Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Title:  Silver Borne
Author:  Patricia Briggs
Publisher:  Ace Hardcover
Publication Date:  March 2010
Format:  Hardcover, 352 pages
Age Group:  Adult
Series:  Mercy Thompson (Book 5)

Mercy Thompson is a coyote shapeshifter, mate to the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, and car mechanic.  In the fifth book in the series, Silver Borne, Mercy must help the Alpha, Adam, deal with a threat to the pack from within, keep her friend Samuel from losing himself to his wolf, and keep herself alive as the Fae attempt to locate a book that is more than what it appears.

I really enjoy this series.  Mercy is a great main character because she is strong and independent yet she knows her limitations.  She understands that in a world of werewolves, witches, Fae, and vampires, a coyote is outmatched most of the time.  This allows her to think through situations and rely on strategy and cunning when she would otherwise be overcome by brute force.  Mercy pays attention to the details and this serves her well when dealing with both the Fae and the werewolves.  She is also beginning to understand that sometimes asking for help is not showing weakness but strength.

After skimming a review or two on other book blogs, I was afraid that I would miss the vampires in this book.  I really didn't though because I got to see so much more of the werewolf pack.  Mercy is learning more and more about what it means to be pack and this book shows even more of the political and social structure and conventions.  She learns about how the pack bonds work and about her mate bond with Adam.  I love authors who fully develop the social structure and expectations for the various paranormal societies and Briggs is one of the best I've read lately.  Not only does Mercy need to understand the dynamic of the pack to contain the threat from within but she must also understand how to deal with the Fae to keep herself and her friends alive and as unharmed as possible.  Although the Fae do not lie, the word games they play can have devastating results if the bargain is not carefully constructed.

Silver Borne was a wonderfully quick read for me because I did not want to put it down.  I really don't want to wait for the next book in the series (spring 2011) but I guess I can pick up her Alpha and Omega series in the meantime.

I purchased Silver Borne for my personal library and all opinions presented in this review are my own.

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