River Marked by Patricia Briggs
Mercy Thompson has been through a lot. Patricia Briggs has not spared her heroine anything and, in River Marked, if feels like Mercy is finally going to get a break… This feeling, however, is not to last…
The first quarter of River Marked focuses on Mercy’s plans to marry alpha werewolf Adam Hauptmann. She’s also still dealing with some of the lingering problems from previous books, like the recovery of her vampire friend Stefan and her continued adjustment to being a coyote in a wolf pack.
After the wedding, Mercy and Adam head out on a honeymoon that is fated for disaster. With the usual lead-up, Mercy must eventually confront and defeat a truly Lovecraftian monster. I have to give Briggs credit for dreaming up such a nasty creature!
The best part of River Marked is the interaction between Mercy and Coyote, a legendary Native American trickster and hero. Mercy’s long-term issues regarding not knowing very much about her father and having been raised by a werewolf pack have been a recurring theme in this series. As she gets to know Coyote and finds out how her past has been touched by him, a lot of murky things start to clear up while Patricia Briggs gracefully ties up some loose ends in Mercy’s history.
River Marked is a great installment in the Mercy Thompson series. Though Briggs spends a good deal of time developing the relationship between Mercy and her new husband, she doesn’t neglect the importance of an interesting, dramatic story. As always, Mercy leads with her heart and pays the price… but that’s why we love her.
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