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    Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson
    Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson
    Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson
    Audiobook14 hours

    Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson

    Written by Patricia Briggs

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    From the #1 New York Times bestselling author—including four all-new, original stories from the world of Mercy Thompson.

    Mercy Thompson’s world just got a whole lot bigger…

    A collection of all-new and previously published short stories featuring Mercy Thompson, “one of the best heroines in the urban fantasy genre today” (Fiction Vixen Book Reviews), and the characters she calls friends…

    Includes the new stories…

    “Silver”
    “Roses in Winter”
    “Redemption”
    “Hollow”

    …and fan favorites

    “Fairy Gifts”
    “Gray”
    “Alpha and Omega”
    “Seeing Eye”
    “The Star of David”
    “In Red, with Pearls”

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateSep 2, 2014
    ISBN9781491528235
    Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson
    Author

    Patricia Briggs

    #1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs lives in Washington State with her husband, children, and a small herd of horses.

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    Reviews for Shifting Shadows

    4.5/5

    413 ratings33 reviews

    What did you think?

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    • 4/5
      Enjoyed the narrator's, especially the male reader's voice. All the of the stories were interesting and fun too. This was the first Patricia Briggs book I have read/listened to and I am not disappointed.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Love the world and the stories soooo much :)
      But it is best to have read the books...
    • 4/5
      An excellent collection of Novella, with the added bonus of the authors “why I did this” explanations.
      Very cool!
    • 4/5
      I found some of the stories slow and difficult to get into, but on the most part they were awesome. Absolutely loved Warren and Kara's stories.
    • 5/5
      Spellbinding! I hated to leave this collection of stories, I enjoyed it more than some of the books and especially liked hearing the author’s explanations.
    • 4/5
      I wasn't sure I would like reading short stories about non-Mercy characters but I did, Turned out that the one I liked best was about Warren. The Charles/Anna story was OK but was too short. I think I do want to read their series but not as badly as I want the next installment in the Maercy series.
    • 4/5
      These are a nice collection of stories. Although they are set in the world of Mercy Thompson, most of them do not involve her. Instead, the author takes time to develop the history of side characters or try out new ones. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed these stories. An especial stand out is the novella Alpha & Omega which gave some great background to the first book in the series of the same name. It inspired me to finish that series - something that had fallen off my to-read list in the past years.Silver - In this story we learn a bit more about the history of Bran and Samuel. We learn about their lineage, how they became werewolves, and the time they spent enslaved to Bran's mother who is also a witch. The period of the book covers the downfall of the witch after she destroys a fey lord. Due to a bargain she struck, Samuel is able to escape her power and save a fey princess who has suffered tremendous abuse. She and Samuel fall in love but they are eventually driven apart because of his wolf nature. Fairy Gifts - A young Chinese boy is sold by his opium den running father to a vampire as food and slave. The boy is changed into a vampire and believes himself damned as a monster. One day, he comes across an imprisoned fairy princess in the caves and makes a deal. He believes he is helping her in exchange for a meal of her blood, but she actually frees him from the thrall of his master. Many centuries later, he is able to return the favor when he is once again summoned to save her from chains.Gray - Elena is an accidental vampire. She was taken as a human slave to be fed on but was prematurely killed. To everyone's surprise, she woke up as a vampire despite not being intentionally turned. After changing, she returns to her home where she devours her husband in a blood frenzy. Although she wants to kill herself when she realizes what happened, she is forced to live by her maker. After a few years of servitude, she kills her master and escapes. She learns that her old home is haunted and begins to hope her husband spirit is still hanging around. She begins to fix up her old home while dodging the local vampire seethe and making contact with her husband's ghost.Seeing Eye - A werewolf whose brother was kidnapped by a coven of witches turns up on the doorstep of another witch, and the story's protagonist, hoping she will be able to help him. What he doesn't know is that she is the daughter of the head of this murderous coven, and she has paid dearly to escape his control. But now the time has come for her to face her demons. She will be helped by the inexplicable magic connection between herself and this wolf who comes to act as a magical focus for her.Alpha and Omega - Anna is a submissive werewolf who was turned against her will and then thoroughly abused by her pack. She is made to feel worthless as she is not aggressive or dominant. She just assumes this is part of her now and after a failed suicide attempt, resigns herself to matters as they are. However, when she sees an article in the paper about a missing boy - a boy that she knows her pack has kidnapped and turned into a werewolf, she makes the bold decision to call the country's highest ranking wolf, the Marrok. He was already aware of trouble in her pack and is sending his son, Charles, to deal with matters. She is told to meet him at the airport. Charles is shocked to discover that she is an Omega, a very rare type of werewolf with the power to ensure peace in a pack. He also realizes that his own wolf recognizes her as its mate. The two are drawn together and seem to have a special bond. They will need to draw upon this unusual link if they are to survive the violent wolves that will fight to uphold the status quo.The Star of David - David is a werewolf and a Vietnam vet who accidently killed his wife during one of his changes before he even knew what he was. Obviously, this traumatic event has driven a wedge between himself and his children. His oldest daughter in particular has never forgiven him. But this Christmas, she needs him to help her save one of the foster children she represents. The boy is being accused of a violent outburst, but something is suspicious about it. Adam soon learns that the boy is a wizard and was using his power to protect himself against a vampire attack. Adam is likely the boy's only hope of survival, but will the coming battle redeem him in his daughter's eyes or only confirm her belief in his monstrous nature?Roses in Winter - The Marrok's pack is always a collection of misfits. Wolves who for whatever reason are finding it hard to integrate into normal pack living. Asil came to Montana to die. He is very old and believes himself to be on the verge of descending into madness at which point only Bran will be able to kill him. But this old wolf finds himself as the mentor of the world's youngest surviving werewolf, a 13-year-old girl who is in danger of being ritually killed because she cannot control her change. Asil takes her under his wing to teach her, but this puts him in conflict with Bran who is charged with upholding the laws of the pack.In Red, with Pearls - A paranormal take on a noir detective novel, this story focuses on Warren who has begun working for his boyfriend's law firm. When a zombie is sent on an assassination mission to kill Kyle, Warren joins forces with the local witch to figure out who's behind it. Redemption - Ben is a DBA as a day job, but his history as a werewolf has left him a damaged misanthrope. But lately something odd has begun happening. On a whim, he starts interfering with a predatory manager who is targeting the attractive secretary. To his horror, she figures out what he is doing and thanks him. After a discussing with Adam and Mercy, he realizes that he's developing his dominant personality and is slowly becoming protective of those around him. Hollow - Mercy is called to help exorcise a ghost from the home of a local millionaire. He's been living as a recluse since his wife, mother, and father all diet within weeks of each other. He says he's been haunted by his wife since her departure, but Mercy soon realizes that there is more than one ghost in the home and some sort of fey magic is involved.Outtake from Silver Borne - A scene between Ariana and Samuel that didn't make it into the book. A touching series of moments where they rehash their history and agree to try again.Outtake from Night Broken - A brief scene at the end of the book where Coyote brings Adam a burrito while he's at the hospital watching over Mercy.
    • 4/5
      Very interesting look at some of the side characters in the series.

      Favorites were Sam & Ariane’s story, Anna and Charles, and Ben Shaw.
    • 4/5
      Good short stories! I'm not sure that it was worth the cost though - since it is a collection of short stories.
    • 4/5
      This was a great book. I've actually never come across any of these short stories. Probably because I don't often read anthologies. I might have to rectify that because I thoroughly enjoyed these ones. I'm a big fan of Briggs however and her Mercedes Thompson series so I am a little biased. I enjoyed seeing characters I liked and characters that I had forgotten about. If you are a Briggs fan I do highly recommend this book. The book is a little long but I hardly noticed the length. I am looking forward to the newest Brigg's installment.
    • 4/5
      I love the Mercy-verse, and this collection of stories was a great reminder why I love this series and this author.

      Some of these stories have been part of anthologies in the past, but some were new to me. And a few are deleted scenes from books. Each story was delightful!
    • 4/5
      This is a fantastic collection -- some of the stories I had read before, but I was glad to renew my acquaintance with them. Many of the stories thoughtfully flesh out histories I did not know. And the truly wonderful thing is that I felt the same sense of statisfaction when I finished it as I do with a regular Mercy Thompson book. A tide-you-over, yes, but a substantial one.
    • 3/5
      It was nice to see a collection of short stories that had more than one or two new stories in it. This one had 4 new stories and 6 reissues but it also had two chapters that had been previously cut from books. The stories are set in chronological order and they let the reader know where each story falls in the series. I had read most of the reprints before but it was nice to reread them in this collection. What I liked about the collection is you got some back story on several other characters that normally would come up during the course of a book. A good solid collection of stories for someone that enjoys the Mercy Thompson universe.
    • 3/5
      I listened to the audio book - I might have enjoyed this more with a better narrator.
    • 4/5
      I love me some Asil! :) Short stories.
    • 5/5
      This book is the kind you read on a rainy day and spend time with your favorite characters. Some of the vampires I didn't remember but the other stories were a amazing! I'd already read alpha and omega but the others were new.
      I really enjoyed the outtakes at the end.
    • 4/5
      Really enjoyed this collection of short stories from the Mercyverse.
    • 5/5
      Mercyverse, short stories, urban fantasy, werewolves, witches Was each story exceptional? No. But I am so delighted that all of my questions about some dangling issues regarding some of the characters in the series in one place without having to go through a pile of books in which there is only one relevant to my questions! This is marvelous!
    • 5/5
      Really nice anthology with good stories. Great fun for everybody who likes to dwell in Mercy Thompson's world!
    • 4/5
      Good short stories! I'm not sure that it was worth the cost though - since it is a collection of short stories.
    • 4/5
      Nice to have these stories together in one place. I've read a couple of them before. Alpha and omega was what got me started on Patricia Briggs in the first place. But all of these short stories have been put into various anthologies that are sometimes hard to get in Australia. Americans can probably get the various anthologies easier so might be a bit less excited to get their hands on this book. Some of the stories are a bit uneven but still good and fill in some gaps in the characters backstories
    • 5/5
      I love the Mercy Thompson books and reading these was like visiting old friends who you hadn't seen for awhile. I didn't know about some of these short stories being previously available elsewhere so I am really glad I have this compilation.
    • 5/5
      4.5 stars. These stories are mostly not from Mercy's pov and mostly focused on various secondary characters. This means that we get a whole lot of insight into all the other supernatural critters out there and get to know some dearly loved secondary characters much better. There are great intros to all of them by Briggs to warn about spoilers and give context. If you can't wait for the next books in this world definitely pick this one up and fall in love all over again ;).
    • 5/5
      I loved Patricia Briggs but had hesitated in getting this particular book. I wasn't sure if it would be a re-hash... boy was I wrong! This had a lot of short stories that bridged her other books extremely well. I liked how she explained where this idea came from or how she incorporated a different twist into her novels. I always pre-order her books and have never been disappointed.
    • 5/5
      I love when publishers release single-author story collections. Short stories allow authors to expand a world that they’ve created in between scheduled release novels. Unfortunately, these stories are usually part of anthologies with other authors who I’m not interested in reading. Every story in Shifting Shadows takes place in the Mercy Thompson/Alpha Omega world. And wonder of wonders, every single story is a worthwhile read! Briggs gives a brief intro to each story explaining how it came about (anthology theme, fan request, etc.) and it’s a great way to set the stage. Silver – The story of how Samuel and Ariana is a bittersweet tale that is only kept from being sad by the knowledge that they do find each other again in the novels. I loved the background of Samuel and Bran.Fairy Gifts – This was a fun little story with an expected ending. Thomas saved Maggie in exchange for “freedom”. She gave it to him, and so much more.Gray – Does love continue after death and undeath? Elyna the Vampire intends to find out.Seeing Eye – How Tom the Werewolf met Moira the witch. I liked these characters when they appeared in the A&O novels, so I was happy to spend more time with them.Alpha & Omega – The original story that began the Anna & Charles spin-off series. So good, I happily read it again even though I had before.The Star of David – A redemption story about the werewolf David who is called in by his estranged daughter to help with one of the foster children she oversees. A heartwarming, holiday tale.Roses in Winter – My favorite of the collection because it revolves around Asil the Moor, the ancient werewolf in Bran’s pack. He has always intrigued me and this story gives readers a peek into his mind.In Red, with Pearls – This is my second favorite of the book because…Warren, the dominant and very gay werewolf. I love his interactions with Mercy & Adam in her books and it was great to have a story from his POV.Redemption – This story surprised me because Ben never caught my attention before, just one of Adam’s pack who recalcitrant. There is so much more beneath the surface!Hollow – The final story of the book is Mercy’s as must return a favor by hunting a dangerous ghost. This is set right after Night Broken and is very entertaining.Somehow, Briggs manages to make readers care about the characters in these stories in a short amount of time. And, as is often the case, some of the stories left me wanting more – to see where these characters go from here. One thing that elevates this collection above other similar anthologies is the threads that run through connecting the world together. Tom the Werewolf from “Seeing Eye” pops up in the Alpha & Omega novels. Readers don’t need to have read the story and the novels, both stand alone, but the connection is nice to have. Sometimes it’s supporting characters, sometimes locations, but it enriches the world for readers. One last thing I really liked was the inclusion of “outtakes” from two of the Mercy Thompson books, including the last one. These extra scenes were great. Overall, this is a fantastic book. I sincerely hope the author does another collection. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      There were some really fantastic stories in this collection. Some that, even though I've read a book or two since this one, I find myself recalling the characters, or situations to mind randomly. Briggs has a HUGE talent for creating characters that, though they are fantasy creatures, feel so very real. They are whole and complete, and reading these stories only furthers that feeling. The stories prove that there are more to these characters than we see in each book. Sure, in the fan world, even secondary characters live on and have "real" lives beyond the glimpse that we see in our heroes stories (aka Mercy, Charles & Anna). But this! This collection proves that we are not crazy for falling in love, getting overly attached, and creating a whole other world/life for these characters!THIS is why I read fiction. THIS is why I love series. If nothing else, this proves that we are not alone in our love, passions, and creative (or imaginary) worlds!Very good book for anyone who love the Briggs books and characters as much as I.
    • 4/5
      Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.allthingsuf.comArdent fans of Patricia Briggs may have already pieced together parts of this collection, housed in beat up paperbacks and anthologies already published. To have these existing stories and more gathered and carefully arranged by series timeline, makes this lovely hardback a treasure for any collector to have on the shelf. From a pure reading perspective, "Roses in Winter", a glimpse of the child survivor mentioned in BLOOD BOUND, made this book worth the price of admission for me, all on it's own.It is not only avarice that makes me call SHIFTING SHADOWS "a collector's treasure". Normally not a fan of short stories, anthologies that contain Patricia Briggs or Ilona Andrews find their way to my shelf alongside their full length companions, as both authors breathing life and magic into even the briefest pages. SHIFTING SHADOWS offers several existing shorts that, while familiar, never made it into my collection. "The Star of David" brought tears to my eyes all over again, and reading "Seeing Eye" sent me back to re-read the entirety of the Alpha & Omega series, just to see Tom and Moira together again. Much as "Alpha and Omega" was a favorite long before Charles and Anna had their own series, "Roses in Winter" introduces Kara in a way that begs for a spin off all of her own. The only werewolf centric stories that were a tiny disappointment were "Silver" and "Redemption".For Samuel and Ariana, so much of their relationship has taken place "off camera", and I was looking forward to a long, satisfying glimpse of their beginnings. As with all requests involving fae, I should have been careful what I asked for. The very nature of Samuel and Ariana's separation means "Silver" is a story that won't have a happy ending for hundreds of years, and other than the brief outtake from SILVER BORNE, we still have not seen much of Sam and Ariana together and happy. In Ben's story, "Redemption", the supernatural aspects of his character growth was wonderfully written, it was the defining of "IT" and other tech related terms that seemed distracting and forced. This only impacts the opening of the story, however, and may have been caused by my own familiarity with that field.And if you come to SHIFTING SHADOWS for the werewolves, stay for the two lovely glimpses of vampires included as well. SHIFTING SHADOWS is a thoughtful offering from Briggs' to her fans, well organized and complete. Whether reading these stories for the first time or revisiting old friends, this is the best possible way to gather them in and enjoy.Sexual Content: Kissing, references to sex, child abuse, and rape.
    • 4/5
      Nice! I recognized, I think, all but one of the published stories - didn't realize I was following Mercy and her world quite that closely. They're all good - and range from familiar to extremely familiar. I must have read "Star of David" a dozen times, in different settings (various anthologies) - which doesn't make it less good, but not as much fun as something new. The story I didn't know, that was published, was good - about Warren, and Kyle. The four unpublished bits are all excellent. They all illuminate familiar characters in new ways (as did the new-to-me published story) - Samuel, Kara (about whom I remember little), Ben (I finally begin to both understand and like him - not necessarily related), and Mercy herself. Though that one is less about illuminating Mercy than Adam and his relationship to her; not new, of course, but (yet another) new angle. Same for the second outtake, from Night Broken. The first outtake, from Silver Borne, is about Samuel and Ariana. So! Five old, familiar friends; four new stories and one new to me, and two outtakes from books, bits that refused to quite fit in but are still excellent scenes. I read this as an ebook; I think it's one I'll be looking for in paper as well. If nothing else, I'll have "Alpha and Omega" without having to keep an anthology where the other stories didn't much interest me.
    • 5/5
      Shifting Shadows is a great collection of short stories from the world of Mercy Thompson. Some are repeats found in other anthologies, but there are also four new short stories and two short outtakes that didn’t make it into previous full-length novels. I enjoyed revisiting the repeated stories that I haven’t read in a while, too much to even pick a favorite because they are all just wonderful glimpses into the lives of some of the series’ supporting characters. Of the new stories, Silver is the heartbreaking tale of how Samuel and Ariana first met and parted. We know how things turn out in the end (and there is a nice outtake featuring them at the end of the book) but this story closes on a sad note. It brings to light the pain Sam suffered and helps to explain his melancholy in previous books. Roses in Winter feature Kara (a character referred to in a previous book) and Asil, one of the more tragic and interesting characters in the Mercy Thompson universe. We again gain some insight into a figure who has borne his fair share of heartache, and his growing fatherly affection for Kara is a joy to read about. Redemption gives us the story of Ben, a very damaged individual, and his protection of a young woman being harassed at their workplace. We learn about Ben’s past in more detail than presented before, and discover why he is such a head case. As the title suggests, Ben is starting to redeem himself for the sins of his past. Hopefully he’ll show up again in the future. Finally, in Hollow Mercy is asked to help rid a reclusive “multibazillionaire” of a ghost. Another nice story and, since Mercy is involved, you can bet there will be some sort of mayhem and destruction. Be sure not to skip the outtakes; they are equally great. My only complaint is that I wish they were longer. Overall this was a great read, reminding me of why I love this series so much. Author Patricia Briggs manages to tell a full, impactful tale even with the short story format. If you like Mercy Thompson this isn’t to be missed.
    • 4/5
      This was a nice collection of novellas and short stories centered around the world of Mercy Thompson. I had read many of them before in various anthologies. But it is a different reading experience to read them back to back. My only regret is that only one of the stories actually starred Mercy. We get a couple of stories about Samuel and Ariana. We get Charles and Anna's first story which has led to some novels. I really liked the story where Warren takes the lead role - "In Red, With Pearls."I also liked "Roses in Winter" which features a very young werewolf. It also let me see more of one of my favorite characters - Asil. I have always been fascinated by the idea of werewolves living very long lives and wondering what it would be like at the end of them. All of the stories were powerful and engaging. All of them add depth to the world of Mercy Thompson.