Mercy Thompson/World of the Marrok Group Read Thread

This is for the group read of the series by Patricia Briggs. For the short stories, I suggest picking up Shifting Shadows which has all of them.

MT = Mercy Thompson series
AO = Alpha and Omega series
WM = World of the Marrok

Here's our tentative schedule:

January: Moon Called MT
February: Blood Bound MT and Alpha and Omega AO (short story)
March: Iron Kissed MT
April: Cry Wolf AO and Star of David WM (short story)
May: Bone Crossed MT and Seeing Eye WM (short story)
June: Hunting Ground AO and Mercy Thompson: Homecoming MT (graphic novel)
July: Silver Borne MT
August: River Marked MT and In Red, With Pearls MT (short story)
September: Fair Game AO
October: Frost Burned MT
November: Night Broken MT
December: Dead Heat AO (NEW!) and the remaining stories in Shifting Shadows

Let me know if it works for you all. I'm looking forward to this!

Excellent, Morphy! Thanks so much for setting this up!

Added this thread to the wiki!

I just read all of these this year! I will definitely comment. This entire series, including short stories, is so fun!

I'm in. I have only read Moon Called and enjoyed.

Yay!

I first read Moon Called in November 2007. I wasn't writing mini-reviews then so all I can say about it is that I gave it 8/10 stars.

Hi Morphy. I am a big Mercy Thompson fan. I probably won't reread many of them, but I need to catch up at the end. And I have a few AO books to read. I am horrible with commitments, but I will try! Thanks for starting this.

I just read the entire series (actually, both Mercy and Alpha/Omega) last year, so I probably won't reread this year, but I will check back here to follow along with everyone else's experiences with it. I am really looking forward to the next in both series, though Mercy is definitely my favorite!

Hi Morphy! I just reread Moon Called and am reading the stories in Shifting Shadows, so I'm very excited I saw this thread! Very Cool!

I may pop in for some comfortable re-reads - it'll be a good way to take a load off after grading.

I read Moon Called back in the fall of 2013 and really got a kick out of it! Urban Fantasy is not a genre I have spent much time with although I have read a couple of Kelly Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series.

When I saw this "group read" I thought it was about time I returned to the world of The Marrok.

I discovered this series after coming across a list of authors recommended by Todd McCaffrey. A fan had lamented the fact that Anne McCaffrey was no longer alive and writing and indicating that there was a dearth of "like" writers. He responded with a list of his favourite authors who have created other worlds or who write about our world with other creatures etc.

I decided to re-read Moon Called and I elected to listen to the story this time, narrated by Lorelei King. Enjoyed it very much. Lorelei's voice really fits in my mind; she sounds like I think Mercy Thompson would sound. I find it really hard to listen to books that are narrated by someone who bears no resemblance to the character I have imagined. For instance, Robert B. Parker's Spenser series. So hard to listen to; love the stories, hate the voice/s!

I love reading about the challenges of being 'different' and the social commentary that is woven through the book. Patricia Briggs makes subtle reference to global issues. For instance Mercy comments on the role of women in the world of The Marrok vs the role of women in our Western Society.

What is most important for me, in reading fiction, is character development. Getting to know the protagonist and those around her or him. The story is secondary to me. I am hooked when I want to learn more and more about how a character thinks and feels. I want to know more!

Another thing I enjoyed is the relationship between Mercy and Adam and Samuel. I look forward to seeing the evolution of Mercy's relationship with these two.

I give this book ★ ★ ★½

Onward to Blood Bound and Alpha and Omega

Thanks, Morphy, for starting this group. I am excited and really looking forward to the rest of the year.

Nice review of Moon Called, ccookie!

>11 ccookie: That's a great idea for a re-read--listen to it this time on audio! Thanks Cookie.

>12 Storeetllr:, >13 Berly:
Thanks!

I started reading Moon Called because I had read Briggs' other fantasy particularly her Herog and Raven Duologies and liked them. Then I got majorly hooked on Mercy. It's been seven years since I read Moon Called and I had mostly forgotten it so it was like reading a brand new book!

I had a great couple of hours re-reading it but I had one quibble. She drove back to Montana without stopping to do *anything* with Adam's wounds? Really? That sounds really dumb to me. And she's not a dumb person.

***

Next up are Blood Bound which I've got ordered from the library and the short story Alpha and Omega. I have the ebook Shifting Shadows so I can read it in that. You can also find it in the anthology On the Prowl.

***

Lastly, go to http://www.patriciabriggs.com/ to sign up for an autographed ARC of Dead Heat - the newest Alpha and Omega!

Anyone get started on February's reads yet? It will be several days before I get to them.

I couldn't find the sign up for the ARC, must be too late, darn it! But she is coming to Oregon in March, so I added that to my calendar. Thanks!

I listened to Moon Called the other day, even though I only just read it for the first time last year. It was as good the second time around, and I picked up on some details and foreshadowing I had missed on the first read. I didn't have the same quibble Morphy did (>15 Morphidae:), because it seemed to make sense to me , because she seemed to be in a bit of shock, she had been taught just how dangerous injured wolves can be, she knew that wolves heal fast and, since he was still alive, was doing so, and because she had only one thing in mind: get him to Montana so she could go back and find Jessie. I don't know how soon, but I will be rereading/listening to the rest of the series this year.

Found my copy for reread!! Starting it soon.

Greetings! Back in December when I got my hands on a copy of Shifting Shadows I decided to reread the Mercy and Anna books and stories ahead of the release of Dead Heat. I'm reading them in a slightly different order from the group - I'm using the Mercyverse Timeline from Briggs' site. So far I've read Homecoming for the first time, Moon Called, Alpha and Omega, Cry Wolf and Hunting Ground plus about half of the stories in Shifting Shadows. Unless I speed things up considerably, I'm not going to get through 7 novels and 4 short stories before March 3rd, the release date for Dead Heat!

I read the short story "Star of David" this afternoon and next up in the Mercyverse is Blood Bound, although I'm not going to pick it up right away. Soon, though.

How is everyone else doing?

I didn't intended to keep going with the Mercyverse right away, but I did. I've reread Blood Bound and Iron Kissed. I'm getting closer to being ready for the Dead Heat publication date!

You're on fire, Dejah! I am also following the Mercyverse timeline that you pointed out to me on Briggs' website - reading Cry Wolf right now.

I'm open to changing the schedule to chronological order. What do you think?

I like the chronological order, Morphy, because then you get additional insights into the Mercy books. Some of the short stories and the Alpha and Omega books take place during the Mercy books, so reading them that way aligns the story arc.

I am up for the chronological timeline.

I just read them... last year I think, thanks to Mamie...Love the Briggs books.

Okay, here is the list of stories in chronological order (links):

Silver (novella)
Homecoming (graphic novel)
Gray (short story)
Fairy Gifts (short story)
Seeing Eye (short story)
Moon Called
Alpha and Omega (novella)
Cry Wolf
Hunting Ground
Star of David (short story)
Blood Bound
Iron Kissed
Bone Crossed
Roses in Winter (short story)
Silver Borne
In Red with Pearls (short story)
River Marked
Fair Game
Frost Burned
Unappreciated Gifts (short story)
Redemption (short story)
Dead Heat
Night Broken
Hollow (short story)

Since it seems we are reading at different rates, why don't we each keep our own list rather than doing one book a month?

I am going to Brigg's book signing for Dead Heat on Saturday! *squee*

>28 luvamystery65: *envy eyes* That is SO cool, Roberta!

>27 Morphidae: Morphy, that is a very good idea!

>28 luvamystery65: I'm jealous!

I've been reading through the Mercyverse fairly quickly - I just finished everything through River Marked last night. The only short story to which I don't have access is Unappreciated Gifts, which appears in a collection of short holiday stories from late last year.

Btw, in addition to the short stories in Shifting Shadows there are also two of what Briggs' is calling 'outtakes' from Silver Borne and Night Broken - they're at the end of the book.

Met Patricia Briggs and Ann Bishop at Powell's today!!! Picked up two Mercy Books and one Alpha and Omega and one by Bishop--all signed!! And I had my picture taken with them. : ) I will post this weekend.

I am SO jealous. Anne Bishop is one of my favorite authors, if not my favorite.

>32 Morphidae: Bishop will also be at my signing.

Oh! I just "discovered" Anne Bishop thanks to Morphy and am in love! Written in Red may be one of my three favorite urban fantasies (along with Mercy Thompson and Matthew Swift). I wonder if Briggs and Bishop are coming out to the Denver area anytime soon. I know Bishop's third book in The Others series is coming out this month.

>33 luvamystery65: Roberta! Dang. I would have totally gone with you, but I already have something on Saturday. Here's my advice though. Get there early and sit as close to the front as you can, because they did the book signings afterwards row by row starting in the front and they let everyone have 5 books signed, which was great, but meant it took forever! (Wish I had brought books from home.)
And they allow photos!! Here is mine. : )



L to R: Patricia Briggs, Anne Bishop, and me!

Have fun!

>34 Storeetllr: They were sold out of Written in Red so I picked up the second one, Murder of Crows so I could at least get a signature!! I will have to get that one somewhere else ASAP.

Thanks for sharing the photo, Kim! SO cool that you got to meet both of them - what fun!

I pre bought my tickets Kim so even if I show up late for the talk I am number 8 in line to sign! #winning ;-)

Kim you are such a cutie!

Roberta, how was the signing???? Pictures????

I am starting Fair Game. : )

Cool pic!

i decided to switch to the chronological read but had originally started with the monthly list. So far I have completed:

January: Moon Called
February: Blood Bound and Alpha and Omega
March: Silver (which I had difficulty with because my brain is not functioning at full capacity and my memory is shot, and so I am re-reading parts of it.

Loving this world and can't wait for more.

Thanks again, for suggesting this.

Anyone else out there reading these. I have been absent from LT for the last three weeks or so and am just checking back here.

I have completed (for the second time):
Silver (novella)

Had to skip- requested from the library:
Homecoming (graphic novel)

Completed these:
Gray (short story)
Fairy Gifts (short story)
Seeing Eye (short story)

Had to skip - requested from the library
Cry Wolf
Hunting Ground

So next is:
Star of David - looking forward to it

I just read and enjoyed the latest Alpha/Omega novel, Dead Heat, which is set on a horse ranch in Arizona run by a Navajo werewolf and features a fae running amok. I also finished the 2-volume graphic novel adaptation of Cry Wolf, which I enjoyed but only because I already read the novel and knew what it was about.

That was a good one >42 Storeetllr: I love both series. i like the way they intersect here and there....