Length: 8 hrs 54 minutes
Narrator: Lorelei King
Pub Date: March 2011
FTC: Purchased myself
I've listened to the entire Mercy series in the last few months. I haven't reviewed them (bad Amber) except for the first one, but I have been flying through them as much as the format would allow. Although I loved the previous installments in the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs, I just didn't enjoy River Marked. At least until the last 1.5 hrs of it.
Maybe it's because Briggs played with her formula, but due to certain developments, there is no romantic tension in this book. None. And that was part of what I loved about Mercy.
There was also a huge emphasis on Native American religion and mythology. Something that quite frankly bores me to tears. I liked the fey, the vampires, the werewolves etc. I have zero interest in characters from the Native American creation myths come to life. It's just not my cup of tea.
Another irritant was the limited number of characters in this book. Because Mercy and Adam are on their own, we see the rest of the larger cast of characters only at the beginning and the very end. Or through an occasional phone call. Taking these two out of their circle of family and friends did not work for me at all. Those relationships are what keep the series afloat and provide much of the charm.
The last part of the book was much, much better. Probably because we get some action. There's a huge battle, filled with terror, loss, angst, and lots of emotion.
The narration, as always, was terrific. The characters sound unique without being grating, and Ms. King manages to convey character emotions and attitude.
I found myself really disappointed in this book, even though the ending did bring up the grade quite a bit. The pace, the lack of romantic tension, the vague sense of stagnation where nothing really happens all made this a meh listening experience for me.
My Grade: C
No comments:
Post a Comment