Popular Culture Review Vol. 20, No. 2, Summer 2009 | Page 53

Werewolves, Vampires, and Fae in Patricia Briggs’ Dark Urban Fantasy Novels The growth of the contemporary paranormal literary genre has led several authors to push the boundaries of traditional preternatural storytelling. One of these authors is Patricia Briggs, whose popular Mercy Thompson series of novels—Moon Called, Blood Bound, and Iron Kissed—offer a fascinating twist on twenty-first century werewolf, vampire, and fae lore. Briggs initiated her dark urban fantasy series about Mercy Thompson in 2006 with the publication of Moon Called. Blood Bound and Iron Kissed followed in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Although all three novels feature preternatural characters, Moon Called focuses on an internal struggle between two werewolf packs; Blood Bound provides an excellent vampire mystery in the tradition of Bram Stoker’s chilling Dracula and Anne Rice’s dark, emotionally tortured Lestat; and Iron Kissed portrays the evils of fae (or fairy) magic gone awry. Given that in some cultures the word for vampire means “wolf-fairy” (Wright 17), it is both logical and intriguing that Briggs has created a United Nations of preternatural creatures, happily at ease in the electronic age. Bom in 1965 in Butte, Montana, Patricia Briggs has lived most of her life in the Pacific Northwest. Her first novel, Masques, was published in 1993, but its poor sales record almost dashed her efforts as a novelist. Subsequent novels such as Dragon Bones and Raven s Strike showed growth in sales as well as in her ability to write self-contained stories. The Mercy Thompson series has been her most popular writing; the fourth novel, Bone Crossed, was published in February 2009, and the fifth of the seven planned novels (Silver Borne) is due out in early 2010. Another recent series, the Alpha and Omega series, is set in the same world as the Mercy Thompson novels. Several factors make the Mercy Thompson series highly popular and appealing. Plots are circuitously developed, creating mysteries that leave readers engaged, on edge, and satisfied when the mystery is resolved at the end of each novel. Briggs creates a plethora of physicality—high-energy action, fast-paced dialogue, and emotional suspense. Characters are well defined through physical, emotional, and intellectual traits and identities. And the setting is a tri-city urban area in Washington State between Spokane and Walla Walla with subplots occurring in rural Washington or Montana. But the major factor is Mercy and all of the characters with whom she interacts. Similar to the U SA network’s “Characters Welcome,” the cast of characters in these novels expands the universe of beings that populate a typical urban setting—even for the urban fantasy genre. First of all, the novels’ humor ranges from deadpan to darkly ironic. Some examples are as follows: