Iron Kissed (Mercy Thompson, Book 3)

This book left me with all kinds of feelings. I have had a hard time getting it out of my head since I finished it hours ago. This was a re-read for me but it has been roughly 6 years since the first time I read this book and it really had a bigger impact on me this time around. I have so much love for this series having read all of the books set in the Mercy world and now working on re-reading them as time allows. This book felt like a really pivotal book this time around since I know how things do work out. I am in awe of the magic that is the Mercy Thompson series.Mercy is asked by Zee to help out with an investigation investigation involving the fae. Things get a whole lot more complicated almost immediately after when Zee is arrested and charged with murder. Mercy knows that he is innocent so she is going to do everything in her power to set the record straight even when she is told to leave things alone. I will be honest and admit that I didn't remember who the bad guy was in this mystery and was trying to puzzle through everything right along with Mercy and she discovered new pieces of information.The other major point in this book focuses on Mercy's love life. In the previous books in the series, Mercy has had both Adam and Sam showing interest in her. Sam ended up moving in with her as roommates and Adam has declared her as his mate. Sam and Adam are both very strong Alpha wolves and a choice has to be made. Mercy does finally figure out where her heart is in this book and she does it in a way that reminds me why I love her character as much as I do.The final section of the book really got to me. It was intense to say the least. I was emotionally all over the place as I listened to the everything that happens to Mercy. I was angry for her. I wanted to cry for her. I wanted to help glue back all of the pieces or try to do something to make it be that things didn't really happen. I think that the way that Patricia Briggs decided to share how Mercy was feeling during the aftermath of the big event is genius. I am in awe of her writing ability. Mercy dealt with the pain by turning into her coyote. In doing so, the way she acted and her body language took on a very obvious meaning. It was powerful stuff to say the least.I loved the narration of this book. Lorelei King did a spectacular job in narrating this story. There are quite a few characters in this book and she did a fantastic job in using different and consistent voices for those characters. She really showed the emotions of the characters during this story. The pacing of her reading was really nice and I found myself being able to listen for hours at a time.I would highly recommend this series to others. I do think that this is a series that is best read in order since the relationships between the character grow and change over the course of the series and events from earlier books do come up from time to time. I can't wait to continue with my re-read of this fantastic series!

SummaryMechanic Mercy Thompson can shift her shape - but not her loyalty. When her former boss and mentor is arrested for murder and left to rot behind bars by his own kind, it's up to Mercy to clear his name, whether he wants her to or not.Mercy's loyalty is under pressure from other directions, too. Werewolves are not known for their patience, and if Mercy can't decide between the two she cares for, Sam and Adam may make the choice fir her...The GoodThis was an amazing book. The plot was exciting and the twists were genuinely surprising. Iron Kissed has Mercy trying to prove her fae friend Zee is innocent of murder. The fae don't seem to want to help their fellow brethren, so Mercy sticks her nose into fae business, and the fae are not happy. But Mercy soon finds herself on the real killer's trail and stolen magical pieces seem to be the link.This book concentrates on the fae and the werewolf pack. I missed Stefan (vampire) in this book. With him being such a big part of Blood Bound, I missed the vampire element just a little. But it didn't take away from the book at all.The character development was the best out of all the books. Adam, Mercy, and many of the werewolves have become so real to me that I find it hard to admit that they are not walking amongst us in the real world.The Gray Lords, the rulers of the fae, freak me out. The more I learn about the fae and their past, the more I am intrigued and creeped out. They are a scary race that have no limits.Briggs excels at dramatic writing. There is a depth of emotion the she portrays in this book that we don't often find in urban fantasy. Although we get the the mystery, action, and ever-creative world-building, this book also brings a darker side of the real world that I think will only strengthen Mercy as a character for future books.I want to point out that this book had a more serious tone than the previous two novels. I liked the change of pace. It felt real and seemed the right time to have a huge event change the course of future novels. Like many, I want my novels to entertain me and leave me satisfied as I turn the last page. But if the whole happy-happy joy-joy endings continue, the series starts to feel unrealistic (yes, I know this is all fantasy, but you know what I mean). I like when a book shocks me with it's direction. I don't want to read a formula that will ensure everyone enjoys the book. I want to read words from an author who takes risks, makes me cry, causes me to cringe by what she does to her characters. This is why I read. So, yes, a very traumatic experience happens to Mercy and Briggs handles it in both a sensitive and considerate way that in no way offends me as it has others.The BadAfter the previous two novels that built up who Mercy would finally choose as a mate, Adam or Sam, I felt the final decision in this book was a little anticlimactic. The quick-resolution made the Adam/Sam/Mercy triangle a little pointless as a plotline.The SnugglyThe horrible experience Mercy goes through in this book is done tastefully and without detail as to not upset readers.OverallI have truly fallen in love with this series. Mercy is one of the best protagonists out there in the urban fantasy world. I truly did love the build-up of the potential romantic interests in the previous books, even if I wish the resolution in this book was a little more...well just more. I could not put this book down. And the darker side at the end had me entranced even when I wanted to cry. A big, huge recommendation to all readers out there.

This review contains minor spoilers. The Mercy Thompson series is mostly stress-free fun. Even with this installment Iron Kissed addressing the difficult topic of sexual assault; it did so in a way that the reader is able to keep enough distance so as not to be emotionally triggered (assuming no pre-existing triggers exist). Iron kissed also advanced the issue of Mercy’s romantic status but did so in a very feel good, no one gets their feelings hurt way. (Of course, we don’t know what’s up with Stefan because this was a no vampire installment). It looks like Sam is going to be able to stay around as Mercy’s good friend and pack mate; and she’s decided she can move forward with Adam – who we knew all along was the love interest.Mercy claims she’s kept a low profile, and it’s only since Adam’s werewolf drama landed at her front door that she’s been embroiled in the machinations of the preternatural community; but since then, she’s been quite the busy bee. First the werewolves, then the vampires, now the Fae are front and center. Mercy’s Fae friend Zee; her mentor who sold her the garage and taught her to be a mechanic; asks her to help him look into a few deaths on the Fae reservation. This is Mercy’s opportunity (obligation) to fulfill her debt to the Fae for helping her kill the vampires. It’s not supposed to turn into high drama, but the next thing you know Zee is locked up for the murders, the Grey Lords and Fae community are happy to let him take the fall and Mercy’s left to find the real murderer and save her friend before the clock runs out. It’s always dangerous in Mercy’s world, but this time there’s a profound price to pay for poking her curious coyote nose in some of the darker corners of the preternatural underbelly.All this said, the Mercy Thompson series still feels very PG 13. That’s not a bad thing; it’s just something I notice since I tend to gravitate towards edgier more adult fare. But the stories are interesting, and the characters are likable (Ben’s growing on all of us) and they make for great before bed reading.

Seriously, this series has got some of the worst copy covers I've ever read. *frowns* What's up with that?Mercy at one point thinks, in this book, that she's suddenly not quite so anonymous in the preternatural communities anymore. That after spending nearly 15 years without any significant contact with them, she's been absolutely embroiled in mess after mess for the past couple of years.First it was helping Adam get Jesse back, then she owed Stefan for that one. After helping Stefan, she ends up owing the fae. And this is where we pick up Iron Kissed.Fae are getting murdered on the reservation, and they have no idea who's doing it. Zee and Uncle Mike call Mercy in to sniff around and see if she can come up with anything. And she does. But then things go bad. Zee's arrested for murder of a human, the fae look to be leaving him to hang, and Mercy won't stand for it.Patricia Briggs seamlessly builds her world, it's ever-evolving and growing and as more is revealed to us, the more in love I fall. In this book we learn quite a lot more about the fae, but also we get a much deeper look at the tensions between humans and the preternatural communities. It's the start of something that doesn't seem to really come to a head until much later in the series, a slow build of the tensions.I loved this book. It's a page-turner for me to this day (several re-reads later), and I can never put it down or stop reading it. The mystery was intriguing and kept me guessing. We also get a lot more insight into Mercy's relationships with Samuel and Adam, and how Adam's claiming her as his mate affected him and the pack, in this book. And I'm glad to say I was ecstatic when she chose.I don't want to say too much about this and risk spoiling anything because it's such a wonderful book. But I will say that there's some very hard moments in it. Heart-breaking, and wrenching, and they had me in tears several times. The climax is still incredibly difficult for me to read, but it's one of the best handled instances I've ever read of this particular situation (though it may still be a trigger for some.And it does end on one big cliff-hanger, though the main story is tied up. It was hell waiting for Bone Crossed to come out when I first read this. And I'll say that I was happy Bone Crossed took a step back from where things seemed to be heading in that final scene of Iron Kissed, as I thought it was far too soon.P.S. I loved Ben from, nearly, the first moment we met him, but I have to say my love and care for him solidified in this book. He's so fantastic. On this re-read, I've nearly flailed all over him every time he shows up.

Book 3 is only a week in the life of Mercy Thomspon, Walker and Mechanic extraordinaire. Mercy owes a favor to Zee after using his vampire slaying kit a 2nd time. So, she helps Zee investigate a slew of murders at the Fae Reservation. Using her coyote nose, she discovers the murderer and a few Fae secrets. Zee goes to confront the murderer only to find him already dead where the police show up and pin him for the murder. The Gray Lords want Zee to take the fall so humans will leave them alone, but Mercy isn't so keen on her friend and mentor rotting in jail. So, Mercy does what she does best: Whatever the hell she wants. As Sam put it, "Contrary is her middle name." She follows the trail and her instincts to the true murderer and makes several other discoveries along the way: She discovers her true feelings for Sam and Adam; She discovers her strengths and weaknesses; She discovers her friends.I could not put this book down! I love Mercy! She isn't whiny (Didn't Bella just get on your nerves? Ugh!) She has powers of her own. And even if they aren't as powerful as all those around her, she sure knows how to use them to her advantage and to undermine others. She has her own life to live. She isn't afraid to do what she wants. She can think through the mystery without worrying about too much. She still has her weaknesses, though, which make her real. And, she still manages to piss people off, including a Gray Lord. =) But Mercy wouldn't be Mercy if she didn't ruffle any feathers. I love how the Gray Lord tells her, "I like you. You play an underhanded and subtle game--and like Coyote, you shake up the order of the world." That sums up what Mercy does in this supernatural world--she shakes things up.The book has lots of action, lots of intrigue, lots of passion between Mercy and her chosen, and lots of heartache with a disaster at the end. I applaud Briggs for allowing her heroine to win some and lose some, and she lost some in the end. It was handled very well. I was a little concerned with the end of the book, until I got a sneak peek at Chapter 1 of Book 4.All in all, if you love the Mercy Books, you'll love this one as well. I can't figure out which one I like the best, they are all very well done.

You know you're reading a good series when you've stopped reading all the other books on your shelf because you've become addicted! Patricia Briggs is more than just a great writer, she's a great story teller. Once you start reading, you won't stop until your vision blurs and you drop your Kindle on your face because you fell asleep (only to wake up and start the page all over again!) I said I was addicted, all right?I keep thinking that the goodness is going to end; that Ms. Briggs is going to run out of the fountain of creativity and flub up. Instead her character's stay in character as they become more fleshed out. In Iron Kissed we learn a lot about Zee and the fae community... and also about mythical objects. Iron Kissed goes a little on the dark side - I don't do spoilers, but I was shocked as I was reading it (like when I read Game of Thrones and Ned Stark had his electrifying death scene). I didn't see how Mercy could come back from what had happened to her. I was afraid for what it meant for her future with Adam... the storyline grabs you and won't let go.When I finished reading the last word on the last page, I immediately downloaded the next novel in the series, because I just had to know what was going to happen next! I'm so glad I'm a little late on the uptake on this series, if I had to wait a year to find out what happened to Mercy after the ending of Iron Kissed I would have been so incredibly frustrated (but I would have purchased an advanced copy!)Read this book, read the entire series. Patricia Briggs is such a great writer, read anything written by her and do it today!!

I enjoyed the first two books in this series. Those two books were increasingly well written, but this one... this one shines with literary mastery.Briggs writes in a conversational tone, as if she (as Mercy) is telling the story directly to you. And as in Stephen King's best works, her characters come alive and have to deal with the situations in which they are thrown, as if they were real, living people, (or werewolves, Fae, or otherwise). (And as Stephen King urges in his book "On Writing," there is almost never an adverb to be found on her pages.)I nursed the first half of the book out over the course of a week. The second half, I devoured in a day -- it was _that_ good.Riveting. Page-turning. I honestly didn't know how Briggs was going to write her characters out of the situations they had gotten themselves into.And bear in mind... the core element of that last half of the book revolves around a motif that I, personally, dislike. A lot. I'm not going to give you any spoilers, but that motif is something that in a lesser writer leaves me rolling my eyes with a "You're falling back on _that_l old schtick," and dropping said book off at the local charity thrift-store.In Briggs' hands... that motif I so usually dislike, kept me devouring page after page like a hungry werewolf at Full Moon.And, the fact that Briggs' deals so well with such an important and incendiary topic, (again, no spoilers here,) serious kudos to her. I'm glad she had the courage and the skill to tackle such a powerful subject matter that needs to be discussed.I'm a tough wolf to please, and this books gets top marks from me.

Warning: Spoiler ReviewI anticipated reading the 3rd Mercy Thompson book for months. I even re-read the first two books in the series.While I love the character and the series, I hated the ending and that is why I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5, but that is my personal opinion. I'd actually give it 4.5 if that were possible. Strangely enough, the violence in general doesn't bother me, but I just don't like to see Mercy victimized.I did not like reading how Mercy was tormented and raped while under the influence of a madman wielding a fairy artifact. Maybe that is just me, but the images of her at Adam's house, feeling as if she was the lowest subordinate in the pack were not pleasant. I understand that she was raped and felt unwanted, as well as unloved. A few days later though, she is out playing the ghost whisperer and showing off Ben's werewolf abilities to some teens who attacked Jesse, Adam's daughter,earlier in the book.She has suddenly become very accepted as Adam's mate by the pack and they will risk life and limb...for a coyote. That is very contrary to the attitudes in books one and two. The Marrok's pack, especially the females, were not fond of Mercy. As far as I can remember Aurielle and Darryl didn't like Mercy, although Darryl was beginning to respect her. Honey was too, especially when she intervened to get the teenage female werewolf to the Marrok. Ben owes her for saving his life. Of course, Warren and Adam love Mercy. I didn't feel there was a whole lot of transition there.I did enjoy getting a glimpse of the true fey and Zee's real appearance. Having an aspect of the Morrigan appear was also brilliant and revealing that she is one of the Gray Lords was also intriguing. She was portrayed much like Nemesis. I did gather that the fey are gathering their old power as they may be reconnecting with Under Hill, which was lost to them due to "cold iron and Christianity". (That seems like a big hint about an upcoming book. I'd like to see the vamps fight the fey.)Mercy makes her choice. Somehow Samuel had also decided "his wolf didn't really want Mercy" so it was easy to say "we can still be friends and roommates". I'm not sure if we will see any of Mercy's pups in the future though, but with Adam's pack coming around maybe they could be protected. I would love to see Samuel find his mate and have living offspring. Imagine Samuel with one of Elizabeth Arkadyevna's witchy granddaughters.As for book 4, I can't wait to read it. As the wolves, vamps, and fey have now been covered, I assume we will next explore the Russian witches.For an underdog, Mercy sure is well-connected and protected, in a discreet manner. Both Zee, who is in reality a powerful dark fey Lord, and Bran, the supreme alpha werewolf, consider Mercy to be their daughter, which seems phenomenal for a woman whose biological father died before she was born. She appears to have accepted her role as Adam's mate, making her an alpha coyote in a werewolf pack. (Of course, no one was there to help while she was being brutalized.) There is a problem with her mortality and the aging process that should probably be addressed at some point as the werewolves do not age. Who knows what will happen with the next book? I just keep hoping this series doesn't morph into some sort of Anita Blake madness.If you like the Mercy series, you may also like Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series and Kelley Armstrong's werewolf series. When I stopped reading LKH's Anita Blake novels, these are the 3 series I chose as replacements.

En élargissant mes lectures d'Urban Fantasy depuis quelques mois, je m'aperçois que la série des Mercy Thompson fait vraiment partie des meilleures.Un style agréable, des dialogues percutants et pleins d'humours, beaucoup de personnages secondaires atendrissants (Adam, Samuel, Zee, Stefan, et même Ben...) saupoudrés d'une histoire d'amour accrocheuse.Mercy vient en aide à son ami le fae Zee autrefois propriétaire de son garage. D'où le titre "Iron kissed", Zee faisant partie des rares fae insensibles au fer.Mais le monde des fae est cruel et dérangeant: ceux qui règnent sur les fae préfèrent sacrifier quelques personnes plutôt que risquer de faire parler d'eux.Mercy enquête malgré tout sur les fae et les humains anti-fae.Elle se révèle toujours aussi loyale et courageuse, elle fonce tête baissée et résiste à la pression des hommes de sa vie qui veulent la surprotéger.Le choix entre Adam et Samuel se fait: ce n'est pas tant un choix qu'une évidence.La fin déchirante vous laissera pantois.

Nach einem schönen Aufwärmen und Kennenlernen der Personen in Buch 1- Moon called- einem Ausflug in die Welt der Vampire in Buch 2- Blood Bound - hat sich Patricia Briggs diesmal selber übertroffen.Meine Erwartungen vor Lesen des Buches waren: diesmal sind die Fayes, insbesondere Siebold Adelbertsmiter dran, und ansonsten wird wie üblich im Genre ein Krimi gelöst, die Liebesgeschichte (eine von beiden ;-) ) wird vorangetrieben und nach viel Gehaue und Getöse kommt Mercy heil für Buch 4 aus allem raus. Insgesamt eben eine nette Handlung, aber harmlos. Das Buch bringt viel mehr, und harmlos ist es auf keinen Fall!Falls jemand Spoiler hasst, bitte nicht weiterlesen.SPOILERBriggs schafft es, stellt zwar die Faye in den Mittelpunkt, die man ganz gut ausgearbeitet kennenlernt, aber final geht es um die Anwendung eines oer mehrerer magischer Gegenstände durch einen Menschen, der damit die Erwartungen aller, der Personen im Buch wie der Leser über den Haufen wirft. Der Normalo ist der Böse und er ist richtig böse. Mercy wird an ihre Grenzen und darüberhinaus geführt in einem spannenden und mitreissendem Finale, bei dem sie alles andere als heil davon kommt. Sie wird dem Willen eines anderen unterwofen durch ein magisches Artefakt, vergewaltigt und sie ist entsprechend traumatisiert. Ungalaublich spannend und dramatisch, wie Mercy versucht sich zu widersetzen und dem Zauber willenlos- fast- ausgeliefert ist. Ich konnte das Buch nicht mehr weglegen. Die Schilderung der Auswirkungen auf Mercy ist sehr gut, sensibel und glaubwürdig. Ihr Privatleben wurde damit auf eine Entscheidung zugetrieben, die sonst vielleicht nicht so schnell gefallen wäre. Das wird alles sicher weitere Auswirkungen auf die Fortsetzung der Serie haben, die ich nach diesem furiosen Buch zur ersten Garde mit Kim Harrison und Kelley Armstrong zähle.

Bello, peccato nn ci sia in italiano. Una serie che merita di essere letta x gli amanti del genere. Bello anche in inglese comunque

Mercy é uma das minhas protagonistas favoritas e ler AQUELA CENA acontecendo doeu horrores e estou feliz que ela tenha acabado e estou mais feliz ainda que a Mercy tenha mais ou menos superado (você nunca supera uma coisa dessas. Você só aprende a lidar com isso, para ser honesta) e entendeu que ela não é a culpada (nunca é a culpa da vítima. Por isso que ela é chamada de "vítima" e não "criminosa"). Ela foi uma vítima, não importa o quanto tenha gente que tente distorcer isso e Mercy total merece ser feliz.E queria dizer que eu sabia que eu gostava do Ben por algum motivo... Bom, tudo bem que foi depois que o Adam conversou com ele e disse que ele não era o culpado dos crimes em Londres, mas... Ben é um dos lobisomens mais legais e um dos meus personagens favoritos da série.E sobre o Adam...? Não tenho nem palavras para descrevê-lo, mas ele definitivamente é ♥♥♥♥♥♥

Patricia Briggs is rapidly establishing a place on my top ten list of fiction writers I will read unconditionally. This is another from my comfort-reading booklist that came courtesy of a self-Santa order to Amazon. I gulped this book down in two sittings (and only took a break because by 6.00 a.m. I thought I should try and get a few hours sleep). At less than 300 pages it's a quick read - quick too because of the roaring pace - but Briggs never sacrifices character for either plot or pace.This is the third Mercy Thompson book. Mercy is a self-employed garage mechanic with a history degree. She is also a walker, a Native American shape-changer, maybe the last of her kind, whose other form is a coyote. Raised by werewolves, she knows just how deadly they can be and in the last two books, `Blood Bound' and `Moon Called', we saw Mercy getting drawn into the increasingly violent world inhabited by werewolf, vampire and fey as well as humans who can barely comprehend what they've only recently begun to be aware of. As a coyote amongst wolves she's an outsider, as a walker amongst humans she's an outsider, as a non-fey amongst fey she's so far outside that she's on a different world, but when she has her nose in the engine of an old VW she's entirely at home. Her life is complicated by the fact that she must decide between two loves, both werewolves: her old flame Samuel and the alpha of the local pack, Adam, who makes her blood boil for two entirely opposing reasons. Briggs werewolves are not nice. Bad-tempered doesn't even begin to cover the barely-held-in check killing rage that they have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. It makes them grouchy, to say the least, but they are entirely three dimensional characters, swinging - sometimes wildly - between human and wolf.In this book Mercy's friend and mechanic-mentor, Zee, an ancient fey with the ability to work iron, is accused of a (human) murder he didn't commit and it seems as though the rest of the fey are happy enough to let him take the (fatal) fall for it as long as it means the law doesn't come snooping around their reservation. Mercy's stubborn loyalty draws her in to a dangerous hunt for the real killer that brings her into closer contact that she ever thought she wanted with the world of the fey and causes conflict with and between her two potential werewolf lovers (remember those tempers?). It's time to choose between Samuel and Adam, but how can she choose when she loves them both? It may not matter in the end because after some close brushes with death in the form of a Kelpie Mercy's eventual discovery of the real killer puts her in mortal danger of the worst kind. By the time she's been through the wringer she's going to need a lot of love an understanding. From a werewolf? Yeah, right!Highly recommended (but read the others first) and then order the next, Bone Crossed, due later this year.