River Marked (Mery Thompson #6)

 The Mercy Thompson series is a great urban fantasy series written by Patrica Briggs. Out of the series so far, my favorite has been Silver Borne which I burned through in a night. River Marked, while enjoyable, didn't meet my expectations.

 Description (from Goodreads): Car mechanic Mercy Thompson has always known there was something different about her, and not just the way she can make a VW engine sit up and beg. Mercy is a shape-shifter, a talent she inherited from her long-gone father. She's never known any others of her kind. Until now.
  An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River-one that her father's people may know something about. And to have any hope of surviving, Mercy and her mate will need their help.

Review: Compared to the adrenaline rush of Silver Borne, River Marked is much more mellow and easy going. Mercy has taken a big step in her life, ready to settle down and marry her mate. Things are great with a lovely wedding and the start of a romantic honeymoon until a man is found in a boat on the Columbia River with a bitten-off leg and his sister is missing and presumed dead, that's when things get interesting and a bit weird.
  While there is not much character growth for Mercy, we do learn a lot about her Native American background which had been shrouded in mystery until now. I really enjoyed the Native American mythology and thought it was woven nicely into the story.  Though the usual cast in Mercy's world, which I love are missing after the wedding, the stand-in cast is funny and likable.
  The mystery surrounding the river creature was a bit ho hum for me. There wasn't intricate or dare I say complicated enough to resolve. I wasn't really excited and drawn into the story as much. After finishing the book, I thought River Marked might have worked better if it was a novella instead of an actual book. The pacing was a bit slow and the tone was different (not necessarily a bad thing) compared to the other books. Overall, I enjoyed River Marked but it's not my favorite book in the Mercy series.  

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language, strong violence, and a few non-descriptive sex scenes which take place off the page. Recommended for older teens and adults.

If you like this book try: Kate Daniel series by Ilona Andrews, Bitten by Kelley Armstrong, Stray by Rachel Vincent