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198 of 213 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
River Marked, March 1, 2011
This review is from: River Marked (Mercy Thompson, Book 6) (Hardcover)
One of the reasons I have come to love urban fantasy is the strong, female protagonists. Patricia Briggs writes one of the best heroines in the urban fantasy genre today in Mercy Thompson. Mercy is not only strong and tough but she's smart, loyal and genuinely good, making her a heroine that is so easy to love. In as much as I love her character and don't want her to change, I do want her to be happy with her growly, sexy Alpha werewolf Adam. That's why I was very excited to find that in River Marked we get to see a more romantic side of Mercy as she and Adam take their relationship to a whole new level.
River Marked had different feel to it than the previous Mercy Thompson books. While I've loved the whole series I have been frustrated at times in the past with amount of time Adam and Mercy have spent apart, but in River Marked we get plenty of Mercy and Adam quality time. In fact they are together the entire book. With Adam being so Alpha I half expected him to steal the show and over power the awesomeness that is Mercy but it didn't happen. While River Marked is a bit different from the previous books in that there is more romance, there is still gritty violence and some intense action and Mercy is still the star of the show.
At five books into the series I've become completely comfortable in the intricate world of Mercy Thompson. I love the cast of series characters and so I was disappointed by their absence. River Marked takes Mercy and Adam completely away from the pack and their group of friends and allies right into the heart of trouble. There are a few brief appearances of some familiar characters (Stefan, YES he's back people!) but for the most part it's only Adam and Mercy with the introduction of several new characters, with one or two having potential staying power for future installments in the series.
Mercy's father has always been somewhat of a mystery and her true heritage kind of hazy. Although we don't get any clear cut answers this time, we do get some insight to Mercy's heritage a whole new twist on her father. I look forward to more on that in the future.
While River Marked had a slightly different tone than its predecessors, I welcomed the change of pace and focus on the relationships and romance. Mercy has grown and matured but she has still maintained that edge that made me love her when I first became acquainted with her in Moon Called. This series continues to be a favorite and I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series.
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52 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
River Marked by Patricia Briggs, March 1, 2011
This review is from: River Marked (Mercy Thompson, Book 6) (Hardcover)
I read this series for two reasons. One, I adore Mercy and Adam. Both separate and together. Mercy is such a strong, level-headed heroine who can claim her independence while surrounded by pack, vampires etc, yet she is so polite and warm. And Adam - well - he fulfills all my dirty needs when it comes to an alpha male. In River Marked we get a lot of Adam and Mercy. And by that I mean, almost the entire book is the two of them together. I was shocked, and I loved every second of it. We get a very intimate glimpse into their relationship. We see another side of Adam, and wow. What a sweetie. I love him even more.
We also learn a lot about what Mercy is. Her heritage is presented in much detail. At times I found these parts to be very slow. There is a point towards the middle that the pacing slows down so much I got worried for the rest of the book. But then something big happens and the rest finished quite nicely.
The second reason I read this series is for the amazing intricacies of pack life Patricia Briggs has created. I love her wolves, and their politics. How they live so closely as pack, yet are always on the verge of violence. I adore their dynamics and how Mercy has come to fit in. But - we don't get that in this book. Adam and Mercy are removed from pack (or as much as they can be) in this one. I miss that. I know I sound greedy because we do get awesome Adam and Mercy stuff, but I will be looking forward getting back to pack life hopefully in the next one.
Overall I enjoyed this book. Like I said, we see a side of Adam that made me smile. Don't worry, he totally loses it a few times and his alpha, growly, wolf takes over. But it is a very romantic, quieter side we see.
The mystery and conflict are interwoven into Mercy's ancestry and I think this look at who Mercy is and where she comes from really makes you understand Mercy better.
Patricia Briggs continues to write one of the best written urban fantasy series out there. If you don't read this series, pick up Moon Called immediately. You will not be disappointed.
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60 of 73 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
an excellent short story..., March 4, 2011
This review is from: River Marked (Mercy Thompson, Book 6) (Hardcover)
I love the Mercy Thompson series and have looked forward to each book, but I have to say this installment fell short. The title refers to an ancient evil monster that Mercy doesn't even learn about until more than halfway through the book. So, what happened in that first half? Not a whole lot, as it turns out.
The first half is almost a house-keeping exercise. We haven't seen Stefan since the devastating events of Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson). So, Mercy visits him only to learn that he, and consequently his menagerie, are wasting away in apathy; he needs a friend to shake him out of it. Then we have Adam and Mercy's long delayed wedding and honeymoon. Readers get cameos from just about everyone important to Mercy. It's not to say I didn't enjoy reading the first half (especially the wedding) - I love the characters and even their mundane activities kept me turning the pages. But, as far as plot goes, this book felt like a short story stretched unnecessarily into a novel. There was a lot of incredibly detailed, and I think unnecessary, description in the story. It felt like every character and setting introduced was described down to the smallest stitch of clothing.
The second half was an exciting read. Readers get more information on Mercy's heritage, the return of Coyote and his contemporaries (Hawk, Wolf, etc.), a great battle and more world-building. The book also had a lot of the humor that makes Mercy so much fun to read - she's not kicking a$$, she's winning through courage and cunning, with a lot of help from friends. Overall, fans will no doubt enjoy this but I'm not sure it's worth the price of a hardcover. Here's hoping the next book gives these wonderful characters, and readers, a more complex plot to chew on.
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