Bone Crossed

MY RATING SYSTEM
5 stars–WOW
4 stars–would read again
3 stars–was good, won’t read again
2 stars–read it, but didn’t enjoy it
1 star–didn’t finish, it was so awful

Do I need to read books before this one: yes
Cliffhanger: no

SUMMARY
Adam refuses to sleep with Mercy until she’s talked with someone about her rape. Mercy’s mom arrives, angry she learned about it in the news. Mercy explains she was a coyote for a few days, introduces Adam. Suddenly, something appears between Mom and Adam. It was a human-sized something, black and crunchy. It dropped to the floor, reeking of char, old blood, and rotten corpses. Mercy identifies Stefan only by his Scooby-Doo shirt. He manages to say, “She knows. Run.” Mom’s already got her gun aimed at him. Mercy tells her Stefan’s a good guy, tells her a little about vampires while Adam feeds Stefan. Mercy gets Adam’s phone so he can call more wolves to feed Stefan, then she answers the door. It’s Amber, a friend she hasn’t seen since college. She’d read about Mercy in the Spokane paper, remembered Mercy once saying she could see ghosts. She’s come to ask for help because her house is haunted and it’s focused on her 9yo son, Chad. Mercy says she has company, gets Amber’s number. Mercy’s concerned about the coincidental timing.

After Stefan’s fed on Peter and Ben, the wolves get ready to take him to Adam’s house. Mercy thanks them for saving Stefan. They did it because he saved them from the sorcerer. Adam kisses Mercy goodbye, she has a panic attack. Adam helps her, then leaves. Mercy tells Mom everything, excluding only Ben’s name. Samuel comes home, tells Mercy’s mom how she’s really doing, will keep her updated. Mercy’s mom agrees to go home.

The next day, Mercy sees her shop wall has been vandalized with graffiti. The door has an intricate painting of crossed bones. Zee helps her look at security feed. Tim’s cousin did the graffiti, they can’t see who did the bones. Zee will check with the fae. Adam picks her up after martial arts, invites her to dinner and dancing tomorrow. As they walk to his house, she’s overcome by Stefan’s thoughts. Adam, jealous, makes her pack, and the magic works. But now the politics begin. With werewolves uneasy and vampires after her, Mercy decides to go to Spokane to help Amber. There’s only one supernatural there, a vampire named James Blackwood, the Monster. The odds are infinitesimal she’ll meet him.

EVALUATION
This series is growing in both character and plot complexity. Mercy’s life is so tangled, I’m glad she’s a mechanic so her mind can rest while her body does rote tasks. If she’d been a history teacher, dealing with teenagers and lesson plans and parents and homework, she’d go bonkers. Mercy learns more about a walker’s magic, gains another fae ally, survives a vampire revolution, and becomes the Alpha’s mate. A very engaging read!

RECOMMENDATION
To all who’ve read the first 3 books.

FAVORITE QUOTES
Mercedes Athena Thompson, snapped my mother. Explain to me why I had to learn about what happened to you from a newspaper? Id been avoiding meeting her gaze, but once she three-named me, I had no choice.

Mom gave Samuel a stern look. Now, I dont know whats going on between you and my daughter and Adam Hauptman Neither do we, I muttered. Samuel grinned. We have it pretty well worked out as far as the sex goesAdam gets itsomedayand I dont. But the rest is still up for negotiation. Samuel Cornick, I sputtered in disbelief. That is my mother.

But you cant marry someone to fix him, even if you love them.

Like a Dr. Seuss poem, I scrambled under, around, and through before I got out the door.

Fear is a good thing. It teaches you not to make the same mistake twice. You counter it with knowledge.

Curiosity, Bran has told me more than once, might be as fatal for coyotes as it is for cats.

Hey, watching good-looking men run around in tight-fitting costumes is high on my list of things Id like to do before I die.

If I were a vampire, I think Id only wear black or dark brownto hide the stains.

Adam was mine. I would take up all the burdens he could give me, even as he did the same with mine. It would be an equal sharing.

So, he murmured, are you ticklish here? Yep. Whod have known it? I looked at my inner elbow as if Id never seen it before.

Truth is without flourishes or manners, and runs with a logic all its own.

Samuel had a habit of checking pockets before he did laundry. Something about nuts and bolts in the dryer being irritatingly noisyI thought that was directed at me, but I could have been paranoid.

POSSIBLE TRIGGERS (SPOILERS)
Sex: 2 implied, very discreet
Language: 0 F words, 4 Lord’s name in vain, 0 S words
Violence: tortures, vampire feedings (some without permission), kidnapping, murders, mind control, bar fight

I have quite a few Urban Fantasy favorites on my must read list. The more I read in the Mercy Thompson world, the higher it moves on that list.

Theres a lot going on in Bone Crossed. Mercy is still recovering from the events that nearly destroyed her in Iron Kissed. She wants to be back to normal, but it isnt as easy as she wants it to be. Luckily, shes surrounded by people who understand that even more than she does. They are there to love and support her in any way that she needs especially Adam.

Mercy has gained herself some pretty powerful allies, but she has also more than a few powerful enemies. Some are obvious, while others seem to be hiding in the shadows waiting to pounce. Mercys a loyal friend though and she proves once again that shell do whatever she can to protect those she considers hers. Her trust in some of those people is put to the test in Bone Crossed.

Marsilia is at her worst in Bone Crossed, but there are even more dangers waiting for Mercy. Add to that the fact that not everyone in the Pack is happy about Adam mating with her and Mercy making some split minute decisions that she probably shouldnt have well, lets just say that at times Bone Crossed was impossible to put down.

Next up for Mercy Thompson is Silver Borne. One good thing about getting hooked on an established series is that I dont have to wait long to pick it up.

Clich: I dont need to really explain this onewas it a typical story that followed very similar storylines that many authors over use?—->1 out of 5, it never is!

Humor Me: How funny was the story? The dialog between the characters?—->3 out of 5, this story is not all about humor, but the main characters does have plenty of sarcasm, wit, and attitude that gives this story laughs every chapter.

Sizzle & Burn: How romantic was the story? And it is also the scale of how steamy things get between the characters that fall in love.—->3 out of 5, I say this because it isn’t all about the relationship rooting between Mercy and Adam. But they are super cute and romantic when they have their moments between the blood baths and bad guys.

Called It!: This one is about the mystery behind the crime, situation, or hardship that is going on in the story. Did the author surprise me or did I know who the bad guy/antagonist was all along? —->1 out of 5, I did not feel, or ever feel, like I have a grasp on what is about to happen with the bad situation that arises. Which is the primary reason why I continue to read her books because she writes in a style that leads readers on a grand adventure that isn’t always known ahead of time.

Exciting Extras: Did I fall in love with the background characters? How badly did I want to learn or hear more about the story of the main characters friend(s) or family member(s)? —->4 out of 5, I always want to read more and go on a separate reading trail of her minor characters that she marvelously plots into her stories. Warren is just one of them while Ben is the other.

What! Its Over!: This one is rating how badly I want to read the next book in the series.—->5 out of 5, I have been reading this series without long breaks. I been have the next book in the series in my possession. I love this author and I really advised delving into the world that Briggs has wonderfully created for her audience.

Mercy is struggling with PTSD following Tim’s death. Before she has a chance to inhale she finds herself under threat from Marsilla who knows she killed Andre. Enter crispy Stefan, knock at the door from a not so close college girl who has a ghostly problem. Added to which some of the pack are hostile to Mercy’s entry. The walking stick does make me smile and he helps the Oakman get free, I am all for Jack in the green!!

Mercy is in a dark place at the beginning of this book after the events at end of book three (still not happy with that storyline!) and recovering. Adam is there waiting for her but this storyline is more about Mercy and the vampires. She is approached by an old college friend Amber whose having problems with a ghost, of course when Mercy goes to the house the situation turns out to be much more malevolent and dangerous than Mercy expected and she is soon fighting to protect Amber’s young deaf son Chad and herself from a vicious vampire. Stefan is soon pulled into their plight. Had to read this all in one go as couldn’t put it down! Really liked how Mercy and Stefan related to young Chad. Hmm, what next for Mercy and Stefan??!

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