I never get tired of returning to the world of Mercy Thompson. Jumping into this latest installment was like sinking into a favorite chair--it's comfortable, fits just right, and makes you want to relax and stay awhile.

We're dealing with the aftermath of the last book's showdown with the witches, and there's trouble between Mercy and Adam...again. Christy rears her ugly head for some initial tension in the pack, but it's only a precursor for the larger issues brewing between our heroine and her husband. I feel so invested in their relationship and the way Patty Briggs crafts Mercy's voice makes me hurt and worry right alongside her. And to get angry along with her too. I'd hoped the tension in the pack had been put to bed.

It hasn't.

Anyway, there are a few things going on at once. Underhill has created a door in Mercy's backyard...there's a smoke-monster masquerading as a rabbit, possessing and killing people. Not to mention the appearance of some rogue wolves and the aforementioned problem with Adam. I've got to say the Adam thing was the emotional focus, but the plotting was solid and it moved the story along at a solid pace.

As always, the characters deliver too. Nearly the entire cast shows up or at least gets a mention. Jesse, Bran, Stefan, Zee, Tad, the pack... and more. I'll admit, once or twice I had to stretch my memory with some of the names, but as a longtime fan of the series, I appreciated the breadth of the story. I'm really getting invested in Aidan too. I'm fascinated by the contradiction of his agelessness and youth--and he really feels like he's becoming part of the family. I'm also interested in seeing how things continue to unfold with Wulfe.

Briggs does a fantastic job setting up Something Big coming on the horizon. Can't wait for her to reveal what she's got planned with Underhill... and the pack... and this couple I enjoy so much.

Another winner in a fantastic series.

In the wake of the war with the witches, Mercy and Adam are slowly putting the pack back together. When a door to underhill appears in their back yard and a creature escapes, Mercy takes up upon herself to hunt it down. To make matters worse, a group of rogue werewolves begin sniffing around the territory in hopes of taking over the pack. When the creature and the strange wolves being to mingle and things go from bad to worse.

Another great installent of the Mercy Thompson series. I love the evolution of the characters throughout the series. I also like how Mercy and Adam's relationship is portrayed in a realistic way - with ups and downs, misunderstandings and work. It's not a fairytale - even if they can both transform into beasts.

Review will post on 3/18/2020

It’s March, and that means a new Patricia Briggs book. Mercy Thompson is back with the Columbia Basin Pack and this time they are battling an unknown foe escaped from Underhill. And if that weren’t enough, since their fight against the Hardesty witches Adam and Mercy’s relationship has become strained. Adam is blocking the mate bond and Mercy doesn’t know why he has suddenly become so standoffish and withdrawn.

When the book opens Christy, Adam’s ex-wife and a mega, meddling, bitch, interferes yet again with the Pack, Mercy’s authority within it, and Jessie and her father’s relationship. I hate Christy and I’m annoyed with Auriele for letting her manipulation into the Pack again and again. Thankfully, this gets resolved pretty quickly, since there are other, more important, problems to deal with. Namely a faceless murderer who has somehow escaped Underhill via the new doorway in Mercy and Adam’s backyard and a small pack of rogue wolves who intend to take over the Columbia Basin Pack.

I won’t get into the ins and outs of the main plot, but suffice it to say it kept me turning pages and I was surprised at the identity of the bad guy. The biggest and most important part of this story is the turmoil between Mercy and Adam.

We are twelve books into this series and if there is one thing I know it’s that Mercy is loyal to those she considers her family and friends and that she has faith in her relationship with her mate. It hurt me to see her pain and uncertainty over Adam’s growing detachment. I knew the reason had to be because of something really important, and I was right. I liked the way Mercy handled the situation and even though I was annoyed with Adam, I can see why he did the things he did. Don’t worry though, the author doesn’t torture us too much and this couple does end up in a settled place by the last chapter. But this is a very interesting development for the series and I’m intrigued to see how it will affect Mercy and Adam and Pack dynamics in the future.

Once again, I feel like I read too fast, and now have to wait until next March for another book in this world. I have a feeling 2021 will bring a new Alpha/Omega novel and we won’t see Adam and Mercy for awhile. This makes me sad, but I’ll take whatever I can get.

This is a great new installment in this series! I love how Briggs handles the massive cast of characters so deftly. I was never left wondering who someone was even though I read the last book almost a year ago. The plot was intense and exciting, although there was definitely a lot going on (almost a little too much at some points, but it all game together beautifully in the end).

Mercy and the pack are in a whole lot of trouble, but what else is new? There's an unknown smoke creature biting and killing people, there's a pack of werewolves sneaking into Adam's territory, Wulfe is being a creep as per usual, Tilly is causing problems, and Adam and Mercy are having mate bond issues and Mercy can't figure out why. There's a LOT happening in the Tri-Cities and of course Mercy is at the center of most of it. This is an action-packed book from start to end, and fans of the Mercedes Thompson books will not want to miss it.

I'm very proud of myself: this is the only time I've correctly guess who the evil-doer is. Patricia Briggs has a knack for taking common myths and folklore and turning it into something new and exciting. I literally stayed up past my bedtime to read it, and I do not regret anything. I have no issues with this book, except that it wasn't longer and that I now have to wait for the next installment.

I really like the Mercy Thompson books, although I find some installments better than others. This was a good one. The aftermath of the Hardesty witches and what happened with Elizaveta has has repurcussions that led to interesting conflict for Mercy and her relationship with Adam. I found the other pack of werewolves slightly less interesting as antagonists and I guessed the nature of the smoke monster accurately, but the plots about Underwood and Aiden are still interesting and creative.

I just have to say I absolutely LOVE Mercy!!!!

That said, I see what you are doing here Patricia Briggs and I'm here to tell you that I'm getting a little tired of the overall lack of progress in these last two books in the way of the overlaying plot. I thought negotiations were supposed to be happening! Further character development is great, and moving powerful players into position as you did is an interesting move that I do look forward to reading how it play outs, but come on. You're killing me here!!!

But it's Mercy Thompson and she is my hero. In this book her loyalty, love, ingenuity, and stubbornness continues to drive her. This one is heavily involved in Mercy and Adam's relationship. While other things are happening, this felt like what the book was mostly revolving around them as they face a massive test in their relationship with quiet, private grace. Mostly. It's Mercy after all.

It is nice to see some further development in the pack characters as well as receiving more myth and lore info, even if it is to just help fuel the world with bad guys for Mercy to out maneuver. lol And Mercy's faith in Adam is just so sweet! Relationship goals anyone? Yeah. You go girl!

Gosh it's so hard to review without actually ranting and raving about the plot! Just read this book!

If you liked the others in the series, you will LOVE this one! This book delivers another wonderful Mercy Thompson adventure as she seems to finally, mostly, settle into a place within the pack and Adam's life. Highly recommend it to everyone!!! Read it!!!

There are certain authors that I HAVE to read. If I’m in the middle of a new book and Patricia Briggs releases something, I will abandon that book to read hers. When I received the ARC for Smoke Bitten I abandoned all other books and I’m not sorry. Not even a little bit.

In Smoke Bitten, we are welcomed back to Mercy’s world. In this book she deals with an encroaching pack of werewolves, an ancient vampire who has an unhealthy obsession with her, a new Baddie that escaped from Underhill, and to top it off, she needs to figure out why her husband is shutting her out of their mate bond.

Mercy handles everything in her own Mercy way. Which is to say, with a clear head, stubbornness, and an incredible self-awareness. I love Mercy. She is one heroine that never disappoints me. If she’s in the wrong she admits it. If she needs help she asks for it. She’ll still get into jams despite these facts, but she’ll persevere because she’ll use everything in her arsenal that gives her strength; including her friends and family.

Smoke Bitten focuses a lot on literal and metaphysical bonds for Mercy. She must strengthen her relationships and alliances in order to protect everyone from the Big Bad that is causing major trouble. And she must continue to tighten those bonds because there is something far worse on the horizon. Something that frightens even the Fae.

As all Patricia Briggs’ books do, this one ended far too soon for my liking and I will be eagerly awaiting her next installment. I guess I’ll just have to make due with re-reading the series until then.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for releasing this ARC to me in exchange for an honest review.

As much as I couldn't get into the previous Mercy's book on audio, I feared I lost my interest in this series. Never fear! Now I'm thinking it was just the audio format itself that I didn't like because Smoke Bitten was superb!

I devoured this book, everything in it was perfect. Two reasons.

First, the main adversaries are fae, and I personally think that when Patricia Briggs writes about fae, she is at her finest. They are so other, primal and are steeped in mythology, that to me Mercy clicks with them the most, it's like Coyote takes over and speaks through her.

At one time the fae asks Mercy: "What are you?"
And she replies: "Chaos".

The second reason is that the author created a rift between Adam and Mercy, who are until now have been an exemplary couple. Conflict is good and conflict makes relationships grow. I absolutely loved what they both went through. It reminded me how fragile and momentary happiness is, and that we can't take anything for granted. The lesson here was also very important: do not give up, communicate, if something doesn't work, try a different approach. Mercy is practical to the core, and this character trait I find incredibly endearing. Even her angst, what little of it there is, is about baking cookies when she feels low!

The pace increases steadily, and there are very little breaks between the action. Because of that, you fly through this book to a very satisfying ending. I personally couldn't be happier, and recommend you to buy or borrow this instalment and dive right in as soon as it's out. You will not be disappointed.

Mercy Thompson isn't just fighting some monster this time. She is also fighting her own internal insecurities and issues within her marriage

I really enjoyed this book. Mercy is usually so very confident in who she is it was nice to she her question that. I also like that the author didn't just fix it quick.


ARC from Netgalley

Patricia Briggs never ceases to amaze me. Her world-building is extraordinary. She keeps on bringing new spectacular characters into the fold.

In Smoke Bitten, there are a few things that are going wrong in the Mercyverse.

For starters:

-A new being is trying to kill Mercy (nothing new there, right?).

-A pack of werewolves is trying to take over Adam's territory.

-Wulfe decides to tell Mercy something she doesn't want to hear.

-Last but not least, Adam and Mercy's mate bond has gone silent.

How can anything go wrong with these events happening simultaneously? I mean, Mercy is right when she says she's Chaos. She should advertise it with neon lights. Of course, Coyote is part to blame.

From the moment I opened the first page, I knew it was going to be a rollercoaster of events. There is non-stop action and poor Mercy is always in the middle of it. She has to deal with Fae, Underhill, Vampire and Werewolf politics to mention a few.

From the above, the one that annoyed me the most was the Pack issues.

For how long are they going to question her motives and when are they going to completely accept her?

Hasn't she proven her loyalty and love for Adam?

I wanted to give some of these werewolves a big slap on the face. I'm getting tired of their attitude. I almost got mad with Adam too until I understood what was going on with him.

One passage in Smoke Bitten made me wonder what might happen in the next book. I'm not sure it was intentional or I'm just reading too much into it. I guess I could only hope. If it happens, that could be explosive all way around.

(view spoiler)

I love Mercy, Adam, Ben, Jesse, Stephan and so many more. I'm not sure what I'll do when Patricia Briggs decides to stop writing these characters. It will be a sad, sad day.

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Ace via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to be published online in late May.

SMOKE BITTEN is the latest book in Patricia Briggs long running Mercy Thompson' series. As has been in the last few books, there is tension in the pack at the start of the book and it underscores the tension between Mercy and Adam. It has to do with what happened with the witches in the previous book. Tilly has decided to place a door to Underhill in Mercy’s backyard because she wants to visit Aiden. When she does this something came through the door with her and is now killing people and has Mercy in its sights. Along with this problem it seems there are some other wolves wanting to take over the pack. A war on two fronts and internal strife in the pack makes everything that much harder.

Overall, SMOKE BITTEN is a good and enjoyable entry to the series; and I did love Mercy’s response when asked what she is. This is a great UF series that is showing no signs of slowing down.

Great installment in the Mercy Thompson series, and it heralds the return of one of my favorite characters from the great beyond. Smoke Bitten will be a hit with fans, anyone who likes this series will be well pleased with this volume. Mercy, Adam, and the pack are continuing to find their way forward as an independent entity from Bran's pack. And now Underhill has opened a new door...

Patricia Briggs continues, twelve books in, to find really unique stories to tell for Mercy Thompson and her family. Mercy's relationship with Adam is struggling in this book, and it's not great timing for their bond to suffer- there is a murderous new faerie in town, as well as various other threats to the pack, and it's going to take a lot of power and strength to bring it all down. Fast paced, emotional, and full of intriguing magic and creatures, this is a great new book in the series!

I've been reading this series for years and am so grateful for an opportunity to read early. Urban Fantasy doesn't circulate well in my community as a whole, but this series has a lot of fans and her books are always checked out. I am always hoping this one won't end!

It is so exciting to get back into the world of Mercy! Every time I read one of Patricia's books, I know I am in for an action-packed and addicting book. Thankfully, this book was just that! This book was thrilling, addicting, and captivating. I would expect nothing less from Patricia!

I loved catching up with Mercy and her gang, however, there were some frustrating moments between Adam and Mercy. Adam was acting so...not like himself in this book and his lack of openness and communication with Mercy made me want to rip my hair out. I know their relationship can't be perfect and they will have their up and downs, but this drama felt like it could have been easily solved. Once Adam finally opened up, his actions that previously annoyed me made sense, but I just wish he would have been more open with Mercy from the beginning. Thankfully, Mercy handled the situation with grace and maturity (which I knew she would). Mercy was understanding throughout the entire situation and she didn't jump to any conclusions, which I was so thankful for. WE STAN!

Once they were able to talk about what Adam was going through, they went back to being the couple I have known and loved for so many years! I WILL NEVER STOP SHIPPING THEM!

Of course there was plenty of wonderful world-building and storytelling in this book, and they were my favorite elements of this book. The plot was so interesting and addicting, I honestly couldn't put the book down! I felt like I never truly knew who to trust or what was going to happen next, which was so thrilling. I can't wait to see what Patricia will introduce to us next, because I know her imagination is endless.

Overall, this was a great addition to the Mercy series! I cannot wait to see what Patricia comes out with next!


4 / 5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Roc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, I was really looking forward to this book! I mean, I checked NetGalley every single weekday to see if my wish had been granted when it was just to wish for, and then the day it was available for request, I did. And then I read it the day that I got it. Yeah, I just devoured it, because I wanted to read it so freaking badly! It was well worth it, it's such an amazing book, I just loved it!

There's three main issues in this book. The smoke monster, and Mercy and Adam's relationship. But the third one isn't in the synopsis or the first chapter excerpt. They all caused problems at inopportune times, which just makes for great reading!

Oh, man, there's this really powerful scene in this book, and when I reread-which may or may not be next week, since I want to slow down and really enjoy the details-I may have a hard time getting through it as fast, because man, it was a war on the emotions!

Mercy is her intelligent and amazing self, and I enjoyed her learning a bit more about the pack bonds, her mental landscape, and about the threat they face. It brings up a new element, that now that I'm thinking about it, may be connected to short bit from Storm Cursed. I can't wait to see it play out!

This book was so fantastic, and I can't wait to read more in this world, since I think it's an Alpha and Omega book up next!

I am a HUGE Patricia Briggs fan, and her Mercy Thompson series is great. The characters are practical and rational, and her long term relationship is healthy even when it's challenged. These are adults who act like it. You know they're not going to get all caught up in BS and lies and be hurtful to each other in fits of immaturity. This means that you don't have to get frustrated with stupid stuff and focus on the real villains of the story. This was a solid addition to the series.

As always, Briggs does not disappoint with her latest Mercy Thomas book. I don’t know how she keeps these books and characters as engaging with each subsequent book. But she does. This one had Mercy back together with the pack, which I always love. Her relationships are as complex and wonderful as ever. There was a lot of engaging relationship challenges with her and Adam which I enjoyed, as it’s nice to see a long term couple portrayed with realistic relationship challenges to overcome. Missed having her brother, coyote, or Stefan but other than that I loved it.

I enjoyed Smoke Bitten much more than the previous few installments in the Mercy Thompson series. Lots to enjoy with this one: plenty of action, interesting fae characters, pack politics, and mystery. If you're a fan of the series, it's a must read.