Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs

Smoke Bitten (Mercy Thompson, #12)

by Patricia Briggs

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.

Reviewed by booksandcats on

4 of 5 stars

Share
Yet another book with Problems between Mercy and Adam! It's nice to see that it's because Adam can't open up for a Change, instead of Mercy having the trust issues. Honestly, I think I would be over them having trouble, except Patricia Briggs manages to actually make it reasonable and not just annoying people not talking with each other. I also understand that Mercy has a difficult past and quite some accumulated trauma so it's nice to see her growth in that she wasn't backing down but was determined to find out what was wrong.

What I possibly love most about Patricia Briggs is that her books have consqeuences. Almost everything happening in this book is some sort of payoff of previous ones and often not from obvious things, but just little things that happen in life and influence the future in ways you wouldn't expect.

It's also interesting to see the pack dynamics and how so many different people change and grow together, how everyone is so different and still form a whole.

As for the plot, there is a mysterious figure, who escaped from Underworld and who can force his will onto people and make them do anything it wants, so very dangerous, very scary. I'm not sure if I was disappointed or excited about who the figure was since I'm from central europe, the plot point of Rumpelstiltskin and having to say his name and all that is just used so often. But I figure it's not as well known for others and I generally like Ms. Briggs inclusion of folkstales and her version of Rumplestiltskin is different enough that I like it in general .

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 26 June, 2021: Finished reading
  • 26 June, 2021: Reviewed
  • Started reading
  • Finished reading
  • 26 June, 2021: Reviewed