Welcome!

Read any good books lately? I have! Grab a cup of coffee or a beverage of your choice and sit back, relax, and have a peek at the books I've loved, the books I didn't, and the reasons why. Enjoy, and happy reading!

NOW LIVE!

It's official! The OGBDA Blog has expanded and our website is now live. Please visit the One Good Book Deserves Another website to see the new site and drop a line to my awesome webmaster, who I've finally let out of the webdesign dungeon...for a quick break, anyway, before he'll be commanded back to the grindstone. ;-)

This is the first of many exciting changes that will be happening over the next several weeks, so stay tuned for more news as OGBDA continues to evolve and grow, and as always, happy reading!

~Tracy

Review Archive

Favorite Quotes

Kindle Fire

Blog Buttons

Get Listed!

Parajunkee Design

Featured In

NetGalley

Amazon

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Mercy Thompson, Book 5
Rating: 4 Stars
Formats: Hardcover, Kindle, Mass Market Paperback (NYR)

Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson, Book 5)
It's Like Going Home in All the Best Ways

Sinking into a Mercy Thompson book feels very much like returning to a much beloved and slightly glossier (okay, and a bit more dangerous) home after a long trip away. It's comfortable, even when the characters aren't in the most comfortable situations, and it's fun, even when what's going on is in no way fun. That's the gift Patricia Briggs brings to her readers. She is excellent at her craft. Sometimes it's hard to believe this is only the fifth book in the Mercy Thompson series, because I feel like I've known these characters - Mercy, Adam, Samuel, Zee, etc. - forever. They feel like old friends...well...old friends you wouldn't necessarily want over to dinner if the moon is full, anyway.

In Silver Borne, Mercy is dealing with the growing relationship between her and her mate, the Alpha of the Three Rivers pack Adam, and the problems that relationship is causing within his pack, but in typical Mercy fashion, she doesn't just have a small helping of trouble on her plate - it's a plate of trouble big enough for a werewolf - and in this case, the added helpings of trouble are the suicidal Samuel and the missing Phin, bookstore owner and part fae who lent Mercy a book about fae and who has now disappeared.

I'm fairly convinced by now that Briggs doesn't tell a bad story, and parts of this book I absolutely loved. The growth in Mercy's character continues to impress me, especially after a lifetime of independence and a horrifying rape in a previous novel . She's one of the few urban fantasy series heroines that continues to grow and evolve in very organic ways during the series, and I appreciate that as a reader. I was particularly delighted with everything in this book related to the pack and Adam and her struggles with Samuel. Spending some time with Sam was a real treat. Seeing Ben's growth and glimpsing some of his vulnerability and dedication to his pack was a joy. Experiencing Mercy's intelligence and her willingness to open up even more of herself to Adam was fantastic.

I wasn't totally convinced about the issues with the fae, about Phin and the book he lent her. I'm not sure why that aspect of the book didn't totally work for me, except it almost seemed like a bit of an afterthought, even after the stakes were raised and Mercy was pulled into it in a big way. I question the manner in which Briggs decided to write the conflict there, and without giving spoilers, it's hard to elucidate more than that. I can only say that while the conflict was ongoing, I wasn't as emotionally invested as the characters were, and didn't feel the tension that I've felt in each past book when Mercy is dealing with bad things that can eat her. I also missed Stephan in this book, but I don't criticize the book for it - I just really like the character.

Regardless, Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series and her Alpha and Omega series are always must-buys for me, because I just love how Briggs tells a story. The combination of her imagination and her writing style never fail to give me a good time while reading and my only true complaint is that River Marked (Mercy Thompson, Book 6) won't be available until January 25, 2011. Oh, the cross we bear!

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Ratings Guide

Here is a rundown of what the star ratings mean to me! It's not a perfect system, so you may see me add in a .5 star here and there if my impression of the book falls somewhere between these:

5 Stars - Loved it
4 Stars - Liked it
3 Stars - It's okay
2 Stars - Didn't like it
1 Star - Hated it

2014 Challenge

2014 Reading Challenge

2014 Reading Challenge
Tracy has read 22 books toward her goal of 175 books.
hide

Goodreads

Tracy's bookshelf: read

Zero at the BoneHead Over HeelsLord of the WolfynIn Total SurrenderA Win-Win PropositionNorth of Need

More of Tracy's books »
Book recommendations, book reviews, quotes, book clubs, book trivia, book lists

Follow OGBDA!

Follow with Linky

Coming Reviews