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laurels_life's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
bibliohannah's review against another edition
3.5
while short, this novella had some important context for where the rest of the series and universe will go! i enjoyed getting to learn more about the world and these characters!
anoriega's review against another edition
5.0
Really good introduction to the series and how Anna and Charles start off. I wish I had read this before the first book but either way it clears many things up- especially in such a short amount of pages. Patricia Briggs is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! In the word's of Anna, "I'd like to see Montana" too.
paige13's review against another edition
3.0
This is a good introduction to the series. I wouldn't recommend reading this back-to-back to Moon Called, even though that's the chronological order for the Mercyverse books, because some mistakes were made. They're very minor mistakes (or Bran lied to Mercy in Moon Called about certain details in Chicago which is entirely possible...) and are likely due to two years between the publications and Briggs really bringing this world to life. It's a short and sweet read that leaves you excited for the first full book in the series.
inbooktravels's review
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
blaauwklavertje's review against another edition
3.0
A nice introduction to Anna and Charles.
Not much to say because I need to read the next one.
Not much to say because I need to read the next one.
jassmine's review against another edition
4.0
5/06/23 This is one of my old comfort reads. I'm not even sure how many times I read this + [b:Cry Wolf|2355575|Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega, #1)|Patricia Briggs|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1310494063l/2355575._SY75_.jpg|2362332]. And even now I still like it, even though I have to admit that some parts of the story are just a little... eh...
1. The sexual abuse in this is brutal, it's not graphic and on page for the most time, but the meanings behind it all are tough. I know this part of it spoke to me very much as a teen but I wonder now if it couldn't have been done more... idk, something... it's not badly handled really, but something is just a little off to me.
2. Considering how badly Anna was abused, I was annoyed a little by some of the sexual related things Charles thought about her/said to her. I mean, it was fine in the beginning and some things he said were really sweet, but there was a thing or two that just... I'm thinking specifically the scene where
And then, I mean, I used to like the scene where he tells her she'll enjoy the sex with him, but hey, this woman was raped multiple times, this isn't about your sex prowess, it's about her trauma! Jeez...
3. The story is very well structured and I especially like the way the mystery resolves even though I now find it just a tad bit problematic. (major spoilers)
4. I think that the indigenous rep overall leans toward good rep, even though it kind of goes into the "magical native" trope, but it's explained why it is and Charles is fully fledged character, so... yeah... idk, I love him, so I'm completely unobjective in saying he's fine. It's clear that Briggs done her research, so I'm just not complaining...
Overall, I still like this story very much. I needed to calm down yesterday a little bit and this worked as always and now I want to re-read the whole Mercedes Thompson Universe which is unfortunate because I don't have time for this...
1. The sexual abuse in this is brutal, it's not graphic and on page for the most time, but the meanings behind it all are tough. I know this part of it spoke to me very much as a teen but I wonder now if it couldn't have been done more... idk, something... it's not badly handled really, but something is just a little off to me.
2. Considering how badly Anna was abused, I was annoyed a little by some of the sexual related things Charles thought about her/said to her. I mean, it was fine in the beginning and some things he said were really sweet, but there was a thing or two that just... I'm thinking specifically the scene where
Spoiler
he is about to lose control and thinks about bedding her willing or not, he clearly sees that as wrong, but my point is he shouldn't think it in the first place... and just ugh...And then, I mean, I used to like the scene where he tells her she'll enjoy the sex with him, but hey, this woman was raped multiple times, this isn't about your sex prowess, it's about her trauma! Jeez...
3. The story is very well structured and I especially like the way the mystery resolves even though I now find it just a tad bit problematic. (major spoilers)
Spoiler
I mean, Leo and Isabel clearly have some ethical non-monogamy type of relationship going on. Yes, it's atypical a little - Isabel has other lovers while Leo doesn't, but as Charles points out in the beginning it works out for them. But then Isabel's main character trait is jealousy and the things I described above are actually the fuel behind everything bad that happened in the pack, so... yeah, a little black and white...4. I think that the indigenous rep overall leans toward good rep, even though it kind of goes into the "magical native" trope, but it's explained why it is and Charles is fully fledged character, so... yeah... idk, I love him, so I'm completely unobjective in saying he's fine. It's clear that Briggs done her research, so I'm just not complaining...
Overall, I still like this story very much. I needed to calm down yesterday a little bit and this worked as always and now I want to re-read the whole Mercedes Thompson Universe which is unfortunate because I don't have time for this...
saranh3's review against another edition
4.0
I went to this novella as stop #2 on my reread of this world. Since it centers around what happened to Mac, which was in Mercy Thompson #1, that seemed logical to me. I have greater nostalgia for this side series and this pairing than the main one. But, I haven't read any of it in a WHILE. I am apprehensive about how I will feel about this reread. For one, this time I am keeping track of references to rape. I remember it being too common in these books. This entry references it A LOT. Especially if you think about it in terms of references to rape per pages or words to the story. We are two for two on references to rape I these books. If that's a triggering subject for you, skip these series. It comes up at least one more egregious time that I remember. But I won't be surprised if there are more references that I have forgotten about in the intervening years.