Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs

Bone Crossed (Mercedes Thompson, #4)
by Patricia Briggs

Wow, this is so late in coming.  Realized tomorrow's time for another Teaser Tuesday, so I'd better get the review from last week's TT up...Oops.  Anyway --

Bone Crossed is the 4th book in the Mercedes Thompson trilogy.  Mercedes (Mercy) is a VW mechanic (the irony is not lost on her) and a "skinwalker" capable of shapeshifting into a coyote.  In Bone Crossed, Mercy finds herself on the run from a very angry vampire queen.  But Mercy may just be running into more trouble than she's running away from.  Out of the frying pan, as they say...


Briefly, I just want to tell you that I liked this, just as I always do.  I wouldn't be on book 4 if I didn't like it.  No, it's more than that.  I may read this many books in a series that I think is okayish and fun, but I own each of these books.  In something like this that I know I am going to tear through and be done with I would generally get from the library (CIP: I've never bought a Laurell K. Hamilton book); but I like these enough that I would actually reread them.  So yes, I liked this book, and I think if you like [urban fantasy/strong female leads/sexy supernaturals/a writer who shows restraint in description] you'll like these and should pick one up.

From here on out, thar be spoilers.

If you've read the series, you may have been wondering, like me, how book 4 would pick up the thread.
[If you haven't read the series, you shouldn't be reading this.  Serious spoilerage is about to occur.  You will not be warned again.]
At the end of book 3, Mercy has been the victim of a bizarre and magically-achieved rape, and she's barely holding it together.  I thought the way Briggs wrote the scenes and the end of book 3 was heartbreaking and understandable (and hey, it made me love dickhead werewolf Ben a little bit.  More than a little bit.  Not gonna lie).  I thought it was a smart and risky move on Briggs part, and I wondered how she was going to deal with the aftermath of having strong Mercy feel like prey.  I have to be honest, I thought she handled it very well.  It felt realistic and not overdone; there wasn't a ton of wallowing, which would have been uncharacteristic for Mercy, but she didn't just let Mercy brush it off, either.  I think the incident really helped further Mercy's and Adam's (and Ben's) characters, and helped deepen the relationship dynamics.  By the end of book 4, you get the feeling that, though it will be an ongoing battle for Mercy, she will be the strong and resilient heroine we've come to love over the course of the series.

If you saw my Teaser or my Character Connection, both of which centered on Stefan, you will know this is a Stefan book.  Oh, Stefan.  Where to begin.  I told you in the CC that with Stefan and me, it's not a lustful thing*, but some sort of unidentifiable pull that says he should be my friend.  I was so excited to see that Bone Crossed was going to give me some more Stefan.  And though I could have had a little more Stefan, I think Briggs is wise in giving us Stefan in sips; keeps the mystery.  But, also wisely, she ups the game a tad with Stefan.  I mean, not so much as to make things precarious (I don't know how else to word it), but enough to ensure that we know Stefan is there, is always going to be there, and always wants to be there.  It makes him a little more dreamy.  And did I mention it turns out he's great with kids?  Yeah, I want more Stefan books.

Alright, I really didn't mean this to turn into a spoilery ramble on the boys in MT's life, but sometimes you just can't help yourself.  But aside from the boys, there's all the usual mystery, danger, supernatural hoodoo, etc.
Long story short, this is another strong book in a strong series, and I am eager for Silver Borne.


*Not totally true.  There's some lustful there.


BONUS MATERIAL:
Patricia Briggs' website has fun stuff and news on new and upcoming works, including MT #6

You can also read an excerpt of Bone Crossed, or any other book in the series (if you haven't read any of them, start with this excerpt for Moon Called)

Or take a look at Briggs' Map of the Tri-Cities to get an idea of Mercy's world.