam’s mate complicates things, so instead of attacking Mercy directly Marsilia goes after her friends and allies.
When Stefan, Mercy’s friend and Marsilia’s vampire, shows up, near dead and nearly mad with hunger Mercy is sure Marsilia sent him to kill her. Struggling to fight panic attacks and trying to form a healthy relationship with people around her Mercy also finds herself having to face down people who not only want to victimize her again, but who are willing to use her’s friend to re-victimize her.
Bone Crossed is full of emotional realism, even if it’s also full of vampires, fairies, ghosts and shape shifters. Characters who were already real before now deepen from fleshy and familiar to true friends of readers traveling with them.
The emotional turmoil is also balanced with action, manipulation and a complicated enough plot to prevent the book from coming off as sheer emotional angst over past events. Mercy is the definition of the plucky survivor, tough, but not immortal, snarky and defiant, but not suffering from Mary Sue Syndrome.
Bone Crossed is a good read, definitely not the place in the series to start, but a satisfying addition to the series. This series continues to deliver, creating a more complex world, but not one muddled by world rules violations, or mid stream changes in style or personality. Bone Crossed will both sate readers and keep them looking for more.