I received this ARC at Netgalley. Thanks to the author and publisher. Immensely enjoyable!
In the top 3 of my favorite fantasy authors. This is the 12th book in the series and no you should not just jump in at this point and expect to catch on to what's happening. Both main and secondary characters have grow and changed much over the series so start at the beginning. You won't be sorry. The author has maintained real emotions for her characters and they react accordingly. Have re-read these books many times and developed a real connection to Mercy, her friends, family and even her enemies. Invading wolves, witches curses, killer fae and trouble with vampires, all at a time when bonds are shut down.
Can't wait for the next one - what will it be - rebuilding the pack, more on Wolfe or something totally different? And is Mercy's magic getting stronger?

I got a bit behind on this series, so I’m binging the latest 3 books. It bothers my OCD that I don’t have time to go re-read the whole series (which I love) because I have forgotten some details in my absence. Like, I can remember who Wolfe (the vampy Wolfe) is or where he came from. And I like him. He’s just the right mischievous and dangerous element for the story. And, he makes me laugh.


Anywho, in this installment, Mercy and crew have lots of drama to deal with. Not only politicians and witches and fae, but also a mysterious monster biting people and body snatching! Mercy also has some interpersonal issues in the pack following Adam’s edict that (basically) no one can be mean to her. That may have done her a disservice as now it’s harder to tell who is being genuine, and who is only being nice due to the alpha’s command. It seems the dynamic in this pack is always changing, and the social structure and hierarchy is interesting to behold.

Luckily, Mercy has the ever faithful Tad and Zee to rely on. I have to say that Siebod Adelbertsmiter is one of my favorite characters. He provides solid secondary support, and I always enjoy what he adds to the story. A new and interesting secondary character is also emerging for me - Stefan. His tragic mystery is intriguing and he offers some magical whammies in this installment that were unexpected. Coyote also makes an appearance in his own trickster way, but he helps more than hurts in this case.

The only downside to this story for me was the relationship between Mercy and Adam. I feel like we have moved into the “old married couple” phase and there is a spark missing between them. Everything is comfortable pajamas and no excitement. I would like to see them spice things up here and there.

My apologies for not writing a formal review at the time.
Patricia Briggs is one of my favorite author and I regularly recommend her to anyone who will listen.
Mercedes Thompson is one awesome heroine!!

Currently reading Soul Taken and you will be able to find my official review on goodreads and amazon.

12 books in and this series continues to be amazing! I need more BEN, but besides that I loved reading this. This is a series for the re-read shelf.

The latest offering from Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series will not disappoint. Inter-pact politics are complicated by a new pack of werewolves looking to move in (plus or minus a crazy lady) and Underhill’s latest whoopsie release of a fae prisoner with a hankering to kill, kill, kill. An easy, fun read that furthers readers love of Mercy and her sarcasm. Bonus points if you guess the fae before Mercy does.

Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs
Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, faces a threat unlike any other in this thrilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.
I am Mercedes Athena Thompson Hauptman.
My only “superpowers” are that I turn into a thirty-five pound coyote and fix Volkswagens. But I have friends in odd places and a pack of werewolves at my back. It looks like I'm going to need them.
Centuries ago, the fae dwelt in Underhill—until she locked her doors against them. They left behind their great castles and troves of magical artifacts. They abandoned their prisoners and their pets. Without the fae to mind them, those creatures who remained behind roamed freely through Underhill wreaking havoc. Only the deadliest survived.
Now one of those prisoners has escaped. It can look like anyone, any creature it chooses. But if it bites you, it controls you. It lives for chaos and destruction. It can make you do anything—even kill the person you love the most. Now it is here, in the Tri-Cities. In my territory.
It won't, can't, remain.
Not if I have anything to say about it.
The most amazing part of Patricia Briggs’ writing is how she so effortlessly balances the action and current mess in Mercy Thompson’s life with the relationships and growing evolution of those characters. In the current novel, those relationships are challenged and shaken up but Mercy as a character is strong, compassionate, and most of all, grown-up in her dealings with others. One of my favorite pieces as a woman is reading how Mercy talks to others when she has a problem. She communicates as an adult, taking care to deal with the issues and not tear down the people in her life. In addition, while she is still somewhat separate from the pack, that tie begins to draw closer and allows her to draw strength as needed to battle the newest foe. Instead of Mercy’s relationships making her weaker, they make her stronger.
The story is immersive, the action and dialogue pulling you into the narrative. The balance between the relationships, the power dynamics, and the solution makes for a riveting, seat of your pants read. Honestly, I eagerly await every new Patricia Briggs novel and this is why, I’m always wrapped up in the story, the action and pacing is brilliant and the world building is fantastic with characters that grow and change.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

I have found that I alternate with loving then liking each installment in the Mercy Thompson series. Smoke Bitten was interesting, well written and entertaining and I liked it, but it wasn't my favorite in the series. Fans of the series will definitely want to read this to revisit the characters and world and be prepared for the stories that will build on the events of Smoke Bitten.

Another solid read for the series. Not the best of the series but not terrible either. I’m not 100% sure what the series is building towards but the foundation for a Big Event is being laid. I continue to be annoyed and irritated by Christy’s presence, even if she was only mentioned in this book. I wish this series would develop some better female friendships in it rather than the over abundance of some catty drama. It feels like the series is making major steps forward in one area with regards to women and then leaping backwards in others. The side plot of Adam's issue in this book was technically resolved, but I thought that more time could have been spent at the end reflecting on how things are resolved and what that means going forward.

Overall, I do like a number of these characters and it was good to revisit their world.

Oh the intensity! Patricia Briggs really knows how to keeps her readers on edge! Mercy gets into the thick of things again in this book and the action doesn't disappoint.

The review of Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs is in the October 2020 issue of SFRevu and is exclusive to them until November 2020.

Another good addition to this series. I did feel like something was missing from this installment I don't know if it was because of the space between Mercy and Adam but I just didn't feel as connected to this one as I have with previous books. Still love this series and will continue reading it but this one just fell a little flat but still a 4 star read.

Briggs has added on her Mercy Thompson series - good addition. I like the series a lot and recommend it to readers already into the series. I think that by the 12th book however it would be interesting to focus on some background characters in the series. Still good though

12 books in and Briggs drops a bombshell. This takes such courage. And it was so well done. mercy really is one of the best heroines in literature right now. She is what people need to be looking to as a standard on strong, independent women who have found a man to love

A solid instalment in the series, a little more character development and progression, which was nice, instead of just the "baddie of the week" drama. Fast paced, enjoyable read.

I love this series, but this is not my favorite. This particular book felt very convoluted to me. Although the Mercy books are often convoluted in some ways (misunderstandings, incomplete information, hints and twists), I don't usually FEEL all the machinations, but I did in this book. I also feel like there is so much setup going on in Smoke Bitten, but not enough payoff. Yes, this is a series that is DEFINITELY best read in order and in full, but usually the overarching story is more in the background, and allows the individual titles to stand alone and tell a complete story within the greater series. I didn't feel like Smoke Bitten had the pace and satisfaction of the other books in the series.

Speaking specifically as a reader: I am really and truly sick of Christy and all related Christy drama. The "brewing of trouble" between Mercy and Adam also feels very contrived at this point. All relationships have rocky patches and issues, but the strength of this relationship is one of the strengths of the series. It took time to build, but has a solid foundation, and the constant hints of trouble are annoying. We have seen these characters grow. Stop back tracking!

I always eagerly await the release of a new Mercy book, they are just so comforting, and the entire series has been on my re-read shelf multiple times. SMOKE BITTEN was every bit as good as the previous books, and then some. I really have enjoyed seeing how much Mercy and all of the characters have grown. Don't get me wrong, there's always bumps in the road... *coughs* Adam and some pretty ridiculous decisions *coughs*. But it's those bumps and the removal of any rose colored glasses that truly make the book and series so enjoyable. Sure it's a world full of magic, danger, and adventure, but at the core it's full of a cast of characters who feel like incredibly real people. These books are the ultimate comfort read for me, and I can't get enough.

This time around, Mercy is dealing with Underhill's machinations, and as a result a pretty nasty creature, werewolf issues, and Adam off the rails so to speak, plus more. To say this book was jammed packed is an understatement, and I loved every single moment. Fans of the series will be more than please with SMOKE BITTEN and jonesing for the next book. Bravo Ms Briggs, Bravo!

Smoke Bitten is the 12th book in the Mercy Thompson series.

Since Mercy claimed the Tri-Cities as Pack territory, and the Fae and Vampires called a truce with them, things have gotten interesting. Since fighting a coven of black witches, things have been strange between Mercy and Adam. Things come to a head when his ex-wife causes trouble for them, so of course, that’s when they discover something has escaped from Underhill- the magical lands the Fae used to inhabit before she kicked them out – and it’s causing havoc for Mercy and the pack. Now Mercy needs to figure out how to kill the Smoke Demon, and how to fix what’s wrong between her and Adam…before it’s too late.

Holly: Another stellar novel in the Mercy Thompson series. I love how the relationships she has with Adam and Bran continue to evolve as the series progresses. Mercy’s relationship with the members of the pack is interesting. Sometimes I want to beat them over the head, and yet I love them all. I’m really looking forward to seeing how things change in the future with them.

Rowena: I agree that this was another stellar novel. I just keep right on adoring Mercy with each and every single book. I love that she’s not a dramatic person but she doesn’t shy away from the drama that finds itself at her doorstep. She’s such a laid back, mellow person but whoa boy if you come for her or anyone she loves. She’s much different than Kate Daniels but no less kick-ass, IMO.

I was all over the place, emotionally, in this book. I was pissed off for Ben, pissed off at Adam for being a raggedy ol’ bitch ass and then hurt for both Mercy and Adam once I realized that he wasn’t being a raggedy ol’ bitch ass on purpose. Haha. Hell, I even hurt for Stefan but I was also super happy to get some Bran and everyone. This book just made me happy for the most part. I freaking love this world.

Holly: I was so angry at Adam at first, and the pack, too. Like, “really, this again? Ugh!” Like you, I ended up hurting for them all once I realized why they were acting the way they were.

Rowena: I love that Mercy never gives up on anybody in the pack, Adam included.

Holly: What did you think of Aurielle? I never really liked her in the previous books, but she grew on me here.

Rowena: At the beginning of this book, I wanted to karate chop Aurielle into next week. I could not stand that she takes Christy’s side each and every single time. I’m glad that she got over herself and did what was right in the end because if she continued to treat Mercy the way that she did, I would hate her and hold a grudge against her, no matter how much she was redeemed. I loved that Jesse enjoyed making her squirm. And I love how loyal Jesse is to Mercy.

Holly: I love how loyal and strong-willed Mercy is, too. I’m wondering more about Aurielle’s reason for freaking out. Do you feel for her nah?

Rowena: To be honest, no. I’m not feeling for her because I cannot stand it when teenagers lash out at others when they’re hurting and I hate it even more in grown-ass adults. Aurielle annoys the shit out of me and the way that she handled all of this shit at the beginning of this book pissed me off so I’m pretty meh toward her right now. I don’t hate her because she did eventually come around but other than that? Meh. She not only put herself at risk, but she also put Daryl at risk, against his wishes and that pisses me off too.

Holly: I don’t have a lot of sympathy for Aurielle, either, because she’s been pretty awful to Mercy from the beginning. Her extreme protectiveness toward Christy is not only misplaced but makes her a liability to the pack, IMO. It’s not that I don’t feel for the overall plight of the female wolves, but Aurielle just makes me angry. Still, by the end of the book I was less mad at her. She grew on me over the course of the novel.

Rowena: I’m really liking the lengths that Mercy and Adam are taking to make Aiden a part of the family. When Mercy called him, her son, I smiled and enjoyed seeing Aiden’s reaction to it. Ahhh, have I told you how much I love this book?

Holly: I love how Aiden has become part of the family. I just love how Mercy continues to collect people. Joel, Aiden, etc.

Rowena: Am I missing something with Wulfe? I still don’t understand what he’s doing with Mercy?

Holly: I’m not sure yet what’s going on with Wulfe. I have a feeling this will turn into something in the future.

What do you think of Underhill?

Rowena: Underhill is smart as hell, and the lengths she went to get what she wanted in this book show us how dangerous she is. I’m curious if we’ll see more from her in future books.

Holly: I have a feeling we’ll see a lot of Underhill in the future. There are obviously things working with the Fae and I’m sure that will come up later.

Rowena: The villains continue to be interesting in me. There are so many different monsters to take out with every book and they’re all so different. They all have different motives and different backgrounds and I’ve been interested in every single book so I think Briggs is doing a great job with keeping me invested in what goes on with her characters…even when they piss me the hell off.

Holly: I love how wide and varied all the villains are, and how fresh the series is even after all these books. I’m excited to see where things go from here.

Rowena: Tad and Jessie, huh? Thoughts on that?

Holly: I don’t think Tad and Jesse are a thing. They’re more like siblings than anything else. I’m curious what Gabriel’s note to Jesse said.

Rowena: I read somewhere that people were shipping them and I didn’t really see why everyone was doing that while reading this book so I was curious if I was the only one or not.

Holly: I don’t ship them. They’ve always been more like siblings to me. Plus Tad feels too old for Jesse. She’s just out of high school and he’s in his mid-20s in age, but his life experience makes him seem a lot older. Maybe in a few years I would buy it, but not right now.

Rowena: Overall, this book was another great addition to this series and after 12 books, I’m STILL hyped for this series so I’d say this was a good one. I give it 4.25 out of 5 stars. You?

Holly: Like you, I’m still invested in this series after 12 books, so Briggs is obviously doing something right. I’m going to give it 4.25 out of 5 as well.

Holly: 4.25 out of 5
Rowena: 4.25 out of 5

I hate to say it, but I was honestly a bit hesitant to actually start reading this book when I received my cop in the mail a few weeks ago. While I’ve been a huge urban fantasy fan for over 20 years now, I did recently go on a bit of a reading binge with it and kind of burnt myself out on the genre, so I was a bit worried I just wouldn’t be able to get into the book. It took me maybe half a chapter to realize how stupid I was to think that I wouldn’t immediately get sucked into a new Mercy Thompson book.

Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs was a fantastic story full of world and characters so detailed and realistic that it’s sometimes hard to believe they aren’t real. Because I was so hesitant to start reading it I made the mistake of starting to read this book at around 8 PM, thinking I would be able to read a chapter and put it down so that I could get some sleep before I had to be up for work at 4 AM. I ended up finishing the book in a single sitting and then going into work on almost no sleep at all.

I can’t talk too much about the plot without spoiling major details for people, but I think I can say this is easily one of my favorite stories in the series so far. The action and pack intrigue starts almost immediately and doesn’t stop until the very last page. Usually, when I’m done with a Mercy Thompson book I can say exactly what my favorite part of the book was but I just can’t do that this time around. The characters, new lore, and plot were all just so good that it’s pretty much impossible to say which part of the story was my favorite.

All in all, I think Smoke Bitten was a fantastic book that was well worth the time spent reading and all the time I will surely spend rereading it over the next couple of years. I would gladly recommend it to anyone looking for something new to read, though I would also suggest any new readers start with Moon Called unless they want to be completely lost on a lot of the series details.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly had trouble starting this book. I restarted it 3 times before finishing it. It was well worth the complete read but for some reason the start didn't grab me. I love the complicated dynamics of the various magical factions from Fae to werewolves to vampires. Briggs is also merging some magics/mythologies to create new challenges and evil villians. Enemies may become allies as this world expands and new challenges are thrown Mercy's way. Sure we'd love if she could catch a break, but really, where's the fun in that! Another fun read ftom this author.

I love Patricia Briggs! Smoke Bitten is a perfect example of why. Her plots are action-filled and engaging; this is the kind of book that you want to stay up all night reading. Her characters are true-to life and real. The relationships they build are endearing. The fantasy elements are exciting. This is why I will always read anything Patricia Briggs writes.