claudiasimsim's review
5.0
this book is so much better than the second, I bought the next two books and now I'm curious to read them
book_whispers's review
5.0
Right up front with this installment it's clear fans are not reading this for the mystery. Well, at least I'm not. The guilty party is always introduced right away. The red herring is a joke and half heartily tossed in. Come on. It's too easy. So what am I reading this for? The astounding world building and mind-blowing characters. Each new book develops both and creates such a vibrant world that I really believe that I could open up my front door and step out into the world of Mercedes Thompson.
The way Briggs created her werewolves and how everything ticked is so intricate and well thought out. It is what separated Mercy's series from the rest. So with each new installment it's pure pleasure to see how the pack works, the politics and everything. To this day I believe that Brigg’s idea on werewolves is what finally pushed other authors to create complex world not just for werewolves but other magical things. Making werewolves the lead, not the sad third wheel. Not only that but she showcased the fae and vampires. Playing a pivotal role in showing that not just vampires deserve the lime light in Urban Fantasy works. The extra effort to create a complex world and mythology is important.
OK. Why did I go on that mini rant? Because each book she adds more to the werewolves. Not just them though. The vampires were introduced more in Blood Bound, and it was tantalizing to see some of their crazy (and I mean scary as all get out) politics and pestering. So now we finally get a peek into the fae. Which is something I've wanted from the get go, and was probably why I was originally disappointed with Blood Bound. Vampires have been done over and over again. But at the time fae in Urban Fantasy was pretty rare. Even now it's not that common. It was fantastic finally getting to step into their world, and getting a peak at how scary they are.
Mercy's world is full of monsters. It's just a question of who's the scariest. Not to mention the poor humans that have no idea that vampires exist so they can't possibly even comprehend how fae, werewolves, and vampires could pose a threat. Like say they end up going to war over misunderstandings and such. There are other magical creatures here such as witches and who knows what else. Let me tell you it's all a heady rush.
What I love about Mercy is that each book she develops and changes as a person. She still stays an amazingly strong person and keeps her core values. But she's human, she can change. She learns. Plus, she doesn't just jump over board and then pick up the pieces. She thinks things through. From how helping her friend might be dangerous and what to avoid to not get dead. To dealing with the two Alpha males, Adam and Sam, who vie for her love. Plus her confusion over Stephan. It's this kind of realism, and Mercy's overall personality, that makes readers understand the romance here. An not mind this love square, because there's different types of love.
This book is a huge ground breaker on the world and the characters. There's plenty of development on all fronts. Even some scary ones. Ones that made me fear for where the series might go. Briggs really proves herself here. Even the writing felt more evolved.
Overall the cliffhanger is soooooo cruel. (Man that was so hard waiting when the next book wasn't out. So cruel.) It was also confusing at the time because of what happened to Mercy. It tossed some mixed signals out there. I want to reassure readers that while it feels like the emotional development ball was dropped, it's not. Breath. The next book picks up right in the same spot, and it's not bad from there. What happened to Mercy isn't ignored, nor is it painfully exploited.
What a fabulous entry! Adam and Sam are both such amazing men! To this day some of my favorite werewolves and they both deserve spots in Mercy's heart. I love how characters that were disliked in the very first book are, at least for me, loved. Ben has some secrets come out and I love him even more. Especially certain scenes with Adam. They both shine. Old beloved characters come back and it's good to see them. There's many scary parts as these beloved characters' lives are on the line. It's great learning more about Zee and the world of the fae. What's more is seeing humans become scary monster's as well. This book is a game changer for the series. But I still love that Brigg's keeps up her dedication to the world building and the characters.
Sexual Content: It’s a spoiler if I say so . . . be a little warned, but it’s nothing graphic. Sexual humor.
5/5- Fabulous, a beautiful obsession!
Originally reviewed at Book Whispers.
The way Briggs created her werewolves and how everything ticked is so intricate and well thought out. It is what separated Mercy's series from the rest. So with each new installment it's pure pleasure to see how the pack works, the politics and everything. To this day I believe that Brigg’s idea on werewolves is what finally pushed other authors to create complex world not just for werewolves but other magical things. Making werewolves the lead, not the sad third wheel. Not only that but she showcased the fae and vampires. Playing a pivotal role in showing that not just vampires deserve the lime light in Urban Fantasy works. The extra effort to create a complex world and mythology is important.
OK. Why did I go on that mini rant? Because each book she adds more to the werewolves. Not just them though. The vampires were introduced more in Blood Bound, and it was tantalizing to see some of their crazy (and I mean scary as all get out) politics and pestering. So now we finally get a peek into the fae. Which is something I've wanted from the get go, and was probably why I was originally disappointed with Blood Bound. Vampires have been done over and over again. But at the time fae in Urban Fantasy was pretty rare. Even now it's not that common. It was fantastic finally getting to step into their world, and getting a peak at how scary they are.
Mercy's world is full of monsters. It's just a question of who's the scariest. Not to mention the poor humans that have no idea that vampires exist so they can't possibly even comprehend how fae, werewolves, and vampires could pose a threat. Like say they end up going to war over misunderstandings and such. There are other magical creatures here such as witches and who knows what else. Let me tell you it's all a heady rush.
What I love about Mercy is that each book she develops and changes as a person. She still stays an amazingly strong person and keeps her core values. But she's human, she can change. She learns. Plus, she doesn't just jump over board and then pick up the pieces. She thinks things through. From how helping her friend might be dangerous and what to avoid to not get dead. To dealing with the two Alpha males, Adam and Sam, who vie for her love. Plus her confusion over Stephan. It's this kind of realism, and Mercy's overall personality, that makes readers understand the romance here. An not mind this love square, because there's different types of love.
This book is a huge ground breaker on the world and the characters. There's plenty of development on all fronts. Even some scary ones. Ones that made me fear for where the series might go. Briggs really proves herself here. Even the writing felt more evolved.
Overall the cliffhanger is soooooo cruel. (Man that was so hard waiting when the next book wasn't out. So cruel.) It was also confusing at the time because of what happened to Mercy. It tossed some mixed signals out there. I want to reassure readers that while it feels like the emotional development ball was dropped, it's not. Breath. The next book picks up right in the same spot, and it's not bad from there. What happened to Mercy isn't ignored, nor is it painfully exploited.
What a fabulous entry! Adam and Sam are both such amazing men! To this day some of my favorite werewolves and they both deserve spots in Mercy's heart. I love how characters that were disliked in the very first book are, at least for me, loved. Ben has some secrets come out and I love him even more. Especially certain scenes with Adam. They both shine. Old beloved characters come back and it's good to see them. There's many scary parts as these beloved characters' lives are on the line. It's great learning more about Zee and the world of the fae. What's more is seeing humans become scary monster's as well. This book is a game changer for the series. But I still love that Brigg's keeps up her dedication to the world building and the characters.
Sexual Content: It’s a spoiler if I say so . . . be a little warned, but it’s nothing graphic. Sexual humor.
5/5- Fabulous, a beautiful obsession!
Originally reviewed at Book Whispers.
kitaweta's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
fictionalkate's review
4.0
Having the best time re-reading this series. I read this book a few years ago and it's just as good as I remembered.
One of the things I like most is how Mercy isn't practically perfect in every way. She's a bit flawed and often doesn't make the best decisions. She also has to face the consequences of when bad stuff happens to and around her.
This book is a bit darker than the first two and I like where the overall plot is going. It always keeps me guessing. And I like that it's a book where even once you know the mystery - it makes sense even if you didn't guess it! I can't stand books where the outcome doesn't make sense based on previous things you knew about the mystery. This one holds up. :)
And holds up nicely to multiple readings. Having so much fun on my Mercy re-read!
One of the things I like most is how Mercy isn't practically perfect in every way. She's a bit flawed and often doesn't make the best decisions. She also has to face the consequences of when bad stuff happens to and around her.
This book is a bit darker than the first two and I like where the overall plot is going. It always keeps me guessing. And I like that it's a book where even once you know the mystery - it makes sense even if you didn't guess it! I can't stand books where the outcome doesn't make sense based on previous things you knew about the mystery. This one holds up. :)
And holds up nicely to multiple readings. Having so much fun on my Mercy re-read!
katestermonster's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This series is just getting better and better. The humans are truly the most terrifying of the monsters in this book. The description of the kelpie was creepy cool.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Moderate: Racial slurs, Suicide, Vomit, and Rape
beeboisourgod's review
3.0
Okay, I'm using my small amount of data to post reviews because I have no control but reading the second book in this series left me with a wild, frenetic energy that may or may not have lead me to frantically purchasing the third book online at a totally reasonable three in the morning because at that moment I needed it as soon as possible. Once the third book arrived, some of that frenetic energy definitely carried over into it as well, but I found it was mostly residual and never quite as strong.
Don’t get me wrong, for a majority of this story, Iron Kissed was teetering on the precipice of four stars like its predecessor, maybe not as definitively, but I was considering it because while I didn’t find the fae as interesting as the vampires were in this case, the writing was still strong and fast paced, the world building was still solid, and the characters and mystery were still intriguing, but then... then it all fell apart in the main focus of the last few chapters...
Well, maybe “fell apart” is a bit too harsh of words, but either way: major content warnings for rape should be heeded, spoilers be damned.
Now, a lot of people make fun of fanfiction sites like AO3 and call younger readers spoiled when they voice their desire to emulate a similar tagging system in regular published novels. I’m not one of those people and honestly think the tagging system is a fantastic idea for many reasons, but one very prominent and overlooked reason for why the tags are particularly helpful is not only to filter tastes and tropes, but also content warnings, and even more importantly, consent to see that content. Some may argue that ruins the surprise of some stories, but I want to stop being surprised by the things that not only make me uncomfortable but can also be extremely triggering to others. The amount of times I’ve been thrown into a seemingly innocent book before being completely sidewinded by an incredibly heavy and sensitive gotcha plot point is too many to count. I just finished another book with a rape scene thrown in from left field then swept under the rug, and another a few months ago and yet another and another; now Iron Kissed has added itself to those ranks. While I do know it’s something many people, not only women, unfortunately do go through in the real world and something that does at times need to be explored in fiction because it’s a difficult issue that can’t just be glossed over or ignored, I also think in a lot of these cases, it’s not necessary to the story at hand. Though I do believe Patricia Briggs handles the topic better than some *coughs* Charlaine Harris *coughs,* the sheer number of times I’ve seen a plot point like this happening in stories like these is becoming so large, it’s horrifyingly starting to feel like a gimmick; like, it feels cheap, it feels slimy, and it feels like the only way writers know how to cause problems or relationship drama or quote unquote “weaken” and shake the confidence of their strong women characters, turning them into a victim, and I’m getting tired of it. I’m getting tired of having to see characters I like go through this, often to have them feel guilty, to again quote unquote “knock them down a peg,” to have a man come to their rescue, to stir up unneeded tension between them and said man, etc, etc. I’m tired, I’m tired, I’m tired, and Mercy deserves better. Granted, this series is not the worst offender I’ve seen—the event is at least treated with a decent amount of understanding and respect, though there is always a fine line to tread there—and on the other side of the coin, those with similar experiences may find comfort in Mercy overcoming her ordeal with time and if that’s the case, I can respect that and do believe I have to look at that perspective, too, but at this point, being not the first I’ve read even in the past two weeks, I’ve reached a boiling point and am not feeling particularly charitable on the subject.
Moving on though, if I were to keep going in this review with paragraphs like that, we’d be here for days, so I think the rest I will sum up in bullet points.
Other things I did like:
-I was worried there was going to be major focus on the love triangle between Mercy, Adam, and Samuel instead of the plot, especially since I’m not at all fond of Samuel, especially not as a love interest, but Patricia Briggs pulled through for me on that front, wrapping it up fairly quickly actually, though some of Adam's behaviour is putting him on thin ice in this installment.
-I like seeing Mercy connect with Ben more and seeing the other side of him, it’s a very small detail, but it’s interesting. His current role and some of his mannerisms, origin and appearance, though, do make me wonder, just out of curiosity, if at least part of his character was loosely inspired by Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, much like I wondered if that pianist vampire in the first book was inspired by Drusilla. No piece of media is going to escape my comparison to that show, okay, that show is practically a part of me, but anyway.
-Seeing a glimpse into the world of the fae, and the way their morality and politics differs to that of the vampires’ or werewolves’ was also interesting, though not quite as interesting as the vampires, it was neat to have the focus on them for once since they’ve only been briefly mentioned or shown in the first two books.
Other things I didn’t like:
-I know Mercy wasn’t happy with him, but I would have liked to see Stefan at least once, like even for a brief cameo or something, come on.
-Some of the “Indian” comments seemed in poor taste and a little outdated.
-The werewolf dominance stuff, romance and Mercy's submission or fear of submission to Adam, who becomes extra possessive in this book, takes a front seat here and it gets a little awkward and repetitive at points, but still not to the point of over-annoyance so maybe I'll let it slide... but... I don't know.
-Mercy feels very.... I won’t say out of character here, but she doesn’t feel quite like the person we first met in the series, though I think that may be the point of this book, it all feels just a little off, in her fears about Adam, in her guilt, in her doubt and everything in between. Again, I don't really know, it also just feels a little early to be shaking up the status quo so much. In a way, (yes, I’m going to reference it again), it reminds me of season 6 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and contrary to most other seasons, that’s... not a compliment. Because the real villain of season 6 is not a demon, not magic, nor a monster; it’s life, and it tears all the characters down in such real, almost mundane ways, it hurts. It also happens to have an incredibly controversial rape story-line, so like I said, it’s getting tiring, and it's like it's being used for shock value.
Overall, I still think this book was written relatively well, but I also think it’s relatively heavy subject-matter wise and should be read with caution. I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as Blood Bound, which is disappointing, but I didn’t even come close to hating it, so that’s something. It’s a decent book that’s rough around the edges, and it has a lot of edges. After Blood Bound, I’ve come to really like the world and the characters, so I feel a fondness for it regardless, but Iron Kissed has left me on rather neutral ground in the end, and while I still want to read the next book very soon, I now do so with a new wariness.
Don’t get me wrong, for a majority of this story, Iron Kissed was teetering on the precipice of four stars like its predecessor, maybe not as definitively, but I was considering it because while I didn’t find the fae as interesting as the vampires were in this case, the writing was still strong and fast paced, the world building was still solid, and the characters and mystery were still intriguing, but then... then it all fell apart in the main focus of the last few chapters...
Well, maybe “fell apart” is a bit too harsh of words, but either way: major content warnings for rape should be heeded, spoilers be damned.
Now, a lot of people make fun of fanfiction sites like AO3 and call younger readers spoiled when they voice their desire to emulate a similar tagging system in regular published novels. I’m not one of those people and honestly think the tagging system is a fantastic idea for many reasons, but one very prominent and overlooked reason for why the tags are particularly helpful is not only to filter tastes and tropes, but also content warnings, and even more importantly, consent to see that content. Some may argue that ruins the surprise of some stories, but I want to stop being surprised by the things that not only make me uncomfortable but can also be extremely triggering to others. The amount of times I’ve been thrown into a seemingly innocent book before being completely sidewinded by an incredibly heavy and sensitive gotcha plot point is too many to count. I just finished another book with a rape scene thrown in from left field then swept under the rug, and another a few months ago and yet another and another; now Iron Kissed has added itself to those ranks. While I do know it’s something many people, not only women, unfortunately do go through in the real world and something that does at times need to be explored in fiction because it’s a difficult issue that can’t just be glossed over or ignored, I also think in a lot of these cases, it’s not necessary to the story at hand. Though I do believe Patricia Briggs handles the topic better than some *coughs* Charlaine Harris *coughs,* the sheer number of times I’ve seen a plot point like this happening in stories like these is becoming so large, it’s horrifyingly starting to feel like a gimmick; like, it feels cheap, it feels slimy, and it feels like the only way writers know how to cause problems or relationship drama or quote unquote “weaken” and shake the confidence of their strong women characters, turning them into a victim, and I’m getting tired of it. I’m getting tired of having to see characters I like go through this, often to have them feel guilty, to again quote unquote “knock them down a peg,” to have a man come to their rescue, to stir up unneeded tension between them and said man, etc, etc. I’m tired, I’m tired, I’m tired, and Mercy deserves better. Granted, this series is not the worst offender I’ve seen—the event is at least treated with a decent amount of understanding and respect, though there is always a fine line to tread there—and on the other side of the coin, those with similar experiences may find comfort in Mercy overcoming her ordeal with time and if that’s the case, I can respect that and do believe I have to look at that perspective, too, but at this point, being not the first I’ve read even in the past two weeks, I’ve reached a boiling point and am not feeling particularly charitable on the subject.
Moving on though, if I were to keep going in this review with paragraphs like that, we’d be here for days, so I think the rest I will sum up in bullet points.
Other things I did like:
-I was worried there was going to be major focus on the love triangle between Mercy, Adam, and Samuel instead of the plot, especially since I’m not at all fond of Samuel, especially not as a love interest, but Patricia Briggs pulled through for me on that front, wrapping it up fairly quickly actually, though some of Adam's behaviour is putting him on thin ice in this installment.
-I like seeing Mercy connect with Ben more and seeing the other side of him, it’s a very small detail, but it’s interesting. His current role and some of his mannerisms, origin and appearance, though, do make me wonder, just out of curiosity, if at least part of his character was loosely inspired by Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, much like I wondered if that pianist vampire in the first book was inspired by Drusilla. No piece of media is going to escape my comparison to that show, okay, that show is practically a part of me, but anyway.
-Seeing a glimpse into the world of the fae, and the way their morality and politics differs to that of the vampires’ or werewolves’ was also interesting, though not quite as interesting as the vampires, it was neat to have the focus on them for once since they’ve only been briefly mentioned or shown in the first two books.
Other things I didn’t like:
-I know Mercy wasn’t happy with him, but I would have liked to see Stefan at least once, like even for a brief cameo or something, come on.
-Some of the “Indian” comments seemed in poor taste and a little outdated.
-The werewolf dominance stuff, romance and Mercy's submission or fear of submission to Adam, who becomes extra possessive in this book, takes a front seat here and it gets a little awkward and repetitive at points, but still not to the point of over-annoyance so maybe I'll let it slide... but... I don't know.
-Mercy feels very.... I won’t say out of character here, but she doesn’t feel quite like the person we first met in the series, though I think that may be the point of this book, it all feels just a little off, in her fears about Adam, in her guilt, in her doubt and everything in between. Again, I don't really know, it also just feels a little early to be shaking up the status quo so much. In a way, (yes, I’m going to reference it again), it reminds me of season 6 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and contrary to most other seasons, that’s... not a compliment. Because the real villain of season 6 is not a demon, not magic, nor a monster; it’s life, and it tears all the characters down in such real, almost mundane ways, it hurts. It also happens to have an incredibly controversial rape story-line, so like I said, it’s getting tiring, and it's like it's being used for shock value.
Overall, I still think this book was written relatively well, but I also think it’s relatively heavy subject-matter wise and should be read with caution. I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as Blood Bound, which is disappointing, but I didn’t even come close to hating it, so that’s something. It’s a decent book that’s rough around the edges, and it has a lot of edges. After Blood Bound, I’ve come to really like the world and the characters, so I feel a fondness for it regardless, but Iron Kissed has left me on rather neutral ground in the end, and while I still want to read the next book very soon, I now do so with a new wariness.
foesandlovers's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 STARS
This was so goddamn good. I feel so bad for Mercy omg
This was so goddamn good. I feel so bad for Mercy omg
bianca_horkan's review against another edition
5.0
The series is getting better and better. Can't wait for the next installment.