One
of my least favorite plots in television is when one of the
main characters is kidnapped at the beginning of the episode.
Honestly, I've been known to turn off the television. So when
Silence Fallen opened with the kidnapping of Mercy,
the coyote shapeshifter and main character of the series,
I was worried about the odds of my actually liking the book.
Instead, Briggs managed to take one of the most obnoxious
plots ever and turn it into a compelling, fast-paced, and
completely charming story. By separating Mercy from the pack
and moving the setting so far from their home grounds, this
book gave some other characters a chance to shine. I loved
Larry, the Goblin King (though goblins don't work that way,
as Larry reminds us) and really enjoyed Elizaveta as well.
Her fluid morality makes her a very compelling, and slightly
chilling character. The vampire politics can be a little dull,
but in this case, the weirdness of some of the elements completely
grabbed my attention. Normally a book that jumps back and
forth between two characters has at least one moment where
it frustrates me when the author leaves us hanging to jump
to the other character, but the plotline for both Mercy and
Adam were so compelling that I was equally interested in both.
I enjoyed seeing Mercy handle things on her own in such inventive
and interesting ways. Honestly, I was delighted with the book
throughout and will look forward to the next chance to spend
time with these fascinating characters. |