Mercy Thompson Series Mini-Reviews Part I

Before I delve into my review of the latest installment in the Mercy Thompson series, I thought I would go back & give you mini-reviews of the other books. I absolutely adore this series & have found that it really influences what else I am likely to read. Originally, this was quite far out of my comfort zone (an adult book, in the sci-fi section) & I really didn't think I would like it, but my friend convinced me to read it anyway. I'm not sure how I've managed NOT to review these until now, except to say that I have tried to keep the adult books reviewed on this blog to a minimum because I feel that there are plenty of books in YA to read & that moving over into the adult section of reading is something that I have put off for quite a while.

In this post you will find a very brief synopsis with my thoughts on the first three books in this series. Naturally as we moved from one book to the next, there are spoilers, so be aware if you don't want to ruin the series for yourself, steer clear now.

Moon Called
Mercedes Athena Thompson isn't your typical female mechanic. Not only is she currently fixing a vampire's van while working in a Fae's auto repair shop, she's also living next door to the Alpha of the Columbia Basin werewolf pack. Did I forget to mention that she can also shape-shift into a coyote at will? Thought so. Well there you have it, Mercy's life all tied up in a nutshell. Too bad there are some people who don't really like the company she keeps. When the Alpha is injured & his rebellious teenage daughter kidnapped, it's up to Mercy to save the day. Now if only that didn't involve so much flying fur.

This was a great jump start to the series. Despite the relatively delicate world that these creatures all share, there is a very simple readability to the content. So much seems to be going on between setting descriptions & character building that I was truly surprised to find myself not overwhelmed with information. Mercy has accepted her reality & really wishes things wouldn't change, but she's ready to do what needs to be done with little regard for her own safety. That's the kind of heroine I can get behind.

Blood Bound
Picking up where she left off, Mercy is at it again; digging her nose in other people's business. This time, it is Stefan (a Scooby Doo fanatic vampire) who is receiving her assistance. While the Fae have openly admitted their existence to the world, all the other creatures that go bump in the night have refused & Stefan has been charged with checking up on a rogue vampire, at risk for exposing them all. Too bad this big, bad vamp has been possessed by a demon & will stop at nothing to quench his blood thirst. She's got to pull out a lot of stops to get this one under control.

Mercy puts on her heroine cape again & defies all sanity to help someone she cares about in this second installment. There was more character depth in this book because instead of having to introduce several different kinds of creatures, Briggs got to focus mostly on the vampires. It was quite enrapturing to watch her carefully build this world & realize all the details she put into it. It's pretty amazing to watch the characters grow & really start to develop on their own, especially Adam (the Alpha werewolf & next door neighbor).

Iron Kissed
There is no such thing as a normal day anymore. Just when she was hoping to getting back into the shop & really settling into her routine, something has to go wrong. For once though, it's not Mercy looking for trouble. This time it found her, by way of Zee, the fae mechanic who owns the repair shop where she works. In order to clear him of a murder charge, Mercy must use all her abilities & sacrifice one of the most important things to her: her self-assurance.

This has got to be one of the most powerful books. It is both magically & emotionally charged with events transpiring that I couldn't fathom. Not only do we really get to peek into the Fae realm & begin to understand how complex & precise these creatures are, but we also learn how exacting & demanding they can be towards everyone, not just their own kind. Zee was so much fun to learn about in this book! He is a seriously kick-butt fae! I must admit that there were some intense scenes for which sensitive readers might want to prepare themselves. It was very intense, but the werewolves' reactions were all over the place & really gave some dimension to their personalities & histories.

There you have it folks, the first three mini-reviews of a fabulous paranormal series. I'll be back on Thursday with the next installment!