River Marked (Mercy Thompson, #6) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Mar 21, 2010 The Flooze rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal, owned, vanquished_2011, vanquished_2017

River Marked made me laugh, made me tear up, made me tense, and made me sigh in contentment. For some reason this sixth book of the series struck me in a way none of the previous installments did. That in itself is a great feat on Briggs’ part; instead of growing stale over time, Mercy’s escapades are reaching new heights in a way few long-standing series accomplish.

Mercy and Adam are a dynamic, well-suited couple. While it’s been enjoyable watching their relationship develop, it was wonderful t River Marked made me laugh, made me tear up, made me tense, and made me sigh in contentment. For some reason this sixth book of the series struck me in a way none of the previous installments did. That in itself is a great feat on Briggs’ part; instead of growing stale over time, Mercy’s escapades are reaching new heights in a way few long-standing series accomplish.

Mercy and Adam are a dynamic, well-suited couple. While it’s been enjoyable watching their relationship develop, it was wonderful to see their interactions away from the pressures of home. Without the constant weight of responsibility, Adam’s personality has the opportunity to fully shine through. Without the expectations of the pack affecting Mercy’s behaviour, she allows herself to be fully vulnerable to Adam. Not to say their relationship wasn’t strong before, but I think River Marked gives them the opportunity to just be Mercy and Adam, two people who love and trust one another beyond all measure. Kudos to Briggs for striking a perfect balance - letting these two get emotional and sappy while still maintaining all the personality traits we’ve come to adore.

I’ve been eagerly awaiting Mercy and Adam’s one-on-one time, but this book delighted me further by incorporating another aspect I’ve been dying to delve into: Mercy’s heritage. It seems fitting that she discover more about her Native American roots now that she has a secure and loving support system to bolster her up. And my, oh my, does she learn a lot. Briggs weaves countless legends into the text, their inclusion so effortlessly executed that I hope it becomes a trend in later books. She made me excited to learn more, and I’ll certainly be researching some of the stories referenced. (view spoiler)

In terms of side stories, I was gratified to get an update on Stephan. He’s one of my favorite characters and his presence was greatly missed. I’m also a big fan of the wily walking stick, so any information on that is always welcome.

I’m not sure where Briggs will take the series next; there aren’t many distinct storylines in immediate need of attention. But this well-paced and skillfully plotted installment serves as proof that Briggs only gets better with time. No matter what the direction, I anxiously await more adventures. ...more

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Dec 28, 2021 Netanella rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: chicks-who-kick-butt, vampires, paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy, werewolves, 2021-december-reading-challenges

It's been a few months since I last picked up a Mercy book, and I'm only halfway through the series. Good thing the books don't get old one bit.

In "River Marked", the 6th of 12 books, Mercy and Adam finally get married and go on a luxury camping trip. Over the course of their honeymoon, Mercy learns more of her Native American heritage, and of Coyote, who may or may not be her father. The first part of the book is lots of alone time with Mercy and Adam honeymooning and slowly investigating her ...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Thenia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, r-ab, series, 2019, paranormal, vampires, shifters, 2013, magic, 2024

A very enjoyable book!

Mercy is finally tying the knot with her beloved Adam and they go on their honeymoon that turns into an adventure. Mercy learns a lot about her heritage and meets beings she hadn't even thought she ever would (view spoiler), including a monster aptly named river-devil. She's in way over her head -literally sometimes- with this one, especially when A very enjoyable book!

Mercy is finally tying the knot with her beloved Adam and they go on their honeymoon that turns into an adventure. Mercy learns a lot about her heritage and meets beings she hadn't even thought she ever would (view spoiler), including a monster aptly named river-devil. She's in way over her head -literally sometimes- with this one, especially when she is tasked to kill it, with the help of the aforementioned powerful beings.

As always, I especially liked Mercy's relationship with Adam, that's now a bit changed, as they both struggle to adapt to being married. They are a real couple with their arguments and fights and not everything is perfect in their relationship. That's something that gives them more substance and make them one of my favorite fictional couples.

Interesting and realistic plot (view spoiler) and fast paced action that made this book very easy to read. It's been a while since I read the previous one and I was once again surprised at how much I enjoyed reading about Mercy and her world.

The series continues with the third Alpha and Omega book, Fair Game.

Previous book reviews:
✦ Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson, #5) ~ ★★★★★ (12/04/2012, 10/03/2014, 22/09/2019)
✦ Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson, #4) ~ ★★★★★ (11/01/2011, 09/03/2014, 21/09/2019)
✦ Iron Kissed (Mercy Thompson, #3) ~ ★★★★★ (04/11/2010, 09/03/2014, 21/09/2019)
✦ Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, #2) ~ ★★★★★ (04/09/2010, 08/03/2014, 21/09/2019)
✦ Hunting Ground (Alpha & Omega, #2) ~ ★★★★ (12/05/2011, 20/09/2019)
✦ Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega, #1) ~ ★★★★ (08/09/2010, 20/09/2019)
✦ Alpha and Omega (Alpha & Omega, #0.5) ~ ★★★★ (16/09/2010, 19/09/2019)
✦ Moon Called (Mercy Thompson #1) ~ ★★★★★ (01/08/2010, 11/03/2014, 20/09/2019)
✦ Mercy Thompson: Homecoming (Mercedes Thompson Graphic Novels 0) ~ ★★★ (13/03/2014) ...more

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Oct 16, 2010 D.G. rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed, urban-fantasy, favorite-series

*3.5 stars*

This wasn't the most exciting of Mercy's books but I really liked that we got to learn more about her and her ancestry and that the plot was more about her and Adam without the distractions of the pack and everybody else. I also really liked Coyote and hope to see more of him in future books. ...more

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Mar 02, 2011 Beth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, urban-fantasy, favorites, print-hc, 5-ebook-kindle

Patricia Briggs is an amazing world-builder and spins stories that grip the reader and won't let go. The stories are engrossing and the characters grab your attention and won't let go. This series just keeps getting better and the stories aren't dependent on the surprise factor, so they're just as good the tenth time as they were the first (I've lost track of how many times I've reread the previous books in this series but I know it's into double digits now). BTW, don't start this book late at n ...more

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Sep 10, 2010 Kati rated it liked it

Shelves: ebooks, urban-fantasy, 2011, in-english, work-reviews, queer

Usually, I give Patricia Briggs' books 4 or 5 stars but this one felt too... mythical and mystical, too wordy for me, more like a tourist guide in places than an adventure book.

Reading this, I realized that the reason why I love this series isn't just Mercy Thompson, the main heroine, herself, it's the whole supporting cast, which was sadly missing in this book. Warren, Kyle, Stefan, Ben, Darryl etc., they were there in the first few chapters - and then at the very end. The rest was about Mercy ...more

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Jun 28, 2011 Deyara rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Really enjoy this series. Liked that we got to see Mercy outside of her usual environment, and Adam is growing on me a tiny bit (though I love love love Samuel). Laughed a lot at the Coyote parts, and it was great to learn more about Mercy and her heritage. (view spoiler) Also happy about seeing Stefan again, hope he's back for good. ...more

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Apr 01, 2011 Carolynn (Molly.Groot) Evans rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites-in-audio-format

I hadn't intended to get myself a new book- I am buried under a piled of to-be-revieweds, but my husband spoiled me. And it is MERCY! I couldn't NOT read it now. Enjoying... :) So far, anyway.

This Mercy book was not as enjoyable as the previous installments, but it was a Mercy fix. It seemed... off, somehow. Forced. Mercy herself was well-written, but her now-husband was a little odd, and the storyline felt engineered, which is nothing like the others. One of the things I like best about the mer ...more

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