Never in a million years did I think I'd end up crying by the end of a Mercy Thompson book. Wow, did this one knock me for a loop. Patricia Briggs has created a dynamic world full of magic and the supernatural, coexisting side-by-side with their uneasy human neighbors. While the werewolf pack protocols are fascinating, what's truly great about this book series is the characters themselves. Mercy is one tough but flawed woman, wanting independence and belonging both. Her trajectory, in this book especially, is surprisingly moving. She may have supernatural gifts, but her heart is the heart of a vulnerable woman, and I just ached for her before this installment of her story was done. Dare I say it? Based on what I've read so far, this series surpasses the Sookie Stackhouse series by a mile.