Silver Borne (The Mercedes Thompson Series, # 5)

Silver Borne is the fifth instalment of The Mercy Thompson series. Sadly, I haven’t read the previous four and so here’s a quick summary.

Mercedes Thompson(Mercy) is a mechanic and more importantly, a Native-American shapeshifter who can morph into a coyote. She can see the spirits of the dead and is resistant to most kinds of magic. She is the mate of her neighbour Adam Hauptman. Adam is the alpha of the Tri-Cities werewolves. Another key character is Samuel Cornick, a dominant yet kind werewolf who has had an on-again, off-again relationship with Mercy. He has now become one of her closest friends (and roommate).

Silver Borne begins when Mercy receives a call regarding the whereabouts of a book-store owner; Phin who had given her a book on the fae. Besides the investigation, Mercy is also working on her tenuous relationship with Adam and providing support to a dejected Samuel who has just made a failed suicide attempt.

In order to curb Samuel, his own “wolf”: Sam takes over. A werewolf has less control when it is in it’s wolf form and the shifting could prove to be a dangerous thing for the people surrounding Sam. Meanwhile, someone in Adam’s Pack who has never been too chuffed about Mercy’s intrusion, uses the pack-bond to enter her mind and cause rifts in the Adam-Mercy relationship.

Adding spice to the proceedings is a Fairy Queen who wants to lay her hands on the book that Mercy possesses. When the queen kidnaps Gabriel, (Mercy’s fully human friend and employee), Mercy is forced to step into the dangerous world of the fae.

Mercy Thompson is a wonderfully empowered female lead. She reminds you of the b**-kicking, smart-talking Buffy Summers. After sinking in the swamp of pathetic fantasy-leads like Bella Swan, Mercy is a breath of fresh air. She ups the cool-factor with her job (a VW mechanic), is fighting-fit and is ultimately a charming blend of common-sense and rash implemention.

Patricia Briggs weaves in the legends of the fae, werewolves, shape-shifters and an assortment of other supernatural creatures without ever losing a grip on reality. The back-stories are enticing and the plot is well-woven.

The series is a must-read for all fantasy fans who don’t want a sappy, dripping, *I-need-Mr.Sparkle* heroine at the helm.