MERCY BURNS is the second book in Keri Arthur’s MYTH & MAGIC series. It tells the story of Mercy Wilson, the sister of Trae Wilson from DESTINY KILLS, a reporter who is trying to track down the people who are destroying draman towns with her friend Rainey whose sister was killed in one. Unfortunately, Mercy and Rainey get too close and the people involved create an accident which leaves Rainey dead and Mercy injured with just five days to find Rainey’s killer so that Rainey can rest in peace.MERCY BURNS is a story in much the same vein as the previous book in the series DESTINY KILLS, so if you enjoyed that book then you are pretty much guarenteed to enjoy this one too. However, MERCY BURNS has a more complicated plot and we get to learn a bit more about the dragon cliques that are mentioned in DESTINY KILLS. I really enjoyed learning more about the cliques, they sound like very unique but potential dangerous groups.This book follows the story of Mercy Wilson, a draman who can wield fire like a dragon but who lacks the ability to fly although she doesn’t let that stop her. After her friend Rainey’s death Mercy is determined to track down her killer so that her friend’s spirit can go on, it is not however an easy task and having just five days in which to achieve it really racks up the tension. Mercy is a very strong-willed character, she is determined to do everything she can to get justice for her friend even when it puts her own life at risk. She is also a very resourceful character, and she isn’t afraid of asking for a little bit of help when she needs it. During her quest to track down Rainey’s killer, Mercy comes across Death who she convinces to help her in her quest. Death is a very mysterious character, he is also a very disciplined one. Arthur does a brilliant job at writing the tension and the chemistry between the two characters.Like DESTINY KILLS, MERCY BURNS is pretty much porn with plot – although plot plays a larger role in this book than it does in the first book in the series, and I really enjoyed that. Although the plot plays a larger role, there are just two main plot threads to the book; the first being the potential romance between Mercy and Death which takes the whole book to be resolved, the second is the mystery aspect of the novel – who is behind the death of Rainey’s sister, and of the draman towns and why. Arthur does a brilliant job weaving these two strands together. If you are a paranormal romance fan then you should definitely considering giving this book and series a go.Originally posted on TheFlutterbyRoom.com Perhaps I read too many Keri Arthur books to really appreciate this one, but I actually kept forgetting who the character was and expected her to go into Vampire Mode (a la Riley Jenson).Mercy is a draman, a half dragon (as if that doesn't paint some twisted image involving an oversized reptile and a case of lubricant) being that grew up in a clique with other dragons and draman. Looked down upon by the dragons and seen as pests that threaten to reveal their existence to humans, Mercy and her fellow draman are subjected to emotional, physical and sexual abuse from dragons; as a result many abandon their homes to start "rogue villages". Mercy's best bud, Rainey (obviously word-of-the-days in this village), realises that her sister as been killed after one such rogue village was wiped out in secret. We start the book with Rainey's unfortnate death.Even though Mercy is supposed to be a journalist, she must be the quietest and most unfriendliest journalist around. With two friends and a brother listed as her buddies, Mercy expects to unravel the mystery behind Rainey's death before Rainey's dragon soul is cursed to walk the earth for eternity. Well, the journalists I know have at least 20 people they can pool information from - maybe Mercy should re-examine her life's calling to something more suitable.Anyway, Mercy eventually gets kidnapped and meets Damon, a Meurte - a dragon assassin also researching into the village's systematic genocide. Damon doesn't really like dramans either.Doesn't take a preschooler to realise that Mercy is going to lust after this assassin as his eyes appear to convey complete dialogues and her emotions do "happy dances" every fifth paragraph.Despite the threat of a painful death and condemning her best bud's soul to damnation, eventually Mercy and Damon spend HOURS doing the horizontal tango.Note: how is it that these women have libidos that can be awoken by sparrow farts? Heavens if they ever take a bumpy car ride home.Gifted with the ability to suck out a dragon's fire and super-concentrate a flame to a pin-prick, Mercy has a really bad ability to get seen in public by the bad guys. Luckily Damon and his strong nose come to the rescue each and every time.Murdering the bad guys and realising Rainey's soul, Mercy and Damon part ways after a tiff over class structure.Just when you thought it was safe for Mercy to go back to spinsterhood, Damon reappears 1 month later to declare his undying love with a dowry of chocolate cake.Not the best, but fun nevertheless.
What do You think about Mercy Burns (2011)?
Mercy Burns is an urban fantasy novel that began when Mercy Wilson woke up realizing that she's in a car crash and that her friend were already dead. Even as a half-human and half-dragon kind with heightened recovery rate, she was unable to perform a prayer to her friend before the dawn took Rainy's body away. Now Rainy's soul is doomed on earth and never be free until Mercy found her killers and make them pay.While on a lead, she was drugged and kidnapped, only to be lead in a cell with a dragon known as Death. By helping them both escape, Mercy knew she was on borrowed time for herself and her friend's soul and enlisted Damon's help before many more died.Although I was a long time fan of Keri Arthur and currently still following her Dark Angels series, I was quite disappointed by this book. There was somewhat lacking in the story structure that made it both an Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. The story greatly involve more on the plot with the dragon and half dragon communities and its people particularly against Mercy with the various attempt on taking her life. There was a metaphor against prejudices between the dragons and draman. The principles in which the characters live and the scars they survived. However, in the span of several days, although there are some heat between Mercy and Damon, the story wasn't enough to intrigue a reader as a whole. There are simply too many crime stories and politics to fit inside this one volume which doesn't do well with the romantic flow between the characters as it is a stand alone story. Thus making it a subpar version of a paranormal romance and a moderate contemporary novel despite the supernatural elements.I just felt there's a real problem in cramming happily-ever-after romance in this book with the time length between the characters and its prominent enough that the characterizations doesn't expand much from what they're in the beginning. The whole dragon angle is interesting but if you really like a smouldering dragon UF that balanced with the romance, Thea Harrison's Dragon Bound is probably a better alternative than this book.
—Leelee694
While dragons and their half-human offspring, dramans, are the main characters of this novel, Mercy Burns felt more like a romance novel. There were some great paranormal/supernatural aspects to the story and its focus is the repression of the dramans and their society. I think that while Mercy had a lot of great points, she was quick to anger without waiting for an explanation. I liked the character of Muerte very much! I felt like the ending was a bit rushed and tried to tie up loose ends, as well as make the romance work in the last two pages. I wish there had been a little more to it and that Mercy could have stepped outside herself to see others' perspectives a little more. A quick read and I think this is another good beach book.Myth and Magic Series: Destiny Kills (1), Mercy Burns (2)
—Ravi
