fantasy book reviews science fiction book reviewsurban fantasy book review Patricia Briggs Mercedes Thompson 6. River MarkedRiver 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!

MERCY THOMPSON Series

MERCY THOMPSON Series

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.

Published in 2011. In the sixth novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, coyote shifter Mercy Thompson and Alpha werewolf Adam finally reach the alter. But when they make the Columbia River their honeymoon destination, their newlywed bliss turns into a fight for survival… Being a different breed of shapeshifter—a walker—Mercy can see ghosts, but the spirit of her long-gone father has never visited her. Until now. An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River—and innocent people are dying. As other walkers make their presence known to Mercy, she must reconnect with her heritage to exorcise the world of the legend known as the river devil.