River Marked by Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson: Book 6)

8/10

A newly married Mercy and Adam are attempting to have a peaceful honeymoon in Columbia Gorge in the Cascade Mountains, but trouble always manages to find Mercy and it isn’t long before the real reason they were asked to go there by the fae is made clear. A river monster is killing people along that stretch of the river, and it is Mercy’s resilience to magic, which could be key to finally destroying it.

This has been my favourite of the Mercy Thompson series so far as we have moved away from the wolf pack and focused more on Mercy’s Native American heritage and ability to shapeshift. Her father died before she was born, but it is only now that she is finally finding out more about him, and more about her coyote self.

Patricia Briggs has a lot of skill in keeping the story moving forward for people who have read all of her books, as well as bringing people who are new to the series up to speed. I really liked the Coyote character – one of the Native American animal spirits that can walk as humans – and Patricia Briggs’ knowledge and interest in Native American history and traditions comes through clearly. Another fantastic addition to the series.