Night Broken by Patricia Briggs

Title: Night Broken

Author: Patricia Briggs

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Mercy Thompson # 8

320 Pages, Hardcover

Publication: March 4, 2014

Source: Libby Library

Buy|AMAZON|B&N

An unexpected phone call heralds a new challenge for Mercy. Her mate Adam’s ex-wife is in trouble, on the run from a stalker. Adam isn’t the kind of man to turn away a person in need—and Mercy knows it. But with Christy holed up in Adam’s house, Mercy can’t shake the feeling that something about the situation isn’t right.

Soon her suspicions are confirmed when she learns that Christy has the furthest thing from good intentions. She wants Adam back, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get him, including turning Adam’s pack against Mercy.

Mercy isn’t about to step down without a fight, but there’s a more dangerous threat circling. Christy’s stalker is more than a bad man—in fact, he may not be human at all. As the bodies start piling up, Mercy must put her personal troubles aside to face a creature with the power to tear her whole world apart.

MY THOUGHTS

In Night Broken, Mercy’s standing within the Pack is still fragile as everyone continues dealing with the fallout from the previous book’s events. To make matters worse, Adam’s ex-wife seeks shelter in their home while fleeing an abusive man and there’s a serial killer on the loose in the Tri-Cities.

I enjoyed Night Broken much more than I expected. I loved meeting all the new characters, especially ones we had heard about before but had never actually seen on the page, such as Christy and a Gray Lord. There were also some unexpected appearances, including more of Coyote and the introduction of a supposedly lost sibling, which was a pleasant surprise. Mercy and the Pack’s interactions with this newcomer added a fun and interesting dynamic to the story; it was probably one of my favorite parts.

The plot was great, and I loved how Briggs tied two seemingly unrelated subplots into one cohesive storyline. Clever! I also appreciated the ongoing development in Mercy and Adam’s relationship. With Adam’s ex moving in, Mercy could have reacted very differently, but her maturity really stood out. Readers also learn alongside Mercy as she discovers more about her evolving abilities. She has certainly come a long way since the first book, when we believed she was just a simple shapeshifting mechanic.

I can’t wait to continue with the next books in the series. I’ve loved the Urban Fantasy genre ever since discovering it in the early 2000s. If you enjoy books with rich world-building, strong character development, and intriguing elements of Native folklore, I highly recommend checking out the Mercy Thompson series.