Review – Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs

Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs
Series: Mercy Thompson #12
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group – Ace
Publication Date: March 17, 2020
Date Read: January 19, 2020
Length: 352 pages
Source: NetGalley
★★★★★

Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, faces a threat unlike any other in this thrilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

I am Mercedes Athena Thompson Hauptman.
My only “superpowers” are that I turn into a thirty-five pound coyote and fix Volkswagens. But I have friends in odd places and a pack of werewolves at my back. It looks like I’m going to need them.

Centuries ago, the fae dwelt in Underhill—until she locked her doors against them. They left behind their great castles and troves of magical artifacts. They abandoned their prisoners and their pets. Without the fae to mind them, those creatures who remained behind roamed freely through Underhill wreaking havoc. Only the deadliest survived.

Now one of those prisoners has escaped. It can look like anyone, any creature it chooses. But if it bites you, it controls you. It lives for chaos and destruction. It can make you do anything—even kill the person you love the most. Now it is here, in the Tri-Cities. In my territory.

It won’t, can’t, remain.

Not if I have anything to say about it.

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I loved this book!  I have to admit that I am a giant fan of this series.  These are books that I can read over and over without ever growing tired of them.  When someone asks me for book recommendations, this series is at the top of my list.  I went into this book with really high expectations and they were all met.  I enjoyed every moment I spent reading this book. 

Mercy always seems to have a lot of things going on in her life and things are no different in this book.  The book starts off with some pack and ex-wife drama and that is before the fae leaves a doorway in their backyard.  Before you know it, lives are at risk from the new enemy on the loose.  It is a lot for a Volkswagon mechanic to handle.

Mercy is an amazing character.  I love how calm she is in even the most extreme situation.  When the situation seems to be almost impossible to manage, she is able to make reasonable decisions that have a big impact on the final outcome.  Mercy turns into a small coyote but she has the bravery of an entire large pack.  I love that if there is a problem with her mate or someone else in the pack, she will address it and if someone or something is threatening those she feels responsible for, she will do something about it.

This was an exciting story.  There was plenty of action scattered throughout the story to keep things interesting.  I thought that Mercy, Adam, and the rest of the pack had already faced every monster imaginable but Briggs was able to conjure up something really unique that I did not see coming.  I loved the way that the book wove together several different threads that I found equally entertaining. 

I would highly recommend this series to others.  This is the twelfth book in the Mercy Thompson series which really should be read in order.  Trust me, all the books in this series are so good that you don’t want to miss any of them anyway.  I cannot wait to read more from this amazing author!

I received a digital review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley.

About the Author

Patricia Briggs is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series (Silence Fallen, Fire Touched) and the Alpha and Omega novels (Burn Bright, Dead Heat).

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