Twisted Kingdom

When her former boss and mentor is arrested for murder and left to rot behind bars by his own kind, it's up to shapeshifting car mechanic Mercy Thompson to clear his name, whether he wants her to or not. And she'll have to choose between the two werewolves in her life-whether she wants to or not.

The second book I read of 2008 was the latest book by Patricia Briggs. The third book in the Mercedes Thompson series, it was a book that I just had to have and I could not wait to read! In each book, Mercy is the main character, but the book revolves around a different paranormal group each time. This book centred on the Fae community. It makes for an interesting series because we continue to learn more about Mercy and her friends; but we also learn more about the different paranormal groups that may have had characters present in the previous books, but were not centred around. I have always been interested in the Fae community. Before paranormal books were the big industry that they are now, I was a big fan of this particular sub-group. So, now that this sort of literature is very popular, it is nice to see some of the lesser groups being explored.

I love this series, I think I might have mentioned before. The second book was a favourite read of last year and the first book was a favourite read of the year before, so we all know that this book will likely end up on the year end list. I just love Mercedes Thompson's character! She can annoy me, do not get me wrong, but Briggs has created a character that really interests me. I read other paranormal authors and the books do not always have characters that I have any sort of feelings about, but Mercy I do. I genuinely cannot wait until book four to see what happens next, and I will be very sad when this series reaches the end!

Mercy is a favourite stubborn person. This is a characteristic that really plays out in this book. The person that she is out to save, the fae that sold her the garage she is currently running, is in danger, but he does not want her help. She puts herself on the line for him, though, and it makes for an intriguing read. Bad things happen in this book, but good things come out of the bad. The love triangle that is a theme in the previous two books also makes an appearance in this one, so people will want to read it to see just what guy trouble Mercy gets herself into in this book! I was not really surprised, but others might be.

Anyways, the best way to sum this review up is by saying that Patricia Brigg's series is hands down the best series I have read in a while. Of the paranormal nature, anyways. I also love Kelley Armstrong and Colleen Gleason. Those are my top three. With those authors writing, I do not even need to attempt anymore paranormal authors (although, I will, of course), so you know I am in love! In February, I get to read Gleason's new book, I have several books to go to get caught up in Armstrong's series, and Briggs has a new book out in a new series later this year, so I am pretty set for a while.

I strongly recommend Patricia Briggs if you are looking for a new paranormal author to enjoy!

Prince Amir lives in a lavish and beautiful cage. He lives in a palace with hundreds of his brothers, all barred by law from ever leaving the palace until he, or one of his brothers, becomes the next Sultan. Living under constant threat of death at the hands of his scheming brothers, Amir has chosen a life of solitude and study. His scholarly and alchemical pursuits bring him under suspicion when his brothers begin to die from seemingly supernatural means. Amir finds himself thrown together with his brother Erik, the son of a barbarian princess. Together they must discover the dark secret that is stalking the halls of their golden cage.

This was my first read for 2008. One of the books that I had wanted to read in 2007, I just never found the time for it, so I am happy to start off the year with such a promising talent. The Princes of the Golden Cage was Nathalie Mallet's debut novel, and it was wonderfully written. It is an interesting mesh of fantasy, history, and the modern world that works very well for the novel. While there are supernatural elements to this novel, it could easily be historical fiction. At the core, it is a novel about a young man who, while born to noble blood, is a prisioner. All of his brothers are held in golden cages until their father dies and an heir ascends the throne as the next sultan. There is sword-play, a harem, a sultan who is allowed to take multiple wives, lots of off-spring, and a battle to be the one that is chosen as heir. When you look at it like that, it can almost be something occurred historically.

Amir, the main character, is a bit of a skeptic. When his brothers begin dying by unnatural means, it takes a great deal for him to believe that it might be supernatural. He has no desire to have the throne for himself, so he keeps a low profile so that his other brothers do not look upon him as a threat. He looks after his two 'sick' brothers, but otherwise leads a very solitary existence. Then, he meets Erik. Erik has kept a low profile as well, and until the killings begin and he shows himself to Amir, he was lost in the cages with very few people being aware of who he was. Amir is very untrusting and believes that Erik is a bit too trusting, so it makes for an interesting friendship. They are brothers, but as different as night and day. They really off-set each other in the novel.

I would not say that the book dragged, but it did have a bit of a slow beginning, so I was very surprised when I hit the last hundred pages and found that I was too engrossed in the book to put it down. Other novels that I read have much more action in them, but there was something compelling about this story. There was an air of mystery to it, and I found that I wanted to get to the end to see how it was all going to play out. Some of the surprises I had figured out, but other things that happened at the end surprised me. There were also a few moments where the author almost tricked me into thinking my assumptions were false, before verifying them as the truth. I like that about a novel, as I tend to at least have an idea where a novel is going.

While this book follows mostly male characters, it does have very intriguing women in supporting roles. To be anything else would not have worked for the overall idea of the novel, so it worked well. I think the sequel could very well have the female characters develop more, so I will be interested to see where the story goes next. I was not even aware this was the first book to anything until I got near the end, the book says nothing about being a series or anything, so that was a nice surprise. In the summer, I will be able to see what is going to happen next. I have already added it to my wish list.

I recommend this novel. This also completes book one for the Themed Reading Challenge, as the author is from Canada. I also want to thank Remy for sending me this book! Fatherhood has taken him away from blogland a lot lately, but she is so cute, so who can blame him!