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Tuesday 24 January 2012

Review: Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

 
Iron Kissed 
(Mercy Thompson # 3)
by Patricia Briggs

Wow. I don’t think I can write a review without gushing about this book! Iron Kissed completely surpassed my expectations, went beyond anything I could have conjured up in my mind about Mercy and seriously left me in shock by the time I flipped the last page. Seriously. Blown. Away.

As the first book dealt primarily with werewolves and the second with vampires, Iron Kissed focused mainly on the fae. Now I’m not usually a fae fan, but Briggs writes about a world that isn’t too different from ours. Mercy has to get up each morning and go to work. She’s got bills to pay and so on, but Briggs incorporates fantasy element flawlessly into her narrative and it just makes the Mercy Thompson world more appealing. I think that’s why I love Mercy so much. She’s just a regular girl who just so happens to be a coyote shifter that gets caught up in another world.

New characters are introduced in this book and I knew from the moment that Tim was introduced that he would be some major trouble. What I didn’t know was how he had the power to break someone as strong and resistant as Mercy. I’ve noticed that rape is popular in a lot of UF series. I don’t know why and I don’t see the appeal in making your heroine endure something so traumatic, but it got to me. Out of the three books so far, this one had the most heart in it. And if I didn’t love Mercy already, I think this book would have made me love her even more. It wasn’t just because I felt sympathy for her, though I did, it was the fact that she still fought Tim despite her believing that he was her love. It showcased an inner strength of true love and will more so than any other book I’ve read in awhile.

Briggs finally addressed the whole Adam/Sam debacle and she did it well. She managed to write it so that Mercy finally chooses Adam, but still doesn’t disregard Samuel as a person she once loved in the past. I thought the car scene with Sam was perfect. It was sometimes tense and angry, but also lovable. It makes it believable that Sam and Mercy can go on as friends.

And then there’s that bathroom scene with Adam and Mercy. I wish I could have Adam’s werewolf babies! I just adore him and I love how he takes care of Mercy. With Mercy so vulnerable after everything that has happened, you can see the change in Adam already. He’s still fiercely possessive and has that temper, but there’s tenderness when he’s with Mercy. I can’t wait to see how their relationship works out!

My favourite quote from this book is as fiercely passionate as the Alpha who said it. A little territorial and very honest, it’s almost as if he’s telling her he loves her. *sigh*

His hands, which had been moving in circles in my fur, stopped and took a good hold. “Ben says you might run. If you do, I will find you and bring you back. Every time you run, Mercy. I won’t force you, but... I won’t leave or let you leave either. If you can fight that cursed fairy drink, you can certainly overcome any advantage being an Alpha gives me if you really want to. No more excuses, Mercy. You are mine, and I am keeping you.”
 
 Purchase Links: Amazon

4 comments:

Lexi said...

"Your mine and I'm keeping you."
Love that line, and I agree this book blew me away the first (and second and third and...) time I read it too. So well written and emotional. It is my favorite of the series, despite the traumatic rape scene. But Mercy is Mercy and comes back, glad she has Adam there to help her.
Great review!

Francesca said...

Thanks Lexi! Yes, I love that Mercy shows her strength in this one. It's both heartbreaking yet showcasing how great a heroine she is. I dont know, maybe I'm biased because I love this series so much,but its a keeper for sure :)

Sophia Rose said...

This book definitely hit a high point in the series. I have read Patricia Brigg's thoughts on writing in the rape scene and its a good explanation. She was definitely not treating rape as a device and did a lot of soul searching before she did it.

Nice review! Love that quote too.

samantha.1020 said...

I love, love, love this series! I've been thinking that I need to go back and reread the beginning books before I continue on. Great review!