ARC Review: Night Broken by Patricia Briggs

Night Broken
Author: Patricia Briggs
Series: Mercy Thompson (Book 8)
Publication: Ace (March 11, 2014)

Description: #1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs’s Mercy Thompson series has been hailed as “one of the best” (Fiction Vixen). Now, Mercy must deal with an unwanted guest—one that brings a threat unlike anything she’s ever known.

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 farthest thing from good intentions. She wants Adam back and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen, 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: This eighth book in the Mercy Thompson series keeps up the high standards set by the earlier books. Trouble seems to follow Mercy around like the fae artifact - the walking stick - had been following her until she gave it to Coyote.

When Mr. Alistair Beauclaire - also known as Gwyn ap Lugh - comes knocking at her door, she knows trouble will follow. Being a Gray Lord and one of the reasons that the fae have withdrawn to the reservations, he is no one Mercy wants to cross. When he asks for the walking stick that his father created, Mercy would love to give it to him. Of course, his threat to demolish the Tri-Cities helps make up her mind. But first she has to track down Coyote...

Meanwhile, Adam's ex-wife has attracted a stalker and has asked Adam for help. She wants to come "home" to the Pack. Christy was the human who left Adam and her daughter Jesse because she couldn't deal with all the werewolf stuff. She is one of those toxic human beings who can never take responsibility for anything they do and who subtly manipulate everything around them to get their way. Mercy knows this and so does Adam but many of the Pack are still fooled. Outright war with her would polarize the Pack which Mercy is determined not to do. But turning the other cheek can really get old in a hurry.

And, just to make things more complicated, Christy's stalker is a volcano deity from the Canary Islands who has lived too long and gone mad. Guayota is certain that Christy belongs to him and is more than willing to leave a trail of dead bodies behind him to get her back. No one is quite certain that he is even able to be killed but Mercy and Adam know that he has to be stopped some way.

Searching for Coyote leads her to her half brother Gary Laughingdog who wants nothing more than to keep out of Coyote's way. Coyote has gifted him with Seeing which is more of a curse than a gift. After breaking out of prison, he comes to find Mercy because of something he has seen. He is a very reluctant assistant in her fight with Guayota.

What I love about the Mercy Thompson series are the relationships in Mercy's life - her love for Adam and her need to take care of his Pack; her friendships with Tad - a half-fae - and Stefan - a vampire; her relationship with Coyote which is beyond my powers of description. The world that Briggs has created is so rich and so compelling and so filled with fascinating characters.

I am really glad that I started this one on a Snow Day. I couldn't put it down until the last page had been read. It was an excellent addition to an excellent series.

Favorite Quote:

As long as Adam loved me, I was sure that I could deal with the worst Christy could throw at us. I pushed aside the nagging thought that the euphoria of Adam's lovemaking sometimes left me with delusions of invulnerability.

I won this eARC at Penguin's First to Read website and was ecstatic. You can buy your copy here.