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sophiarose1816's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was my second time through the book, but this time I had it in the fabulous audio edition which enhanced my experience tremendously. Shifting Shadows stood the test of time and was even better this time through.
I am always eager to return to the World of Mercy Thompson and was thrilled to see that all the shorter stories were pulled together in one volume along with several new ones. I love how each story has an introduction to the author explaining background, where it originally appeared or even how the story came to be. This was almost the worth of a new original story. As I do with most anthologies, I'll make a note of each story individually.
First up was Silver, a never before seen story that is a prequel as it tells the story of Bran, Samuel and Ariana long ago. It's an origin story of sorts and it is a tale of sadness, pain, hope and love. Surprising details that were not known from the earlier written books were just an added bonus. Definitely a hit involving favorite series characters.
5 Stars #.1 Mercy Thompson
Fairy Gifts was a lovely bit of surprise about a Chinese vampire who was turned during the height of the mining days in Butte, MT. An encounter with the fey leaves him with an interesting gift and many years later it is his turn to return the favor. Story is told in flashbacks and present day bits all from the vampire Tom's perspective. Fantastic twist at the end.
4.5 Stars
Gray took me up by my emotions and even wrung some tears from me. The author doesn't sugarcoat the transition people go through when they suddenly become one of the monsters. In this case, it is the story a woman's tragic life when she is changed to vampire. She leaves her Seethe behind to return to the place she thought of as home even if it meant returning to the territory of a powerful vampire seethe leader. Just maybe she will regain some of the humanity and the spirit of the love she lost in her old home.
4.5 Stars
Seeing Eye is an older novella that was produced for an anthology introducing the witch Moira and the werewolf Tom who also appear in Alpha and Omega's Hunting Grounds with Charles and Anna. It was an engaging story as the two warily team up to search out Tom's brother and save him from the local coven to which Moira has an unfortunate connection.
4.5 stars #.6 Alpha & Omega
Alpha and Omega also appeared as a novella in an anthology as the prequel to the Alpha and Omega series introducing Charles and Anna. It is exciting and suspenseful, but it also builds an interest to read on in the series for what is the come after.
4.5 stars #.5 Alpha & Omega
The Star of David was the Urban Fantasy version of a feel-good for a secondary character from Moon Called, the werewolf David. I enjoyed the holiday mission he was on for his daughter and hope to encounter more of him in further books.
5 Stars #1.5 Mercy Thompson
Roses in Winter was just captivating as it follow-up on the little girl werewolf Kara, Asil and Bran. My heart went out to all three as Kara's struggles to learn how to be a wolf might force Bran into a hard decision. I love how the author infuses something tragic with hope and triumph.
5 Stars #5.5 Mercy Thompson, #2.5 Alpha & Omega
In Red, With Pearls- Warren is the main character!!!!
Oh, guess I need to say more, but seriously this was like a special treat that I wasn't expecting. I've loved this character in the Mercy Thompson series and it was a blast having him solving a mystery. If Patricia Briggs ever decides to write a mystery, I think it will sell big.
5 Stars #6.5 Mercy Thompson
Redemption featured Ben the werewolf from Adam and Mercy's Pack. I enjoyed this short story from his perspective that gave more details of his life before coming to Adam's pack and the character growth he undergoes in this story.
5 Stars #7.5 Mercy Thompson
And she saved the best for last in Hollow being an actual Mercy story. Mercy is left deciding what to do about her demolished garage, but in the meantime she is offered a ghost hunt to keep her busy. Nice little tide over until the next book.
4.5 Stars #8.5 Mercy Thompson
Two outtakes from Silver Bourne and Night Broken were cool extras at the end.
Stellar job of narrating from Lorelei King and Alexander Cendese, both are the regular narrators of the Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series.
All in all, this was a fantastic anthology for fans of the author, but also Urban Fantasy readers in general though I would definitely advice the reader to get this anthology after starting the Mercy Thompson books so the people and world building can be appreciated better.
I am always eager to return to the World of Mercy Thompson and was thrilled to see that all the shorter stories were pulled together in one volume along with several new ones. I love how each story has an introduction to the author explaining background, where it originally appeared or even how the story came to be. This was almost the worth of a new original story. As I do with most anthologies, I'll make a note of each story individually.
First up was Silver, a never before seen story that is a prequel as it tells the story of Bran, Samuel and Ariana long ago. It's an origin story of sorts and it is a tale of sadness, pain, hope and love. Surprising details that were not known from the earlier written books were just an added bonus. Definitely a hit involving favorite series characters.
5 Stars #.1 Mercy Thompson
Fairy Gifts was a lovely bit of surprise about a Chinese vampire who was turned during the height of the mining days in Butte, MT. An encounter with the fey leaves him with an interesting gift and many years later it is his turn to return the favor. Story is told in flashbacks and present day bits all from the vampire Tom's perspective. Fantastic twist at the end.
4.5 Stars
Gray took me up by my emotions and even wrung some tears from me. The author doesn't sugarcoat the transition people go through when they suddenly become one of the monsters. In this case, it is the story a woman's tragic life when she is changed to vampire. She leaves her Seethe behind to return to the place she thought of as home even if it meant returning to the territory of a powerful vampire seethe leader. Just maybe she will regain some of the humanity and the spirit of the love she lost in her old home.
4.5 Stars
Seeing Eye is an older novella that was produced for an anthology introducing the witch Moira and the werewolf Tom who also appear in Alpha and Omega's Hunting Grounds with Charles and Anna. It was an engaging story as the two warily team up to search out Tom's brother and save him from the local coven to which Moira has an unfortunate connection.
4.5 stars #.6 Alpha & Omega
Alpha and Omega also appeared as a novella in an anthology as the prequel to the Alpha and Omega series introducing Charles and Anna. It is exciting and suspenseful, but it also builds an interest to read on in the series for what is the come after.
4.5 stars #.5 Alpha & Omega
The Star of David was the Urban Fantasy version of a feel-good for a secondary character from Moon Called, the werewolf David. I enjoyed the holiday mission he was on for his daughter and hope to encounter more of him in further books.
5 Stars #1.5 Mercy Thompson
Roses in Winter was just captivating as it follow-up on the little girl werewolf Kara, Asil and Bran. My heart went out to all three as Kara's struggles to learn how to be a wolf might force Bran into a hard decision. I love how the author infuses something tragic with hope and triumph.
5 Stars #5.5 Mercy Thompson, #2.5 Alpha & Omega
In Red, With Pearls- Warren is the main character!!!!
Oh, guess I need to say more, but seriously this was like a special treat that I wasn't expecting. I've loved this character in the Mercy Thompson series and it was a blast having him solving a mystery. If Patricia Briggs ever decides to write a mystery, I think it will sell big.
5 Stars #6.5 Mercy Thompson
Redemption featured Ben the werewolf from Adam and Mercy's Pack. I enjoyed this short story from his perspective that gave more details of his life before coming to Adam's pack and the character growth he undergoes in this story.
5 Stars #7.5 Mercy Thompson
And she saved the best for last in Hollow being an actual Mercy story. Mercy is left deciding what to do about her demolished garage, but in the meantime she is offered a ghost hunt to keep her busy. Nice little tide over until the next book.
4.5 Stars #8.5 Mercy Thompson
Two outtakes from Silver Bourne and Night Broken were cool extras at the end.
Stellar job of narrating from Lorelei King and Alexander Cendese, both are the regular narrators of the Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series.
All in all, this was a fantastic anthology for fans of the author, but also Urban Fantasy readers in general though I would definitely advice the reader to get this anthology after starting the Mercy Thompson books so the people and world building can be appreciated better.
sidnilayne's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
At first I was really hesitant on reading all of these stories, because it was hard to figure out where they went and why they were important. Very much thankful that a Mercy Verse timeline exists for this reason!
I liked getting some more stories from the world, but most importantly I LOVED the deleted scenes that were included. I know that I would feel this way if I didn't know they existed, but deleting those scenes feels like a betrayal! They added so much more depth to the books and I loved it.
I liked getting some more stories from the world, but most importantly I LOVED the deleted scenes that were included. I know that I would feel this way if I didn't know they existed, but deleting those scenes feels like a betrayal! They added so much more depth to the books and I loved it.
tara_whitaker's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
prairiewolf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ceena's review against another edition
5.0
This has a lot of great stories to fit into the Mercy Thompson series. I definitely want to add this one to my collection.
I am not a huge fan of the first few, even though they were fantastic. Of course, I did absolutely love Ben's story, but I am totally biased here.
So many great little (sometimes long) stories that work so well with adding to the overall story, but not being absolutely necessary. There is so much depth added to the series though, so I am glad I read it.
I am not a huge fan of the first few, even though they were fantastic. Of course, I did absolutely love Ben's story, but I am totally biased here.
So many great little (sometimes long) stories that work so well with adding to the overall story, but not being absolutely necessary. There is so much depth added to the series though, so I am glad I read it.
claygirley's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
writings_of_a_reader's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a huge Mercy Thompson fan and I've read every one of the books, including the spin off series with Charles and Anna, so I have no idea why it took me so long to read this compilation of stories from that world, especially since I have this in three forms! But I finally got around to it and of course I loved it.
There are a total of 10 stories plus 2 outtakes in the book and I'll add my ratings and any thoughts on each one below.
Silver- 4 stars. This was a story that went way back to when Samuel was turned into a werewolf. Bran is featured as well and I liked getting this backstory on the two of them. It also tells how Samuel first met Ariana and how they eventually ended up parting ways.
Fairy Gifts- 3.5 stars. This one features Margaret who played a small role in Fire Touched. It's been a few years since I read that book, so I struggled to remember who she was. I liked this story a lot, but it didn't hold my interest as much as I wanted it to.
Gray- 3.5 stars. A story about a woman who gets turned into a vampire in 1920s Chicago and the tragic results. I enjoyed the ghost story aspect of it the most.
Seeing Eye- 4 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story about how Tom and Moira from Hunting Ground met.
Alpha and Omega- 4 stars. Most people have read this prequel story to the Charles and Anna books, but I never got around to reading it until now. Typically I would dislike how instantly these two fall for each other, but I can give it a pass considering the circumstances and the wolf mate thing. I've always loved Anna as a character and it was interesting to actually read this even though it has been recapped a lot in the series.
The Star of David- 4 stars. This story is about Adam's old military buddy David Christiansen who was featured in Moon Called. It tells about what happens when his estranged daughter, Stella needs his help with a problem involving something supernatural. I really liked this one and the themes it touched on of love and forgiveness.
Roses in Winter- 4 stars. This is the story of the teenage werewolf Kara who is mentioned in Blood Bound. Patricia Briggs wasn't able to fit it into the book, but I'm glad that it was included here. I liked finding out what happened to Kara, and also the friendship she forms with Asil.
In Red, with Pearls-4 stars. This one is a story about Warren. I always enjoy Warren in the books, so this was a nice bit of insight into his character.
Redemption- 3.5 stars. This story is about Ben and it centers around his workplace and job as a DBA. I enjoyed the bit of character growth for him in this story, and the part with him trying to quit swearing for a week were pretty funny.
Hollow4 stars. Finally we get a story about Mercy. I thought there would be more of them, but this is the only one. Mercy reluctantly helps someone with a ghost problem here, and of course things get pretty hairy, just like every time Mercy gets involved in something. I found this one very entertaining.
There are a couple of outtakes at the end of the book that I thought were pretty good, one from Silver Borne about Samuel and Ariana and one from Night Broken that involves Adam and Coyote.
There are a total of 10 stories plus 2 outtakes in the book and I'll add my ratings and any thoughts on each one below.
Silver- 4 stars. This was a story that went way back to when Samuel was turned into a werewolf. Bran is featured as well and I liked getting this backstory on the two of them. It also tells how Samuel first met Ariana and how they eventually ended up parting ways.
Fairy Gifts- 3.5 stars. This one features Margaret who played a small role in Fire Touched. It's been a few years since I read that book, so I struggled to remember who she was. I liked this story a lot, but it didn't hold my interest as much as I wanted it to.
Gray- 3.5 stars. A story about a woman who gets turned into a vampire in 1920s Chicago and the tragic results. I enjoyed the ghost story aspect of it the most.
Seeing Eye- 4 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story about how Tom and Moira from Hunting Ground met.
Alpha and Omega- 4 stars. Most people have read this prequel story to the Charles and Anna books, but I never got around to reading it until now. Typically I would dislike how instantly these two fall for each other, but I can give it a pass considering the circumstances and the wolf mate thing. I've always loved Anna as a character and it was interesting to actually read this even though it has been recapped a lot in the series.
The Star of David- 4 stars. This story is about Adam's old military buddy David Christiansen who was featured in Moon Called. It tells about what happens when his estranged daughter, Stella needs his help with a problem involving something supernatural. I really liked this one and the themes it touched on of love and forgiveness.
Roses in Winter- 4 stars. This is the story of the teenage werewolf Kara who is mentioned in Blood Bound. Patricia Briggs wasn't able to fit it into the book, but I'm glad that it was included here. I liked finding out what happened to Kara, and also the friendship she forms with Asil.
In Red, with Pearls-4 stars. This one is a story about Warren. I always enjoy Warren in the books, so this was a nice bit of insight into his character.
Redemption- 3.5 stars. This story is about Ben and it centers around his workplace and job as a DBA. I enjoyed the bit of character growth for him in this story, and the part with him trying to quit swearing for a week were pretty funny.
Hollow4 stars. Finally we get a story about Mercy. I thought there would be more of them, but this is the only one. Mercy reluctantly helps someone with a ghost problem here, and of course things get pretty hairy, just like every time Mercy gets involved in something. I found this one very entertaining.
There are a couple of outtakes at the end of the book that I thought were pretty good, one from Silver Borne about Samuel and Ariana and one from Night Broken that involves Adam and Coyote.
annettesbookbanter's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
When I picked up this book, I didn't pay much attention to the synopsis so I had assumed that this would be novellas in either of the MCs from the series. However I was pleasantly surprised that most of them are about side characters and their backstories.
I really enjoyed all of the novellas but my favourite was actually the one about Asil and Kara. I love Asil's character and to get to see a softer side of him through this novella was great. I also really enjoyed the backstory and further information of the other characters. The one about Samuel and Arianna, how they met, how their relationship developed and also family history of both her and his side including his father Bran, it all gave so much more depth to the characters and also weight to their parts in the series.
If you are reading or considering reading this series, I highly recommend reading these novellas. I only wished that I had known about them earlier so that I could have read them throughout the series.
I really enjoyed all of the novellas but my favourite was actually the one about Asil and Kara. I love Asil's character and to get to see a softer side of him through this novella was great. I also really enjoyed the backstory and further information of the other characters. The one about Samuel and Arianna, how they met, how their relationship developed and also family history of both her and his side including his father Bran, it all gave so much more depth to the characters and also weight to their parts in the series.
If you are reading or considering reading this series, I highly recommend reading these novellas. I only wished that I had known about them earlier so that I could have read them throughout the series.