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Posted by Grete, on July 29th, 2010  A beheaded vampire is found outside a Melbourne vampire club and an already testy Riley is sent in to investigate. As the body count starts rising, Riley has her work cut out for her to find out who, or what, is behind the murders. With civilities between the local vampire and human population breaking down it’s only a matter of time before violence breaks out. Dante Starke, the owner of the club is a vampire with an aura that makes even a Guardian nervous, but Riley has to get answers. Two human women are found dead in their beds, with no discernible cause of death and Riley feels there is somehow a link. How or why is something she has to figure out, even with the distraction of her hated soul-mate Kye making a reappearance.
I’ve hugely enjoyed the previous books in the Riley Jensen Guardian series. They are easy to read, exciting, erotic and action packed yet Bound to Shadows takes it to the next level. The emotions inherent throughout the book seemed more real, more tangible. Fear, rage, lust, love and sorrow and the latter is what got me in the end. It made me cry. Without spoiling anything, the big kick in the gut was something I knew might happen and something I knew had to happen but the way that whole section was written was just perfect, right to the last word.
Riley is definitely up there as one of my favourite urban fantasy heroines. Conflicted often by her half-vampire, half-wolf soul, she tries to do the best she can for each but also stay true to herself. She’s fierce in everything she does whether it’s loving or fighting and while diplomacy might not be her best trait, she achieves what she needs to sometimes at the cost of herself. Brilliantly and consistently written.
I loved that we saw more of Quinn in this book and the bond that is between him and Riley. They are a great foil for each other and while you learn more of his history and how powerful he can be, I sense that there is a lot more to come and it won’t necessarily sit well with Riley.
I still love the interactions with her twin brother Rhoan and his mate Liander, they make a great couple and the big question they ask Riley, something she never thought would be possible brought a tear to my eye.
I can’t really say much more (and I really want to!) without spoiling it so I will just say this; Bound to Shadows – Read it… just read it.
If you are new to the series then get started as this is book 8, Find ‘Full Moon Rising’ and get going!
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Posted by Grete, on April 17th, 2010  Mercedes Thompson is one of the most exceptional mechanics in the Tri-Cities area. She’s also a Coyote skinwalker but that was a birth thing rather than a career choice. Raised by the local Werewolf pack whose Alpha is Bran, The Marrok gave her a pretty good idea of the differences between her own abilities and werewolves. Now in love with the Tri-Cities Alpha Adam and part of his pack, she is still trying to come to terms with her earlier attack and also deal with resentment from other pack members that Adam brought her into it. Add in a depressed, suicidal werewolf, a book about the Fae that it seems they will go to any lengths to retrieve and it all equals Mercy having another bad day.
This is the 5th book in the Mercy Thompson series and when I get some time (ha!) I really need to go back, re-read the others and review them as they truly deserve it.
Mercy is a character that I utterly love. She’s sassy and bold yet has her insecurities and is well aware of her limitiations. That doesn’t stop her pushing beyond them when those she loves are in danger however. I love her Coyote character as well, very much Mercy but ‘other’ too.
The other major characters are just as fascinating. Adam her pack Alpha and mate is a great strong and not so silent type and his interactions with Mercy can be downright hilarious. Samuel, her roommate who is the Marrok’s son but a lone wolf so not part of the Tri-Cities pack. He’s usually right up there with Adam but his role in this book is one of sadness. I really felt for him when he made his decision but when his alter-ego Sam the Wolf took over there are quite a few moments that made me giggle.
The humour aside, this book also has its darker side – betrayal and scheming from those you don’t expect as well as the Fae being involved and after Mercy as they believe she has something of theirs that is powerful and utterly dangerous. By the end I felt a bit of a nervous wreck but loved the way it turned out, even if not all of it was pleasant. And I’m not ashamed to admit I cried for much loved Medea… twice.
A great addition to the series and leaves me hungry for more.
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Posted by Grete, on October 15th, 2009  Following on from Cry Wolf, Anna is still coming to terms with her past and being married and mated to Charles. She is now firmly established as Omega in the Pack and learning about her new status. Bran as Marrok continues his plans of bringing the American Werewolves out into the public world. He sends Charles and Anna to Seattle to meet with international Alphas to settle any concerns they might have and has the meeting arbitrated by one of the Fae. The French Alpha, after provoking a fight ends up being murdered and all evidence seems to point to Charles. Knowing he’s innocent, Anna sets out to discover who is responsible for both the murder and framing Charles.
I read this book straight after Cry Wolf and it was a very smooth transition, just sucked me right back in as if I hadn’t switched books. The plot was a bit more complex this time but didn’t detract from the heart of the book, the characters of Anna and Charles. Her growth from being a submissive victim to a more confident, loving and protective young woman has been really well done. The development of her human side was well written, and the werewolf aspect almost secondary. On the opposite side, seeing Charles becoming more relaxed, getting used to having a mate and having to be softer with Anna has been just as good. Even with the bond they have as mates, communications still get mixed up and it can sometimes be amusing as they sort it out.
There are a lot more characters in this book than the last and it was interesting to see how Charles and Anna interacted with them all both as a couple and separately. I didn’t predict the ending at all which surprised me, the clues I spotted led me in a completely different direction and I thought it was cleverly done.
It was a good second book, as easy to read as the first and I fell in love with Anna and Charles all over again. I really hope there are more to follow!
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Posted by Grete, on October 15th, 2009  For Anna being a werewolf was about pain, torment and submission. Even after she was rescued by Charles, the Marrok’s enforcer, and claimed as his mate, she expected more of the same. Finding it hard to believe not all werewolves were as sick and brutal as the ones she left behind, she reluctantly journeys to Montana with the wounded Charles and learns she is a special type of wolf – an Omega. Neither submissive nor Alpha, she has the power to soothe the savage beast within others and as such should have been a much valued member of the pack. Her wolf side was all for the mating with Charles but the human side is too scared to let go and trust another person, even the one she was meant to be with.
Anna and Charles first appeared as minor characters in the Mercy Thompson books and then had their own short story told in the ‘On the Prowl’ Anthology. I’d read those and thought they were interesting characters and was happy to hear they had been built on and now had their own book. I didn’t really have many expectations as it doesn’t always work and sometimes it is best to leave well enough alone.
Having just finished the book my impression is of having read a very touching story of survival and cost, and learning to trust again. Familiar themes within urban fantasy but as with the Mercy Thompson books, Patricia Briggs has a fluid and easy to read way of writing that drags you into the story. I loved the characters of Anna and Charles, Anna being very sweet and likeable, Charles being an Alpha and dominant wolf but tempered with intelligence, his position within the pack and his obvious love for Anna.
From the start the empathy with them returned, pretty much picking up where the short story ended and I liked that. The original tale was quite brutal and I needed to know that for Anna it was starting to work out – and this book delivers on that front. The plot was good, not very complex but since the book is character driven, it didn’t need to be and by the end I was firmly in love with these characters.
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Posted by Grete, on May 24th, 2009  Life is never normal for Riley Jensen. Being a rare hybrid of vampire and werewolf she often finds her dual natures at odds with each other, often wanting or needing different things.. or people. Add in her Guardian duties for the Directorate, a role which she never wanted in the first place and it fast becomes a pain in the ass. When strange murders of both humans and vampires start happening, it’s up to Riley to find out if there is a link and if so, to stop the killer. But how does the mysterious and annoying Kye Murphy fit into it. With the Moon’s heat rushing through her, can she focus enough to solve the murders before any more victims turn up.
This is the 6th Book in the Riley Jensen series and I have enjoyed the previous five a great deal. They are gritty, fast paced, exciting and also quite erotic at times. However, I’m not really sure what the problem is with this one. I found it hard to get into the flow of it, kept putting it down to do other things but I did persevere and it was worth it in the end. The plot was quite good, the characters consistent but it wasn’t really until the second half of the book when it finally engages you. It almost felt like Keri Arthur had grown a bit tired of the series and nearly produced a book by the numbers, the saving grace being that she does write very well and her characters are interesting and for the most part lead you to care about them.
As a ‘just OK’ book is the exception rather than the rule for Keri Arthur, I would definitely read the next one as I do want to find out how Riley adapts to the new changes in her life.
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Very young children eat their books, literally devouring their contents. This is one reason for the scarcity of first editions of Alice in Wonderland and other favorites of the nursery.
Rosenbach, A. S. W.
About BookThing! BookThing! is a website where Grete can indulge her passion for books. There are reviews covering a range of genres (paranormal romance, crime, fantasy, romantic comedy), bibliographies for selected authors, features and sometimes the odd free book giveaway!
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