Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Review: Shifting Shadows

SHIFTING SHADOWS
Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson
Patricia Briggs
Urban Fantasy
450 pages
Ace Hardcover
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Mercy Thompson’s world just got a whole lot bigger…

A collection of all-new and previously published short stories featuring Mercy Thompson, “one of the best heroines in the urban fantasy genre today” (Fiction Vixen Book Reviews), and the characters she calls friends…

Includes the new stories…
“Silver”
“Roses in Winter”
“Redemption”
“Hollow”

…and reader favorites
“Fairy Gifts”
“Gray”
“Alpha and Omega”
“Seeing Eye”
“The Star of David”
“In Red, with Pearls”


MY THOUGHTS
In many cases, anthologies or collections of short stories end up being the perfect way to get a feel for the writing style of either a single author or many different contributors, allowing readers the chance to see if they might find a new favorite in the mix. Shifting Shadows is not that type of collection however, the ten stories splashed across the pages more for dedicated fans of the Mercy Thompson universe rather than series newcomers; little peeks at the beloved secondary characters who never fail to enrich Mercy's world and bring a smile to our faces. For those who stare mournfully at a calendar bemoaning the slow speed at which time seems to travel in between installments though, Shifting Shadows is a true and utter treat.

Personal Favorites:
This collection gives us glimpses of both prominent secondary characters whom we've met repeatedly as well as lesser known characters, but for me personally, the strongest stories were those with familiar friends at the forefront.

ALPHA AND OMEGA

This tale is perhaps the one exception to the aforementioned not-for-newcomers label, the first meeting of Charles and Anna (protagonists of their own Mercy spin-off series) beautiful in the raw emotion that immediately smacks us in the face upon meeting Anna. After being Changed against her will, she endured the unfathomable for three long years, but though her experiences clearly left scars not visible to the naked eye, she refuses to let her fire be starved by those who have her at their mercy. Charles, for his part, is the kind of protective we can't help but swoon over, rising up in Anna's defense while still granting her the freedom to save herself.

Their story continues in a series by the same name and is definitely one that should not be missed.

ROSES IN WINTER
"Roses in Winter" is a sweet story depicting the friendship between a very young wolf struggling to control the animal inside her and a very old wolf who sometimes finds himself fighting the same battle, and while their unlikely affection warms our hearts, their tale is also a painful reminder of how brutal this world of werewolves can be. The safety of the many is often preserved through the sacrifice of those few who are emotionally or physically unequipped to handle life as a wolf, and nowhere is that concept more gut-wrenchingly apparent than with Asil and Kara.

REDEMPTION
"Redemption" grants us a little time with Ben, one of the far less agreeable members of Adam and Mercy's pack, but someone who has been there for Mercy unfailingly and unflinchingly in her darkest moments. Because we know him to be as a true a friend to her as they come, we look upon his complete disregard for the art of tact as charming rather than offensive, smiling uncontrollably as he lets anyone and everyone know just what he thinks of them. We also get a brief-but-sickening look at what landed him on Adam's doorstep in the beginning of Mercy's series, and that taste of his darkness only makes us want to hold him tighter even though we know he would recoil in horror if he knew the direction of our thoughts.

Overall Rating: 4/5


Find Patricia:

 
This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review
I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

39 comments:

  1. I don't typically read novellas as you already know, but it's always good to know the secondary characters better and this seems like a fabulous way to get to know them. I especially like the sound of Roses in Winter. It seems to have the perfect balance between darkness and vulnerability.
    Lovely review, Jenny! :)

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    1. There are some fantastic secondary characters in this series Nick, and it's always fun to spend more time with them:)

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  2. THIS ONE HAS BEN'S STORY?

    I cannot even imagine how emotional it will be to get to know more about his past. I mean we have an idea but to see everything through his eyes is going to be heartbreaking .-.

    This is really tempting me to go pick up the 8th book and catch up to the series.. and then perhaps give this anthology a shot!

    Lovely review(s?), Jenny! :)

    Rashika @ The Social Potato

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    1. BEN!!!! I love him:) It's not his story really, we just get a little snippet of him at work along with a couple memories of what his life was like before he came to Adam and Mercy. So good though:)

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  3. I heard so many great things about this one and as a fan of the series I'm really curious to try it as well.

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    1. If you're a fan of the series, this really shouldn't be missed:)

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  4. My favorite was Asil and Kara's story. I enjoyed Ben's too. Great review.

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    1. YES!!! Definitely a favorite of mine as well. I'm fascinated by Asil, and I can never, ever have enough Bran:)

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  5. These were actually my favorites as well! Why am I not surprised? Although I always liked Ben, despite his less than sunny disposition, it was nice getting a glimpse of this thoughts, no matter how brief. I also enjoyed Asil's story. He is the most intriguing character in Mercyverse, I think, except for Bran, of course.
    I thought this was a great collection. Not perfect, perhaps, but what is? Wonderful review, Jenny!

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    1. *high five*

      BRAN!!!! I wouldn't mind a full length book featuring him, though I do think part of his appeal is in his mystery and that might go away if we get all his details. But probably not, and I'm just greedy enough to want his story anyway:)

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  6. This sounds good, but that cover, man. It reminds me of Hunger Games: Native American Style. Not sure how I feel about that.

    Yes, I'm cover judging.

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    1. This is definitely one series you shouldn't judge by the cover - it's amazing. If you're a fan of the UF genre, it's a must-read!

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  7. This sounds like a wonderful treat for fans of Mercy Thompson! I love it when an author gives you a deeper insight into secondary characters like this. Glad you enjoyed these wonderful sounding tales, Jenny :)

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  8. Damn, I was hoping that this would be a good introduction to Mercy's world, but it seems that it is mostly a treat for people that are already fans of the series!
    Great review, Jenny! I guess I just need to make the time and start reading the series!

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    1. It's not that you can't read these without having read the Mercy books, I just feel like the stories won't mean as much without having connected to this world already. You could definitely read Alpha and Omega though, it's the beginning of Anna and Charles and I LOVE them:)

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  9. I have seen some pretty good reviews for this one so I am so glad you enjoyed it too Jenny! I need to get caught up on this series.

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    1. I love this series. One of my all time favorites:)

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  10. So far everyone is liking this one and I am gathering there aren't many throw away stories. I don't know how I missed the ARCS of this one, they must have come out while I was dealing with my summer issues.

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    1. The stories that featured lesser known characters weren't as great for me Heidi, but that got completely overshadowed by the stories that featured my favorite characters:)

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  11. Eeep! I'm glad that you enjoyed this in general and found great stories to read in this world. I know that Rachel is obsessed with this series, so I really need to start it too after seeing so much love from other people too :) I think my favorite would be Roses in Winter. I mean.. I'm usually not the one for prequels or something, but it sounds cool to see that aspect (wolf and whatnot) influence someone's personality and life and decisions. Ooh! I need to know more about Adam and Ben. Adam sounds familiar, but I don't know about Ben. Anyhow, I'm glad you loved this one :)

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    1. I'm in love with Adam Siiri. He and Mercy were a long time coming, and I just love their relationship. And Ben is a secondary character, but his friendship with Mercy just makes me happy:)

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  12. Yay! I was SO hoping for a Ben's story. I was really curious to find out about his past which he only hinted to Mercy. He took a while for me to warm up to. Also Asail kinda freaks me out but I'm hoping I can understand him more with his short story. Can't wait to read this!

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    1. I love me some Ben Rummanah! MORE BEN. And more Bran. Always, always more Bran:)

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  13. Oh I'm so behind on this series. I have enjoyed the first one but I do think I need this whole collection. BEN! Yes, need not want... ;) LOL

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  14. I still haven't read any of Mercy Thompson's books and I really want to. After reading Kate Daniels series I realized that this one is a must really. I don't usually read anthologies but this one seems really good. I love the sound of the stories there. Great review, Jenny :)

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    1. I think you'll really enjoy these Tanja. It's the perfect series to sit down and binge read:)

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  15. I keep reading everyone's comments and they're all saying just how excited they are about this one and how much they love this series and here i am thinking 'Okay Lily, you messed up by not picking this series up before and now you need to remedy that!'

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  16. I've already read Alpha and Omega and loved it and am now so excited to dive into this collection. I especially want to read Roses in Winter because I already feel as if I've heard so much about it. Wonderful review, Jenny--this needs to arrive on my doorstep NOW. ;)

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  17. I honestly don't think there was a story I didn't like, and enjoyed all that you mentioned.

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  18. Yay! *does happy happy dance* I love this author and this series. Can't wait to read the wee stories.

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  19. Haven't read this series either but I do have it on my tablet so I guess it'll happen. ».« I have a love/hate relationship with shapeshifters so we'll see how this one works for me xd Short stories? I love when they do compilations. Lovely reviews! xx

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  20. I haven't read this series but I'm definitely a fan of short stories.. especially when they are a part of a collection! Wonderful review :)

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  21. I loved Mercy Thompson, Jenny!! Yes! I didn't know this was a collection of short stories but I want! I still need to start Charles and Anna's spinoff series. Wonderful review! :)

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  22. I have a copy of this waiting for me and now that I know I will be getting an Asil story and Ben's story (ahhhh I love him) I need to drop everything and read it! Lovely review :-)

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