I may be bias because I am a Patricia Briggs reader and Mercy has always been a favorer series, but this book is one of the reasons I am fan of her writting. I heard at a conference years ago that many book contracts would have a clause in them that said a female main character has to have a complicated love life. I don't remember if it was a blog post or on a panel, but I believe Briggs reply was something along thevlines of complicated did not have not mean not monogamous. She writes about complicated and complex relationships. Between Adam and Mercy, between Mecy and Bran, between Mercy and the pack, and proves that it is not just action or romantic tension that make this series a time tested favorite of genre readers.

As always I loved it! Theres just something so relatable about Mercy as a character that you get really involved in her stories. In this chapter of Mercy's adventures we are still dealing with the fallout of her rash declaration on the bridge, with Underhill or Tilly and some fae and werewolf problems, not to mention some unexpected consequences from taking out the witches previously. Never a dull moment with our Mercy! A definite must read for returning fans.

Still dealing with the after-effects of the conflict with the witches in Storm Cursed, Mercy barely has a chance to rest before another conflict arises. This time in the guise of a smoke beast that is able to transform into whatever victim it happens to bite and control their body and mind for a time. It soon becomes apparent that said smoke beast has broken free from Underhill - the former fae stronghold. But figuring out how to return the smoke beast to Underhill is only one worry on Mercy's plate. It seems that some rogue werewolves have entered the Pack's territory and are looking to stir up some trouble. Wouldn't be a big issue except that Adam has been keeping the mating bond between himself and Mercy on lockdown for reasons she doesn't know as he won't talk to her about what's going on. If there's one thing we should all know about Mercedes Athena Thompson Hauptman is that even though she may on occasion court chaos as is her coyote nature, she also never gives up without a fight.

Smoke Bitten was exactly what I needed to read at this moment. Maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much. But the comfort of being back with Mercy and Adam and all the other character we've come to know and love (in some cases fear) over the course of this series hit the right spot for me.

In Storm Cursed I loved Patricia Briggs adding the witches into the mix as they are a magical group that we haven't had much interactions with in the series besides a few singular witches here and there. It seemed, at first, like Smoke Bitten was going to go back to the Fae again and it does so in some respects, but I loved the spin the Patricia Briggs brings to this tale in regards to determining what - or who - the smoke beast is. And I'm honestly very intrigued by the repercussions that will eventually resonate within the series.

I've always been impressed with how this series takes storylines and stretches them across numerous books. Something that happened in the first book - for example - could have long reaching consequences that happen in the fifth book. So is the same here with Smoke Bitten although it deals more with the fallout after Storm Cursed. But it also teases things that we can surely see come up as conflict down the line somewhere. Patricia Briggs's penchant for planning and playing the long game cannot be equaled. I like that Patricia Briggs doesn't give us huge story arcs. They feel more like and ebb and flow of the tide, bringing things in and out again and again with changes each time.


What caught me from the start this time around is the emphasis on Mercy and Adam's relationship. More specifically, the fact that they're having some problems at the moment. It really speaks to reality that these characters have found their love with each other, and they are devoted to one another but that doesn't preclude them from having problems pop up in their relationships from time to time. I love that Patricia Briggs explores issues between Mercy and Adam every now and then. Because I'm so sure of their relationship and the fact that they are mated and do love one another it's like safe space to bring up marital issues without threat of either of them quitting the relationship. I love seeing them work through their problems and Smoke Bitten gives them a doozy. But it, again, incorporates things from across the entire series, things that have been building. Or things that have been pushed aside and not dealt with entirely.

There is a reason why this series has been chugging along for so many years: it's because Patricia Briggs consistently brings it in terms of storyline and characterization and Smoke Bitten is another addition to a great series.

Smoke Bitten is enjoyable and another example of how resilient Mercy can be and how strong her support system is. Of course, Mercy realizing this is part of a learning experience for her. This book is full of the usual characters including the pack, the vampires we love, and the Fae. There are interesting developments and of course conversations that give you chills in both good ways and bad.

Underhill is kicking up trouble, and in the midst of this we get to see more of Aiden and him learning how much he means to Mercy. This is something that stands out in this book, Aiden’s growing place in the family and I’m excited to see this develop further. In addition to the prisoner that has escaped Underhill, there is also a Werewolf pack that is encroaching on their territory and something else that Adam is dealing with on his own. A lot happens in this book, but nothing is left hanging.

Twelve books into this series and it is still going strong and I don’t ever want them to end. I definitely give this book 5 stars because we see a lot of growth and touch basis with a lot of characters, including Bran. There are fun moments in-between the drama and seriousness and moments that just make you so happy. All bases are covered and characters grow. I can’t recommend this enough.

#SmokeBitten #NetGalley

Smoke Bitten is the twelfth book in the Mercy Thompson series and can only be read as part of the saga. Too much character and world building take place in earlier novels for this story to make sense to anyone who hasn’t read those tales and this volume contains spoilers for the earlier works. You have to really like a series to read that far into it, along with the adjacent narratives (Alpha & Omega) that make up the Mercyverse and their various short stories. I have read everything, which makes this a review by a fan for other fans. My grade reflects that.

Things have been a bit tense in the Thompson/Hauptman household as of late. Adam’s daughter Jesse has informed everyone that she will be going to a different university than initially planned. Adam’s ex, Christy, blames Mercy for this but Adam knows it is because he is an alpha-werewolf and head of the Columbia Basin Pack. Over the course of the last few years he has made powerful enemies who are vampires, witches, and werewolves, against whom the human Jesse would stand no chance on her own. She needs to be somewhere the pack can protect her, which is why she is attending a more local university and not one close to her mom. Those in the pack who are friends of Christy also blame Mercy; not just for the change of plan but for the fact that as the daughter of a god of chaos she has attracted a lot of trouble, hence their having such powerful enemies. Those nay-sayers are quick to add their voices to the family discussion. Auriele is among the most vocal of those complainers, coming dangerously close to breaking a recently imposed law by Adam that forbids pack members to attack his mate.

When Mercy goes into her yard to give everyone, including herself, a chance to cool down, she makes an unfortunate discovery: Underhill has opened a door to the fairy realm in their landscaping. Centuries ago, when the fae were cast out of their home, they were forced to leave behind some of its nastier, deadlier denizens. Without the ruling council to force them to behave, those creatures roamed freely through the realm, wreaking chaos and destruction, killing each other at will. Only the deadliest survived and they are all trying to get into the human world. Having a door in the backyard means something quite nasty might escape its prison and land right smack in the middle of her lawn.

Just a few hours later, Mercy is proven right about that concern. A being who enslaves people with a single bite, then assumes their form and heads out on a murder spree, is now running around the Tri-Cities having come through the door in her garden. She and Adam begin a hunt to kill it only to discover a whole other host of problems along the way. Now it will take the whole pack to deal with the troubles but as Honey points out, the pack has been losing members and is reaching a critical point in numbers. They aren’t up to tackling yet another magical enemy, much less several of them, but it seems as though they have no choice.

Fans of the series will remember that an important group of witches played a role in the last novel, Storm Cursed. We learn in this book that Adam is still experiencing some nasty side effects from his final encounter with them. We also revisit Mercy’s changed relationship with Wulfe, whom she hit with some kind of magical whammy at the end of the last story. Wulfe is now stalking Mercy, an unfortunate complication since he is one freaky powerful vampire. This looks like it’s going to be a continuing thread and I have to admit I am deeply interested in where it is going, especially given the last scene in the novel.

The narrative is, of course, filled with other familiar characters like Stefan, Sherwood, Zee, Tad, and Beauclaire. Especially of interest is the relationship between Tad and Jesse, who seem to be growing closer. Definitely something to watch for in the future. Underhill, in its guise as a creeptacular young girl, plays a pivotal role in the story as do some rogue werewolves, and the new fae enemy.

As always, Briggs’ world building is phenomenal and the universe she has created is detailed, original and complex. She’s done a fabulous job of constructing a believable environment where modern technology and magical beings exist side by side.

As great as all that is, there were some problems with the text. I struggled with the backstory for one of the rogue wolves since it seemed to go against information given in previous chronicles and conflicted with what we know of Bran’s and Charles’ characters. Additionally, I found myself frustrated by the extremely action-packed pace of this novel. In the earlier works, problems slowly cropped up and built to an explosive ending. These last few books, we aren’t a chapter into the story before we’re chasing murderous goblins or fighting fae and the narratives just don’t have the time to spend on character and relationship building that they used to. Additionally, the Mercyverse now has so many denizens that it is almost impossible for beloved figures to do more than make cameos. Hopefully, the next tale won’t just include fan favorite cast members but will spend more time exploring who they are and how they fit into this world.

Quibbles aside, Smoke Bitten is a must read for its intended audience, and will be a page-turning pleasure for fans. As stated before, it is definitely not the place to begin if you aren’t familiar with the series – that would be book one, the outstanding Moon Called – but I promise by the time you work your way through the excellent beginning novels and get to this one, you will be quite delighted with Smoke Bitten.

First I would like to thank both Ace and Netgalley for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this novel. I love this series so it really meant a lot to me. However, all thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

The Mercy Thompson series is the longest running series that I still read. The emphasis there is on still read. There are other series in this genre that I gave up a few years ago after twenty or so odd books. I guess I was just ready to give up those characters and, for me, the quality of writing had deteriorated. However, this series still continues to interest me and the entire series has been four or five star reads. Smoke Bitten is no exception, it is a solid book.

Interpersonal conflict, predominantly amongst the pack, is what really drives the story line forward for most of this novel. Yes, they’re still looking for it, learning about it, and fighting it while their conflict hashes itself out, but it really takes second or I would even argue third stage. Personally, I would put the marital issues with Adam and Mercy in second. Now, while this really wasn’t too much of a problem for me, as I have always been a character first reader, some readers who prefer more action may not like this novel as well as the ones preceding it.

Since I am a character first reader, I really enjoyed all of the conflict between the characters and seeing how they were able to resolve the conflict or not. I also enjoyed having a little more emphasis on the relationship between Mercy and Adam. I love how their relationship has evolved over time and that it isn’t a perfect marriage. However, I found some of the imagery used during exploration of their bonds to be a bit strange. I don’t feel they fit with the overall imagery of Mercy’s powers. Obviously, as I am not the author it isn’t my choice, but I found it a bit jarring each time they were used.

Overall, this is another solid installment of the Mercy Thompson series and I think most fans are going to be quite happy with it. I wouldn’t recommend this as a first foray into the world as there is a lot of emphasis on interpersonal conflict and plot points that were started in other books. As always, I look forward to what Patricia Briggs’s has in store for Mercy’s next adventure. Smoke Bitten comes out on March 17th and makes excellent quarantine reading.

Smoke Bitten isn’t a major entry in the Mercy Thompson series, but it’s still a fun read.

Some of the plot involves fallout from Mercy’s encounter with the Hardesty witches in the previous volume. For example, her husband Adam has been acting strangely ever since they killed all the witches, and Mercy is starting to be concerned about him and their relationship. Wulfe the crazy vampire is also now stalking Mercy for unknown reasons. Then Underhill creates a door in Mercy’s backyard, and magical deaths caused by a mysterious escapee from the magical realm soon follow. And on top of all that, a rogue group of werewolves enter the pack’s territory to challenge them for control.

Mercy just can’t catch a break. But then, she IS Coyote’s daughter, after all.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot. Readers might be able to guess the identity of entity causing all the mayhem if they pay attention; it’s someone we’ve all heard of before. A favorite “character” of mine shows up again in the process, too.

At the end, Wulfe’s plot thread remains unresolved. Since he fascinates me, I’m looking forward to the next book!

A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2020/03/15/smoke-bitten-by-patricia-briggs/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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This year we are doing a <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/category/read-along/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Read-Along</strong></a> of the <em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/40932-mercy-thompson" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Mercy Thompson</strong></a></em> series. We are currently reading <strong>Bone Crossed</strong> which is the fourth book.  We would love to have you join us!  Because of the Read-along, I am only doing my first thoughts here with a full review later in the year for the Read-along.
<ul>
<li>I really love this author and this series. Each book is so well-written with rich details, cleverly crafted plots, and imperfect, realistic characters. I appreciate the subtle humor as well.</li>
<li>The main characters may be werewolves, except Mercy isn't and the fae, vampires and witches always seem to have a role in the current situation.</li>
<li>Mercy is incredible!  I love how intelligent and compassionate she is, even when it would be so easy to not risk herself for who mistreat her.  She is so very often alone in her efforts.  Is this because she is independent or because the pace of the revelations happens so quickly she has to act spur the moment?</li>
<li>I still don't like Christy!</li>
<li>I still love Kyle!</li>
<li>In the reread, I have been much more aware of her relationship with Adam. I didn't appreciate the first time around, how much he loves her and the difficult positions they face, partly because she is not a werewolf. They face new challenges and I'm so proud of Mercy for seeing past the surface.</li>
<li>I am thrilled Mercy was able to figure things out - again - to help save some of those she loves.</li>
</ul>
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Another great read by Ms. Briggs. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what is going on between Mercy and Adam, how are they doing to defeat the prisoner that escaped Underhill? I was not able to put this book down, and so didn't get to bed until 1 am.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review. - This is a great book.

One of the best Urban Fantasy series. Love these characters. Must do a series re-read soon.

Having one of the scariest vampires ever actively stalking you, should have been the worst thing to happen to Mercy. But at least Wulfe isn’t actively trying to kill her. At least she doesn’t think so. Not yet anyway.

Something has slunk out of the fae home of Underhill; something that can take over your mind and turn you into a killer. Since it tried to control Mercy and failed, it is now pissed off. Immensely pissed off. Fear and the fae don’t go well together and now this smoke beast wants to get rid of Mercy and is using her friends to do his bidding. Everyone Mercy loves is under attack and she can’t protect them all. The worst part for Mercy is once that smoke beast takes you, you die and several of our favorites are taken over with only one goal, get close to Mercy and destroy her.

It is especially hard for Mercy to concentrate on Wulfe or Underhill or this smoke monster when all she can think about is the fact that her husband has started choking off their mating bond. Things have been strained between them since the night they destroyed the zombie horde. Is it the pressure of her declaration that the Tri-Cities was under the protection of the Pack or Mercy’s odd nature being such a draw to more and more supernatural bad guys? Has Adam simply had enough of the trouble that she has brought into his life? If so, why won’t he simply tell her that instead of avoiding her?

Once again, poor Mercy is taking a beating from all sides, and not all of them figuratively.

I am not saying that the smoke monster wasn’t an interesting story plot and didn’t keep me biting my nails but what was going on with Adam had me more distracted than any mind-controlling monster. The monster you know Mercy will destroy, eventually, but was Adam really done with his relationship with Mercy? Can you break a mating bond? Is this some way to bank on that statement Anna makes in Burn Bright questioning Bran’s actual feelings for Mercy? No, no, NO! She can defeat any monster which comes but if Adam wants out? WTF? I was very stressed about this book.

And the thing with Wulfe — you might think “Oh, he’s a great character. I love him. It’s awesome he’s on our side now.” No, no, DEFINITELY NO! He is definitely interesting but I wouldn’t trust his sudden willingness to play nice with the pack for an instant. Wulfe is a great character but he is also crazy and unpredictable. Like many of the older supernatural creatures, he finds Mercy to be interesting? Like a fascinating bug they want to keep in a jar. And in Wulfe’s case, when will his fascination turn to actually trying to keep Mercy in a jar and cutting off her toes for fun? We will need to wait and watch.

I love the Mercy Thompson series and the Alpha and Omega series and want more, more, more! I definitely need to make the time to start this whole series again and do a straight re-read.

Patricia Briggs is a favorite author of mine. I love this series! I often worry when authors continue a series beyond 3 to 4 books because the stories can be repetitive. The author does not do that ever and I have no idea how they do it, I just hope that they keep doing it because I am surprised over and over again with the twists, turns and their spin on folklore and myths they pull into the series. I loved this book and have already been putting her books on my staff recommended shelf!

Mercy is at it again in the newest installment of one of my favorite series. There is a lot going on. Mercy is still dealing with drama from her husband's ex-wife and her husband is acting weird too. I hate stories where a couple has a mystical connection that is "shut down" because one party won't just talk to the other. But Patricia does a great job of weaving it in a way that isn't that annoying.

There are no boring extra bits thrown into the book. Seemingly benign events at the beginning turn into import bits later. All in all a great read with everything a reader could hope for.

I'm always excited for Spring, because I know I'll be getting a new Patricia Briggs book. I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a bit different, in that this time Mercy was really the only one that could take down the big bad. She was the only one that was immune(ish) to the creature that was threatening her pack as well as the entire Tri-Cities. The humans and the supernatural community were not safe. In this book she is isolated further as Adam has their mating bond shut down. There is definitely trouble in paradise. Adam is dealing with his own problems and doesn't want to let Mercy in. Wulfe is on the prowl and up to no good as well. I am definitely interested to find out what Wulfe will do in the future. He is one creepy and scary "kid." I'm sure he will be featured in a book someday, and we will learn more about the extent of his powers. He was a fun enigma for sure. Overall, I enjoyed this adventure where Mercy had to be the strong one as all those around her became vulnerable to the various threats facing them.

This is a wonderful urban fantasy series! Although sometimes it is dark, I love this series. Indomitable Mercy always remains the focus, and I always want to read more about her and her life.

Mercy, Adam, and the Pack are still recovering from the Hardesty witch attack when new dangers arise. Tilly, who is the physical manifestation of Underhill, puts a wall and a door from her scary and freaky world right into the Hauptmann backyard. What escapes is something deadly, dangerous, and seriously nasty that lives only to cause chaos. This creature has abilities allowing it to control whomever it bites in whatever form manifested. Thankfully, Mercy has a magic defying special talent; however, the rest of folks who are chomped by this unknown entity are not so lucky. Without magical help for anyone else possessed by this inmate who is newly freed, death is the end result.

Mercy and company are generally very busy fighting evil, but this time, they encounter battles on three different fronts. There is the shapeshifting escapee from Underhill, a group of rogue wolves looking to take over Adam’s pack, and most disturbingly for Mercy, something is wrong with her relationship to Adam who is shutting her out. When book twelve in the series starts out with Mercy’s human nemesis, the odious ex-wife Christy doing her usual to cause problems, readers know tension and stress are already high in the Tri-Cities.

With the help of Aidan, their Firestarter foster son and Underhill expatriate, Mercy and the gang work to figure out who and what has come out of the former fae dwelling causing death and destruction as they try to keep their people safe and protect their territory without Bran’s help. He can offer advice and possibly a little more on the sly, but Mercy has to do much of the heavy lifting on her own which is especially complicated because of Adam’s very serious issues. She also gets guidance from her Fae allies, but they are afraid as well which says a lot about this particular danger.

So, anyone this far into the series will know two things: Mercy is a trouble magnet, and she might get hurt as well as those considered to be her own. Ms. Briggs has really brought the high tension, wild clashes, and as always, Mercy’s fierce and self-sacrificing determination to protect those she loves. With multiple major problems going on, Mercy and Adam have little time to do more than rescue, retaliate, and regroup before the next hit comes especially since two people dear to them are in peril. Fans will be well pleased with all Ms. Briggs has to throw at them with her inimitable means. This book will run readers through the ringer in a good way.

The further adventures of a snarky coyote woman! This is the 12th book in Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series—a fast-paced urban fantasy featuring a large cast centered on the daughter of Coyote (Chaos), her werewolf pack and the Fae and Vampires who support her. This time something terrifying has escaped from Underhill, a rogue group of Werewolves would like to take over the pack, Mercy’s being stalked by a vampire, and her step-daughter has angered her mother by choosing not to go to college near her and staying local to the pack—obviously Mercy’s fault. It’s fast fun with a lot of action and drama and almost all the fun characters one loves to revisit in the world of the Marrok.

Smoke Bitten was fresh, delivered some developments that may change the dynamics of the pack and hooked me from the first pages. Perfect for fans of urban fantasy, shifters, supernatural creatures and snark.

Full review will post @ Caffeinated Reviewer on March 16th.

A well written entry into the Mercedes Thompson series of books. Smoke Bitten presents the main character and her pack of werewolves with a diverse set of problems. I found the mystery around who and what the smoke creature was interesting, though I figured out the answer about half way though the book and well before the big reveal. That still didn't ruin the reveal for me though, or how Mercy dealt with the creature. I did find the final part of the book a bit rushed. It seemed to me the author was asked maybe to finish up within a certain number of pages, so instead of showing the reader events after the big reveal of the book, she instead summarized a series of events in a page or two which took me out of the narrative a bit with their change in tone. Then, after the summary of events pages, she finished up the final loose end of the plot and resolved the story. The book does appear to set up an interesting story line going forward into future installments of the series dealing with the character of Underhill. Overall, the book is a fun, light afternoon read and I recommend this book and the whole series for those who enjoy urban fantasy and paranormal romance.

Smoke Bitten is another home run for Patricia Briggs. The emotional tension in this book matches the deadly mystery, twining together for a big climax. There are lots of fan favorites appearing in the book that add some humorous and creepy elements. A fun, rich read that I’d recommend to fans. The series is still going strong.

I never get tired of returning to the world of Mercy Thompson. Jumping into this latest installment was like sinking into a favorite chair--it's comfortable, fits just right, and makes you want to relax and stay awhile.

We're dealing with the aftermath of the last book's showdown with the witches, and there's trouble between Mercy and Adam...again. Christy rears her ugly head for some initial tension in the pack, but it's only a precursor for the larger issues brewing between our heroine and her husband. I feel so invested in their relationship and the way Patty Briggs crafts Mercy's voice makes me hurt and worry right alongside her. And to get angry along with her too. I'd hoped the tension in the pack had been put to bed.

It hasn't.

Anyway, there are a few things going on at once. Underhill has created a door in Mercy's backyard...there's a smoke-monster masquerading as a rabbit, possessing and killing people. Not to mention the appearance of some rogue wolves and the aforementioned problem with Adam. I've got to say the Adam thing was the emotional focus, but the plotting was solid and it moved the story along at a solid pace.

As always, the characters deliver too. Nearly the entire cast shows up or at least gets a mention. Jesse, Bran, Stefan, Zee, Tad, the pack... and more. I'll admit, once or twice I had to stretch my memory with some of the names, but as a longtime fan of the series, I appreciated the breadth of the story. I'm really getting invested in Aidan too. I'm fascinated by the contradiction of his agelessness and youth--and he really feels like he's becoming part of the family. I'm also interested in seeing how things continue to unfold with Wulfe.

Briggs does a fantastic job setting up Something Big coming on the horizon. Can't wait for her to reveal what she's got planned with Underhill... and the pack... and this couple I enjoy so much.

Another winner in a fantastic series.