Release Date: 08/03/16
Publisher: Orbit/Ace, Berkley Publishing
SYNOPSIS:
Mercy Thompson is back, and she'll soon discover that when the fae stalk the human world, it's the children who suffer . . .
Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae.
Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans and the fae, Mercy, Adam and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?
REVIEW:
The new Mercy Thompson title and one that shows that the fae are up to something as Mercy’s pack sets itself up to be defenders of the humans against all comers. It’s not only a ballsy move on their part but works wonderfully well for the caring nature of the principle character herself.
Its well written, the prose is sharp and the story is one that is hard to put down as for me, one more chapter is a common phrase when I have a cracking book. Back this up with top notch dialogue as well as the readers already established relationship and feelings towards the subsequent cast members all round makes this a cracking addition. Magic.
Release Date: 03/03/15
Publisher: Orbit
SYNOPSIS:
The Alpha and Omega novels transport readers into the realm of the werewolf, where Charles Cornick and Anna Latham embody opposite sides of the shifter personality. Now, a pleasure trip drops the couple into the middle of some bad supernatural business ...For once, mated werewolves Charles and Anna are not traveling because of Charles's role as his father's enforcer. This time, their trip to Arizona is purely personal - or at least it starts out that way ...Charles and Anna soon discover that a dangerous Fae being is on the loose, replacing human children with simulacrums. The Fae's cold war with humanity is about to heat up - and Charles and Anna are in the cross fire. DISCOVER THE NEW CHARLES AND ANNA NOVEL - FROM THE NO. 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PATRICIA BRIGGS. The Alpha and Omega novels: Cry Wolf Hunting Ground Fair Game Dead Heat
REVIEW:
OK, I have to admit that I’ve not been the biggest fan of the Alpha and Omega series, however this latest outing really won me over with a title that was not only gripping but one that really brought a whole new level to the fore. It’s a fun UF read, has great characters and when you add Patricia’s brand of snarky dialogue to the book as well as a top notch high octane storyline all round gives me a book that was nigh impossible to put down. Top notch.
Release Date: 11/03/14
Publisher: Orbit
SYNOPSIS:
An unexpected phone call heralds a new challenge for Mercy. Her mate Adam's ex-wife is in trouble, on the run from her new boyfriend. Adam won't turn away a person in need, but with Christy holed up in Adam's house, Mercy can't shake the feeling that something isn't right. Soon, Mercy learns that Christy has the farthest thing from good intentions. She wants Adam back and will anything to get him, including turning Adam's pack against Mercy. On top of this, there's an even more dangerous threat circling. Christy's ex is more than a bad man - in fact, he may not be human at all. As the bodies pile up, Mercy must put her personal troubles aside to face a creature with the power to tear her world apart.
REVIEW:
Mercy strikes back with trouble heading her way when Adam’s ex-wife returns with ulterior motives of her own. As usual with Patricia, the writing draws the reader in, with our heroine Mercy, growing into her new role within the pack as emotions run high in this epically charged title.
It has the usual sass, the quirkiness that I love and when added to cracking one liners, careful manipulation of the wording and of course a magical supporting cast all round generate something that is hard to put down. Back this up with great prose, wonderful turns of phrase and all round I was a more than happy reader.
Release Date: 05/03/13
Publisher: Orbit
SYNOPSIS:
Mercy Thompson's life has undergone a seismic change. Since becoming the mate of Alpha werewolf Adam and stepmother to his daughter Jesse, her life finally seems to be calming down. But after an accident in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Mercy suddenly can't reach Adam or the rest of the pack. All she knows is that Adam is angry and in pain. With the werewolves fighting a political battle to gain acceptance from the public, Mercy fears Adam's disappearance may be related - and that the pack is in serious danger. Outclassed and on her own, Mercy may be forced to seek assistance from any ally she can get, no matter how unlikely.
REVIEW:
To be honest with you I usually read a book in the space of a few hours and whilst it’s a skill that allows me to get through so many great titles, it is one that I sometimes rue as I feel that it’s a shame to read a work that has taken so many months to create in such a short time.
Knowing that I had a new Mercy Thompson (Hautman) book to read, I decided to take a different tack this time. I limited my reading to a chapter at a time so that I could think about what was occurring within as well as getting to enjoy the suspense (even though there were a few times it nearly killed me to put the book down) to the max.
I’m pleased that I did, Mercy is settling into her role quite well, the characters are all firm friends and when you add a great pace alongside an arc that leaves the reader with a lot of questions at the end you know that its going to be something special. Throw into the mix old foes and new as well as some amalgamations that could lead to future co-operation and all round it’s a book that I loved. Great stuff all round.
Release Date: 04/10/12
SYNOPSIS:
After an upbringing of proper behaviour and oppressive expectations, Aralorn fled her noble birthright for a life of adventure as a mercenary spy. But her latest mission involves more peril than she ever imagined. Agents of Sianim have asked her to gather intelligence on the increasingly popular and powerful sorcerer Geoffrey ae'Magi. Soon Aralorn comes to see past the man's striking charisma - and into a soul as corrupt and black as endless night. And few have the will to resist the sinister might of the ae'Magi and his minions. So Aralorn, aided by her enigmatic companion, Wolf, joins the rebellion against the ae'Magi. But in a war against a foe armed with the power of illusion, how do you know who the true enemy is - or where he will strike next? This omnibus edition contains the two titles MASQUES and WOLFSBANE.
REVIEW:
This is a bit of a strange book for me as it started with the authors first outing (Masques) which personally I found full of flaws such as the magic system as well as being perhaps a little naïve in what it was out to achieve, yet through all this I was still charmed by one of the principle heroes of the piece, Wolf (I found Aralorn a bit weak for my liking).
That tale takes you on a traditional fantasy route and when added to the authors writing style it manages to hold your interest as it wends its merry way to its conclusion. Whilst I haven’t been a fan of all the authors writing, I do have to admit to loving her Mercy Thompson series and there were touches of that within this text, yet when you came to the second part (Wolfsbane) the author really does seem to have learned a few lessons and whilst the relationship between Wolf and Aralorn has moved on it does feel a little forced.
All in it’s a book that will appeal to fans however please be aware that it is the authors earliest work and as such won’t be as polished as you’ve come to expect.
Release Date: 03/03/11
SYNOPSIS:
Car mechanic Mercy Thompson has always known there was something different about her, and not just the way she can make a VW engine sit up and beg. Mercy is a shapeshifter, a talent she inherited from her long-gone father. And she's never known any others of her kind. Until now. As Mercy comes to terms with this new information, an evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River. Something deadly is coming, facts are thin on the ground and Mercy feels ill at ease. However, her father's people may know more. To have any hope of surviving, Mercy and her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will need all the resources the shifters can offer. Or death will be the least of their worries.
REVIEW:
As a fan of Patricia’s Mercy Hautman (Nee Thompson) series I really couldn’t wait to get my paws on this title. Whilst other series by Patty don’t quite thrill me (Alpha and Omega) there’s something gripping about this shapeshifter Coyote that strikes a chord (whether its her street smarts or perhaps her quips, I’m not sure) and keeps me glued as each adventure takes her onto a road to discovery.
Whilst previous titles have centred in and around the tri-state area, this one takes our heroine and her beau a little further afield and gives the reader some backstory as well as presenting them with a twist or two along the way. It’s beautifully written, the characters wonderfully descriptive and when added with some great prose allows the reader to become lost in this Urban Fantasy World for a number of hours. A great addition to the series and perhaps something that will present the reader with something that will come back to haunt us in future titles.
BOOK BLURB:
Being a mechanic is hard work. Mercy Thompson, for instance, just spent the last couple of months trying to evade the murderous queen of the local vampire seethe, and now the leader of the werewolf pack - who's maybe-more-than-just-a-friend - has asked for her help. A book of fae secrets has come to light and they're all about to find out how implacable - and dangerous - the fae can be. OK, so maybe her troubles have nothing to do with the job. But she sure could use a holiday ...
REVIEW:
Having been a bit disappointed with Patricia’s Alpha and Omega series I was really happy to find that the new title in the Mercy Thompson series was the author back on form for my own personal tastes. The writing was great with Mercy learning to adapt to her new responsibilities as well as discovering a new foe in the shadows. Cracking mystery, as well as great inter-character personal emotional conflict backed up with dialogue that feels that it was written with no real effort on the author’s part, as if the characters had spoken directly to her mind. A real treat for any reader of the Urban Fantasy genre.
BOOK BLURB:
Charles Cornick is his pack's enforcer and lives a harsh life, doing jobs other wolves can't - or won't. And his most recent task was rescuing Anna Latham from a life of brutality. This leaves him shot and wounded, but he's happy to pay the price. Charles is strongly drawn to Anna, and her growing 'Omega' powers will see his people through dangerous times. Anna desperately needs her new mountainous home to be safer than the life she's left behind. But when a rogue werewolf starts murdering hikers, Charles and Anna are sent into the winter forests to investigate. Charles is still weak and will need Anna's strength as they discover a web of witchcraft that could drag down the whole pack. Including its leader Bran, Charles's father, head of a vast network of wolves. And if Bran weakens, dark madness could run like a fever through half a continent.
REVIEW:
To be honest I’m a fan of Patricia’s heroine Mercy Thompson however for some reason I really had a hard time getting to grips with her latest heroine set in the same world. She felt a little under whelming and whilst characters need vulnerabilities to keep the reader attracted to them, I was not sure that she was the right one for the role that was thrust upon her. Add to the mix a very possessive male principle protagonist who treated her a bit like a china doll and you can probably imagine how much I started to loath her.
That said however, the adventure that you get with Patty is always going to be something special as the scrapes really are close and she does play for keeps which always keeps me glued to the novel. Add to the mix an uncertainness in regard to the outcome or which way it is going to unfurl next and it’s a magical mystery tour of an adventure. Don’t get me wrong, Patricia’s writing is still several rungs above a number of others within the genre today but I never lost that niggling feeling to do with the female lead and whilst she does emotionally grow within the context of the tale I do hope that she goes further next time to make her a character that I can not only respect but one that I can empathise with one hundred percent.
BOOK BLURB:
Anna Latham didn't know how complicated life could get - until she became a werewolf. And now she's not just part of any pack, but under the direct supervision of Bran, leader of the North American werewolves. And her mate is his son Charles, the pack enforcer. With all the advances that have been made in forensics, the werewolves will not be able to hide their existence from humans much longer - and Bran wants their coming out party to be on his terms. But his European counterparts don't see things the same way. Anna and Charles are chosen to represent Bran at a key meeting. But when a French werewolf, one of Bran's most vocal opponents, is found murdered, Charles's reputation shoots him to the top of the suspect list. And among the wolves, there is one penalty for breaking the law: death. The killer must be found, or Charles will take the fall.
REVIEW:
After the hard time I had with the original tale in this series I decided to give the second novel a go as most of the ground work had been accomplished in the original and I was hoping to see how the characters would grow within their relationship. Whilst Mercy is more action driven, this series is more the emotional romantic aspect of the supernatural genre allowing mellowness that some might think is missing from Mercy’s outings.
This time, now that they’re married, the two characters are still “feeling” each other out emotionally as each seeks a way to make sure that they’re respecting the others boundaries and trying to demonstrate their own individualities to the other so that their partnership can grow stronger. Its well written, the characters do grow but I have still not shaken that feeling that I had from the previous offering about the inner strength of likeability to do with these two. As secondary characters, they would be acceptable, intriguing even, but I am still not sure that they are truly alpha material to be honest. It is stronger than the original; the script flows better but at the end of the day Mercy will remain my favourite series by Patty.
BOOK BLURB:
Car mechanic and sometime shapeshifter Mercy Thompson has learned, the hard way, why her race was almost exterminated. When European vampires immigrated to North America, they found Mercy's people had a hidden talent - for vampire slaying. Unfortunately for Mercy, the queen of the local vampire seethe has discovered her true identity. She's also furious when she learns Mercy has crossed her and killed one of her vampires. Mercy may be protected from direct reprisals by the werewolf pack (and her interesting relationship with its Alpha), but that just means Marsilia will come after Mercy some other way. So Mercy had better prepare to watch her back.
REVIEW:
If you love your supernatural with Wolves, Vamps and all types of Fae and you haven’t yet tried Patty Briggs then you are in for a treat as this fourth book in her Mercy Thompson series. As usual with Patty you get a feisty heroine, a cracking storyline and a tale that really is a pure delight to read. That said you can break into the series here but you really are missing a treat. However the thing that you’ll also have to bear in mind with this series is the crime that was perpentrated upon Mercy at the end of the previous novel which is still quite disturbing that the author chose to use it within the context of the tale. Its well written, the emotional aspect in places is heart rending but it’s a tale of adventure and the struggle to overcome past events.
