River Marked

I originally read this on back in 2011 and gave it four stars. Listening to it the second go around, I remembered how much I didnt care for it compared to the first five books in the series. Listening to them back to back makes the differences obvious.

In River Marked Mercy and Adam get married and go on their honeymoon, which I loved. The parts with them together not fighting bad guys seems so few and far between so it was nice seeing them together being a happy couple for a while. However, trouble always follows Mercy. This time in the guise of a HUGE River Devil that can take over peoples minds and eat them.

What I didnt care for in this story is it goes from an Urban Fantasy revolving around Fae, Vampires and Werewolves and morphs into Native American folklore. The entire feel of the story changes. I understand that Mercy is Native American, and her Coyote form comes from that heritage, but this story didnt feel like it fit with the larger Mercy World to me. It took a complete 180. Bringing in the spirit animals, with Wolf especially was just weird. How does that fit in with the larger world? For me, it only adds more confusion, especially any time Coyote speaks and the deal about her father. WTH.

River Marked is not my favorite, and I am rating this one 3 Boundless Stars.

I love this series. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to say that about a new to me series, but Mercy Thompson is awesome. It hits all the right buttons for me and had me wanting to immediately re-read the book even though I just finished it.

Mercy and Adam get married! WooHoo! And may I add, I love all the details of how it came about. Snorts! So off they go on their honeymoon and, as well all know, where ever Mercy goes, trouble follows. How much trouble can you get in when you’re own your honeymoon in a campground?

Two words: river monster. *Smacks forehead* Trust Mercy to get right into the thick of it all. Even with her man at her side, things get pretty dangerous. Not to worry, Mercy handles it with her own usual coyote flair. O.o Along the way we get to learn more about Mercy’s background that even she didn’t know. ACK! With the author dangling carrots like this right and left there really was no putting down this book!

After their surprising wedding, Adam plans a ten-day camping honeymoon in a luxury trailer at a new campground they have all to themselves, but of course nothing ever goes as planned when Mercy is involved. The trailer and campground were loaned to them by the fae, and there were some ulterior motives behind it. After rescuing a Native American man from the river, they become involved in a plan to rid the river from the evil being that is preying on anyone who comes near. Mercy meets the spirit of her father for the first time, as well as some interesting Native American walkers and medicine men, including Coyote. I loved seeing Mercy learn more about her beginnings and her heritage and seeing the honeymooners have some alone time – at least they got some of that before all the excitement began. Because werewolves arent able to swim, most of the action centers on her and her new walker friends, which frustrates poor Adam, who wants nothing more than to protect his mate. Mercy can never stay out of trouble, but seeing her fight through it all is always a treat. This was a really great addition to the Mercy Thompson series, and I cant wait to see what trouble Mercy gets into (and out of) next.

This was fun! We get to explore a new setting, new cultures, new lore, new characters…It was a bit different from the previous books (both the players on the board, the setting, and even the overall plan of attack/vibe) so some may not be ready for that departure from what has become familiar and comfortable, but I for one really enjoyed this book even if I do remain partial to the more familiar rhythm of the previous books. I also loved getting to know more about Mercy and her coyote!

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.

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