Good but not great
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I really enjoyed the first two in the series but this book was an example of churning out 'something' to meet a deadline. The whole 'feel' of the book differed from the first two, I seriously thought it was written by another writer.
Mercedes is a coyote. A playful creature raised by werewolves, her sense of mischief and loyalty is tested when her friend, a fae called Zee is being made the sacrifical lamb by the Fae for the murder of a human. In the course of trying to clear Zee's name she offends the Fae 'Gray Lords' and ends up being targeted by one fae, who sees her as a tasty meal. Her biggest challenge though, comes not from the supernatural world but from the human world. Sometimes, no matter how hard you run the monster catches you...
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Superb read!!!
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I can't really say much more than the other readers....this book blew me away. This series just gets better and better and I have to say it is one of the best urban fiction around...if you haven't started it, then get going, you won't be disappointed.
The last quarter of this book was so powerful..we have some mast story telling here. I was on the edge of my seat! I can't say anymore without giving too much away...just...read it.
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A wonderful third book in the Mercy Thompson series
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Mercy is a walker which means she can transform into a coyote. She has helped the vampires kill a demon riding a vampire, her housemate is werewolf Samuel and her trailer backs onto the house of alpha werewolf Adam. She is torn between the two werewolves and things are getting very strained, and she also has feelings for Stephan the vampire...
This novel focuses on the Fae. Zee (Mercy's friend and mentor) and Uncle Mike enlist Mercy's help to sniff out the murderer in a string of deaths in the fairyland reservation. She notices the same human scent in all the murder scenes and when Uncle Mike and Zee go to talk to him, they find him already brutally murdered in a way that seems only a Fae could accomplish. The police have already been called and Zee is arrested despite being innocent. The Gray Lords (the Fae council) are happy to let him take the fall as it cleans things up quickly leaving them time to look for the true killer. However, Mercy is not going to let this happen, despite how many people tell her to let things alone.
Alongside the main plot, Mercy also has to choose between the two werewolves as tensions are rapidly rising. Her final choice makes sense and felt like the right thing to do, I hope it works out for her in future books. She has the Fae after her, the Gray Lords, Zee wants nothing more to do with her and a magical walking stick keeps following her around. The greatest danger is from an unseen corner and has very tragic consequences for Mercy.
I enjoyed this book the most so far. I liked the Fae lore and the confusion Mercy feels deciding between Samuel and Adam. I also found this the saddest of the series so far and really felt for Mercy having been through something similar in my past. I highly recommend this series and I can;t wait to see what will happen next.
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Third in the Mercy Thompson Series
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Iron Kissed has two main plotlines. The first deals with Mercy having to make a choice between the two men in her (love)life. Adam - the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, and Sam her childhood sweetheart (also an Alpha). It's a decision she needs to make soon, before there's bloodshed.
The second plot is the mystery of the book. Several Fae have been murdered out at the Fae reservation and Zee (her old boss) takes Mercy there, to see if her 'coyote' nose can track the murderer. Although it initially seems like everything is resolved, Zee ends up being charged with murder and Mercy feels it's up to her to prove his innocence. Whether he wants her help or not.
Although I don't think it's essential to have read the previous books in the series to follow Iron Kissed. You'd be missing out on two great stories if you didn't read Moon Called (Bk1) and Blood Bound (Bk2). Plus the build up to the Adam/Mercy/Samuel plotline and a lot of the background as to how the Mercy Thompson Universe works and the relationship/family set ups of the various species groups is in those books.
One thing I very much enjoy about the series is how in each book we learn more about the characters and their relationships. One of my favourite things is how the dynamics of the werewolf pack is explored. The scene between Ben and Adam at the end was one of the most powerful in the book, especially when Ben is having trouble expressing himself.
"It's easier to get forgiveness than permission."
For me this quote is at the heart of the book. In a way this has been Mercy's attitude since we first met her in Moon Called, and probably has a lot to do with growing up as a coyote in a werewolf pack. It's a very easy thing to say when you have no way of knowing what the consequences of your actions will be.
Some of Iron Kissed is very difficult to read. Patricia Briggs doesn't pull back, her characters have to deal with the consequences of their actions. There are no get out clauses here. Sometimes there isn't an easy solution and it isn't always easier to ask for forgiveness rather than permission. Especially when the person you have to forgive is yourself.
The temptation to skip ahead when reading this book to see where the story is going, is almost overwhelming. It's a story that once you start reading you can't stop. The Mercy Thompson series gets better with every book and in my opinion it's one of the best urban fantasy series around at the moment. If you love urban fantasy and you aren't reading the Mercy Thompson series, then I really think you should be.
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still enjoyable read
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This book continues the adventures of Mercedes Thompson "Mercy", a mechanic and a coyote shapeshifter. Here she makes a choice between her two men, er, werewolves, I mean. Battles evil and not so evil forces where friends seems to become enemies and enemies are allies after all.
Mercy's friend, Zee, who is a fae, is arrested by human police for murder. Mercy is trying to help Zee get cleared of the charges and keep him from getting killed by the Gray Lords (fae ruling body) as a sacrifice to keep the fae secrets from the rest of the world.
Still a very good read... but compared to Moon Called and Blood Bound, it is not as good as the previous two. Maybe I was expecting too much... or I was just spoiled by the good quality of the previous books... and also, I did not appreciate the dark turn of the story... but I have to say the story-telling quality is still a masterpiece.
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