Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs
Woohoo! Another Mercy Thompson book from Patricia Briggs’ is hitting the shelves. I had just finished book four (Bone Crossed) only a few weeks ago, so I was very happy to get a chance to read Silver Borne so soon afterwards.
I love the Mercy Thompson series. I started reading it while waiting for the next Dresden Files novel and they have been a worthy diversion. Silver Borne, the fifth book in the series, continues the story of Were-Coyote and VW mechanic Mercy Thompson. With each installment Mercy has found herself in deeper trouble, and Silver Borne carries on that tradition with enthusiasm.
This time, Mercy is on the outs with the local werewolf pack, and in the middle of a fae struggle for power. She holds an item that a fae queen needs and, in typical fae fashion, the queen has no problem taking down Mercy’s friends in order to get it.
Patricia Briggs’ books are fast-paced, and Silver Borne reads as one of the fastest. The mystery begins almost immediately and leaves you sitting on the edge of your seat till the climactic conclusion. Mercy’s adventures are always fun to read, but they have taken on a bit of a more serious tone in the last couple of books. Mercy always carries the consequences of previous encounters into the next story, and in Silver Borne you can be sure she gains a little more baggage to take into book 6. Some of the awkward romances and unresolved side plots get some much needed attention in this book as well.
Overall Silver Borne is highly entertaining. It’s a great book to read through in just a couple of sittings. (I would like it very much if Briggs decided to make subsequent books longer — they always feel too short.) Fans of the series will not be disappointed in Silver Borne, and new readers should start Mercy Thompson now before they get too far behind.
I hate to admit I have not yet read any books by Patricia Briggs. Now I do have the first of the Mercy series on my shelf to read. I have a few books to read before I can get to it. But I will get there.
Nice covers.
To be honest I’ve always had a mild dislike for the Mercy Thompson covers. The character is a fairly conservative dresser. And Patricia makes it a point to mention she only has one tattoo and even that has special meaning. As a guy reading these books, I do get weird looks from friends and family ..thinking I’ve taken up reading some sort of goth romance. The artwork itself though is quite exceptional, it’s just the concept I’m not overly thrilled with.
I think it’s the colors I like. So many of today’s covers are dark and gloomy and “atmospheric,” so these stand out.