Night Broken (Mercy Thompson #8)
Released: March 11, 2014
Urban Fantasy
Ace
Reviewed by Mandi
I truly love this series but it hasn’t been perfect for me. I think the characters and the world are pretty great, but sometimes I’m just darn bored and that kind of happened in this book. Maybe bored isn’t the right word but I felt like this book was a filler for two reasons – Adam’s ex-wife and the villain. They both seemed to have no purpose unless I’m missing something big and if I am please yell at me in the comments.
Adam’s ex-wife, Christy comes to stay in Adam and Mercy’s house when her boyfriend, or really the guy she slept with – they weren’t super serious – starts to stalk her. He beats her up pretty bad too. They take her in and start to figure out how to get this guy in line. Christy is…well…not my favorite character. And by that I mean, I wanted to punch her in the face most of the book. I’ve thought a lot about here since ending the book. She is a manipulative, whiny person. As the reader, we are just now being introduced to her (we’ve heard from her in previous books but she is in this one the entire time). The reader didn’t know her when she was married to Adam. When she cooked for him, and gave him a daughter and cared for the pack. Apparently – she was a good person at times way back when, says the pack now. So that is why when she barges into Adam’s house and starts cooking and taking things over, the alpha werewolves kind of put their tails between their legs and let her do whatever she wants. What the heck?! She doesn’t necessarily cause horrible conflict between Adam and Mercy as the blurb suggests, but she is just plain annoying and I didn’t like reading about her. I didn’t like as a result how Adam and the pack let Christy get a way with being horrible to Mercy.
While the villain in this story is creepy, violent and different, I didn’t understand his purpose. I figured Mercy would somehow be victorious in the end, and at least in my eyes, his actions didn’t further the world building at all. I’ve heard rumblings from people that Briggs may be heading up a path where some of the pack want Adam to choose between Pack and Mercy. I don’t know if this is the case, but if it is that sounds a lot more interesting to read than what was in this book. Maybe Christy coming to town starts those thoughts in some of the pack’s head? But I want a more focused goal for this world.
Now the good things in this book. First, there are numerous quiet romance moments between Adam and Mercy and I really enjoyed that. Adam never once gets swayed by Christy. Mercy gets jealous but I love that she does! We get good things from Honey, Stefan, Tad, and a new character named Gary Laughing Wood. Warren and Kyle make an appearance. I also like (and this isn’t new to this book) how the pack don’t all like Mercy. . I love that this pack is prickly.
I want these books to be super awesome and I felt like this one just floated along. I expected more.
Rating: C
Goodreads l Author Website l Series Guide
You know I agree with you 100% (via IM rant-lol) except for the part about Adam not being manipulated by Christy. He was in some part, otherwise he would have never been as nonchalant as he was with Mercy’s feelings.
I think he IS manipulated by Christy. Did it come across as the other way? The blurb makes it sound like Christy is totally out to get Adam back – which I think she is but she is super passive-aggressive. :/
I don’t think she is honestly out to get HIM back per say as much as she seems to want Adam and the pack to want her. If that makes sense. I saw her as…”I didn’t want you until you found someone else and no longer wanted me.” It was all fine when she made the decision to leave him but now that he’s closed the door on her and remarried, she can’t have that.
Yes – and she needs to go somewhere far away ;)
I have a weird relationship with this book. If I distance myself, I can convince myself (that sounded odd) that it was good. But the minute I start thinking about Christy and how Mercy was treated I get very ragey. I want people to die. People like possibly Adam for letting it all happen.
I was mad at Adam for being so passive about the whole thing. Yes, he had moments where he put Christy in her place, but mostly he didn’t. He just let it all happen. I mean…Mercy comes home and Christy’s crap is in their personal bathroom. Huh? What? No. Just no. Christy was playing a dominance game with Mercy and he and most of the pack just let it happen.
The bathroom thing was the last straw for me, especially when he was all, “whaaaa???” I’d have “what-ed” him right upside his head. I was like-are you THAT stupid?
RIGHT? He IS an alpha right?
The blue dye in the shampoo made me smile :)
That WAS funny but what Christy says to Mercy was NOT cool. And everyone just giggled. *&^%^%$#$
I kept waiting for SOMEONE other than Mercy to interject during one of Christy’s rants. Or maybe to throat punch her. Something like that. Lol.
Reading all these comments makes me angry again. Stupid Adam and stupid pack.
I haven’t read it yet, but I wasn’t pleased when I read the blurb. I hope Adam doesn’t let me down and that he kicks pack butt. Christy isn’t a wolf, she abused the kid (name escapes me, Julie?)through neglect and wasn’t a good mate so why would they really want her over Mercy?!? Especially after the last book. I’m still looking forward to reading it though.
Adam doesn’t kick a lot of butt when it comes to Christy. Unfortunately.
I haven’t read this one yet, but I have liked the series less and less since Mercy and Adam became an item. I kind of miss the new discoveries, it is all pack now. I do remember how Adam’s ex wife has neglected Julie time and again. Does he forgets that Mandi?
Yes he does. It was very frustrating. I can understand having a certain amount of respect for her but he totally let Christy manipulate him. It was really odd
I remember reading the exerpt a little while ago and thinking “uh oh. I have a feeling I’m not going to like where this is going” the evil ex trope is one I want to die…in a fire. I would normally be on tenterhooks waiting for the next installment off Mercys world but I will admit I’m nervous and not in a good way. Oh well, we shall see when Night Broken arrives in my mailbox.
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
So… I pretty much agree with you on this. xD;
I just got the book today, and just finished it.
Might I mention, I LOVED Honey in this book. Just…
I really hop they go somewhere with Honey and Gary. It would be ironic, and maybe even good for her…. Maybe.
I did find the book a bit… lacking.
Idk, Christy REALLY made me mad. I had to stop and rustle up my pillow a few times…
What really gets me is that ending though…
I really think that maybe its missing pages?
That was just… WAY to abrupt.
Am I just crazy? Did anyone else feel the same way?
Honey was great in this book!
It was a very abrupt ending – the walking stick comes back and…DONE. LOL – No hint as to what the next book will be. :/
I was a bit upset with Mercy too. She should have put a firm stop to Christy from the beginning, imo. I’ve met plenty of manipulative whiny people and the only way to deal with them is to spell out the rules and then enforce them. I was cheering when Mercy finally stood up to Christy.
As for the main plot, I was puzzled by the whole Flores stalks Christy plot and the way he came after her.
I did like the looming threat of something coming for Mercy and her gang.
The stalker thing didn’t do anything for me. I’d rather have the books more pack based than this odd tangent with Christy.
This review contains major spoilers so keep that in mind. Read the book first and then see if you agree. Also Night Broken might be easier to understand if read after the other books. A first-time reader would be confused by all the characters and references to past storylines.
So, Here’s my take on Night Broken. Bottom line is I lost respect for Adam and Mercy when they kept caving to Christy’s demands such as where to sleep, taking over the kitchen and bathroom, ordering them about. Their unusual behavior was all done to save Jessie an upset, but Jessie already knew how selfish and manipulating her mother was and told Mercy to not let her stay. Except for tight lips and sighs, Adam and Mercy were passive and out of character. There was little “alpha” about Adam or “kick butt honest” about Mercy in this book. The scene with Mercy defending Adam was too little too late. We didn’t even get to hear Adam “telling off” Christy for delaying Mercy’s call for help. We know about it though a third party retelling. Maybe including that scene would have helped. I almost stopped reading but hung on and that frustrating and disappointing thread was eased somewhat with more character development of Tad and Honey and an appearance from the Fey. The Demon Volcano Lord plot thread made for exciting fight scenes, but his background was undeveloped and confusing. He met Christy and just went postal? Only info about him was from Kyle’s vacation childcare? In the end, the Christy issue is unresolved, and she’s still living with them. I didn’t believe the “real tears” from Christy at the end. She didn’t seem repentant, just sad at being thought at fault by those around her. She wasn’t a “good person” no matter how many times we were told this idea. When is Adam going to tell her? He doesn’t even tell her when he was off to die and would be leaving Mercy to deal with Christie. The “I love you” from Christie was an opportunity for Adam to be alpha and tell her “I don’t love you and find another place to live far away.” But he just says “Thanks?” Everything after the “King Henry V call to arms at Agincourt” speech to “High Noon” short fight scene tied little up. All they had to do is kill the dogs to kill the demon? If so, I don’t remember the demon losing half his body strength when the dog was shot at the garage. Maybe I missed that part. The walking stick returns so if that’s the cliffhanger, Ms. Briggs needs to find a higher cliff. Better yet, throw Christy off one, or at least finally tell her to find another place to be Queen. The blue dye trick was supposed to be like the peanut butter prank. Mercy is sending a message to someone she’s not brave enough to confront. I can understand Mercy hiding her anger behind a prank toward Bran, but not toward Christy. It makes her a coward and Adam a weakling. This idea is unacceptable to me. If you’ve read all the Mercy and Alpha/Omega books, you’ll read this one too. It would be like missing an opportunity to visit old friends, but some visits are better than others.
Very well said. Your frustration with Adam/Mercy/Villain mirrors how I feel too.
In the past I’ve found a few of these books slow – like the honeymoon book was SO slow. But I’ve never been frustrated with how the characters act like I am in this one. I hope the next one is back on track!
I was very frustrated with Mercy making excuses for Christy. One thing is not to bad-mouth the Jessie’s mother, it’s entirely another to make excuses for the selfish witch.
Yes – very true!
I don’t think I can read this book. I didn’t enjoy the last one, and have just not been getting excited over the books like I used to. And honestly, I love Mercy too too much to watch her go through this with Christy and the pack. This gets my heart rate up just reading about it!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah – it will give you anxiety! My head hurt reading this
Warning-May Contain a Spoiler or two.
Ok so I have read Night Broken and I would have to agree with your C rating. My biggest problem was that I had trouble believing the behaviour of Adam, it kept pulling me right out of the story which isn’t something you want while reading. I know we as readers are told right at the beginning that he allows himself to be manipulated by Christy but in my opinion it goes against his behavior over the past seven books and it just didn’t work for me. Especially with regards to the packs treatment of Mercy regarding Christy. I didn’t think he had her back, ever. The bad guy was suitably bad I guess but I just didn’t get why he was fixated on Christy, that really wasn’t explained well enough to my satisfaction. The ending, well, I kind of went “meh,whatever”. I did like seeing the reoccuring characters and one new one who I hope sticks around.
After I finished I kept thinking about the bathroom incident and I may have pictured Adam doing a swan dive into a bloody volcano which made me feel a lot better :-)
Yes to all of this.
Adam didn’t act like an alpha with a mate. Right? Would any mated alpha let this behavior go? I don’t care if it is with someone you used to care for. It didn’t make any sense. I don’t even think a growl came out of him. What the heck Adam???
Agree about the villain too. He was creepy but I don’t understand his purpose.
I get that Adam thinks of himself as a monster, so Christy heaping on the guilt and calling him a monster is business as usual between them. That said, I just didn’t get his passivity in regards to the pack. Christy was never pack,so why give them so much say in how he treats her?
As for Big Bad, I guess being an Uber Predator, he just had to chase after Christy when she up and ran. That part needed more explaining, imo.
Seeing everything from Mercy’s pov does limit my understanding of what other characters are thinking, unless somehow I’m shown.
With Christy never pack and Mercy his true mate – yes – he didn’t act appropriately. It was confusing.