Review: Night Broken by Patricia Briggs

Night Broken by Patricia Briggs
published by Berkley (Ace) in March 2014

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 isn’t the kind of man to turn away a person in need—and Mercy knows it. But with Christy holed up in Adam’s house, Mercy can’t shake the feeling that something about the situation isn’t right.

Soon, her suspicions are confirmed when she learns that Christy has the farthest thing from good intentions. She wants Adam back and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen, including turning Adam’s pack against Mercy.

Mercy isn’t about to step down without a fight, but there’s a 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 start piling up, Mercy must put her personal troubles aside to face a creature with the power to tear her whole world apart.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Mercy Thompson, Book #8

The Story: After the epic ending of Fair Game, all the fae have supposedly retreat to the reservations. As such, Alistair Beauclair is the last person Mercy expected to find on her doorstep in the middle of the night. Immediately, Mercy knows that the presence of the Gray Lord who has declared the fae independent from the US can't be good news. Her fears are confirmed when he demands that Mercy returns his father's artifact, the walking stick, to him. The only problem is that Mercy is no longer in possession of the walking stick, having given it to Coyote for safe-keeping. Now, Mercy has one week to retrieve and return it or else... With the clock ticking, Mercy needs to find a way to contact Coyote, and fast.

As if Mercy doesn't have enough on her plate, she also has to put up with Christy, Adam's ex-wife. Christy is in trouble, on the run from her last boyfriend, and with nowhere to go, has sought refuge in Mercy and Adam's house. Dealing with Christy is trying Mercy's patience, especially since Christy is well-liked by the Pack members and the obvious history she has with Adam, the Pack and the house. And things get dangerous when Christy's ex-boyfriend turns out to be a lot more than just a human stalker...

My Opinion: For the past few years, I've always looked forward to the month of February/March because it usually meant a new book by Ms Briggs... and this year was no exception :) It's funny because I held off on the Mercy Thompson series as long as I could, but in the end, Ms Briggs's writing and world building won me over :P Unfortunately, those weren't enough this time around and as happy as I was to get my annual fix, Night Broken was a bit of a mixed bag for me ^_^;

The biggest problem I had with Night Broken is that it felt too much like a transitional book. There were some good elements such as the walking stick storyline and Gary Laughingdog, but Ms Briggs was so busy setting up for the next book (which I'm pretty sure will be about the fae) that Night Broken lacked complexity. Everything about this book was quite straightforward from identifying the villain to defeating him; contacting Coyote and getting the walking stick back. As a result, there was no real suspense... Yes, there was a feeling of urgency because of Mercy's deadline to get back the walking stick, but that's not the same as the "edge of your seat" feeling. In addition, the two main plots really read as two separate stories. They did intersect a little, but it didn't feel as smooth as usual, especially when you factor in the random set-up scenes: the new werewolf, the revelation about Stefan, Tad, etc. Oh and the ending was really abrupt and so the story felt unfinished. I mean, I checked several times to make sure it was the last page and there wasn't more ^_^;

One thing that I wasn't fond of when I picked up Night Broken was Christy's introduction. After reading the blurb, I really dreaded that part. Who likes to read about the ex-wife coming back in the picture, especially when you know she's likely to be a bitch? Not me... but I have to say Ms Briggs handled that part quite well. So Christy is not very likable, but she's not evil either... just very flawed and that came across really clearly. Also, I thought Ms Briggs captured Mercy's feelings very well. However, seeing Christy's interactions with the Pack, it made me realized I'm tired of the way some of them treat Mercy. It baffles me that a lot of the Pack members still think of Mercy as a liability. Seriously?! She's saved Adam and the Pack at least twice, got rid of a river devil monster, survived a fairy queen and vampires... Not to mention that she has the favor of the Marrock and Samuel, was actually raised in their Pack, and so probably understands Pack politics even better than werewolves themselves. And she's a liability?! What does she has to do to open their eyes? I usually really enjoy Pack dynamics and the Mercy Thompson series has one of the best portrayals of them, but frankly, this issue is getting old. Then, when you factor in that the Pack seems to be more accepting of Christy who is a human as mate/wife than Mercy who is a paranormal creature, it simply doesn't make sense :(

It sounds like I had a lot of complaints, but in truth, I still enjoyed Night Broken a lot. I was happy to see Coyote making a reappearance and I really liked Gary Laughingdog. I hope that his character sticks around and develops a relationship with Mercy :) We also got to know some other Pack werewolves a bit better which is always nice. And as I mentioned above, I really liked the walking stick storyline :P

My Grade: Based on all the set-up Ms Briggs did in Night Broken, I have a feeling that the next book in the series is going to be epic and I can't wait to read it! For now though, Night Broken has to pay the price for being a transitional book and that's why it gets a B-.

Review: Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

Finally a review!! Yay! I'm trying, I'm trying, but it's hard LOL. I think one reason is because I'm so behind in my reviews ^_^; Seriously, I might have to skip a month or something. Even thinking about the monthly recaps is daunting.

I wasn't sure what to review and I decided to go with Frost Burned by Ms Briggs. This is my latest read and figured it should come easily as my feelings for it was pretty clear :) And I was right. So enjoy!!

Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

published by Berkley (Ace) in March 2013

Mercy Thompson’s life has undergone a seismic change. Becoming the mate of Adam Hauptman—the charismatic Alpha of the local werewolf pack—has made her a stepmother to his daughter Jesse, a relationship that brings moments of blissful normalcy to Mercy’s life. But on the edges of humanity, what passes for a minor mishap on an ordinary day can turn into so much more…

After an accident in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Mercy and Jesse can’t reach Adam—or anyone else in the pack for that matter. They’ve all been abducted.

Through their mating bond, all Mercy 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 he and the pack are 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.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Mercedes Thompson, Book #7

The Story: Frost Burned takes place after the events of Fair Game during which the fae have revealed themselves and declared to be a separate and sovereign nation. After the declaration, all the fae headed to the reservations and with the aid of magic, these reservations have disappeared. And with the werewolves who had made their come out a few years ago, let just say things have been tense in the general population. However, it's not a good reason not to celebrate Thanksgiving... except Thanksgiving dinner is interrupted by the Feds who shows up to capture the Pack using a silver poison that makes werewolves sick.

Because Mercy was out with her stepdaughter, Jesse, shopping on Black Friday, the two escaped the capture. Now, Mercy has to figure out how to protect Jesse and Gabriel, her part-time employee and Jesse's almost boyfriend, how to save Adam and the pack and also check up on Kyle, one of the werewolf's lover who wasn't at dinner, but was also kidnapped. Through her mate bond with Adam, Mercy finds out that Adam is alive, angry and in pain. She also learns that the kidnappers intend to have Adam kill US Senator Campbell, one of the most vocal anti-fae, anti-werewolf politician in Congress, by holding the pack hostage. If the assassination succeeds, the fragile truce will break and spiral down to chaos.

Practically alone, Mercy needs allies. There is Stefan, her quasi-estranged vampire friend; Asil the Moor, a maniacal werewolf sent by Bran; and Tad, her mentor's half-fae, half-human son. And as the rescue mission progresses, Mercy finds out there was a lot more secrets behind the kidnapping than killing a senator...

My Opinion: Wow, two years since the last Mercy Thompson book! I want to say it's hard to believe, but unfortunately, it's not ^_^; It hits you repetitively during the story when there are references to previous events and characters and you're trying to remember them and the timeline. Really, I'm not too sure that alternating between the Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series is a good idea because it really means a long time go by between the books... then again, it's not my decision, so I'll just have to suffer the wait :P Personally, I've always claimed to prefer the Alpha & Omega series over the Mercy Thompson series and that's still true, but at the end of the day, all I want is my fix of Ms Briggs' werewolves because Ms Briggs is really one of the best author at writing them and she proves it again in Frost Burned :)

Overall, I think that Frost Burned was a very solid book with a good plot and some interesting twists. The revelation behind the capture of the Pack really took me by surprise and was the complete opposite of what I was expecting, so kudos to Ms Briggs. I think very little people will figure it out - unless they spoil themselves, LOL. Also what I liked is that there was some foreshadowing, the right questions were raised, but without giving it away... so it didn't completely come out of the blue :) There are still a few loose ends such as the information man, but I figure those will be addressed in future books. Seriously, a very satisfying plot and well executed :)

As usual, Ms Briggs excels at writing her werewolf characters. I really enjoy seeing the hierarchy and the pack dynamics in her books. You really feel the constraints of it, the whole dominance at play and the links that tie them... and I love it. It enriches Ms Briggs' world building and confer a unique feel to her series, sets her werewolves apart and above. Also, one of the reasons Ms Briggs is the best is the consistency of the details and she never forgets to write about it. For example, in Frost Burned, Asil comes to lend a hand to Mercy. He's a very dominant wolf and a stranger... When he spent time with Ben and Adam, both times, they had to establish who was the most dominant. Every time Asil was in the presence of Adam, he tried to position himself as far as possible from Adam, etc. If you compare Ms Briggs' werewolves and Ms Singh's wolf changelings, you can feel the difference. Ms Singh talks about dominant and submissive in her series, but the concept is still a bit abstract in comparison to Ms Briggs and the pack is a lot more relax. And that is one of the reasons I enjoy Ms Briggs books so much and Frost Burned was no exception.

As for characters, if you're up to date with the series, you're all familiar with them. What was great in Frost Burned is that for once, we got Adam's POV! It was third person and I liked that, because it really differentiated from Mercy's POV. It was also refreshing and for the sake of the story, necessary. Still very clever from Ms Briggs. I also got to see my favorite secondary characters such as Ben, Kyle and Stefan. I just enjoy their personalities and their interactions with Mercy. I have to say, I'm still not so happy how Mercy keeps doubting Stefan. I understand from her thoughts why, but I don't see it. Perhaps because I like Stefan so much ^_^; It reminds me a bit of Kate's dislike for Saiman in the Kate Daniels series by Ms Andrews. I mean, no matter what Stefan and Saiman have done, at the end of the day, they always help out and are there...Anyway. I really enjoyed the crossover presence of Asil! It was interesting to see how other characters who've only known  his reputation and the rumors of his madness perceived him. Another character that I enjoyed and which surprised me was Tad. I vaguely remember him from previous book, but in this one, his presence was more noticeable. He's like Mercy's little brother and it was interesting to see the fae situation from his POV.

As much as I enjoyed Frost Burned though, there were a few things that kept it from being a wowzer. First and foremost for me was the lack of intensity in the book. This is kind of surprising given Frost Burned had a very good plot with a lot of action integrated. I don't know, I simply wasn't sitting at the edge of my seat because the book wasn't thrilling enough. I think a lot of it has to do with how some events unfolded. For example, how Adam and the pack got away from their captors. It was surprising - yes, but a bit anti-climatic. Also, at the end, when the true reasons behind the conspiracy were revealed, it was also anti-climatic because Mercy was told. Okay, she figures it out, but only when all the clues were right there in her face... Throughout the book, Mercy was always running around and she didn't have a choice, there were things to be accomplished. However, that meant she didn't really have time to investigate and before she figured things out, there was always something happened. Personally, given the storyline, I feel that Frost Burned was a bit short. I think Ms Briggs could have make it more complex and therefore, more intense. My last complaint is minor in comparison and is about the scene when Mercy is enthralled by a fae artifact. I simply question the real necessity of that part because I didn't see the impact it had on the storyline.

My Grade: B+. The wait was worth it because Ms Briggs came up with another great installment. Fans of the series will not be disappointed in my opinion :)

Review: Fair Game by Patricia Briggs

Here's my review of Fair Game! Yay!! I really wanted to have this up at the beginning of the week and am so happy I managed it LOL. Also, it came a lot easier than I expected :) Seems like I'm really getting back my blogging groove! Double yay! Now, I need to get back to my TBR book... Otherwise, I won't make it on time ^_^;

Enjoy!!


Fair Game by Patricia Briggs
published by Berkley (Ace) in March 2012

They say opposites attract. And in the case of werewolves Anna Latham and Charles Cornick, they mate. The son-and enforcer-of the leader of the North American werewolves, Charles is a dominant alpha. While Anna, an omega, has the rare ability to calm others of her kind.

Now that the werewolves have revealed themselves to humans, they can't afford any bad publicity. Infractions that could have been overlooked in the past must now be punished, and the strain of doing his father's dirty work is taking a toll on Charles.

Nevertheless, Charles and Anna are sent to Boston, when the FBI requests the pack's help on a local serial killer case. They quickly realize that not only the last two victims were werewolves-all of them were. Someone is targeting their kind. And now Anna and Charles have put themselves right in the killer's sights...

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Alpha & Omega, Book #3

The Story: Ever since the werewolves have revealed themselves to the public, they have been under close scrutiny. They each have to behave carefully and be accountable for their action. The last thing they can afford is cause fear and being seen as animals. As such, the Marrok had no choice but to become more strict and less lenient. Unhappy with the new harshness of the laws, the Alphas have not dispensed the punishment, i.e. death, as they should. To enforce the laws, the Marrok therefore has to send in Charles. However, to kill for offenses that would have previously been pardoned... and so many werewolves that he knew is taking a toll on Charles. It is actually simply destroying him.

After Anna has brought this to Bran's attention, the Marrok realizes some changes are needed. In addition, it's time for Charles to play the hero instead of the bad guy... So he sends Anna and Charles to Boston which has become a serial killer's latest playground. As the last three victims were werewolves, the FBI would like a werewolf to consult with. As Anna and Charles offer their expertise, they realize that many of the serial killer's previous victims were fae. They hope that the FBI will accept their help in the investigation... especially since the next victim, a young half-human, half-fae woman, has already been taken and her life is in danger.

My Opinion: Finally, the new Alpha & Omega book!! I love the world Ms Briggs has created, but if I have to choose between the two series, it's Anna and Charles hands down for me :) And so I've really been looking forward to Fair Game. Do you realize that Hunting Ground was released in August 2009? That's 2.5 years ago! However, I can't help but wonder if this long wait has hyped up my expectations? Most probably ^_^;

Overall, I did enjoy Fair Game. It's Ms Briggs after all :) This means solid writing as well as an interesting plot. And indeed, I thought the whole serial killer case was very interesting. I liked the inter-agency investigation and turf war. I thought the FBI agents were good and solid characters and I really liked how they weren't afraid of Charles and Anna. Wary, yes, but there was no outright hatred or prejudice. What they wanted was to solve the case and they would accept Charles and Anna's help if it meant they would. I liked their interactions with Charles and Anna, trying to glean new information. These books have mostly been from werewolves POVs and involved supernatural beings. I kind of forgot that the werewolves just recently came out and how limited the humans' knowledge was. So this was a nice reminder.

I also very much liked the involvement of Alistair Beauclaire, a fae. He kind of made the book for me. In this type of world and story, it's always interesting to have such "old" characters. They have this kind of wisdom, knowledge and charisma that definitively enhanced the storylines in my opinion. They make the books more interesting by their life experience... We've seen Bran and Asil in previous books, both werewolves, and now, Beauclaire - from the get go, you know he's a powerful fae, but you don't know who. It's also all in the way they talk, always like half-thruths. Anyway, I thought Beauclaire really added to the story and the action and I was glad he was there :)

"It is not wise to give something old and powerful something they care about. And I am very old. Even possibly, older than your father."

Seriously, how can't you not be intrigued by this character? LOL. Also, those were the words of this book. They were very important and do not only apply to Beauclaire. Some foreshadowing perhaps? :P

One more thing I enjoyed was Anna and Charles' relationship. I was kind of disappointed that it wasn't as sweet as in previous books. Mainly because Charles has built some walls around him in order to shield Anna. However, the conflict in the relationship really worked and blend well with the storyline. Plus, I liked seeing how their relationship has evolved. I loved seeing Anna so much more confident, sure of herself. She's no longer hesitant towards Charles, their relationship or her position in the Pack. She understands Charles better than nobody and when he needed her, she acted. Even if it meant facing Bran. And when Bran didn't listen to her, she seek advice from Asil. She's really grown and it was a pleasure to see. I think it's now Charles' turn to let go and believe in Anna. She's strong and doesn't need him to shield her. So it'll be interesting to see how their relationship evolve in the next book.

While there was a lot to like about Fair Game, there were also some flaws. The biggest one for me was the mystery was not very suspenseful. I did like the case, the set-up, but I thought the investigation was a bit too linear. It was one foot in front of the other and they got to the end pretty quickly with very little surprise :( In addition, I thought the pacing or tone was a bit flat and that meant a lack of excitement. Like I wasn't sitting at the edge of my seat which is something I usually do with Ms Briggs books. Perhaps if the book had been a tad longer? I noticed that the Alpha & Omega books tends to be on the thin side. I mean, the firs three books of the Mercy Thompson series weren't thick by any means, but once the series switched to hardcover, it seemed they were normal thickness. Whereas Fair Game is not even 300 pages. Sure, the last thing readers want is for a book to be draggy... but you need a bit of balance. And the last thing is I wished there'd been a mention of how much time has gone by since Hunting Grounds. I know Fair Game takes place really soon after River Marked, since there's a mention of Mercy recovering from her injuries... but that doesn't tell me how long it's been since Hunting Grounds. One year? Two years? Because between Hunting Grounds and River Marked, there was Silver Borne. I'm just curious, because I think it would have told us a bit more about Anna and Charles' relationship.

And before I conclude my review, I want to mention the ending of Fair Game. I'm not going to say much, except that it was good. I really liked it, Beauclaire was awesome LOL. It also opens many, many doors for the series.

My Grade: B. There was lots to love and enjoy about Fair Game and I did. But ultimately, it came down to the feelings. The lack of suspense and excitement kind of took steam out of the book, so the impact just wasn't there. Basically, Fair Game was a solid book, but lacked the wow factor.

Review: River Marked by Patricia Briggs

Woohoo, I finished this review! When I woke up this morning, I thought I needed a review for the blog today and I knew I wanted to review River Marked. However, I didn't have time at all during the day to work on it... Then, today, I got home late and I also got my hands on Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts... Plus, I have some articles to read for work... so yeah, I was really doubting whether I'd be able to finish this review or not... but guess what? Yeah, screw the articles ^_^; I'll try to read them tomorrow morning instead. Yes, I'm such a bad little worker ^_^; but really, 24 hours in a day is definitively not enough!

Otherwise, life is the usual. I have another presentation next week (boooo!!) - hence, the literature readings :( Plus, I've been working on slides - sigh, my boss can really be picky ^_^; And I don't know if it's because of the presentation, but I've had a little BPPV relapse :( Been feeling fine for the past two weeks and oups, since Sunday, the vertigo came back :( It's not too bad, phew... but still very annoying, grrr. Luckily, my reading is going strong... Actually, very strong, so life is good :) And when reading is good, life is good... at least for me LOL.

Okay, I'll let you get to the review! Enjoy!


*Warning: I usually do my best to keep the spoilers to a minimum in my reviews. However, it wasn't possible for this one. Therefore, read at your own risk!

River Marked by Patricia Briggs
published by Berkley in March 2011

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. She's never known any others of her kind. Until now.

An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River-one that her father's people may know something about. And to have any hope of surviving, Mercy and her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will need their help...

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Mercedes Thompson series, Book #6

The Story: River Marked takes place not too long after the events of Silver Borne and opens with Mercy and Adam's wedding :) Then, for their honeymoon, Adam has organized a camping trip to Columbia Gorge. However, it turns out that the fae have not suggested the location out of good will; instead, they have been sent there because one of the fae had a vision and feels that something big will happen and that Mercy and Adam need to be there. Mercy and Adam quickly figure out that something is wrong... especially when they rescue a terrified man from the Columbia River. However, they never could have expected the River Devil, a creature from Native's myth able to yield some powerful magic. Luckily for Mercy, she won't be facing the monster on her own as she has the help of someone she never expected to meet... her father.

My Opinion: All right, onto the review. First, I'm really sorry about the spoilers, but I feel it was really hard to recap the book without them ^_^; True, the blurb was able to, but seriously, you don't really get a sense of the story from it, in my opinion.

Hmmm, there was some good and some bad in River Marked, but all in all, the good far outweighed the bad. Overall, I think the storyline was good and well executed, with a good pacing and lots action like most Mercy books... However, ultimately, I feel the storyline didn't matter that much, because the lure of River Marked was something else - Mercy's origins.

Still, I liked how the book started with some fun scenes - Mercy getting together with her friends Warren, Kyle and Stefan. I'd say those three are my favorite secondary characters in the Mercy Thompson series, so it was really a joy to catch up with them :) Then, there was the wedding. LOL, only Mercy would get a surprise wedding. Then again, it makes sense since I can't see Mercy planning a wedding LOL. If you leave the details to others, well yes, you'll get surprised :) What I liked the most is how everyone showed up for Mercy and Adam's wedding - not just Adam's pack, but Zee, Bran, Charles, etc. I really like how Mercy has an entourage around her, that she has friends she knows she can trust. Too many heroines in urban fantasy series are loners, with trust issues... so it's nice that in that aspect, Mercy is different :) Anyway, I really liked the wedding because it was light-hearted and fun, but also because it kind of tied up the loose ends. It feels like the series is ready to move into a different direction, that the love triangle is finally settled and Mercy's position in Adam's life, secured :)

Once Mercy and Adam embarked on their honeymoon, that's when the action started :) Like I mentioned, I thought the storyline was good - it was interesting and combined with a fast pacing, it resulted into quite a suspenseful book. Plus, I think Ms Briggs weaved in the Native American beliefs and myths in and connected the whole thing with Mercy's origins really well. To me, that was the major plus for River Marked in my opinion, readers finally finding more about Mercy's origins and background. I think it really lived up to our expectations and explained why Mercy is so special :)

It feels like I should say more about the storyline or this part of the book, but really I don't know what to say ^_^; I loved seeing Mercy and Adam's relationship... it's one of the rare time they've truly been alone and they enjoy each other. I also liked the new characters that were introduced, all those Native "myths." I truly hoped we get to see them again in the future... At the same time, it feels like their appearances is taking the series into another direction. I'd love for Mercy to meet other skinwalkers in the future - which seems to be a true possibility. Also, it seems like we might be headed for a big showdown with the vampires and that would really be interesting :)

To me, there was only two weaknesses to River Marked. The first was the absence of the Pack for most of the book. For me, what really makes the Mercy Thompson/Alpha & Omega werewolf world stand out is the dynamics of the Pack, the interactions between the werewolves. I kind of understand why Ms Briggs didn't include them in this book... without them, she got to focus on Mercy and Adam's relationship and also the whole Native aspect and Mercy's origins. I do admit that with the Pack, it might have been too much... However, it doesn't change the fact that I really missed them :(  Especially since I waited a year for my werewolf fix ^_^; The second weakness - and this is a complaint that I've had for quite a few books - is that I feel that Mercy is a bit of a "Mary Sue" heroine ^_^; It feels like at the end of the day, she's always the one saving the world. Okay, granted, she's the heroine and of course, the story revolves around her... however, it's not as subtle as some other books. Like in River Marked, it does make sense why Mercy has to be the one confronting the River Devil... yet, I can't shake the feeling. I mean, at the end, Mercy is the one who almost lost her life, but lo and behold, against all expectations, she came on top and survived... with a lot of injuries ^_^; And unfortunately, it's a bit of the same thing with Anna in Ms Briggs Alpha & Omega series.

My Grade: B+. River Marked remains a good installment to the series and fans will enjoy it, if only to find out about Mercy's origins :) Once again, I'm already looking out for my next Ms Briggs werewolf fix ^_^;

Review: Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Don't you hate it when your planning goes awry? I was going to blog-hop and write the review yesterday while at work between my experiments. I was all psyched up, because seriously, I do miss blogging and commenting. Lo and behold though, there was no freaking internet connection for the whole day!! I mean, do you realize how much we depend on internet nowadays? And not just as a hobby but for work too! I was going to blog and blog-hop yesterday evening, but my sister used my computer for a while and I fell asleep ^_^;

Then again, there's always today right? :P

19 days till RT 2010 in Columbus!! Woohoo! I'm really looking forward to it :) You can't believe how my hands are itching to go buy books ^_^; but I'm trying hard not to. Really hard LOL.

*Warning: I usually do my best to keep the spoilers to a minimum in my reviews. However, it wasn't possible for this one. Therefore, read at your own risk!

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs
published by Berkley in March 2010

When mechanic and shapeshifter Mercy Thompson attempts to return a powerful Fae book she'd previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down.

It seems the book contains secret knowledge-and the Fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side - leaving Mercy to cover for him, lest his own father declare Sam's life forfeit.

All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she might not have many more to live...

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Mercy Thompson, Book #5

The Story: Seriously, I think the blurb has left out the most important element of Silver Borne, Adam and Mercy have to face "their" Pack. Okay, let's take it back from the beginning.

Mercy and Adam's relationship is deepening, but yet they're still at the dating stage. That's because Adam's Pack is still struggling from the past few events: accepting a gay werewolf in, taking a coyote shapeshifter for Alpha's mate, Mercy not knowing about Adam's declaration and her belated acceptance of the mate bond which kind of set Adam on the edge. You'd think things couldn't get worst, but they always can and what happens is a couple of wolves getting together and using Pack magic to create a gap between Mercy and Adam. While it doesn't work, it does declare loud and clear that there are issues in the Pack that Adam has to address and Mercy's decision not to move in has been the right one...

In the meantime, Mercy gets a phone call from Tad warning her to take care of the book about Fae that Phin lent to her. Mercy thus decides to return it, but the bookstore is closed and Phin cannot be found. After an incident at Mercy's garage, it quickly becomes apparent someone is after Phin, the book and Mercy... which means trouble for Mercy.

As if this wasn't enough, Mercy also has to deal with Samuel whose latest suicide attempt has failed and whose Wolf has taken over to keep them both alive. The only problem is letting the Wolf in control - that's usually a death sentence and now, Mercy has to figure out a way for Adam and Bran not to find out.

My Opinion: I'm a self-professed fan of the Alpha and Omega series by Ms Briggs. I'm not saying I don't enjoy the Mercy Thompson series, I do, but between the two, I prefer Alpha and Omega. I guess it's Charles and Anna :P Still, I've been looking forward to Silver Borne because I do enjoy the series, but I wasn't super excited like I can be for other books because I didn't really know what to expect of it.

After reading Silver Borne, I was content. The book doesn't disappoint, it's a solid good read, but it didn't blow me away either. As always, Ms Briggs' writing is great, she has captured Mercy's voice and the style is easy to read. There's also a lot of characters/relationships development and this is always something that readers look forward to. Where the book falters a little bit in my opinion is the plot.

As you can see in my summary, I would break down Silver Borne into three parts/storylines: the Pack,Samuel and the Fae. My favorite part of Silver Borne was Pack business and this is something Ms Briggs excels at. Unlike other werewolf series, I feel that Ms Briggs has done a great job throughout the series with her world building of Pack - the hierarchy, the dominance, the interactions, etc. She hasn't simply told us about it, but has shown us - mostly through the Alpha and Omega series. In addition, Ms Briggs' werewolf packs are very similar to royal courts with their intrigues and politics and it's just something I find interesting and fascinating. I thought Ms Briggs had a great plot concerning the Pack in Silver Borne, it was exciting and clever and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out more :D Basically, Adam's Pack hasn't been united for quite some time and there is a number of reason for it: Warren - the gay werewolf, Mercy - a coyote skinwalker, and the fact that it took so much time for Mercy to accept Adam as a mate which put Adam's on the edge and almost broke the Pack. Obviously, not every werewolf is happy and some have taken it upon themselves to create even more havoc - either to break up Adam and Mercy or simply take Adam's place as Alpha. Like I said, this was the best part of the book because I was really engaged. The bonus was getting more on Mercy and Adam's relationship since their relationship is somehow intertwined with Pack business. I enjoyed seeing Mercy and Adam together, how much they care about each other and have each other's back. I'd say this is the most romance/interaction between the two that readers have been able to witness and I'm really glad for it :D

Samuel's storyline was okay. I have to say, this was the storyline that worried me the most coming into Silver Borne because I read somewhere on blogland (I thought it was Renee's blog, but perhaps it's Mandi...) that Samuel's situation would get resolved. For some reasons, I assumed that meant he would be featured predominantly/the focus would be shifted to him. That worried me because while I like Samuel's character, I don't feel a connection to him. He's been quite on the sideline, coming out only when Mercy needs help. I just feel we don't know him enough to have him suddenly be the focus of an installment. However, I was wrong. Yes, Samuel was more present, but the focus wasn't really on him, so that was good :D Unfortunately, as I said, his storyline was only okay. I liked the part where Samuel's wolf (Sam) took control because he wanted to survive. The whole situation was quite interesting and I liked seeing Samuel's wolf and everyone else's shock and fear, but also the whole repercussion, i.e. hiding it from Adam and Bran :P What didn't work for me though was how his situation was resolved. Samuel's longevity has taken a toll on his mind, especially the loss of his children - that none of them made the transition. As a result, Samuel is depressed and suicidal... so what would bring him out of this funk? The answer was quite obvious - bringing up a love interest. However, I'm disappointed because it felt to me Ms Briggs took the easy way out: bring someone from Samuel's past up, someone that apparently, Samuel has been in love with. It seemed to me, if Samuel has really been in love with Ariana, who's a Fae by the way, he'd have kept track of her... or at least, he wouldn't be in the situation he is. When he started being so depressed, he could have tried to look for her, do something. Sure, Ariana is not really fond of werewolf so that's why they couldn't be together in the past and Samuel was being considerate and etc. However, everything just seemed to be resolved so quickly and easily. As soon as Samuel saw Ariana again, he suddenly wanted to live... There was no real development or transition. It just felt off after all the angst he went through. You'd probably get the same result with a new character, but at least, there'd be a bit more development, reasoning. That's why I feel Ms Briggs took the easy way.

Finally, there was the storyline with the Fae. It started out good, especially with the bounty hunter scene... but then, it took a backseat to the other two storylines and it never gained back the momentum. In other words, I just lost interest in that part of the book. In comparison with all the other adventures Mercy has gone through, this one fell flat for me. Thinking about it, it was probably just a foil to introduce Ariana... As a result, I can't exactly say that Silver Borne would have been better without it, but it could have been better. Most probably because the ending was rushed. Ah well.

All in all, Silver Borne was an enjoyable book. It was good and solid, but not a wowzer. Those who enjoy characters/relationships development will be very pleased, as I was. I really enjoyed the Pack aspect of this book, perhaps because it reminded me a lot of the Alpha and Omega series. However, I thought the two other storylines were a little weak, especially compared with previous installments of the Mercy Thompson series. Still, I have to say that Ms Briggs did an impressive job linking all three storylines together. The pacing was a bit off, but all three storylines was necessary to make Silver Borne :)

I hope that in the future, the books will focus a bit more on Adam's Pack. Ms Briggs have created a great cast of secondary characters and there's a lot of potential, especially since the Pack is on the road for recovery. I wished there would have been more of Warren and Kyle in Silver Borne :P I really like them. However, I'm content that Ben is getting more development. I didn't like him at first, but he's turning out to be a really interesting character :) By the way, do anyone know whether werewolf can become more dominant? Or their dominance level is set once they become werewolf?

My Grade: B++.

Review: Hunting Ground

Is anyone watching the US Open? I can't wait for today's match between Kim Clijsters and Serena Williams... and I'll be cheering loud and clear for Kim! Actually, what would be fun is an all-Belgian finale :)

I'm up again today over at Breezing Through. I'm on a roll with my reviews!! It could be a first, but I might review all the books I've read in a month! :) That'd be great and a new personal best for me LOL. So today's review is with Renee from Renee's Book Addiction . It was easy to choose a book, since we were both eagerly waiting for Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs. It was great fun to discuss and you can find the review on Renee's blog here (love her formatting, she has some nice pics!!) or here, on Breezing Through.


Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs
published by ROC Fantasy in August 2009

Anne Latham didn't know how complicated life could be until she became a werewolf. And until she was mated to Charles Cornick, the son--and enforcer--of Bran, the leader of the North American werewolves, she didn't know how dangerous it could be either...

Anna and Charles have just been enlisted to attend a summit to present Bran's controversial proposition: that the wolves should finally reveal themselves to humans. But the most feared Alpha in Europe is dead set against the plan--and it seems like someone else might be, too. When Anna is attacked by vampires using pack magic, the kind of power only werewolves should be able to draw on, Charles and Anna must combine their talents to hunt down whoever is behind it all--or risk losing everything...

Review: Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs

It's Friday, it's Friday!! And my boss is leaving early today (like noon!!), and the experiment worked - so no need to repeat, and I have a long week-end!!

LOL, yeah, I'm really in a good mood :)





To add to my great mood, we three girls at Breezing Through have reviewed an awesome book, Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs. Follow the link here to read what we thought :)

Also, stay tuned to Breezing Through in the next few days for a chance to win a copy of Bone Crossed :)

Review: Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs

I might have been on the last bandwagon for the Mercy Thompson series, but I'm determined to be on the first for Cry Wolf... I just love Anna and Charles LOL :)

As a new fan of the series, I was very happy to find out I wouldn't have to wait too long for my next Patricia Briggs werewolf world fix, as Cry Wolf was coming at the end of July. I've been checking the online store indicator for the past week, 3 times a day, and I rushed to the bookstore when it finally appeared that they had received their copies. Luckily for me, it was already shelved too!!

There's already been a lot of good reviews for the book and here is mine :)


Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs
published by Berkley in July 2008

Anna never knew werewolves existed until the night she survived a violent attack and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she'd learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. But Anna is that rarest kind of werewolf: an Omega. And one of the most powerful werewolves in the country will recognize her value as a pack member and as his mate.

Genre: urban fantasy, werewolf
Series: Alpha and Omega, book #2 (book#1 is the novella by the same name as the series in the anthology On the Prowl) - also connected to the Mercy Thompson series.

The Story: Anna's background was given in the back blurb, so I'll just add some facts. She was part of the Chicago pack and her alpha had her brutalized in order to keep his mate 'sane.' Because of the alpha's bad decisions for his pack, Charles Cornick, the Marrock's son and enforcer, was sent to deal with him. After taking care of business, an injured Charles is returning to Montana with Anna.

From the first moment, Anna and Charles were attracted to each other and their wolves have chosen each other as mate. She has followed Charles in order for her to learn how to be a werewolf as well as to work out their relationship. Not to help matter, Charles is sent to hunt down a rogue werewolf...

My Opinion: This book was great and I hope it'll turn into a series :) I simply love Anna and Charles, they are such a cute couple with awesome chemistry between them. I really enjoyed their interaction with each other and how Charles was so protective and their possessiveness towards each other. I have to admit however that a little bit of communication between each other would have helped, but then at the same time, that's Charles and Anna... Two quiet personality, but unbelievably strong.

I lift my hat to Ms Briggs that she was able to write Anna's character with such balance. What I especially like is how you cannot mistake Anna and Mercy. Both women are so different, obviously not from the same mold or template. I find myself loving Anna more than Mercy. Mercy is all strong, tough and independent while Anna's strength is more subtle, more admirable. I also loved Charles and personally can't wait to find more about it. I like how the appearance of Anna in his life has changed things, changed him a little. I hope that Anna will be able to bring out a bit more of joy...

I think the storyline was great and I definitively enjoyed the mystery. It was very interested and definitively not I was expecting. I like how the synopsis and first few chapters makes you believe that the werewolves have it all figured out and then, there's a huge twist. Ms Briggs was very clever with her writing. Another interesting aspect of Cry Wolf is that it definitively focuses more on the werewolves, the dynamic of the pack, the rules and the way they live. In the Mercy Thompson series, we had other paranormal races introduced and so, Ms Briggs had to build those races, eg. the vampires or fae. In Cry Wolf, as I said, it's very focused on the werewolves and it's different to see it from the werewolves point of view. Mercy might have been raised with werewolves, but after all, she's a coyote. Also, there are a lot more background information on the Marrock, Sam and Charles which make it very interesting and kind of fill some holes.

Finally, I have to applaud Ms Briggs writing. Cry Wolf takes place, time-wise, after Moon Called but before Blood Bound. Ms Briggs was able to go back in time, set Cry Wolf in that time frame seamlessly. Also, what I like the most is that Cry Wolf was written at the third person, so you get everyone's point of view and it gives a distinct feel to the book, different from the Mercy Thompson series. Yes, the books are connected and occured in the same world, but if Ms Briggs decide to start a series with Charles and Anna, then there will be no mistaken the two. By changing the point of view, Ms Briggs was able to give a sense of uniqueness to Charles and Anna.

My Grade: B+ . A great book with more romance than I expected. The only reason it's not getting an A is because I thought it was a bit rushed and I'd have like for Charles and Anna to have more time to get to know each other, spend more time without any threat or pressure.

Review: Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

Hi people :D

How was your week-end? My week-end was very lazy and uneventful. Read a bit, ate and slept a LOT ^_^;

I sent an e-mail this morning to the professor for the job. I'm waiting for his reply and confirmation. I'm quite nervous because I had to give my 2 weeks notice as well... Hopefully, the professor won't be changing his mind. Sigh. So that was it for me today... waiting for a reply... (can't he hurry up?!?!)

All right, onto the review. I reviewed Moon Called and Blood Bound last week for my TBR Day challenge. Many of you were interested in my thoughts on Iron Kissed, so here it is...

***

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs
published by Ace Fantasy in January 2008

I could smell her fear, and it satisfied something deep inside me that had been writhing under her cool, superior gaze. I curled my upper lip so she could get a good look at my sharp teeth. I might only weight thirty or so pounds in my coyote shape, but I was a predator...

Mechanic Mercy Thompson can shift her shape - but not her loyalty. When her former boss and mentor is arrested for murder and left to rot behind bars by his own kind, it's up to Mercy to clear his name, whether he wants her to or not.

Mercy's loyalty is under pressure from other directions, too. Werewolves are not known for their patience, and if Mercy can't decide between the two she cares for, Sam and Adam may make the choice for her...

Genre: urban fantasy, werewolf, fae
Series: Mercy Thompson, book #3

The Story: To me, the back blurb pretty much covers it all... so I won't go over it.

My Opinion: Okay, confession time. Iron Kissed was my least favorite in the series so far. Not necessarily because of what happened to Mercy at the end, although of course, it wasn't my favorite moment. I just have this mental blockage against the fae.

I don't know what it is between me and fae, but I haven't had a book yet where I enjoyed them... and Iron Kissed was no exception. I had no interest from the beginning and the intrigue didn't pull me in. So yeah, book didn't work for me... Wasn't because of the plot, writing or characters, I simply wasn't interested.

I did enjoy any scene with Warren and Kyle :P Still love them :) What's cool also is that we get to see another face of Ben. I can't wait till Ms Briggs reveals more about his past, because there's a story there. Finally, I really appreciate that Ms Briggs hasn't dragged the love triangle between Sam and Adam. Was it necessary to have people tell Mercy to make a choice now? I don't think so... As I said in my previous review, I don't think there's a real love triangle... it's pretty obvious who Mercy loves more... but it's nice that the love triangle is now over. We can focus on something else in the next book :)

My Grade: I did give this book a B- when writing up my monthly reads... but now, writing the review, it feels more of a C range... but then, I don't think it's fair to grade it. So yeah, no grade :P

TBR Day: Moon Called and Blood Bound

I see a pattern in my reading when it comes to series. Either I jump on the wagon from the start and then spread my love (or sometimes dislike) or I play catch up and run after the wagon. With the Mercy Thompson series, it's the latter that happened. When Moon Called came out, it got good reviews so I bought the book... and it sat in my TBR pile. Then, Blood Bound came out and I bought it too.. and guess what? Yep, it joined Moon Called in my TBR pile and I have no idea why... because I've only seen positive comments for this series. Still, it took my good buddy Ames to convince me to read them :) and so, I'm glad to be able to review them for this month's TBR Day.


Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
published by Ace in January 2006

Werewolves can be dangerous if you get in their way, but they’ll leave you alone if you are careful. They are very good at hiding their natures from the human population, but I’m not human. I know them when I meet them, and they know me, too.

Mercy Thompson’s sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf.

She’s tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire.

But then, Mercy Thompson is not exactly normal herself…and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble.

Genre: urban fantasy
Series: Mercy Thompson, book #1

The Story: Mercedes Thompson is a not a werewolf... She's a skinwalker and can change into a coyote. However, having been raised in a pack of werewolves, she has a pretty good understanding of them. A Volkswagen mechanic, she lives in Tri-Cities where non-humans seem to have gathered: her neighbor, Adam, is a werewolf and probably the second most powerful alpha, her mentor, Zee, is a fae and her good friend Stefan, vampire.

Then one day, a new werewolf walks in her garage shop asking for a job. Next thing Mercy knows, he's being attacked and Mercy discovers he was changed against his will. Bringing the young werewolf to Adam, Mercy hopes all problems will be resolved... Of course, that is until Adam's home is attacked leaving him severely injured and his daughter is kidnapped.

My Opinion: All right, so what took me so long to read this book?!? I really enjoyed Moon Called. I like Mercy: she's a strong woman and very independent. Having grown up with werewolves, she knows how to deal with men and people who dislike her. I also think she has an interesting background, since she has a human family and I wish to see her interacting with them in the future.

However, what I like best is the world that Ms Briggs has created as well as the werewolf culture. Moon Called is taking place in a time of transition... Paranormal creatures have started to show themselves to humans, starting with the lesser fae. Werewolves are debating whether or not they should reveal themselves. I think it adds an edge to the storyline. As for the werewolves, as I said, I like what Ms Briggs has done with them. None of the werewolves are born werewolves... they all have to go through the change, survive it and adapt to their new lifestyle. Some do it better than others. There's also the fact that female werewolves can't carry babies to term and even when werewolves mate with female humans, there are high risks of miscarriage. It adds lots of drama :P

The most interesting aspect of the werewolves in the Mercy Thompson series is the hierarchy/dominance. I think it's the first time I come across a series where there is so much emphasis on it and where it plays such a central role. Yes, we all know about alpha and submissive and it's been mentioned in other werewolves books... but in most books, dominance is only mentioned briefly, establishing who is THE alpha and then forgetten. There is no way you can forget how important dominance is in the Mercy Thompson series. I find that all behaviors are truly governed by it, as it should be. This in my opinion is what makes the series stands out so much.

Being the first book in a series, Moon Called can't escape the numerous characters introduction and information dumping. However, I think it was well done, well incorporated into the storyline. It probably helps that Mercy is not a werewolf, but has knowledge about them. Having been raised with them, but then kicked out, there are many moments where she reflects on the Pack.

Finally, the storyline :) I truly enjoyed it. I like how one event happened after the other. Yes, there was a lot of action, but it wasn't always fast-paced and that gave the author opportunities to impart information with the readers. I thought the intrigue was very well built. My only disappointment is how everything was resolved at the end. First, it was happened too quickly, I felt it was a bit too rushed. Second, I didn't like how Mercy was the one who figured out everything. She is well surrounded with Adam and Sam... but no, it was all Mercy. This gave the book a bit of a Mary Sue feeling. Also, although there was a lot of background information on Mercy, there are still some things I don't understand. For example, why is the Marrock Pack so wary of her? Why does the Marrock mate hates her so much? I hope that these questions will be answered in future books.

My Grade: B+. This book has gotten a lot of positive reviews and comments ever since it came out and it totally deserved it all :)

***

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs
published by Ace in January 2007

Under the rule of science, there are no witch burnings allowed, no water trials or public lynchings. In return, the average law-abiding, solid citizen has little to worry about from the things that go bump in the night. Sometimes I wish I was an average citizen...

Mechanic Mercy Thompson has friends in low places-and in dark ones. And now she owes one of them a favor. Since she can shapeshift at will, she agrees to act as some extra muscle when her vampire friend Stefan goes to deliver a message to another of his kind. But this new vampire is hardly ordinary-and neither is the demon inside him...

Genre: urban fantasy
Series: Mercy Thompson, book #2

The Story: In Moon Called, Stefan, Mercy's vampire friend, helped her getting information. Now she owns him a favor and Stefan is here to collect. It should have been a harmless errand where Stefan pays a visit to a stranger vampire with Mercy accompanying him in her coyote shape... However, it ends up in a blood bath with Stefan having no recollection of what happened except waking up with blood all over and Mercy fainting... Later, they discover that some demon-possessed wizard is the cause of their problem... However, how to stop such a creature?

My Opinion: Okay, hard to believe, but I enjoyed this book even more than the previous one!! Part of it is because of Stefan. I really enjoyed his character, he's so different than any other vampires I've ever come across and provided some good laughs and moments LOL:)

I think that Ms Briggs did really good with Blood Bound. The plot was tighter, probably because Ms Briggs didn't have to spend too much time setting the world and storyline, the intrigue more interesting and easier to follow and the action, more fast-paced. Dominance continues to play a major role here, especially with Warren, Mercy's good gay werewolf friend, injured and other werewolves trying to get his position and Adam's temporary disappearance. I also loved seeing Warren and his boyfriend make up :)

In this book, we also see the love triangle unfolds where Mercy is stuck in the middle of two werewolves: Adam, her new love interest, and Sammuel, her teenage crush. It doesn't take up much of the book though, but it gives depth to Mercy in my opinion. I know that Mercy makes a decision in Iron Kissed, the third book, but even in Blood Bound, you know who Mercy has in her heart and who she will choose.

My only complaint for Blood Bound is that there was an even more Mary Sue-ish feeling to the book than in Moon Called. Mercy is once again the person who saves the day... while all the males are otherwise occupied ^_^; However, what annoyed me most is why did Stefan had to love Mercy as well? Wasn't Sam and Adam, the two most alpha werewolves in the vicinity, enough? Why did Stefan has to have romantic feelings for her as well? I thought it would have been better if they were just friends... or perhaps, I'm pissed at Mercy's treatment of Stefan at the end.

My Opinion: B+/A-. I wouldn't have hesitate to give the A- if it wasn't for the ending between Stefan and Mercy :(

ps - anyone knows why Mercy's tattoos are different in each cover? Is it significant?

Review: When Demons Walk by Patricia Briggs

Hi everyone!!

How are you doing? It's been very, very, very quiet on blogland... however, given that most had a long week-end, I am not surprised. My plan this week-end was to laze around and read, read and read... Although I didn't do much, I didn't read as much as I wanted... although at least, I did book shopping :D but that's for another post.... I'm definitively behind in my reviews and although it'd be better to go back in time and review books I've read earlier, I feel like reviewing When Demons Walk by Patrica Briggs, one of the books I read this week-end :)

When Demons Walk by Patricia Briggs

published by Ace Fantasy in June 1998 and re-printed in March 2008(?)

Sham had spent most of her young life as a sorceress and thief, stealing from Southwood's nobility to survive. Now she must face the greatest test of her skills...

A killer has struck Southwood, claiming the lives of nobles. Lord Kerim, Reeve of Southwood, turns to Sham for help. Posing as his mistress, she delves behind castles walls to find the killer. But this murderer is no mortal - and Sham must use all of her magical wisdom to send the demon away. Because the city of Southwood has nowhere to hide - and no time to run...

Genre: fantasy

Series: Sianim series, book #3 (stands alone)

The Story: Years ago, Shamera lived in the castle, the daughter of the Captain of Guards and apprentice to the King's wizard. However, her life changed drastically when the Cybellians overtook Southwood. Now an orphan, the only dear person to Shamera is her master, Maur, a broken man. In order to survive in the slumps of Southwood, Shamera disguised herself as a boy and became a thief... however, her world is once again rocked when her master is killed by a demon.

Lord Kerim, like any other Cybellians, does not believe in magic. All he knows is that nobles are dying, some attacked in sealed rooms. Recently afflicted, the Reeve cannot investigate this series of murders by himself and therefore asks for Sham's help. Passing her off as his mistress, he hopes she will find clues and will be able to explore the homes of the nobles... However, he is about to learn that magic indeed exists.

My Opinion: I bought this book on my trip to California earlier this year. Although at that time, I still haven't read the Mercy Thompson series, I still bought it because 1) the cover was pretty and 2) I've heard only good things about Ms Briggs. After reading the Mercy Thompson series in June, I was left wanting more... and if I can't have more of Mercy and the werewolves, I can at least get more of Ms Briggs' writing.

I enjoyed this book. I have to admit that I've always liked storylines where heroines cross-dressed as men. Don't ask me why, LOL :) Of course, that's not the only reason why I enjoyed When Demons Walk. First, Shamera was a great heroine. Smart, knowledgeable and witty. Although she lost so much, she didn't dwell too much on the past and wasn't focused on revenge either. She accepted the situation and made the most of it. I really liked her strength of character. It was really a pleasure to see her playing the role of Kerim's mistress... her outrageousness. Having lived in the bad parts of Southwood, she's developed great insight and understanding. Lord Kerim was also an interesting character... the bastard son of a Lady, he became the Reeve with his strength as a soldier and his wits as a tactician. Unfortunately, I don't think that his character was as developed as it could have been. That said, I like Sham and Kerim's chemistry. I felt that both characters raised above what was expected of them... they didn't blame the circumstances, they accept and overcame them and it gave them this 'zen' aura.

As for the intrigue, it was very well constructed. I enjoyed reading about it, how Sham and Talbot, the new Master of Security, found ways to convince the Reeve that demons and magic existed. One thing that was truly enjoyable is that both parties kept were open-minded. You didn't have two pig-headed characters trying to prove their point. True, Kerim didn't believe in magic, but at the same time, when he had tangible proof, he didn't go on and on trying to deny it and finding explanations. As for Sham, she knew when not to push it. I wasn't too lost either in the political fights and that was good.

Unfortunately, there are some elements that dimmed my enjoyment. It says on Ms Briggs' website that this book is a stand-alone set in the same world as Masques, Ms Briggs' first book. While I agree that the plot can stand alone, I found the background information insufficient and had difficulty finding my footing in the beginning... especially concerning the conflict between the Southwoodmen and the Cybellians... and so the world building, to me, was incomplete.

In addition, although I know this was a fantasy book... there is some romance going on. However, all the feelings came from Shamera. She's the one who realized she fell in love with Kerim. She's the one who was jealous and whose heart ached... but then, at the end, out of no where, Kerim said she was the only person he trusted. It's obvious that at the end, Kerim has feelings for Shamera... however, I'd have liked to have witnessed the evolution of his feelings. It's true that throughout the book, Kerim laughed a lot at Shamera's antics and seemed to enjoy her company... but it wasn't enough. I guess I would have liked for Kerim to say the three magic words.

Finally, Ms Briggs did an awesome job building Shamera's character; however, I felt that there should have been more. It's said that Shamera rescued her master from prison... how? What happened to her after the Cybellians overtook the castle? How did she escape? What about her cave with her treasure? Of course, all these loose ends are explained when you go on Ms Briggs' website and read the author's comments. Turns out When Demons Walk was supposed to be the first book in a series... However, what are the chances that readers will get a sequel 10 years later?

My Grade: B. I enjoyed this book a lot... unfortunately, I feel that it is incomplete... and so I can't give it a higher grade.