“Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae.
Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans, and the fae, Mercy, Adam, and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?”
While I have consistently enjoyed this series, the previous couple of books felt like the overall story had stalled. With this novel, however, Briggs has brought the story roaring back to life and delved into some interesting politics among both the werewolves and the Fae. There was more excitement and forward momentum in this book than has been the norm in the recent past.
Mercy’s character has continuously grown and matured as the series has gone on, but I’ve liked watching her expand into both an independent woman and a strong member of Adam’s pack. The two roles seem like they’d be mutually exclusive, but they actually complement each other quite well. Mercy has to be very sure of herself and confident in order to find her place in the pack hierarchy, and I like seeing that in her character.
What I enjoyed the most about this novel was the deeper dive into werewolf pack politics across the entire United States and the interplay between them and the Fae. Some of Mercy’s actions early in the book have some far reaching consequences that she didn’t expect, and that sets up a lot of the conflict–in this book, certainly, but I can tell that it will continue to ripple outwards into future installments as well. Those events also play into how humanity views the supernatural creatures living among them and advances that part of the global plot as well.
The power struggles of the Fae step front and center too. Readers finally get to see some of the more powerful players in Fae politics and what their beliefs are concerning their contact with humans. And it’s not just the beautiful, human-looking Fae, either; there are more frightening things living in the shadows that are starting to peek out into the light. Finally, standing behind it all, is the spirit of the Fae lands itself, who has an agenda of its own.
Mercy is one of my favorite characters in urban fantasy, and I look forward to each new book with her in it. With this book, the series takes on fresh life and will delight fans.
This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
(Description nicked from B&N.com.)