That's What I'm Talking About

I started to listen to Night Broken almost eight months ago and quit after the opening scene. I realized that I needed a break from the Mercy Thompson series because I couldn't take the pack's treatment of Mercy any longer. The fact that after seven books and the countless times she's helped them, the pack still treated Mercy with utter disregard and dislike completely ticked me off. This, coupled with the introduction of Adam's ex-wife, told me a break was needed. So when I picked the book up again last week, I skipped the opening scene and jumped in where I'd left off all those months ago. And I'm glad I did.

Night Broken is another well-developed, exciting tale in the Mercy Thompson world. The enemy is unique, aggressive, dangerous, and just plan bad. I enjoyed listening to Mercy, along with her mate, Adam, her friends, and even newcomers, figuring out the pieces of the puzzle and determining how best to take on a god-like entity. I also love that Coyote is back, and he even displays some affection for Mercy, in his own twisted way. Background storylines weave in and out, some which started several books back, and even one that originally came from Mercy's sister series, the Alpha and Omega. All of this, plus the introduction of two new characters made this one of my favorite Mercy titles.

While I didn't forget what turned me off from the book all those months ago, time away from the series brought fresh air and a new perspective. Mercy had a couple great heart-to-hearts with some of the pack, conversations that warmed my heart and gave me hope for Mercy's place among them. I know she'll never be buddies with everyone, but Mercy knows this too, and is okay with it. I'm also hopeful that having the pack see Mercy in action and listening to her expose hurtful lies may help her cause among the pack.

Additionally, Mercy and Adam have to deal with his ex-wife coming into the picture. We know from earlier titles that she's not the best mother and can be a horrible manipulator. This was very evident during the book, and I did get ticked off at time. Some will say that Adam failed Mercy over the course of Night Broken, but I disagree. I do agree that Adam did not always do best by Mercy. However, other than a couple poor choices involving makeup and not standing up for himself, I feel that Adam's love for Mercy is stronger than ever. He honestly would be lost if anything happened to her, and this was eloquently detailed in a scene when the pair thought they may never see one another again.

The narration by Lorelei King is sublime. While I recently enjoyed her work in the Charley Davidson series, her work as Mercy Thompson feels like home to me. Each character unique and fitting. She IS Mercy and Adam in my mind. Perfect and right.

Overall, I'm very glad that I finally listened to Night Broken, but thankful I took that break. It helped to remind me of all that I love about this series, and I can put my faith in Patricia Briggs to do what is ultimately best for Mercy. It will never be the easy road, but I'm fine following Mercy into the unknown.

Story Rating: B+
Narration: A