Savor? What's that?

A little bit over a week ago, the newest book of Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series hit the shelves.  Now...I'm increasingly a cheapskate when it comes to books.  A few months ago, I was quite dismayed when I learned a new paperback was going for $10...so, when faced with the idea of having to pay $20+ for a new hardback, I balked.

Not for long though...just long enough to miss the book signing she did at my local Hastings earlier this week...but not so long that I wasn't able to get one of the signed books she left behind.

Was it worth the $20?  Yes...it's a good book...I just need to learn to slow down and enjoy things a bit...I picked it up Thursday night and finished it last night..of course, it helps that this was my Friday off.

Man, I swear I have written about this book series before...but I can't find ANYTHING in my old posts to link to. 

So...Mercy Thompson is a mechanic(Mercedes the Volkswagon Mechanic) who also happens to be a half Native American Walker.  She has the ability to transform into a coyote(and other abilities she develops as the series goes on), and lives in a world populated by werewolves, vampires, and Fae. 

The series starts with Mercy somewhat on the outside looking in, but as a romance begins to develop between herself and the local pack Alpha, she finds herself getting drawn in, and often fighting out of her weight class. Yes...there is romance, and there are vampires...but this isn't Twilight.  These books are much darker(one of them revolves around Fae artifacts that sap your willpower, leading to the rape of a character).  The romance stays romantic, and never gets too juicy, which is good.  Talk about love is fine, talk about throbbing parts is slightly icky.

What initially drew me to these books is that they are set primarily in the Tri-Cities area, where Mrs. Briggs is a resident.  It's neat to be able to read a scene and know exactly what the author is talking about.  That might make me a bit biased in my opinion towards this series, but I don't think so.

There is a negative about the newest book, Frost Burned, and that negative is that it is the 7th book in the Mercy Thompson series, and the 10th story in this 'universe'(somewhere in between books 4 and 5 of this series, Patrica Briggs started another series 'Alpha and Omega' in the same universe...slightly juicier than Mercy Thompson, the have more of a 'crime' feel than an 'adventure/horror' feel...still worth reading).  At this point, I can't recommend jumping right in at 'Frost Burned'.  You might still enjoy it, but there is going to be a lot of references flying over your head. 

Nope...the proper place to start 'Moon Called', and the rest of the reading order can be found here.  If you are at all into supernatural fiction, you should certainly give the Mercy Thompson series a chance.