Book Tag: Seven Deadly Sins

I don't often do book tags but I spotted Andy from The Pewter Wolf post this one a couple of weeks ago and it looked like fun so I thought I'd join in. I'm not going to tag anyone else but if you do decide to post (of if you already have posted!) leave me a link in the comments so I can check out your answers :o)

GREED:

What is The Most Expensive Book You Own?

I'm not sure if this really counts since it's technically more of a box set but without a doubt it's the most expensive set of books I own so I'm going to include it anyway - Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey Collectors Edition.

I just realised I've not got around to reviewing this set yet but it really is gorgeous set & I love everything about it, especially the replica of the Monster book of Monsters!

GLUTTONY:

What Book(s) Have You Shamelessly Devoured Many Times?

I could easily count the Harry Potter series for this sin too but I think the series I've actually read the most in the last few years would have to be Ilona Andrew's Hidden Legacy series. To be honest I reread all of Ilona and Gordon's books on a regular basis but when it comes to the Hidden Legacy books  I have literally been known to read the entire trilogy through twice in the space of a week!

If you haven't read these books yet you are seriously missing out, you can read my reviews for the series here.

SLOTH:

What Book/Series Have You Neglected Over Sheer Laziness?

To be honest I'm pretty terrible at starting series and never getting around to finishing them so it's hard to pick just one LOL. It's not that I deliberately stop reading halfway through a series, I just get distracted by all the shiny new books that come along while I'm waiting for the next instalment and don't always remember to go back to them.

For this post I'll just talk about a few of the series that I really want to try and catch up with some time soon.

1. First we have Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunters I love these books so I'm not sure why it's taking me so long to read them but I still have quite a few books to read before I catch up. 
2. Next is J.D. Robb's In Death series, this is a HUGE series topping over 40 books already with at least 2 new books published every year so I worked out recently that reading one book a month it'll take me about four years to catch up. Quite intimidating for sure but I'm going to give it a good try LOL.
3. Terry Pratchett's Discworld series is a bit different to the others because I have already read most of these books over the years but I want to reread them to review them on my blog. I'm also kind of putting off the last few books that I haven't read yet because there will never be any new books written in this world and I kind of like the comfort of knowing that I have a couple saved up ready for when I really need them.
4. Last on the list is Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, these books are so much fun to read so although I read the first 16 or so books before I started blogging I'm trying to slowly reread them to review on my blog.

PRIDE:

What Books(s) Do You Bring Up When You Want To Sound Like An Intelligent Reader?

To be honest I really don't care what anyone else thinks about my reading choices, perhaps I did when I was younger but these days I read completely for pleasure and don't care what judgements others might choose to make.

I sometimes think I should tackle on of those "100 classics everyone should read before they die" lists but then I look at the lists and decide I'm not really that interested after all LOL. If something appeals to me then I'll pick it up, no matter what the genre but I think as long as people are reading then it's all good, whether they choose classics, graphic novels or anything in between.

LUST:

What Attributes Do You Find Most Attractive In Characters?

Ooh that's a difficult question because there are different things that draw me to different characters and what one author can pull off another will fail completely on. I think most of all I want to read books with characters I can relate to in some way, obviously we're not all witches and wizards like Harry, Ron and Hermione but whats so great about them is that apart from their magical abilities they're really quite normal, they still have the same insecurities, fears and weaknesses that we do and still have to deal with the same day to day issues on top of trying to save the world. I enjoy stories where I can imagine myself hanging out with the characters, I want to feel like if they walked off of the pages and into my front room we could be friends.

ENVY:

What Books Would You Most Like To Receive As a Gift?

I could write a huge list of books I'm saving up for or books that I'm desperately waiting to be published  but the biggest unicorn that I would LOVE to own a copy of has to be the limited edition hardcover of The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling. It's such a gorgeous set that comes with art prints and a lovely keepsake box & I think it would go perfectly with the rest of my Harry Potter collection. It's getting harder and harder to find though and the copies that I have seen are FAR outside of my price range but I live in hope so who knows, perhaps one day the book faeries will decide to leave a copy underneath my Christmas tree LOL.

WRATH:

What Author(s) Do You Have a Love/Hate Relationship With?

There are two authors who immediately spring to mind to answer this question, one is going to be a hugely unpopular choice and the other is an author who used to be one of my favourites so I still find it difficult to believe I'm including their name on this list.

So first we have Sarah J Maas (yes shocking I know!), I was actually a huge fan of Sarah's for a long time, I went to signings and met her twice and I would devour her books the minute I got my hands on them. She was an author I'd preorder immediately and get super excited about but it all started going horribly wrong when she completely rewrote Chaol's character in Queen of Shadows just because she had decided Rowan was a better fit for Aelin. I would have been bitter about that ship change no matter what but if she had written it better then I'd have gotten over my disappointment eventually.

As if that wasn't bad enough the next book she published was A Court of Mist and Fury which I HATED with the passion of a thousand suns. Now I know that is going to be a shockingly unpopular opinion because that series has so many fans but I absolutely hated everything about that book and I've not been able to pick up a book by Sarah J Maas since.  I just hate the way she is so fickle with her pairings, and how in one book certain characters are true mates but then a guy comes along that Sarah suddenly likes better so she has to rewrite history and give her characters personality transplants in order to fit square pegs into round holes. She has absolutely zero skill or subtlety about it and goes about the shift like a bull in a china shop. It's gutting because I did really love Rhys so if she'd paired him with anyone other than Feyre, or even split up Feyre and Tamlin without changing Tamlin into someone he wasn't, then I would have stayed a superfan. As it is I know I want to finish the Throne of Glass series eventually but I have very little enthusiasm left for the series or anything else Sarah J Maas may write in the future.

It actually pains me to say this but the second author on this list is Patricia Briggs. I have been a HUGE fan of the Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega books for years now, if you've been following this blog for any length of time you've probably heard me talking about them before because I've reread the books at least once a year for a long time now. I honestly thought this series would continue to be a favourite forever and I've always been so excited to get my hands on each new instalment.

But then along came Burn Bright and that book destroyed everything. Some of the things revealed in that book have totally ruined my opinion of both one of my most loved characters AND of Patricia Briggs herself. I know it's her world and they're her characters so she's entitled to do whatever she likes to them but this is some seriously messed up shit that I just can't deal with. Not after reading (and rereading again and again!) fourteen full length books (and multiple short stories!) set in this world without a single hint of what was coming. I don't think I've ever felt so betrayed, not even by Sarah J Maas which is really saying something! I hope that one day I'll recover from this enough to be able to enjoy the first fourteen books again but I don't think I'll ever be able to reread Burn Bright or any new books in this world which is utterly heartbreaking because they used to be one of the highlights of my reading year.

So what do you think of my choices? Are any the same as yours? What books and authors would make your Seven Deadly Sins list?

Review: Burn Bright - Patricia Briggs (or why I'm breaking up with the Mercy Thompson world)

They are the wild and the broken. The werewolves too damaged to live safely among their own kind. For their own good, they have been exiled to the outskirts of Aspen Creek, Montana. Close enough to the Marrok’s pack to have its support; far enough away to not cause any harm.

With their Alpha out of the country, Charles and Anna are on call when an SOS comes in from the fae mate of one such wildling. Heading into the mountainous wilderness, they interrupt the abduction of the wolf–but can’t stop blood from being shed. Now Charles and Anna must use their skills–his as enforcer, hers as peacemaker–to track down the attackers, reopening a painful chapter in the past that springs from the darkest magic of the witchborn…

Mercy Thompson Series:
Homecoming (Graphic Novel)
Moon Called
Blood Bound
Iron Kissed
Bone Crossed
Silver Borne
River Marked
Frost Burned
Hopcross Jilly (Graphic Novel)
Night Broken
Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson
Fire Touched
Silence Fallen

Alpha and Omega Series:
(This is a spin off to the Mercy Thompson series)
Alpha and Omega (novella found in the On the Prowl anthology)
Cry Wolf
Hunting Ground
Fair Game
Dead Heat
Burn Bright

Visit Patricia Briggs' website for more information

Review:
I've put off writing this review for weeks because every time I think about this book I get mad all over again. I honestly don't think I've ever been so disappointed in the direction an author has decided to take  a story and while I totally get that it is Patricia Briggs' right to do whatever she chooses with her characters and her world I don't have to continue investing my time and money in her series. I suppose I should probably point out that before Burn Bright I would have considered myself a Mercy Thompson / Alpha & Omega superfan. I reread all of the books and short stories in the MT world at least once a year with a friend and we have spent countless hours sending each other favourite quotes and discussing everything about these characters and this world. The reason I'm so upset and the reason I feel so betrayed by the author is because I feel like I know this series inside out and there was nothing, absolutely not one single hint to make revelations in this book seem even slightly plausible, let alone palatable.

I can't really talk about my biggest issue with this book without giving spoilers so continue reading this review at your own risk, but since I'm reviewing this so long after the release date I expect most fans have either already read this book or at least seen others mention the controversy. The absolutely 100% series ending revelation for me is that Bran has always had romantic feelings for Mercy. This is the man who has raised her since she was eight months old, the man who is the only consistent father figure she's ever really had, the man she turns to for advice and the one she looks up to beyond all others. This is the same man who watched over her while she slept as she recovered from a sexual assault, the man who gave her away at her wedding and made Adam promise to protect her, the man who has ALWAYS, in all circumstances treated her like a daughter.

And now we have Anna and Charles having a casual conversation about how Bran is "funny" about Mercy and Anna even saying she would hate Mercy as much as Leah does if Charles felt the same way about her that Bran does. Anna, who was herself a victim of rape and the worst kinds of treatments at the hands of her previous alpha is now blaming Mercy, who was a CHILD when this was all happening!  I'm sorry but in no circumstances is Mercy to blame no matter what Bran does or doesn't feel for her, Mercy has never led Bran on, she's never had an affair with him or tried to lure him away from Leah and even if she had that doesn't excuse Leah from child abuse. Because lets face it the way Leah treated Mercy, the way Bran has flat out stated in previous books that he couldn't adopt Mercy himself because Leah would have killed her, the way Leah attacked Mercy many times when she was a child and how the entire pack used to go out of their way to keep the two of them apart because they knew what would happen if they didn't. That's all because Leah is an abuser who would have happily KILLED A CHILD because she felt that child was competition for her mate.

I get that Patricia Briggs has written herself into a corner, she's said many times and shown in many ways that Bran is bonded to Leah and I think she's left herself with no option of ending their relationship. That's a bit of a problem when fans have been screaming for years that Leah is an awful, awful character and begging to see Bran get a happily ever after with literally anyone else. Now, in my opinion, a skilled writer would have been able to turn around Bran and Leah's relationship. I've seen other authors do that in the past and I so badly want to see Bran happy that I probably would have forgiven Leah far quicker than she deserved. But I won't forgive Leah because Bran has been turned into someone that I can no longer respect or even like. That just makes me hate both of them, it makes me look at every single interaction between Bran and Mercy throughout the entire fifteen book series and feel physically sick because I can no longer see the loving father figure that has always wanted what is best for Mercy. Now all I can see is the sick pedophile who has been grooming her.

This book contradicts itself in so many different ways when it comes to Leah. First it tries to make us feel sorry for her because her mate is in love with a child. Then Charles talks about how abusive she was to him when they first met too, how horrifically she treated him when he was also just a child who was just desperate for someone to love him, he specifically states that he would have adored her if she'd only been nice to him. So it wasn't just Mercy Leah abused then, this conversation also confirms that it was Charles too. So she's jealous of anyone that Bran gives love to and that shows what a petty and nasty person she is. To be honest you only have to look at the way she treated Anna the first time they met to see Leah's true colours! But then the book backtracks again and tries to show how nice she is because she saves Charles' life, I could have cheered for her at that point but only if we hadn't just been reminded about how awful she's been in the past.

If Patricia Briggs hadn't turned Bran into a pedophile but had instead just had Leah saving Charles in this book I would have stared to warm to her. If she'd then had both Bran and Leah make some big changes over the next few books (because lets face it he's never treated her well really so neither of them are perfect and they're both to blame for their issues!) then I think in time I would have softened to them as a couple and might have been able to want to see them happy together. It could have been so easy, especially since we get a better idea of the fact that Bran does actually love her in this book. Unfortunately for me it's too little too late and the way Bran's character has been totally and utterly destroyed has ended any love I ever had for this series.

The first time I read Burn Bright I was horrified by that conversation but I still had faith in PB and I was convinced that Anna and Charles had misread things and it was all going to be a horrible misunderstanding. I was positive that in the next book this would all be fixed with a few well placed revelations and that I could continue loving this world. I even went back and immediately reread the previous fourteen books specifically looking for signs that Bran felt anything but fatherly towards Mercy. I read fourteen books LOOKING for that and couldn't find a single thing that made me suspect it was true. Not one single word. Everything points to a father daughter relationship, every single interaction between them. Every single conversation with Samuel, Adam, any other character they always refer to Bran as Mercy's father. I actually managed to convince myself I'd read Burn Bright wrong and stressed myself over nothing.

Then unfortunately Patricia Briggs made public comments about it confirming my worst fears were true, Bran does have romantic feelings for the child he raised. Oh, we're supposed to see him as noble because he didn't act on them, and we're supposed to ignore it because apparently Mercy will never know how he feels. But that doesn't sit well with me, especially when she's made it clear that everyone else knows this but Mercy, so not only is Bran lying to her but so is her husband Adam, so is her childhood love Samuel, so is her brother Charles and her sister-in-law Anna and so is the entire Aspen Creek Pack - people she grew up with and was raised by. That breaks my heart for Mercy and it makes me so angry with everyone else that I can't see straight.

So that's the story of how Patricia Briggs destroyed the Mercy Thompson world for me, the series that I have loved for many, many years. The series that has been a huge comfort to me over the years. The series that I'm honestly not sure I'll ever be able to look at in the same way again. I hope that one day, in a few years time, I'll be able to forget that Burn Bright ever existed. And if I ever reach that point then perhaps I'll be able to reread the first 14 books again and remember how much I loved them but I will not be buying any new books in this world, and honestly I'm still more than a little heartbroken about that.

I should also probably link to my friend Ange's review because she goes into even more depth about the major issue I had and several other consistency problems with the story. She also includes quotes both from the book and from Patricia Briggs that further detail things I've mentioned above.

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

My Favourite Books from the First Half of 2017

It's always interesting to look back and try to pick my favourite books of the year but it can be really hard to narrow it down to a reasonable number so I thought I'd make a start on my top books of 2017 list early by having a look at my favourites from January to June. I limited it to first reads only (the books I reread are already favourites so would have an unfair advantage!) and no more than one book per author (again some authors would end up on the list multiple times!). The books can be old or new as long as they're new to me but as it happened this time around they're all 2017 releases and there are quite a few debuts on the list which is great.

My favourite YA books from the first half of 2017:

(Click the links to read my reviews)

1. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
2. Dawn Study by Maria V Snyder
3. Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts
4. Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh
5. Caraval by Stephanie Garber

I don't really read contemporary YA so it's no surprise that this list is full of fantasy titles. We are really getting spoiled with the huge amount of YA fantasy being released right now and there are so many more books that I'm really excited to read and already suspect will end up on my final list at the end of the year!

My favourite adult books from the first half of 2017:

(Click the links to read my reviews)

1. White Hot by Ilona Andrews
2. Silver Silence by Nalini Singh
3. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
4. Scorpion Trap by Pippa DaCosta
5. Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs

It doesn't surprise me that my favourite adult tiles are all branches of fantasy either, my favourite genres are still definitely urban fantasy and paranormal romance but fantasy in general always hits my hot spot! This list includes 4 of my favourite authors who are nearly always in my top book lists and Katherine Arden's debut has me incredibly excited to follow her writing career.

What are your favourite books of the year so far? Do any of mine make your lists too? If you have any fantasy recommendations (old or new) please do leave them in the comment, I can never have too many books on my to read mountain!

Crafting Corner: Book Folding Art inspired by Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson Series (2nd Design)

You may remember I've already done a book fold inspired by Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series of a wolf howling at the moon to represent the werewolves of the series and Adam in particular but I wanted to make a present for a friend who is also a huge fan of the series and I didn't want to use a design that she's seen before. I also thought that since Mercy is the main character of the series it's only fair that she gets a book fold to represent her.

For anyone unfamiliar with the series Mercy is a coyote shifter and she has a tattoo of a coyote paw print so that seemed like the obvious choice for a pattern and I absolutely love the way it turned out.

I love them even more when I see the two designs next to each other though! The paw print has been given away now but I'm definitely going to make another one for my own bookcase.

What do you think? Any other Mercy Thompson series fans out there? Any suggestions for what I should make next? I would really LOVE to make a book fold for Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series, the obvious choice would be a lion to represent Curran but I can't seem to find a really good lion silhouette thats suitable for making a pattern with. I need something that has fairly simple bold lines and is easily recognisable without having too much detail but so far I'm coming up blank.

Review: Silence Fallen - Patricia Briggs

Coyote shapeshifter Mercy Thompson is attacked and abducted in her home territory. Fighting off a crazed werewolf, she manages to escape, only to find herself alone in the heart of Europe, without money, without clothing and on the run from the clutches of the most powerful vampire in the world.

Unable to contact her pack, Mercy has allies to find and enemies to fight, but first she needs to figure out which is which. Ancient powers stir, and Mercy needs to be at her agile best to avoid causing a war between vampires and werewolves - and between werewolves and werewolves. And in the heart of the ancient city of Prague, old ghosts rise. . .

Mercy Thompson Series:
Homecoming (Graphic Novel)
Moon Called
Blood Bound
Iron Kissed
Bone Crossed
Silver Borne
River Marked
Frost Burned
Hopcross Jilly (Graphic Novel)
Night Broken
Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson
Fire Touched
Silence Fallen

Alpha and Omega Series:
(This is a spin off to the Mercy Thompson series)
Alpha and Omega (novella found in the On the Prowl anthology)
Cry Wolf
Hunting Ground
Fair Game
Dead Heat
Burn Bright

Visit Patricia Briggs' website for more information

Review:
When Mercy is abducted and whisked abroad by an enemy she finds herself completely alone in a strange country with none of her usual allies on hand to turn to. We've all seen Mercy get herself out of difficult situations in the past but finding her way home from Europe with no money, no passport and no assistance might just be one mess she can't handle. Of course Adam immediately mounts a rescue mission but he's up against powerful enemies and Mercy is a long way away so it's vital that she holds on long enough for him to reach her.

I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of Silence Fallen and I devoured it as soon as it arrived on my kindle. I loved it so much that I had to go away and reread the entire series (both Mercy's books and the Alpha & Omega ones!) so I could read it again at the correct point in the timeline. This is one of the few series that really does get better and better with every book and I love it more each time I reread it. I'll admit I was a bit disappointed when I found out that Mercy and Adam would be separated for much of the story but when I realised that we'd be getting a very large chunk of the book in Adam's POV it more than made up for my worries.

Mercy may be the star of this series but her relationship with Adam is integral and I loved the chance to spend more time in his head to see exactly how he was dealing with things. They both have very important roles to play in this book, Mercy manages to escape but has to try and stay out of their enemy's clutches while Adam is forced to take a more passive role as a negotiator to try and make sure their enemy knows he's messed with the wrong pack of werewolves. I thoroughly enjoyed both of their storylines and I loved the way Patricia Briggs played around with the timeline so cleverly. The story unfolds in a nonlinear fashion so it jumps around a little and you need to pay attention but it really helped to add extra tension.

I've never considered Mercy to be a helpless character and she proves her resilience again here, she may not be as strong as the vampires and werewolves physically but she's smart and cunning and she knows how to use that to her advantage. People constantly underestimate her and that's always their undoing but I love watching her worm her way out of impossible situations. Adam is out of his mind with worry when Mercy is taken, especially because he knows how badly she was injured and he isn't there to protect her or make sure she's safe. He will call in any favour he has to to get to her but he trusts her to keep herself safe in the meantime. I love that Adam is the one person who knows exactly what Mercy is capable of, that never stops him worrying about her or wanting to protect her but he also respects her need to be independent and stand on her own two feet.

I don't want to give anything else away about the plot but I loved the change of setting and really enjoyed getting to meet a whole bunch of new characters both friends and foe. I've found the pack politics has been getting a little annoying in the more recent books (although thankfully that seems to have been solved in Fire Touched) so it was nice to take a step away from home and avoid some of the pack members who have been causing trouble lately. Of course Adam isn't alone when he mounts is rescue mission so you'll see a few familiar faces which is always nice. I was actually surprised about how much I ended up liking a character I've loved to hate in previous books. The story had me totally hooked from beginning to end and I didn't want to put it down even the second time I read it. If there is one thing I would change it would be to have a longer section at the end after Mercy and Adam been reunited - not because the story needed it but because I'm greedy and I adore spending time with them as a couple! This is one of my favourite urban fantasy series, it's a comfort read that I revisit at least once a year and again I've been left itching to get my hands on the next instalment.

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Hardback / Paperback (pre-order) / Kindle:

Review: Hopcross Jilly - Patricia Briggs, Rik Hoskin & Tom Garcia

Mercy is a shapeshifting coyote and honorary member of the Tri-Cities werewolf pack. When the pack stumbles upon the buried bones of numerous dead children, she shapeshifts into a mystery of the legendary fae - a mystery that draws Mercy's stepdaughter Jesse into the fray!

The supernatural romance series Mercy Thompson continues in this all-new, original story by New York Times bestselling author, Patricia Briggs, exclusively created for the comic book medium!

Collects the six-issue Mercy Thompson comic book series from 2014-2015, a story set in official continuity.

Mercy Thompson Series:
Homecoming (Graphic Novel)
Moon Called
Blood Bound
Iron Kissed
Bone Crossed
Silver Borne
River Marked
Frost Burned
Hopcross Jilly (Graphic Novel)
Night Broken
Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson
Fire Touched
Silence Fallen

Alpha and Omega Series:
(This is a spin off to the Mercy Thompson series)
Alpha and Omega (novella found in the On the Prowl anthology)
Cry Wolf
Hunting Ground
Fair Game
Dead Heat
Burn Bright

Visit Patricia Briggs' website for more information

Review:
Hopcross Jilly is the second Mercy Thompson graphic novel I've read and I have to say I think I liked it more than the first one. The characters still aren't exactly how I pictured them but I don't think any artist would be able to get this perfectly right for every fan out there so that's not a real issue. The main thing is that the characters are easily recognisable and the artwork is much more consistent here than it was in Homecoming. If you're wondering where this story fits into the series time line it's between Frost Burned and Night Broken (and just after events in Dead Heat if you're reading the world order including the Alpha & Omega books - which I'd HIGHLY recommend you do!) so it may contain spoilers if you're not at least that far into the series.

Just in case you'd like to get an idea of what the main characters look like in Hopcross Jilly here are Mercy, Adam and Jesse.

This is a story about missing children and it gives us a chance to spend some time with Adam's daughter Jesse which I really enjoyed. I really hate that she is treated so badly at school just because her dad is a werewolf but considering how ruthless teenagers (and humans in general if we're honest!) can be towards anyone different I didn't find that at all surprising. When Adam's pack finds a bunch of very old skeletons and then children start to go missing they immediately become suspects in the eyes of the public and Jesse becomes a convenient target for the missing teenager's friends. Fear and ignorance is never a good combination and we see that in spades here.

Things have definitely got interesting in the series since the fae decided to stop hiding how dangerous they are, especially since they seem to be deliberately letting the worst of their kind out of the reservations with the sole purpose of reminding humanity that they are a force to be reckoned with. I hope that means we're going to see lots more interesting fae creatures from here onwards.

I think the graphic novel format worked really well to tell this story, it doesn't give the same depth of characterisation as a normal book but now we're at a point where we know the main players so well it was fun to see them in a more visual manner. I absolutely love this series though and will happily devour as many stories as Patricia Briggs can write no matter what format they come in!

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Hardback / Kindle:

Review: Homecoming - Patricia Briggs, David Lawrence, Francis Tsai & Amelia Woo

Mercy Thompson is a walker, a magical being with the power to transform into a coyote. She lives on the fine line dividing the everyday world from a darker dimension, observing the supernatural community while standing apart.

When Mercy travels to the Tri-Cities of Washington for a job interview, she quickly finds herself smack-dab in the middle of a gang war between rival packs of werewolves. And as if fangs and fur weren t bad enough, Mercy must deal with the scariest creature of all: her mother, who is convinced that Mercy is making a mess of her life and determined to set her daughter on the right course.

The thrilling adventures of Mercy Thompson Moon Called, Blood Bound, and Iron Kissed have topped the New York Times bestseller list. Now Mercy makes her comics debut in an exclusive new story created by Patricia Briggs. Mercy Thompson: Homecoming is sure to please longtime fans and capture new ones with its mix of unforgettable characters and thrilling supernatural intrigue."

Mercy Thompson Series:
Homecoming (Graphic Novel)
Moon Called
Blood Bound
Iron Kissed
Bone Crossed
Silver Borne
River Marked
Frost Burned
Hopcross Jilly (Graphic Novel)
Night Broken
Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson
Fire Touched
Silence Fallen

Alpha and Omega Series:
(This is a spin off to the Mercy Thompson series)
Alpha and Omega (novella found in the On the Prowl anthology)
Cry Wolf
Hunting Ground
Fair Game
Dead Heat
Burn Bright

Visit Patricia Briggs' website for more information

Review:
I'm a huge fan of the Mercy Thompson world, its one of the few series that I read on pretty much an annual basis and I just started my 4th reread so I'll be ready for when the latest book, Silence Fallen, releases in March. I realised recently that even though I keep rereading the full length books and the short stories I'd never actually picked up the graphic novels so I thought it was about time I finally gave them a try.

Homecoming is actually a prequel story to the main books in the series which shows how Mercy came to live in the Tri-Cities area and ended up working as a mechanic for Zee. It also shows her first interactions with Zee, Tad, Stefan and Adam which are all things that fans of the series will probably be interested in seeing first hand. Although it's technically a prequel and can be read even if you're not familiar with the series I think you'll probably appreciate it more if you're familiar with the world and can recognise the characters as they appear.

The downside of being so familiar with this series is that I already had pretty set ideas in my head about what each of the characters would look like, these are characters who already feel real to me and I'll admit that the artist depictions didn't always match my own versions. Obviously no artist will be able to create versions that appeal to every fan of the series so I don't hold that against anyone and overall I did really enjoy the artwork. The major problem here is that the artist changed at some point during the process so characters like Mercy weren't drawn consistently throughout the book. I've included a picture showing four of the different faces Mercy was given just in the first few pages of the book, she would pretty much change from scene to scene (even within drawings from the same artist!) and I found that incredibly jarring.

It wasn't just Mercy's face that changed, her body type did too - she'd be slim in one scene and voluptuous in the next and that lack of consistency bothered me far more than the fact that the characters weren't quite how I pictured them in my head. I'd been so excited when I saw the cover because that version of Mercy is pretty close to how I expected her to look but I don't think she actually appeared again anywhere inside the book.

Although I was disappointed I'm still glad I read this story, it was fun getting to see a bit more of Mercy's background and it made a nice change to see the characters in a different format. I'm just not sure I'd bother rereading this every time I revisit the series. I think if you're a huge fan of the series then it's still worth picking up a copy of Homecoming but if you decide to skip it you're not really missing out on anything vital.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Hardback / Kindle:

Crafting Corner: Book Folding Art inspired by Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson Series

I absolutely love Patricia Briggs' writing, her Mercy Thompson series (and the Alpha & Omega books set in the same world) is one of my favourite urban fantasy series and I tend to reread it most years to get ready for the latest release. Since I have a section of my bookshelves dedicated to this series I thought it would be fun to make a book fold to add.

I decided I wanted to do a wolf howling at the moon (yes I get that Mercy is a Coyote but the majority of characters in the series are werewolves and the first book in the series is Moon Called!).

I found this image online and decided to use it as inspiration for my book fold:

It's a little harder to see the details on a book fold but I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out:

What do you think? I really like it but I think I might have to try and come up with a design with a Coyote paw print to match Mercy's tattoo next LOL.

My Favourite Reads of 2016

It's always fun to look back over the year and try to pick out my favourite reads. I've read a lot of amazing books this year but I've also reread a lot of series I love so I've decided that I'm only allowed to include first reads in this list and I'm also going to try and limit it to one book per author so that a few favourites don't dominate the list! The links below will take you to my reviews.

Young Adult:

1. Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
2. Morning Star by Pierce Brown
3. Night Study by Maria V. Snyder
4. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
5. Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
6. Barefoot on the Wind by Zoe Marriott
7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Illustrated Edition - J.K. Rowling & Jim Kay
8. Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
9. The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima
10. Secret of the Gargoyles by Rebecca Chastain

Adult:

1. Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews
2. Archangel's Heart by Nalini Singh
3. Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs
4. See No Evil by Pippa DaCosta
5. A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet
6. Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier
7. Siege by K.F. Breene
8. Beyond Surrender by Kit Rocha
9. Lets Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
10. Hollywood Dirt by Alessandra Torre

What were your favourite reads in 2016? Do any match up with the ones on my list?

Review: Fire Touched - Patricia Briggs

Mercy Thompson is back, and she'll soon discover that when the fae stalk the human world, it's the children who suffer . . .

Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae.

Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans and the fae, Mercy, Adam and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?

Mercy Thompson Series:
Homecoming (Graphic Novel)
Moon Called
Blood Bound
Iron Kissed
Bone Crossed
Silver Borne
River Marked
Frost Burned
Hopcross Jilly (Graphic Novel)
Night Broken
Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson
Fire Touched
Silence Fallen

Alpha and Omega Series:
(This is a spin off to the Mercy Thompson series)
Alpha and Omega (novella found in the On the Prowl anthology)
Cry Wolf
Hunting Ground
Fair Game
Dead Heat
Burn Bright

Visit Patricia Briggs' website for more information

Review:
I reread the entire Mercy Thompson series (and the Alpha & Omega spin off) before the release of Fire Touched so to say I was hyped up for this book is a massive understatement. I absolutely adore this world and all it's characters and I'm incredibly invested in what happens to them so this was right up there among my most longed for books of the year (please, please write faster Patricia Briggs I need more than one book a year from you! LOL).

I love Mercy and Adam as a couple, they are so in sync with each other and always seem to know what the other is thinking. Even when they're under an incredible amount of pressure or have other people trying to get between them they always have each other's backs and they never doubt the feelings they have for each other. Even when Christy is doing her worst Mercy never fears that Adam is going to take his ex-wife back and she actually deals with things a hell of a lot better than I would in her position!

One thing that has been really bugging me for the last few books though is the way so many members of the pack treat Mercy. Yes, I get annoyed at Christy too but she's the jealous ex who has realised what a mistake she made letting Adam go and is angry that he's now happier with someone else than he ever was with her so I understand where she's coming from, I don't agree with it but I do get it. She makes me mad and I'm still waiting for that meteorite to fall out of the sky and squish her but it's the pack members like Mary Jo, Paul and Alec who I REALLY want to punch in the face. They have seen Mercy put her life at risk to protect them time and time again so they should be willing to support her for that alone but even if you completely discount Mercy from the equation they should have enough respect for Adam as their Alpha to put his feelings first. He is so happy with Mercy and that alone should have them fully on board with the relationship or at the very least keeping their mouths shut anyway.

I don't want to say too much and give spoilers but I will say that things with the pack really come to a head in Fire Touched and I absolutely LOVED how it played out. It was so awesome that I reread one chapter about 4 times before I was able to continue with the story. It was one of my favourite moments from the entire series and I wanted to give several characters a standing ovation - that's how happy it made me! We do still have Christy to deal with but she's a whole other ball game and I now have high hopes that things will be resolved with her sooner rather than later (I'm totally willing to hire a bus and just run her over if that gets her out of the way faster!).

Fire Touched has everything you could wish for: rampaging trolls, a human child who spent so long living in Underhill that they now have some very interesting abilities, exciting changes and developments within the pack (ones that will have huge implications as the series continues), comedy moments that will make you snort with laughter, emotional scenes that will make your heart melt, edge of your seat action and brilliant friendships. There is a reason that this series remains a favourite and that is entirely down to the skill of Patricia Briggs at creating believable characters that readers want to spend time with, characters you'd want to have at your back in a fight but would also invite around for a barbecue afterwards because they're such great friends. I will never get enough of this series and I'm already thinking perhaps it's time to start yet another reread while I wait a year for the next book to release!

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Hardback / Paperback (pre-order) / Kindle:

Review: Dead Heat - Patricia Briggs

The Alpha and Omega novels transport readers into the realm of the werewolf, where Charles Cornick and Anna Latham embody opposite sides of the shifter personality. Now, a pleasure trip drops the couple into the middle of some bad supernatural business . . .

For once, mated werewolves Charles and Anna are not traveling because of Charles's role as his father's enforcer. This time, their trip to Arizona is purely personal - or at least it starts out that way . . .

Charles and Anna soon discover that a dangerous Fae being is on the loose, replacing human children with simulacrums. The Fae's cold war with humanity is about to heat up - and Charles and Anna are in the cross fire.

Mercy Thompson Series:
Homecoming (Graphic Novel)
Moon Called
Blood Bound
Iron Kissed
Bone Crossed
Silver Borne
River Marked
Frost Burned
Hopcross Jilly (Graphic Novel)
Night Broken
Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson
Fire Touched
Silence Fallen

Alpha and Omega Series:
(This is a spin off to the Mercy Thompson series)
Alpha and Omega (novella found in the On the Prowl anthology)
Cry Wolf
Hunting Ground
Fair Game
Dead Heat
Burn Bright

Visit Patricia Briggs' website for more information

Review:
I absolutely love Anna and Charles, they're one of my favourite couples and I can't get enough of them. What I enjoy most about them is the way that even though Charles is protective of Anna he also understands her need to stand on her own two feet, he wants her to be an equal partner and he encourages her to be independent while still promising to have her back whenever she needs him. Charles has always kept his distance from everyone else though and even Anna knows very little about his past. It's not been easy for him to work as his father's executioner and it's hard to make friends with other wolves when you know that one day you could be called on to kill them if they ever cross the line.

So the people that Charles considers part of his inner circle are very few and Dead Heat gives us the chance to meet one of his oldest, dearest friends. A friend who is human and who Charles has avoided visiting for a long time because it hurts him to see how old Joseph has become. Charles knows that the time is coming when he'll have to say goodbye and even thinking about that is painful for him. The story is quite bittersweet in some ways but it's also about appreciating the people you love while you still can and I really enjoyed getting to see a more funny, slightly lighter hearted version of Charles. It was also great to learn a bit more about his past and see how much he has changed over the years.

Dead Heat is slower paced than the previous books but I felt that worked really well here, there is a lot of character development and a lot of time just seeing Anna and Charles enjoying each other's company and spending time with friends like a normal couple. Of course, it wouldn't be a Patricia Briggs book if they didn't find some kind of mystery to investigate and I enjoyed the reappearance of FBI Agent Leslie who I think makes a nice addition to the series cast. The mystery was well drawn out and definitely raised the stakes since they were up against a predator who was focusing on children. The one thing I didn't enjoy so much was Anna's desperation to talk Charles into them having kids of their own, it's not a trope I particularly enjoy reading at the best of times but it seems particularly strange when you're talking about a couple who are probably going to have hundreds of years to spend together. Why do they need to start a family so soon? Surely they'd want to enjoy time as a couple first? Having said that I do think the author did a good job of explaining Anna's feelings so it's really personal preference that I wanted them to wait. I'll see how it plays out over the next few books though because I'm sure if anyone can sell it to me Patricia Briggs can!

I don't think this was my favourite novel in the Alpha & Omega series but it's still a solid instalment and I love Anna and Charles as much as ever. I just have a fangirl worship thing going on for this entire world though, I love the cross over of characters between this and the Mercy Thompson books and I always know that picking up a book in this world I'm going to get completely lost in the story and not surface for air until I reach the last page.

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Series I Want To Read in 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week has a different theme & you can find all the details about how to join in HERE.

Today's topic is Top Ten Resolutions We Have For 2016. This year I want to focus on reading some of those books and series that I've been meaning to catch up with for years.

My top ten series I want to catch up with in 2016:

1. Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series by Patricia Briggs - Patricia Briggs is one of my favourite urban fantasy authors and I absolutely adore the Mercy Thompson world. It's one of my go to series for when I need something that I know is going to be amazing and I recently started rereading it (for the third time!) with a friend in preparation for the newest book, Dead Heat, in March.
2. Fever series by Karen Marie Moning - I absolutely loved the first five books in the Fever series but was too scared to read Iced and Burned after seeing so many negative reviews for them. Anyway, I've been rereading the series with a group of friends in preparation for the release of Feverborn, we've finished the original five books so I'm finally going to get to read the later books for the first time!
3. Dark-Hunters and Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon - I started reading the Dark-Hunters series a couple of years ago now and it's one I've been wanting to catch up with for a long time now so I'm determined that 2016 is going to be the year I FINALLY catch up with the rest of the world!
4. Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole - This is another series that I'm part way through but have never quite managed to catch up with so it's also on the list.
5. Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward - I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the BDB, the earlier books were AMAZING but the series lost it's way a bit and I kind of lost interest in it. I took a 2 year break though and last year I really enjoyed Lover Unleashed so I'm going to give the series another chance.
6. Weather Warden Series & Outcast Season by Rachel Caine - This series is another old favourite, in fact I read the earlier books before I even started blogging (so over 6 years ago now). It's been one I've wanted to go back to for a while now but then Rachel Caine launched her kickstarter campaign and is now writing a new book set in that world so I HAVE to reread the rest of the books before the new one is published.
7. Darkest London series by Kristen Callihan - Another series that I love but have fallen woefully behind on so it's beyond time for a catch up.
8. Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich - I read about 16 books in this series 6 or 7 years ago and loved them but it's been a long time so I've forgotten all the details. I'm rereading the series with some friends, we're reading one book a month so it's going to take us about 2 years to catch up but I want to make sure I stay on track with this group read.
9. Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson - This is an absolutely ginormous series - 14 books and most of them are over 700 pages long! - but it's one I've had so many people recommend to me. I've always been a bit too intimidated to start it but another group of friends (I love my Goodreads reading buddies!!) have decided to read the series one book a month for the next 14 months. I'm only part way through the first book but I already love it so I'm definitely planning on keeping up with this group read too. Having people to hold my hands is going to help keep me motivated I think :o)
10. In Death by J.D. Robb - I've wanted to try this series for absolutely ages so I'm making it a personal goal to start it in 2016. I'm reading this series by myself (unless anyone wants to join me?!) but as long as I enjoy the first book I'm planning on reading at least one a month until I'm caught up. There are over 30 books available already so this is another very long ongoing project but we'll see how far I manage to get with it!

So what are your reading resolutions for 2016? Do you have certain books or series that you want to get through or have you set completely different kinds of goals? If anyone is interested in joining the buddy reads I'm taking part in you're very welcome - I'm part of a great group on Goodreads & we have a lot of fun reading together and chatting about the books along the way :o)

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases for the First Half of 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week has a different theme & you can find all the details about how to join in HERE.

Today's topic is Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases for the First Half of 2016. There are so many upcoming releases that I'm looking forward to but since I already posted a list of my most anticipated 2016 Debuts I decided to focus this list

1. Allegiance of Honor by Nalini Singh: I absolutely love everything Nalini writes so I can't wait to get my hands on this book. It's not often you find series that are still going so strong at book 15 but this is definitely one of them.
2. Morning Star by Pierce Brown: I've been addicted to this series since I first read Red Rising nearly 2 years ago, the series has gone from strength to strength and I can't wait to see how it ends.
3. Night Study by Maria V Snyder: I'm a huge fan of the Chronicles of Ixia series and I'm really pleased Maria decided to revisit the original main characters Yelena and Valek in these new books. I don't think I'll ever get enough of this world!
4. Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs: It's no secret that I love Patricia Briggs, in fact I'm currently on my third read of the Mercy Thompson series because I couldn't resist reading it again before the new book comes out. I think that says all there is to say about how fantastic it is!
5. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas: I love Sarah's Throne of Glass series but I think I enjoyed A Court of Thorns and Roses even more so I'm going to be dropping everything the second I get my hands on a copy of ACOMAF.
6. Of Flame and Promise by Cecy Robson: The Weird Girls series is another of my favourites, this is the first book to be told from Taran's point of view and I'm really looking forward to getting inside her head and finding out what makes her tick!
7. Judged by Liz de Jager: I've known Liz since she was a blogger so I was thrilled when she got her publishing contract and I've loved every minute of the Blackheart Legacy. I'm going to be taking part in the blog tour for Judged, the final instalment in the trilogy, in January so happily that means I get to read it very soon :o)
8. A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab: A Darker Shade of Magic was absolutely fantastic so I'm really looking forward to seeing what trouble Kell and Lila get into next.
9. Camp Alien by Gini Koch: This is another series that makes me drop everything when I get my hands on the latest instalment, the books are always completely crazy and laugh out loud funny.
10. Midnight Marked by Chloe Neill: I love the Chicagoland Vampires, this series just gets better and better and I'm looking forward to spending more time with Merit and Ethan.

So those are my most anticipated reads from early 2016. Do any of them match the books on your list? What books are you most excited about?