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A review by writings_of_a_reader
Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs
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.