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    Mercy Blade: A Jane Yellowrock Novel
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    Mercy Blade: A Jane Yellowrock Novel
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    Mercy Blade: A Jane Yellowrock Novel
    Ebook431 pages7 hours

    Mercy Blade: A Jane Yellowrock Novel

    By Faith Hunter

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Jane, a shapeshifting vampire-hunter-for-hire, crosses paths with a stranger who has arrived in New Orleans, enlisted to hunt vampires who have gone insane-or so he says...
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Group
    Release dateJan 4, 2011
    ISBN9781101476772
    Unavailable
    Mercy Blade: A Jane Yellowrock Novel

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    Reviews for Mercy Blade

    4/5

    313 ratings23 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I do not read much urban fantasy, but this whole series has been AMAZING. I cannot wait for the next book!
    • 5/5
      What to say about this book? I don't like Jane's relationship with Rick Bo and I can see that she fell for him. I don't think he's the kind of men for her. I like Bruiser or Leo better. They are what they are but I think they would change for her. We'll see what Faith Hunter has in storage for us.

      I'm moving on to the next book.

    • 4/5
      There is something about this series . . . Jane, Beast, action, strength, vulnerability, mysticism, sexy-mexy . . . the play between body-mind-spirit . . . what's not to love?
    • 5/5
      Good and action packed storyline. Jane's life just keeps getting more and more intersting. Well developed characters and some hot to trot scenes.
    • 5/5
      Great! Loved the whole thing. I'll have a hard time waiting for the next one. Faith Hunter is a great writer!
    • 4/5
      Another good installment in the series. Jane is still a rockin' badass, the Beast continues to be delightful, and vamp politics are complicated once again, this time due to there being some new supernaturals on the scene - and not in a good way. The story is a bit of a whodunit, most of which was a surprise even though there was one big reveal that I saw coming from a mile away. As it seems in most paranormal romances, there's a bit of a love triangle, with a very satisfying ending.
    • 4/5
      I really liked this third book in the series; it seemed to be pared down and back to a straight ahead whodunit mystery. Of course, Jane Yellowrock is still a kick-butt kind of detective (well, vamp-killer to be specific), and in this installment she is trying to figure out how the werewolves got back into New Orleans and why there is hatred between vampires and werewolves. She's also started a romance with an undercover cop, Rick, who helped her move from her North Carolina cabin once and for all.She's now sharing her home with Evangelina, a witch and older sister of Jane's best friend, Molly, who is transforming from being a short-tempered workaholic to a more dreamy, dance-y domestic type. Jane can't quite figure out why, or why Evangelina seems to have a pink glow suddenly.The action begins at Leo Pellissier's home, a.k.a. Vamp HQ, and Leo is now the Master of Clans (MOC) for New Orleans since the events of the last book. Seems that the last book existed to winnow down which clans were going to exist in New Orleans going forward, and this book does not spend so much time on clan politics. Instead, it is about inter-species politics, including a shape shifting black leopard from Africa. With his televised transformation on the news, and his arrival at Leo's headquarters for an inter-species meeting of the red carpet variety, the event is turned into chaos with the arrival of the were-wolves.More vampire and blood servant history is explored with compassion and insight, and the action is pretty straightforward. We don't get bogged down into Jane's multiple vamp killers or firearms with every single fight she gets into, and we also get a chance to jump into Beast's mind for some adventures.
    • 5/5
      Good and action packed storyline. Jane's life just keeps getting more and more intersting. Well developed characters and some hot to trot scenes.
    • 4/5
      Mercy Blade
      4 Stars

      As in the previous books, Hunter’s world building is original and her writing is both atmospheric and action packed. In this installment, we are introduced to a new group of supernaturals: Weres, whose origins and conflict with the vampires is fascinating.

      The plot revolves around the return of the Werewolves and Werecats to New Orleans and Jane’s investigation into the murder of one of them at a diplomatic gathering hosted by Leo Pellissier, the vampire Master of the City. As the case progresses, conspiracies are exposed, secrets are revealed and loyalties are tested.

      Once again, the most problematic aspect of the book is Jane’s love life. Following the events of Blood Cross, Jane has begun a relationship with Rick Le Fleur, but they are both keeping secrets from each other and to be honest, Rick is a bit of a shmuck and doesn’t feel right for Jane. In contrast, Jane’s connection with George “Bruiser” Dumas is far more tangible and their sexual tension is off the charts. If it weren’t for his role as Leo’s prime blood servant, he would be absolutely perfect.

      One other small nitpick concerns the trend of including Christian overtones in UF novels - The Dresden Files, Mercy Thompson and now Jane Yellowrock?! Jane hunts and kills vampires for a living but has trouble being in a sexual relationship with a man she is not married to? Seriously?

      All in All, the Jane Yellowrock series is highly entertaining and Khristine Hvam’s narration is out of this world.
    • 4/5
      Jane Yellowrock is another flawed but fiercely awesome urban fantasy character. A strong female lead, I love how she makes tons of mistakes and just keeps going. As she searches for the answers to her past we get to see the person that Jane will become. Great storyline with enough twists to keep the series fresh. I would recommend reading the companion short stories as hunter references these without going in to the back story. You have to make some assumptions if you haven't read them.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoy the Jane Yellowrock series. So far each book has been better than the previous one and Jane's world continues along with herself to grow and evolve. Lots of important stuff happens in this book. Several new supernatural creatures come out of the closet (so to speak) and Jane finds herself in the middle of a brewing war between races. Every side wants a piece of Jane and not only does she have to figure out how to avert a war, but also how to rescue someone she cares about and figure out the identity of whoever it was that committed a murder on her watch. Things are changing in Jane Yellowrock's world and sometimes not all of those changes are good. Leo still isn't quite himself and what does a mysterious new person who also happened to save Jane's life have to do with all of the above? Find out in Mercy Blade.
    • 4/5
      Listened for Fun (Audible)Tracking Books Read Review (Short)Overall Rating: 4.25Story Rating: 4.50Character Rating: 4.00Audio Rating: 4.50First Thought when Finished: Mercy Blade finalized this for me: I am #TeamJane #TeamBeast ! They are too good for both guys!Overall Thoughts: Since I am late to the game with this series, this will be more of quick points about what keeps me going and what I am over with this series. I am over both boys! Seriously, Jane/Beast is better than both of them and if she is with them for more than Smexy times then she is settling (I reserve the right to change my mind later but right now anytime it is about the relationship--I kind of tune out). The mystery and the world building were phenomenal in Mercy Blade: once again! I am not sure how Faith dreams out these tricky situations but I am so glad she does. I would totally read a thriller by her because I am sure she would write a wonderful killer. Overall, I am still in love with this series but I do see the love triangle wearing on me!Audio Thoughts: Narrated By Khristine Hvam / Length: 14 hrs and 43 mins I may sound like a broken record but Khristine is rocking my socks off with her narration. In Mercy Blade, I have to say I was super impressed with her male voices. She nailed them!Final Thoughts: I need to squeeze in book 4 soon :)
    • 3/5
      This series started strong, but quickly got boring. In this book, the Weres are introduced. The vampires of New Orleans play host to some Weres from Africa, and one of the diplomats get murdered. Its up to Jane to figure it out. I like Jane - but she doesn't really stand out and hasn't changed much throughout the series. After reading it, I am already forgetting the plot. It was fairly standard - too convoluted, too many people doing too many things. to I finished the book, but just barely.
    • 5/5
      So damn good! Just finished and what a cliffhanger. Seriously excellent urban fatasy with the coolest, kick ass heroine. Loved it!!!
    • 3/5
      OK, I'm probably 2/3 through and it has been dragging half the time and then doesn't click the next half. Part of the reason is I don't understand why she is where she is at all. Leo, so far, has been anything but fair in his dealings with Jane, so why work for him. Money? No Jane has never been about money, or so that is what I got. And my questioning of why she takes the job from Leo gets proven at least three times over for me. First when he sends her into to negociate with weres totally unprepared and she nearly gets killed. Second when he "changes" her job description to security on this meeting of the African were contingent and the Mithran. She is a solo working, vamp hunter, up to this point, so taking care of security at a full function, full housed meeting (hotel), doesn't make sense to me. Yes, I understand that she has back up in the form of Derek, and they do have the experience, but she as the lead? OK second, at the meeting, Leo wants her in the receiving line, as in guests, to meet the head of the werecats? I could understand introduction privately to the head of security, but this is obviously a set up to see what he smells, just as Jane points out. Then during the "smell", Leo offers her up as a sex toy, essentially pimping her out. Sorry, as soon as I got out of werecats hands, I would've told Leo 'breach of contract' and walked out the door. To put your head of security in a dangerous, and then illegal position... really? So Bruiser is kicked out because of suspect evidence and Bruiser still seems to want to get back into Leo's pants? After the way he treated him. And if he really wants a relationship with Jane to even consider Leo?

      So, the book starts slowly, really slowly, and then when it gets going, I don't agree with its premise, where she is and what she is investigating. At this point if I hadn't heard from my boyfriend, I would be investigating that as he should at least call or send message through the police, not investigating Leo's mess. So we will see if my opinion changes as I get to the end here, maybe a little more than 1/3 left.


      ----------------------------------------------------------------

      OK, stuck it out tonight and read through it. It definitely gets exciting in the end but the complication was too much, too much was missed. As I said above, and I was right, she should have been looking for Rick from day one. She could do it in a way not to break his cover if that was a worry, she is not a cop. She does say that she should have been looking for him in the end and berates herself.

      So they both get spelled in some way and go off the "couple" path and instead of knowing what happens... It is an abrupt ending and really leaves it up to the reader to know what happens, or imagine. Not a cliffhanger per se but... not good. So also, I'm just ticked about Leo not sharing the layout of the building that she was supposed to be security for, especially after the attack. For what reason would he not tell her the passages. Then mad that Jodi wouldn't tell Jane, who was security what she knows. It is like Jane is flying blind with everyone holding out information that would lead to solving the whole kit and caboodle yet Jane has to sniff it out on her own.

      I really don't like Molly's sister Evangeline and thought that she was a player that was going to be in the middle of the mess but I guess we will see about her later. She definitely sets her up as a sneaky B.

      Good, not great for me, and a would even say on the low side of good.
    • 3/5
      I've considered dropping the Jane Yellowrock series. I liked books one and two, but I didn't love them, and MERCY BLADE wasn't the book pull me back on board. On the plus side, I'd forgotten how much I like the relationship between Jane and Beast. It's the best thing about this series.

      On the negative side, I've always thought Jane's bark is worse than her bite and MERCY BLADE really highlights that flaw. Eery time Jane dresses, undresses, or passes through a security check we get a recitation of the weapons she's wearing. If she's not arming herself, she's thinking about whether or not she's adequately armed, or worrying about not being adequately armed. Jane is a legitimate badass, but she oversells it to the point of being silly.

      In MERCY BLADE, Faith Hunter introduces a couple of new, mythical creatures - a grindylow houseguest and the mysterious Gee - as well as werewolves. Hunter is great at worldbuilding but she lets the grindylow and Gee fall by the wayside while she focuses on the werewolves. As usual, she has a neat reason why werewolves are different from other shifters, but I thought the book was too busy. There's so much going on that there's no time to really get to know the new characters or what they're about; by the end, the only thing I knew about the main werewolf alpha was the color of his hair.

      As far as romance is concerned, the book starts with a scene of connubial bliss between Rick and Jane. This worried me because I don't like Rick, but, luckily, right after that he disappears and doesn't show up again until nearly the end of the book. While Rick's away doing the undercover cop thing, Bruiser takes on the job of generating some sexual tension. Unfortunately, the best thing I can say about Bruiser is that I like him better than Rick and, yeah, that's not saying much.

      This is my least favorite book in the series so far, though I ended up being glad that I read it - better to go back to characters I like and an author I can count on for a certain level of skill than keep trawling through the endless deluge of debuts.
    • 5/5
      Jane the ancient skinwalker has stepped into a hornets nest when she accepts a job from the Master of the City to provide security for a meeting of Cat Were's for a parley. There are so many security dangers, Jane thinks she has most covered. Wrong, the political and back stabbing para community has so many dark shadows to throw at her she may never figure it out. Her current love interest is missing and her lust interest is circling her big time. She is captured by magics that confuse her thoughts and feelings, everything is different and lives depend on her clearing them up. Many new and dangerous creatures step into her story and some great myths to go with them.
      Poor Jane my heart bleed for her. What a story, filled with action and intense mysteries. I loved all of the story. When is the next one, I was left with a light cliffhanger.
    • 5/5
      Jane, a shapeshifting vampire-hunter-for-hire, crosses paths with a stranger who has arrived in New Orleans, enlisted to hunt vampires who have gone insane-or so he says…

      This is the third book about Jane Yellowrock. The worldbuilding was solid. The fascinating vampire culture that Faith Hunter created, unfolded a bit more. It clearly built on the first two books. There were hints about the reason for the last Vampire war, that only whetted my appetite for more. The tension between Jane and Rick vibrated through the book, and felt that realistic. In the end, the book left me curious about what happened next, but the story arc for this book felt finished.


    • 4/5
      Jane is requested to handle security and arrange guest comforts at the Vampire’s HQ for negotiations with African were-cats right after they announce their presence to the world. Traditionally the shifters and vampires do not get along. But as Jane soon discovers, werewolves also exist and they’ve got a bone to pick. At the same time Rick has apparently gone undercover and he’s not calling. And the party doesn’t quite go as planned.There are so many sides to this story. We learn of a couple of new creatures and more about vampire history as well as how shifters began. Evangelina is staying with Jane while she’s helping the witches to negotiate a peace with the vampires and something wonky is going on with her. I expect we’ll see more of that in the next book. There is a great deal of sexual tension (it’s really hot) between Jane and Bruiser and she must keep reminding herself that she has a boyfriend, even if he’s not around. There is plenty of action – and of course, the mystery. But Jane is angsting over a few topics and two deal with her religious/moral beliefs. Then of course there is her worry over her missing boyfriend and wondering if any other skinwalkers exist. Can she ask anyone? So our kick-butt heroine, while still giving it all she’s got, is somewhat vulnerable in this story.The mystery itself is really convoluted and kind of confusing. You go through most of the story not knowing if some of the people are the good or bad guys and putting it all together could make your head spin.But on the whole I liked this book even better than the first two which I’ve been reading back-to-back. Not sure if Jane has grown on me or if seeing her as a more vulnerable character makes her more real. But I do have to say I’d really like give Jane a good shake at times.
    • 5/5
      The third installment in the Jane Yellowrock series, Mercy Blade is the best so far. For the time being, Jane moves to New Orleans so she can fulfill her contract with the vamps to beef up their security and so she can be closer to her boyfriend, Rick, an NOPD undercover cop. But she’s barely had time to set down her boxes when trouble comes a-knocking in the form of furry shapeshifters who’ve decided to come out of the proverbial closet and into the public eye.I don’t really understand why Jane’s working for the crazy vamps, especially after Leo tried to kill her earlier. He’s nothing but trouble, and he dumps it all over Jane. The now-out-in-the-world werecats are coming to New Orleans and, in a political maneuver, the vamps are having a party for them. With press coverage. Human press coverage. Security for this potential fiasco falls to Jane. Leo also asks Jane to meet up with someone for him, but doesn’t tell her anything else. Unfortunately for her, some very ticked off werewolves attack her and do their best to try and kill Leo’s messenger. Darned vamps. Always causing trouble.Then Rick goes missing. He doesn’t answer any of Jane’s texts or voicemails, which gives Jane fits. She’s trying her best to stay loyal to Rick but this is made especially hard because Beast, Jane’s big cat self, insists cats are not meant to be monogamous. Beast wants Jane to get herself some of Bruiser, Leo’s head of security and primary blood servant. The sexual tension between Jane and Bruiser leaps off the page but, unfortunately, not much comes of it. I’m with Beast. Jane needs to get her some of that hot Bruiser. Not that I think Jane should date Bruiser or anything. His loyalty is to Leo first and, despite any feelings he might have for her, Jane would always come second. As for Jane and Rick, they’re not a great couple and, personally, I don’t really see a future for them. There’s no real tension, no spark. They’re comfortable together but it seems like it’s more of a friends-with-benefits thing. I’m thinking she can do better than both of those guys but she may as well have a good time while they’re around. Live it up, Jane!There’s so much going on in this story: vamp politics and power plays; murder and kidnapping; and new characters and creatures including big cat weres, grindylows, Molly’s witchy sister who’s staying with Jane, and Girrard, the vamps’ ex-Mercy Blade (someone who helps vamps stay sane and can heal them) and a creature unknown to Jane. As she watches the public reaction to the reveal of another supernatural creature, Jane is worried that her secret may come out soon. And she doesn’t really want everyone to know what she is though there is a little part of her that hopes another skinwalker might appear so she’s not the only one in the world. The plot gets a bit twisted and convoluted, which might be confusing if you haven’t read the prior two novels, but it shakes out in the end. Filled with twists and turns, sexual tension, and revelations amidst a pile of action and one hard-core chick decked out in leather and bristling with weapons, Mercy Blade rocks the urban fantasy genre.
    • 5/5
      Enjoyable new book in the series which sees lots of new characters introduced. Jane seems more unsure of herself with regards to her relationships and she battles with her feelings throughout.
    • 5/5
      I think what I love most about FH's writing is how she's able to describe a physical setting, the sounds, smells, colors, and that part of the story--the background--comes so fully into the foreground that it acts both to ground the reader in what's happening and how Jane is feeling and at the same time it moves the story forward.While some scenes seemed a little repetitive, overall I enjoyed the story. It's dark, fearsome, bleak, but at the same time there are shimmers of joy and hope and love.I'm not sure what to think of the ending. In one sense it's a cliff-hanger, in another it very solidly serves as a (potential) end... or a fork, anyway. We'll see, I guess
    • 5/5
      I have been absolutely loving the Jane Yellowrock series. This is the third book in the series and it was just as fabulous as the rest, if not more so. The fourth book will be called Raven cursed, I am not sure on the release date.In this book the were-animals have come out to the rest of society. Jane is unsure where she stands since she isn't exactly a were-animal but is something...different. She gets drawn into the mess when Leo, the vampire she works for, is framed for murder by the local werewolf pack. Now she has werewolves out to get her, Leo on her case, and a mysterious man who calls himself Leo's Mercy Blade either trying to save her or kill her. Jane has to get all of this sorted out before she gets killed.The plot of this book is a bit convoluted and twisted but it all works out nicely in the end. Jane discovers more about her past and more about how the vampires and weres work as societies. There is a ton of action, things move at a good clip, and there are some deliciously tense scenes between Jane and Bruiser.Rick is absent most of the book, which was kind of a bummer, since I'd like to get to know him a bit better as a character. Bruiser is present in a big way though and Jane is finding it tough stay true to the absent Rick. The addition of the Mercy Blade is awesome, he is a wonderful character who introduced some wonderful fight scenes; I hope we see even more of him in future books.The book wraps up the current events nicely and then throws the readers a crazy cliffhanger that will really have you wondering what will happen next. The only problem with the book is Jane's inner angst about her relationship with Rick; there is a bit too much of it. I didn't think it detracted from the story a ton though, and it was nice to read about a vampire hunter that has morals. Although given that Jane kills stuff for a living, it is a bit weird that she is so hung up on having sex out of wedlock. Hopefully there won't be so much emphasis on this in future books.Overall I was pleased with this installment in the Jane Yellowrock series. It was hard to put the book down, the characters are deepened, and the story is broadened. There are great action scenes throughout and an intricate plot that comes together nicely in the end. I am eager to see what happens next.