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

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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.

Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews

Title: Magic Shifts
Author: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Kate Daniels # 8

Mass Market Paperback, 375 pages
Publication: February 23, 2016 by Ace

Source: I received a review copy in exchange for a honest review.

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After breaking from life with the Pack, mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate—former Beast Lord Curran Lennart—are adjusting to a very different pace. While they’re thrilled to escape all the infighting, Kate and Curran know that separating from the Pack completely is a process that will take time.

But when they learn that their friend Eduardo has gone missing, Kate and Curran shift their focus to investigate his disappearance. As they dig further into the merc’s business, they discover that the Mercenary Guild has gone to hell and that Eduardo’s recent assignments are connected in the most sinister way…

An ancient enemy has arisen, and Kate and Curran are the only ones who can stop it—before it takes their city apart piece by piece. 

Magic Shifts is the eighth installment in the Kate Daniel series and certainly a big improvement since the last book. Which I previously stated was the weakest book of the series. Kate and Curran have left the pack and are adjusting to living on the outskirt of town; trying to figure out what their next steps are. But there’s no rest in sight when Eduardo, a pack member goes missing and all signs points to the sudden emergence of ghouls and a deadly ancient creature.

Andrews are always tackling new mythos in their books and in this latest book Andrews put their own unique spin on ghouls and Djinns. I have always been fascinated with Djinns and this is probably the second book I’ve ever read that featured them. These Djinn aren’t like your friendly genie from Aladdin, they’re tricky, volatile, and dangerous.I liked how the authors Incorporated the Djinns into the already complex world and plot…it was done seamlessly. Speaking of world, the world of Kate Daniel is a multifaceted one, especially as we’re already two books from the series wrap-up. The characters have developed tremulously over the course of the series as well; every new detail, information, history and character adds to the richness of the story and world and I can’t get enough of it.

This book had a healthy and perfect balance of drama and humor. I loved seeing the usual gang and more of Roland, Cassandra, George etc. And although the last three are new additions to the series, I felt like they were a major integral part of the series now and I wouldn’t have it any other way. There were a lot of things going on in this book and I am curious to see where Team Andrews takes them next.

If you love Urban Fantasy as much as I do, then this series is a must; you literally can’t mention Urban Fantasy without mentioning Andrews and the Kate Daniel series.

The Winter Long by Seanan McGuire

Title: The Winter Long
Author: Seanan McGuire
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: October Daye #8

Mass Market Paperback, 358 pages
Publication: September 2, 2014 by Daw

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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Toby thought she understood her own past; she thought she knew the score.

She was wrong.

It's time to learn the truth.

I am amazed yet again with the October Daye series. As a series with currently 8 books out and more to come it hasn’t lost its spark or charm since the first book. In my opinion when a series is this far along it usually gets dull, redundant, or unimaginative…or even all three. However, that’s not the case with this series. Instead McGuire expands more on her multifaceted world and rich characters, creating beautiful imagery and evoking emotions to keep readers coming back for more and more.

The Winter Long has the shortest synopsis I’ve ever seen with only three sentences. I guess it was a good thing because going into this book I didn’t know what to expect. Well, no it does mention Toby’s past, and boy did we learn a lot about her past. In this latest installment someone is out to get Toby, wanting her dead since the first book. Two people from Toby’s past reemerge causing mayhem all over the Kingdom of Mist putting everyone she loves in the path of danger. Readers also delve deeper into Toby’s past, learning precisely why she was turned into a fish for 14 years (three years ago), her connection with the Torquills (that goes deeper than the job) and her mother’s past all while trying to stay alive and figure out who’s trying to kill her.

This book was revelations upon revelations. McGuire ties up all the subplots and threads from previous books in The Winter Long, creating another satisfying and emotional read. I loved that we got to see more of Toby’s blood magic, it seems like her abilities are just endless doing things no regular blood worker can do…not even her mom who’s a First Born. Let’s just say she saved two people this time around who were on the brink of death. And mentioning of First Born, readers also learn more about Oberon, Maeve and Tatiana’s lines/descendents. The world of Faeries is so complex; I wonder how McGuire keeps everything straight!

I can’t recommend this series enough. This is a series every fantasy reader should have on their keeper shelf! I highly recommend readers starting with the first book in the series, Rosemary and Rue because…it just makes more sense that way lol. Toby and all the characters in this book grow immensely over the course of the books, and one of the reasons that make this series so great is watching that character development. Trust me; you’d appreciate the series more that way. I love this series so freaking much, it is definitely up there tied with the Kate Daniels series.