Review - River Marked by Patricia Briggs

Publisher: Penguin
Publish Date: 3/1/11
How I got this book: Purchased

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…
*Blurb from Goodreads*

The Mercy Thompson Series was my first introduction into the wonderful world of Urban Fantasy, and let me just say: Patricia Briggs, I heart you. Mercy and Adam will always have a special place in my heart, and to see the book in the series where they finally get a chance to really focus on their relationship is so amazing. I’ve been waiting a long time for this, and Briggs didn’t disappoint.

Mercy and Adam are getting ready to plan their wedding, but things just aren’t going the way Mercy expected. But a surprise wedding takes away all that stress, and leaves Mercy and Adam free to go on their honeymoon. The RV park Adam takes her to is only open to them, and a peaceful retreat.

But when mysterious things start stirring in the river, Mercy gets the chance to meet her past: face-to-face. Through meeting some of the local Native American’s in the area, Mercy finally meets her father, learns a little more about her walker heritage and once again saves the day.

When I heard this book was going to focus more on Mercy’s walker heritage and her relationship with Adam, I was ecstatic to say the least. The mystery and endless questions surrounding Mercy’s Native American half have been burning since day one, and for the chance to finally get an answer to our questions was amazing, and really threw me for a loop. I’m not really one for endless amounts of speculations, but this twist definitely took me by surprise. I never in a million years would have guessed who Mercy’s father turned out to be, and what exactly that all meant.

I’ve always been a fan of Mercy and Adam together, and to finally get an inside glimpse into what their life is like day in and day out seriously rocked. I love my heroes to be total alphas, and the one of the things that makes Adam stand out from the rest is his trust and faith in Mercy. I love that he wants nothing more than to protect and take care of her, but at the same time supports her every decision. Briggs is one of the few authors who I think can write an incredible and sustaining relationship that has the foundation and strength to last and be completely solid.

I have to admit, I will probably have nightmares about water snakes and serpents for the rest of my life though after reading this. Briggs is so incredibly descriptive in her writing, and the pictures that flashed through my mind of the River Monster will forever go down in history as one of the scariest things I’ve ever read or seen! (Right behind the movie Arachnophobia, I don’t do spiders OR snakes very well!) When Mercy finally delivered the killing blow, I have to say I did a little happy dance, not only because Mercy won, but because the thing finally stopped haunting my thoughts.

I’m interested to see where the series will go from here. According to Twitter and some friends, Briggs has rearranged her schedule to write only one book per year. And if I remember correctly, next up is an Alpha & Omega novel, so that puts the Mercy Series on the back burner until at least 2012, if not 2013. *CRY*

All in all, I give River Marked 4.5 out of 5 scary river snakes!!