River Marked

I love the Mercy Thompson books, however this one lacked the action and drama of the rest. I was left wanting more from Coyote. I'm glad however that the wedding went off without a hitch, Adam and Mercy deserve to be together.
I can say that this one wasn't what I was expecting and I wasn't too thrilled with it.

Reviewed by: Rabid ReadsAs much as I enjoy the MERCY THOMPSON series, the last few books have been rather dark, although I understand that Briggs is staying true to her character, as a reader I’ve been wanting the old Mercy back. In the opening chapters Thompson cracks a joke about that-horrible-thing-that-happened-to-her which I took as a good sign, this is also the quasi-essential “vacation” installment—another clear indication that the heroine is finally ready to move. It’s worth mentioning that this is the first time I’ve listened to one of these novels in audio, and Lorelei King’s narration was also a big factor in lightening up the story line. RIVER MARKED is all around entertaining with great Mercy/Adam moments, a formidable big bad to defeat, and Coyote the trickster god wreaking havoc on all fronts.Vacations never go as planned in Urban Fantasy, if anything, they usually blow-up spectacularly which is exactly what happens in this book, only instead of explosions its otter kin and a river devil, but we’ll get to that. Luckily there’s a bit of calm before the storm. Mercy and Adam finally seem to have accepted their bond; I liked how lovey-dovey they were to each other in this installment, and I absolutely adored how Briggs gives them a mini-HEA before the Columbia River tries to eat them. There’s also a goodbye letter from Mercy to Adam in case their plan fails and she dies which Briggs cruelly reveals at the very end, and it will make you bawl your freaking eyes out. It’s beautiful and sad, and I want to listen to it again.RIVER MARKED is the first novel that actually revolves solely around Mercy’s heritage which I loved. We learn more about her Native American roots including info about her deceased father, what she really is, and how Coyote fits into the mix. There’s also some interesting mythology surrounding the river devil; my favourite was the real reason a beaver’s tail is flat. According to the lore, after eating a bunch of people the monster was defeated from the inside, and when the beaver escaped through the creature’s butthole his tail got smushed. Seeing how this rodent is practically Canada’s mascot, I couldn’t help but giggle at this.I rarely switch back-and-forth between reading and listening to a series because typically I prefer to pick a format and stick with it. So I really didn’t know what to expect from this audio when I jumped-in at book 6, but when I found out that Lorelei King was the narrator, I knew that it just had to be good. Listening to Mercy is very different than reading her, however I enjoyed the bubbly tone that King brings to Thompson’s POV. Her delivery helped draw attention this installment’s lighter tone, and gave me a whole new appreciation of how sarcastic one of my favourite heroines truly is. Although, in my opinion, her narration may have been a little too happy-go-lucky for this protagonist; I’m going to listen to FROST BURNED as well before I pass judgment.RIVER MARKED is the ray of sunshine that this series needed with borderline epic action scenes, and enough mushy moments to make readers fall even further in love with the Mercy / Adam duo.

The premise: ganked from publisher's website: Being a different breed of shapeshifter -- a walker -- Mercy Thompson can see ghosts, but the spirit of her long-gone father has never visited her. Until now, on her honeymoon with the Alpha werewolf Adam. An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River -- and innocent people are dying. As other walkers make their presence known to Mercy, she must reconnect with her heritage to exorcise the world of the legend known as the river devil….My Rating: Good ReadThe beginning was a bit of a hiccup for me, but I'll blame it on the fact it's been over a year since I've read anything in this series, and my brain needed time to catch up. Once the story gets going, it's a solidly fast romp that teaches the reader more about Mercy's abilities and why she is the way she is. And having Mercy and Adam on their honeymoon provided a lot of amusement, because rather than doing what normal couples do (which, for the record, they do get to do, but Briggs isn't explicit in the slightest, so no worries there), they get mixed up in trouble and a lot of it. Briggs seems to be setting up for a larger arc, and that has me curious. River Marked still isn't as good as the original first three Mercy Thompson books were, but it's close, and that makes me happy.Spoilers, yay or nay?: Yay. It's a fun read, and while I will discuss some various revelations, I won't spoil the actual ending. The full review may be found in my blog, and as always, comments and discussion are most welcome. REVIEW: Patricia Briggs' RIVER MARKEDHappy Reading!

Mercy and Adam are finally getting married! That is, if they can survive her mother's grandiose plans and a honeymoon that soon takes a dangerous turn when they find an ancient and dangerous beast in the river near their camp. It's marked Mercy, and hungers for more humans to feed on.The sixth book in the Mercy Thompson series finally explores some of the hints that we received early in series about Mercy's abilities as a shapeshifter into a coyote and her Indian heritage. Local folk from the Yakima tribe aid her and Adam as they seek to defeat the beast. Though some of the other side characters only bookend this one, I enjoyed the exploration of Mercy's parentage. The author delves quite a bit into Native American lore, which was interesting to me but as ignorant as I am of it, I can't comment on her accuracy. Several threads have been introduced with Fae, vampires, werewolves, and now shapeshifters, all having their own sort of interplay and it will be intriguing to see how it all continues to come together in further installments.

There are times when you really need a bigger boat.

Mercy and Adam have decided to get married and go on a honeymoon. Of course, everyone else has plans on their time, including a few odd jobs they could do. Such as figure out why so many people are disappearing near the river... At least Mercy isn't repairing cars on her honeymoon.

In River Marked we have some reveals about Mercy's real father. This hints at things to come as well as explaining why she seems to have been attracting trouble. As always, Patricia Briggs has progressed the series and characters, filling in the gaps in a natural and satisfying way. We never get all the answers, but Briggs is revealing them without it feeling like she has been obstinately hiding details or making them up on the fly.

This wasn't my favorite book in the series but it was still a really good story. If you have been following my reviews you probably already know that I adore this series. I remember reading this book back when it was first released and enjoying it and I liked it just as much on this audio re-read. This is a series that I have made a point to keep up with and look forward to every installment. I had a lot of fun listening to the audio of this story.This story takes place away from most of the group and I have to say that I missed some of the characters that I have grown to love just a bit. Mercy and Adam are there for the whole book so I didn't have too much time to spend missing everyone else. Mercy and Adam are off on their honeymoon but they end up getting involved in a situation that needs their help. There are some interesting characters that are a part of this installment including some that knew Mercy's father.This book had a lot of really good elements. I like how Mercy and Adam's relationship just keeps getting stronger. I really cannot get enough of these two and think that they are just perfect for each other. The chemistry between them is amazing. It was interesting to learn a little bit more about Mercy's background. Her father is really quite a mystery so getting the chance to learn a little bit more is really quite exciting. There was plenty of excitement in this installment. I mean there is a river monster to be battled so of course there is some excitement. This was the kind of book that you just don't want to put down.Lorelei King does an amazing job with this audiobook. I really didn't expect anything else. She has done such a fantastic job with all of book in this series that I have listened to so far. She has become the voice of Mercy form me. She does a great job with a large cast of characters and brings a lot of emotion into the story. Her voice is very pleasant to listen to and she read the story at a very natural pace. I was able to completely lose myself in this book for hours at a time. I can't wait to listen to more of this series.I would highly recommend this series to others. I do think that this is a series that really does need to be read in order since the relationships between the characters develop throughout the series. I can't wait to continue with my re-read of this series very soon.

Loved it years ago!

I'm so glad I didn't let the more negative reviews on Amazon.com put me off from reading the latest book in the Mercy Thompson series. Based on those "disappointed" reviews, I was pretty hesitant before buying the Kindle version. Only goes to show you have to read & make up your own mind. I loved the fact this book featured Mercy & Adam as a couple. Although some of the other familiar characters were missing from this story, the Native American storyline & characters, especially Coyote, more than made up for it for me. I can't wait for the next book to come out and have decided to try Briggs' Alpha & Omega series in the meantime. Enjoyed this book from start to finish!

I normally love the Mercy Thompson books. However, this one was rather difficult to push through and I found myself disappointed.

I would have to rate this book at the top of the series to date! It was a great read, full of plenty of action to keep you going. There was also some really great twists along the way. I loved finding out some of the things in Mercy's past, it made her world come even more alive in my mind.

Patty Briggs is one of my favorite writers, and I think Mercy is one of my favorite characters. She is ballsy and doesn't take any prisoners. But she is not super woman, I think one of the hardest scenes I ever read was where Mercy was sexually assaulted in a previous book, her recovery from that incident I think is some of Briggs' best writing.But on to the actual book, it started out a little slow for me. I think Briggs was trying to establish an intimate relationship with Adam and Mercy, but it honestly just felt to drag on. The last half of the book picks up and became a very enjoyable read. Briggs is one of the fantasy writers that doesn't stay in one or two of the supernatural categories, she is willing to include any and all supernatural elements, and she blends them in such a way that is still cohesive for the reader as well as entertaining. This book is no exception. There is interaction with her vampire friend who needs Mercy's help, the werewolf pack Mercy is no married into, the fae sending Mercy and Adam to the honeymoon spot as well as the Fae villains, as well as the exploration of Mercy's heritage which brought in a whole new supernatural element never explored before.Mercy has always been an outsider in the books, she is the only one of her kind, or so she thought. As a coyote raised by wolves, I believe that Mercy has always been content with the road her life went down. She has even mentioned in prior books that she has looked in mildly to her heritage but never really took it further. This book changes all of that, her heritage rises up to meet her.I love the Native American culture, and I love that Briggs did not just make this about one specific tribe, in fact in the end Mercy is the child of all of the tribes because her father is one of the remaining immortal figures Coyote that serve the Great Spirit that all of the Native Americans believe in. The extensive culture that Briggs explores in this book is amazing, and it is great that she was able to not only make a plot that was interesting to the reader but also gives Mercy more depth and a clear and remaining link to her past, that is sure to show up in the following books.The book was full of small sentimental moments that long time fans of these series would appreciate. I believe my favorite of these moments would be Bran at Mercy's wedding, acting all parts of the father he really feels he is to Mercy. Seeing the bond Mercy had developed with the most powerful werewolf in the world is something so sweet and special. I also love that Mercy is becoming more and more like a mother to Jesse, they have always had a good dynamic together, but it has begun to really evolve into a parent and child dynamic that has been so great to watch evolve.I also really love the small moments Mercy has with Stefan. Stefan was a main element in the prior book. One of my biggest issues with a lot of series writers is they forget the prior books existed for some characters, the main character always remains changed but the others just seem to be along for the ride. Briggs never does that to her characters. While Stefan was not a main player this time around, she didn't forget him and showed him as the damaged vampire he should be. And true to her form Mercy does everything she can to help him heal. And in the end when Mercy herself is healing from the situation within this book, Stefan comes along to help her as well. The moment between the two of them at the end was sweet not just because of Stefan caring for Mercy when he was still clearly not completely well himself, but also the interaction Coyote and Stefan have together. Mercy is clearly a character that has the ability to unite elements of the supernatural that prefer to remain separate and also typically at odds.Over all this is a book I loved reading, even though it to in my opinion, took far to long to pick up. The continual mundane activities that Mercy and Adam go through for so much of the beginning of the book reminds me almost of how Harry Potter's last book seemed to go on forever when they were on the run, it was just more and more of the same over and over again for far to many pages. I also think she made the river monster far to large, I think she could have made the monster even slightly smaller and way more believable within that context. But overall I think the book was great, probably my second favorite of her books.

Mercy is a "walker" - she's always been able to switch between her human skin and a coyote form thanks to the powers of her Native American father, Joe Old Coyote, who died before she was born. The sixth book in Briggs' series sees Mercy marry Alpha werewolf Adam. Mercy and Adam take a ten-day camping trip honeymoon along the Columbia River, only to find themselves fighting a hungry river monster. Mercy must reconnect with her heritage to battle this demon with the help of fellow walkers, a medicine man, and the ancient spirit-gods of the Native American religions. Briggs' offers an exciting, enjoyable read made even richer by the inclusion of Native American mythology. Recommended to urban fantasy fans, and in particular to fans of Charles de Lint.

In places this feels a little slower than some of the previous books, but it's still an entertaining and absorbing read.

One of my favorites in the series -- partly in that it introduced me to the fascinating area around Maryhill, which I then got to visit with my dad. I love that the history/places in this series are based on real things.

read 3 times so far. The audio book versions are good, too!

If in Silver Borne we found more about the pack's dynamics and Adam role in them, here in River Marked we start to unravel some of the mysteries in Mercy's past...

It started more slowly than the one before -still I didn't mind how the author spent a little more pages on the relationship between Mercy and Adam- but when it did I couldn't put it down!

Can't way for the next one!!!

Mercy Thompson defies convention from all sides: she's a female mechanic named Mercedes who specializes in VWs, she's a coyote walker who has run with werewolves her entire life, and despite her rather bohemian lifestyle, she has fallen for a straight-laced former-military Alpha. So, when she finally gets around to marrying Adam, it stands to reason that her wedding will break from expectations - hers, at least.And then comes the honeymoon.River Marked contains a great deal of self-discovery for Mercy, as she and Adam set out learning how to be married and mated. Although the fae's interference turns the honeymoon itself into a real nightmare, watching the bond between Adam and Mercy - and discovering secrets to Mercy's heritage - really adds depth to what would otherwise be a fairly common MT novel. I enjoyed the discovery as much as the action, and closed the book with a sense of deep satisfaction.

In this installment, Mercy's friends and family conspire to throw her a surprise wedding. Stressed out by her mother's wedding madness, Mercy remarks that she would much prefer to elope. To her surprise, Adam agrees, but when she arrives at the church, everything is ready for an actual wedding and all her friends and family are present.To top it off, Adam has chosen a camping trip for their honeymoon and they are staying in an amazing RV that he borrowed from Uncle Mike. It's not until several days into the trip that Mercy realizes they have been sent on a mission by the Fey to defeat a huge river monster that has been devouring campers. Talk about romance!

Not as good as the rest of the series.

This has one of the best interactions in it. What does a coyote shifter say to a coyote god about her pawprint tattoo? She tells him it's a wolf pawprint, even though she's already told her werewolf husband that it's a coyote. This doesn't qualify as a great review, but it should be obvious by now that I love this series because Mercy is pretty great.

4.5 I loved the Native American tales told here but they went a bit to far into the myths for an easy flowing read. I needed to slow down and contemplate the various characters and their talents, which disrupted the story for me. I loved it, Adam and Mercy are the dream couple, with sometimes a nightmare life. Stephen though brief was perfect in is role. I hope to see more of Coyote, and Thunderbird.

This book was different than the other books in the series. The only main characters in this book is Adam and Mercy as they are on there honeymoon. I missed the other characters but this one was still good in that we learned quite a bit about Mercy's heritage and where she comes from. I think Patricia Briggs did a good job in expanding her story and was able to provide us more info about Mercy. Usually at the 6th book mark the characters start to get old, but Patricia is still able to expand her world with new elements and players, to keep things fresh.

Great story and a nice refreshing change of scenery! Loved getting to know a bit more about Mercy and her heritage.

This story picks up where the last one left off. Adam and Mercy are engaged and their wedding is imminent. I liked this story because it brought a bit of Mercy's past into the mix. There were a couple of parts that didn't seem to go too smoothly. The first is at the beginning. Mercy goes to check on Stefan, but the whole scenes feel out of place and ultimately don't do anything to add to this books story. Maybe it was added for the next book, I don't know. There other part had to do with her seeing a ghost. Although that isn't anything new, the ghost should've been a little bit more of a dramatic event for Mercy, but she was rather "meh" about it. I just don't know that her reaction fit in well. Otherwise, I liked it and will continue with the series as a whole.

Great read. As usual, the humour and wit shown in these books offsets the sometimes dark themes the plot lines incorporate. I loved the American Native Indian focus to this story; learning about Mercy's heritage, and the introduction of Coyote. I hope he'll be a recurring character in the remaining books. The River Devil was a little over the top, but the whole story was enjoyable, nevertheless.

This book fell flat for me. Maybe because I read it while listening to her book Cry Wolf in the breaks?

I hope the 7th book comes back to the awesome that this series usually is.

Thoroughly enjoyable trip to Mercy's past. For a character that gets her special power-ness from her native american ancestry, this series did very little to explore that prior to this book. So, we now know more about Mercy, and that makes me happy. As my favorite hero of this genre, I have very high expectations of her.

The story was good and we got a little background on Mercy's Mom and Dad, which was nice to know. Mercy and Adam still have a great dynamic in relation to the shifters that they are. What I didn't like about this book was that it was all new characters except for Mercy and Adam. Where's Zee? And Stefan had a teeny tiny role in the book as did some of the pack members, but it was all in the background. Maybe this book is a build up to something more in the next couple of books? I hope so!

It was fantastic! Even better than the first two times. Lol

3.5 with a bit extra because even after succumbing to writing an offshoot series & being on book 6, Briggs managed to keep me glued to this book. That's pretty incredible as I'm usually bored by this time in a series. This is one of the few PNR series that actually has details that stick in my mind. Most just sort of swirl together into a vague, cotton candy haze. Not Briggs. Her prose isn't exactly memorable, but her characters are. I'll definitely buy the next one new.

This was such a brilliant read. I loved the fact that Mercy and Adam were on their honeymoon. So often in series like this there is a big focus on ongoing tension between the couple. But I think this author sees the benefit in writing stories have have amazing scope and more too them than "will they, won't they". I loved coyote and must admit to sniggering at Mercy's misfortune when he heaves her in the river. heh. Brilliant story telling and characters I adore.