I've been on a Mercy bender, having read all six Mercy Thompson books in a row. What will I do now? The next book in the series isn't due out until spring 2013 -- much too long to wait! 
 River Marked, while engrossing and exciting, gets four stars from me rather than five simply because it's set, literally, in a world apart. Mercy and Adam finally make it to their honeymoon, and spend it at a luxury campsite on the Columbia River. Of course, trouble follows Mercy wherever she goes, and they're soon battling river monsters while soaking up some local Native American culture. What bothered me in River Marked was the lack of the rest of the gang. I've grown quite fond of the Columbia Basin Pack and all of Mercy's friends and associates back in the Tri-Cities. River Marked moves along briskly and covers new territory, but suffered a bit from the absence of the incredibly rich supporting cast that Patricia Briggs has built up over the course of this series. 
 Of course, that's just a minor quibble. The drama in River Marked was quite interesting, and I enjoyed the introduction of the mythical spirits -- and hope we'll see more of at least one of them. It was also fulfilling to see Mercy finally get a chance to understand where she came from, who her father was, and how that part of her heritage fits in with who she is now. 
 Adam and Mercy are fabulous together, and it's lovely to see them mature into their relationship. I really can't wait to see where the author takes them next.