Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs – Series Review

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, Darynda Jones, fae, fantasy, Geroge Newbern, goblins, Lorelei King, Patricia Briggs, romance, series, trolls, urban fantasy, vampires, werewolves, witches, zombies

The World of Mercy Thompson

Mercedes is a Volkswagen mechanic living in the Tri-Cities area of Washington. Her Native American heritage has gifted her with the ability to take the form of a coyote at will. She’s surrounded by far more powerful supernatural beings, including werewolves, vampires and an assortment of fae. 

Series summary from Patricia Briggs’ website.

Review

Before November of 2021, the only Patricia Briggs works I had read were a book called Dragon Bones and the awesome Alpha and Omega series, which is set in the same world as Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series.  With the Alpha and Omega series, there were enough references to Mercy Thompson to make me curious.  So last fall, I finally started the series.

The entire series was available through my library’s digital collection.  I was able to listen to most of the series on audiobook, with just two exceptions.

The audiobooks are read by Lorelei King, who is one of the most talented narrators out there.  I had previously listed to her read Darynda Jones’ Charley Davidson series, which made things a bit confusing at first.  I had so associated the voice of Lorelei King with Charley Davidson, that at first, I experienced some small difficulty getting my mind to realize that Mercy Thompson was the main character. 

By the end of the first book, I had made the shift in my mind and enjoyed the story enough to go for book 2 and 3.  Now, here is where I knew I was hooked on the series. 

I often find that authors adopt a formula to build each story in a series, leading to predictability and, at the very least, a need to take a break between books.  With Mercy Thompson, each book was entirely unique, and the story kept evolving.  I could discern no obvious pattern or formula.  This kept me fully engaged with the developing story.  So, I kept forging onward with the series, pausing only when I had to wait for the book to become available from the library. 

So, between November and last week, I listened to or read the first 12 books of the Mercy Thomson series plus one additional anthology set in the same world. The entire series is quality storytelling.  Let me tell you why.

Note: The summary I shared at the beginning of this post is very simplistic, but contains no spoilers.  What I share with you now may contain spoilers, but will, hopefully, not prevent you from enjoying the books anyway.

1. Mercy, as a coyote shifter, was raised, in part, by Bran Cornick, the Marrock – ruler of all the North American werewolves, who I first met in the Alpha and Omega series.  Bran is scary powerful, but for the good.  That Mercy often got the upper hand with Bran, is delightful, but also shows that their relationship was special and a good thing for both of them.
2. In addition to humans, so many of the typical urban fantasy paranormal types are present throughout the series.  Werewolves, vampires, sorcerers, fae, witches (white, grey and black), trolls, goblins, guayota (volcano god), zombies, ghosts, Coyote Trickster (and other Native American beings), Baba Yaga, the Golem of Prague, and walkers (which is what Mercy is).  Also, possible: combinations of any of the above.
3. The Columbia Basin werewolf pack is one big happy family.  Okay, not always happy.  But big and very much like family.  The Alpha, Adam, rules absolutely and the pack has a hierarchical structure.  Mercy’s role in the pack evolves over the series, but since she becomes the mate of the Alpha, she will be redefining the status quo.
4. The werewolves and other ‘monsters’ must interact with humans.  In a world where the werewolves have come out, Adam has become something of a celebrity.  His daughter Jessie, and Mercy’s employee Gabriel and one or two other humans help the wolves understand what it means to be human.
5. Mercy Thompson is a kind, compassionate woman that can get along with just about everyone she meets, as long as they don’t want to immediately kill her.  This is true whether they are fated to be friends, foes, or something inbetween.  (Okay, there is one exception, but husband’s ex-wives are fair game for a bit of spite.)  Since the stories are from Mercy’s viewpoint, this means the reader is able to connect with just about every character and care about them as much as Mery does.  This trait also puts her (and the pack) smack dab in the middle of trouble because Mercy needs to help.
6. Mercy’s infatuation with VW’s.
7. Mercy sees dead people.
8. Pack bonds/mate bonds.
9. A trip to Europe.
10. A fae artifact that, despite being returned the fae, always ends up near Mercy when she needs it. Called a walking stick, but rarely acts like one.
11. Bran, Charles and Samuel (from the Alpha and Omega series).
12. Zee (Siebold Adelbertsmiter) and Tad – Fae father and half-fae son. Zee is the original owner of Mercy’s garage. Both father and son continue to a) help Mercy in the garage and b) come to Mercy’s aid when she if fighting monsters.
13. Coyote Trickster – who is Mercy’s father, but not Mercy’s father.
14. Stephan – the vampire who loves Mercy.
15. Adam – who gets his own point of view in Silence Fallen – perhaps my favorite of the series. (In the audiobook, George Newbern narrates those chapters.)   Adam is handsome, powerful, protective, and loving. Also, Adam does not like to use foul language, which is adorable refreshing.

I really enjoyed ‘binge’ reading/listening to the first 12 books – plus Shifting Shadows, a collection short stories from the Mercyverse.  Shifting Shadows stories takes place throughout the Mercy Thompson timeline. Read after Night Broken to avoid spoilers. There are also a couple of Mercy-related graphic novels that I will have to track down.  I’ll have to wait for any future books, but I will be watching for them.  If you are an urban fantasy reader who has not been introduced to Mercy Thompson, I recommend you check this series out. 

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2019 Audiobooks “Reading” List – Part 2

Tags

5 stars (and then some!), audiobooks, Darynda Jones, dead people, favorite characters, favorite series, Jodi Taylor, Lorelei King, mystery, paranormal, series, time travel, urban fantasy, Zara Ramm

Today I share part two of my audiobook highlights of 2019.  There are several audiobooks that I listened to in 2019 that I am featuring over a few posts.  Each has that one-two (sometimes one-two-three) combination of author and narrator(s) that makes them such great stories.  I’ve got a series of three (short) review posts planned:

1. Freebie’s – Audiobooks that I won from an author, or were given away for the asking. For some reason (a reason that I will not question), authors are happy to give away Audible codes for their books. I tend to snatch them up.  Click on “Freebies” to see those reviews from November 21.
2. Gotta Listen (I Love These Authors and Narrators) – Audiobooks from series I read in 2019 that must be experienced to be appreciated.
3. Everything Else – Other recommended audiobooks, whether they are parts of series or standalones.

You will note that I use the word “short” to describe these reviews. With audiobooks, I do not take notes, highlight text or underline passages that I want to be sure to include in a review. I just listen. So, these reviews will be short and to the point. The book blurb will be longer!

In “short”, I liked all of these audiobooks and would recommend every one of them!

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Today’s Reviews – Gotta Listen (I Love These Authors and Narrators).  If any of these sound good, click on the cover to find the book or audiobook on Amazon.

Gotta Listen to these series because the narrators are so phenomenal. I’ve been listening to both of these series for a few years. Once I started with the audiobook version, I could not go back to plain old reading.

Listed below are the installments that made my 2019 reading list.

Charley Davidson
by Darynda Jones
read by Lorelei King

The Curse of the Tenth Grave (#10)

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight (#11)

The Trouble with the Twelfth Grave (#12)

Summoned to the Thirteenth Grave (#13)

Review
Series and Narration – 5 stars

I stopped fighting my inner demons. We’re on the same side now. T-shirt

Everybody’s favorite grim reaper, Charley Davidson is the smartest, sassiest and funniest private detective that sees dead people, talks to them and helps them cross over. Satan’s son is her boyfriend (and later husband and father of her child), evil is always on her tail and she has the best friends in the world!

I started on this series in 2013 when I won the audiobook of Fifth Grave Past the Light. In addition to finding this great series, I discovered Lorelei King. What an amazing storyteller. After that, I could not actually readwithmy eyes any more Charley Davidson books. Well I did readwithmyeyes The Dirt on the Ninth Grave and the only thing I can say is that Lorelei King is Charley Davidson, as her voice was ever present in my head as I read the book.

Darynda Jones wrapped up the series this past year and, during 2019, I read #9 and downloaded the last four books in the series from my library’s e-book/ audiobook provider. It was almost a binge read of the last 5 books. By the end of the series, Charley has grown to be a combination of humble detective and all powerful god who is not afraid to use her powers (for good). The finale was a bit over the top for me, but probably appropriate for how Charley was developing as a character. Still, Charley Davidson will remain one of my all-time favorite characters of paranormal fictiondom.

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The Chronicles of St. Mary’s
by Jodi Taylor
read by Zara Ramm

And Now for Something Completely Different (#9.7)

Hope for the Best (#10)

When Did You Last See Your Father (#10.5)

Review
Series and Narration – 5 stars

History, tea, time travel, humor – or is that humour? This is such a compelling combination of story elements, I absolutely cannot resist this series. It is better than Doctor Who. I know, I did a detailed analysis.

Passionately committed to telling the story, Zara Ramm delivers narrations that have you weeping, laughing out loud and engrossed so deeply into the story that you will wonder if your need to work, eat and sleep are the fiction instead of The Chronicles of St. Mary’s.

Of course, Ms. Ramm talent shines so much because of the words of Jodi Taylor.  Ms. Taylor has created the most endearing, cheeky, passionate, and intelligent character in Max. Oh, Max is not perfect and that is what makes these tales so delightful. And traumatic. And delightful!

…frankly, Jodi Taylor is an amazing storyteller and it is impossible not to get completely and irreversibly immersed in the plight of Madeline Maxwell, or Max, as she is known to just about everybody. The Chronicles of St. Mary’s is really Max’s story. Her life, her death, her life again, her friends, her lover, her adventures, the danger, and the outrageous fun that she and her cohorts at St. Mary’s have every day.” (I quoted myself – see the Doctor Who link above.)

And Now for Something Completely Different is the annual Christmas tale that lets us normal people know that we are just not doing the holiday as it ought to be done!  I reviewed this one back in March.

In Hope for the Best, a tenuous relationship with the time police keeps Matthew safe but Max, Leon and the rest of the gang on their toes in their latest adventures.  Hunting Clive Ronan and fixing time are the objectives in in this story. What could possibly go wrong?

When Did You Last See Your Father may be my favorite of the shorts.  What would happen if Leon were to meet Max’s father?  Expect tears and elation!

This series is far from done.  I have Doing Time, the first book of the spin-off series (The Time Police), on my Kindle and have pre-ordered the next short story in the St. Mary’s series, Why is Nothing Ever Simple. I am a dedicated fan!

 

The Dirt on the Ninth Grave (Charley Davidson, #9) by Darynda Jones – Review

Tags

5 stars, Darynda Jones, Lorelei King, paranormal, romance, series

About The Dirt on the Ninth Grave by Darynda Jones

In a small village in New York lives Jane Doe, a girl with no memory of who she is or where she came from. So when she is working at a diner and slowly begins to realize she can see dead people, she’s more than a little taken aback. Stranger still are the people entering her life. They seem to know things about her. Things they hide with lies and half-truths. Soon, she senses something far darker. A force that wants to cause her harm, she is sure of it. Her saving grace comes in the form of a new friend she feels she can confide in and the fry cook, a devastatingly handsome man whose smile is breathtaking and touch is scalding. He stays close, and she almost feels safe with him around.

But no one can outrun their past, and the more lies that swirl around her—even from her new and trusted friends—the more disoriented she becomes, until she is confronted by a man who claims to have been sent to kill her. Sent by the darkest force in the universe. A force that absolutely will not stop until she is dead. Thankfully, she has a Rottweiler. But that doesn’t help in her quest to find her identity and recover what she’s lost. That will take all her courage and a touch of the power she feels flowing like electricity through her veins. She almost feels sorry for him. The devil in blue jeans. The disarming fry cook who lies with every breath he takes. She will get to the bottom of what he knows if it kills her. Or him. Either way.

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Review of The Dirt on the Ninth Grave

I am terribly behind in this series. The finale, Summoned to the Thirteenth Grave, is out and I am up to #9. In order to promote the latest in the series, NetGalley was offering Read Now downloads of the rest of the series. So, I grabbed #9.

If you have never read any Charley Davidson books, The Dirt on the Ninth Grave would be an interesting place to start. But if you plan to read it without reading books 1-8, quit now, or there will be spoilers.

Imagine if you are not familiar with Charley’s background and you dive into book 9 and there is this amnesiac who has some strange abilities. She is surrounded by a group of people, co-workers and customers, that are at the diner she works for every day. One of her co-workers quickly became her best friend.

But you do know Charley’s background and you know that Charley is the amnesiac who mysteriously transported from New Mexico to New York at the end of book 8. Reyes, Cookie, Uncle Bob, Gareth, and Osh have found her and now they hang with her every day, but don’t tell her who she is. Why? You have to keep reading to find out.

As is typical in a Charley story, there are ghosts that need to figure out how to move on, a mystery to solve and the continuation of Charley’s supernatural life. The format of the story has not changed, just the name. Jane Doe. Or Janey Dooer, “because Jane Doe was so last week”.

Charley’s supernaturalness gets more supernatural with every book. She will never be one of us again. By us, I mean basic human. I’m not sure how I feel about that. I like, no, I love, Charley as she is. Smart, funny, brave, highly irreverent, and always knows exactly what to say. Will she ever lose any of those traits that we love as she transcends to her fated self? I hope not!!!!

This is the first Charley Davidson book I have actually read. Audiobooks got me through books 1-8. But narrator Lorelei King is sooo good, I could hear her voice as I read book 9. I’ve got to get back to the audiobooks as I continue. Or Ms. Jones’ writing is so good that Lorelei King and I are in sync when we read the story. Either way, I love these books and I will get caught up!

Through NetGalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book so that I could bring you my honest review.

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