*Disclosure: I received this book courtesy of Penguin Books
Book Description
All-new action in the #1 New York Times bestselling urban fantasy series
When mechanic and shapeshifter Mercy Thompson attempts to return a powerful Fae book she'd previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down.
It seems the book contains secret knowledge-and the Fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side-leaving Mercy to cover for him, lest his own father declare Sam's life forfeit.
All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she might not have many more to live...
Book 5 in The Mercy Thompson Series
Mercedes is Volkswagen mechanic living in the Tri-Cities area of Washington. Her native american heritage has gifted her with the ability to take the form of a coyote at will. She's surrounded by far more powerful supernatural beings, including werewolves, vampires and an assortment of fey. –Hurog.com
Review:
SILVER BORNE has been my most anticipated novel of the year (and already the River Marked, Mercy #6 is my most anticipated book for next year). Everything I’ve loved about the previous books are here again. Mercy is just plain cool. She is laid back, resilient, tough without being pushy, and brave enough to risk her life for those she loves (which she inevitably does several times in this book). If you want to know exactly how cool Mercy is, check out the Character Profile I’ve compiled for her HERE.
The world building is as rich and nuanced as ever. Werewolf, Fae, and Walker lore are all explored with more detail (sadly Stefan and the vampires are no shows this time out). And a pretty significant piece of Samuel’s past is revealed that will have definite repercussions on future books. I have to say how impressed I am with Patricia Briggs’ ability to showcase her—rather large by this point in the series—cast of characters without making SILVER BORNE feel crowded. Every scene is full and satisfying even though most of the characters only have minor roles, they still have impact.
Well deserved praise aside, I’m sorry to say that I wasn’t as blown away by SILVER BORNE as I expected to be. Maybe I built it up to much, maybe I missed the character of Stefan too much, or maybe it was the lack of romantic tension between Mercy and Adam. They became mates in the previous book, but because of Stefan, there was still plenty of romantic tension. But Adam and Mercy are in full blown couple mode throughout SILVER BORNE constantly telling each other how much they love the other one. Mercy has previously been pretty gun-shy with her feelings, and I didn’t expect her to be this mushy (for Mercy) so quickly.
That all came out harsher than I intended. The Mercy Thompson books are still my pick for best urban fantasy series out there. They set the bar for every other urban fantasy series I read, and no one has dethroned Mercy yet (though Kate Daniels comes close). Even with the minor criticism, SILVER BORNE was an excellent read, and even at hardcover prices, you should put it at the top of your to-buy pile. The next Mercy book is called River Marked, it has a tentative release date for Spring 2011.
Sexual Content: References to a previous rape, references to homosexuality. A brief non graphic sex scene.
My Rating (out of 5): 
Click HERE to read an excerpt of SILVER BOURNE
Product Details
Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: Ace Hardcover; 1 edition (March 30, 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 044101819X
- ISBN-13: 978-0441018192
- Cover art: Daniel Dos Santos
Disagree with my review? Email me your review for this or any other book I’ve reviewed and I might use it for 2nd Opinion Review
