Mercy Thompson facts for kids

Mercedes "Mercy" Athena Thompson is the main character in the Mercy Thompson series of books. These popular stories are written by Patricia Briggs. The main series includes many books, like Moon Called and the newest one, Soul Taken. Most of these stories are told from Mercy's point of view. Mercy also has her own comic book series by Dynamite. These comics include a story from before the books, called Homecoming, and a comic version of Moon Called.

Mercy's Story

In the books, Mercy Thompson has a Blackfeet Indian father and a white mother named Margi. Her father, Old Joe Coyote, was a rodeo bull rider. He passed away shortly after he and Margi got married.

In the book Fire Touched, Mercy discovers she has a special power from her father. This power helps her survive among werewolves, fae (magical creatures), and other beings. She is a "Walker," a Native American shapeshifter who can turn into a coyote. Unlike werewolves, her shifting isn't linked to the moon.

When Mercy was a baby, her mother found a small coyote pup in her crib instead of her daughter. Margi was scared and didn't know how to raise a shapeshifter. So, she took Mercy to friends of an uncle who was a werewolf. This is how Mercy grew up with the werewolf pack led by Bran, who is the Marrok (leader) of all werewolves.

Adventures of Mercy Thompson

Homecoming

This story happens before the main book series. In Homecoming, Mercy travels to the Tri-Cities in Washington for a job interview. She quickly finds herself caught in a fight between different groups of werewolves. As if dealing with fangs and fur wasn't enough, Mercy also has to face her mother. Her mom thinks Mercy is messing up her life and wants to set her straight.

Moon Called

Moon Called is where Mercy Thompson's main story begins. Mercy's life is far from ordinary. Her next-door neighbor is a werewolf, and her old boss is a grumpy fae. She even fixes a Volkswagen bus for a vampire. But Mercy herself is also special.

She is a Walker, which means she can change into a coyote whenever she wants. She also has a very good sense of smell for finding other creatures. Plus, she can feel magic when it's being used. So, when a teenage werewolf named Mac asks her for work, she knows what he is right away. She probably should have said no, but he looks so desperate that she hires him.

It turns out Mac escaped from a lab where he was being experimented on. When bad guys show up looking for him, Mercy ends up killing one of them, who is also a werewolf. She realizes it's time to tell the local Alpha werewolf about it. This Alpha werewolf is her divorced neighbor, Adam.

Things quickly get out of control. Mercy finds Adam badly hurt and barely saves him. Adam's fifteen-year-old daughter, Jesse, has been kidnapped by the same people who were after Mac. To help Adam heal, Mercy takes him to Montana. There, they visit the werewolf pack that raised her. We meet Bran, the leader of all North American werewolves. Bran's son, Samuel, is a man Mercy once loved.

Eventually, Adam, Samuel, and Mercy return to the Tri-Cities to find Adam's daughter. They meet fae, vampires, and other werewolves. Mercy has to deal with all these creatures. She also has to handle Adam and Samuel's interest in her, which causes some tension.

Blood Bound

In Blood Bound, we learn that Mercy can resist some magic. This includes vampire mind control and werewolf pack control. Because of this, her vampire friend Stefan asks her to deliver a message. He needs her to speak to a visiting vampire who hasn't shown proper respect to Stefan’s group. Stefan worries the visiting vampire has magic that could force him to do things. He hopes Mercy is immune and can report back if anything happens to him.

Of course, things go wrong. Soon, Mercy is hunting a vampire sorcerer named Cory Littleton. Cory is causing more violence in the Tri-Cities area. He is hurting werewolf friends and putting innocent lives in danger. To make things more complicated, Mercy's feelings for Adam, the local Alpha, are scaring her. Her feelings for Samuel, an old friend, also seem unclear. Plus, there's a lot of vampire, fae, and werewolf politics involved.

Iron Kissed

In Iron Kissed, Mercy is at a turning point in her relationships. She has feelings for two men: Samuel and Adam Hauptman. Both are very strong werewolves. Samuel is a lone wolf, and Adam is the leader of the Tri-Cities werewolf pack. Mercy needs to decide which one she loves more. Adam has told her how he feels, and her not giving a clear answer is making his pack weaker.

Her mechanic teacher, Siebold Adelbertsmiter (also known as Zee), asks her for a favor. He needs her to help the Fae. Mercy is glad for the distraction. Several unsolved murders have happened on the Fae reservation. The magic the fae can use hasn't been enough to find the killer. Mercy is asked to use her special sense of smell to find a clue about the murderer.

Bone Crossed

Bone Crossed starts with Mercy's vampire friend, Stefan, arriving. He warns her that Marsilia, the leader of his vampire group, knows Mercy was involved in the death of one of her vampires, Andre. Stefan tells Mercy to run away. Marsilia has put a special sign of crossed bones on Mercy's door. This sign is magic and cannot be removed. It tells other vampires that Mercy is a traitor. While Stefan is getting better, he accidentally shares his thoughts with Mercy. She relives the deaths of his old friends. Adam brings Mercy into the pack to help her recover.

The vampires set a magic trap at Uncle Mike's, a fae tavern. The trap kills one of the pack members, but she is brought back to life. The werewolves need to make peace with Marsilia, and Mercy needs to leave town.

Amber, a college friend of Mercy's, shows up. She asks Mercy to visit her house to check on her son's claims about a ghost. Mercy talks about it with Adam, Samuel, and Bran. They tell her there is only one powerful supernatural creature in Amber's city, Spokane. This is the vampire Jim Blackwood, known as The Monster. They believe he won't notice Mercy, so she will be safe there. Unfortunately, he is one of Amber's husband's biggest clients. He even has an invitation to their house for dinner on Mercy's first day there.

Silver Borne

Mercy Thompson, a mechanic and shapeshifter, tries to return a powerful Fae book. She had borrowed it when she was in a desperate situation. But she finds the bookstore locked and closed. It seems the book holds secret knowledge. The Fae will do almost anything to keep it from falling into the wrong hands.

As if that wasn't enough, her friend Samuel is having trouble controlling his wolf side. Mercy has to cover for him. If she doesn't, his own father might decide Samuel's life is over. All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she might not have many more days to live.

River Marked

Car mechanic Mercy Thompson has always known she was different. It's not just because she can fix a car engine so well. Mercy is a shapeshifter, a power she got from her father, who disappeared long ago. She has never met anyone else like her. Until now.

Something bad is stirring deep in the Columbia River. It's something her father's people might know about. To have any chance of surviving, Mercy and her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will need their help.

Frost Burned

Mercy and her stepdaughter Jesse are out shopping. Jesse asks Mercy if she and her father are having a baby. Startled by the question, Mercy crashes her car, the "Rabbit," into an SUV. Jesse tries to call her dad, but he doesn't answer. Mercy gets worried and tries to reach him through their special bond. But she only feels anger, rage, and pain. Something is very wrong. No other pack members answer their phones either.

Then a strange message arrives from Bran, the Marrok (leader of North American werewolves). It says, "The Game is Afoot."

Night Broken

Adam's ex-wife, Christy Hauptman, calls for help. She is in trouble. A man she met is chasing her, and she needs protection. Mercy agrees to let her stay and find out what's happening. Even though Mercy is kind, Christy tries to make Mercy look bad. The pack seems to listen to Christy.

Christy is not Mercy's only problem. On the night Christy arrives, a Gray Lord, Alistair Beauclaire, shows up. He wants back a walking stick that Mercy had given to Coyote. Now Mercy needs to find Coyote, which is not as easy as it sounds.

Hollow (short story)

Mercy is thinking about the future of her mechanic shop. A woman named Lisa then asks Mercy to deal with a ghost haunting a rich man's home. Mercy investigates the problem with Zack, the newest pack member. They soon discover the situation is much worse than they expected.

Hopcross Jilly (comic)

During a full moon, Mercy and Adam's pack go for a run. They find an old burial site with the skeletons of four children. Across from the site is an old, empty house. It used to belong to a mysterious old woman known as Hopcross Jilly. They discover she was an ancient fae who hunted naughty children. Meanwhile, Mercy's stepdaughter Jesse is having a hard time at school. This is because of the burial sites and because she is the daughter of a werewolf. During this tough time, she becomes friends with a new student named Jill. Jill seems friendly but acts strangely.

Fire Touched

Mercy meets a troll and takes a young boy under the pack's protection. She also declares the Tri-Cities as their territory, meaning no one else can claim it. The young boy is a human with fire powers. He was taken by the fae centuries ago and trapped in their magical world. The fae want him back because of his power. Mercy's declaration has big consequences. To stop a possible war, Bran separates her pack from the other American packs. This leaves Mercy's pack to face the problems alone.

Silence Fallen

Mercy has found her voice and place within the werewolf pack. But then, Mercy's special connection with the pack and her mate is broken. She will learn what it truly means to be alone.

Storm Cursed

After Mercy declared the Tri-Cities protected by her pack in Fire Touched, Mercy and Adam's home became a neutral place. It was a spot where humans could feel safe meeting with the fae. But the truth is, nothing and no one is truly safe. As generals and politicians argue with the powerful Gray Lords of the fae, a big storm is coming. This storm is named Death. This book was released in May 2019.

Smoke Bitten

A fae creature escapes from Underhill, the magical fae world. Can Mercy make a deal that will save everyone from its path? This book was released on March 17, 2020.

Soul Taken

The vampire Wulfe is missing. When Mercy starts to look into it, she finds that more than just Wulfe has disappeared. Mercy learns about the legend of the Harvester. This being travels on less-used paths and collects souls that are ready, using a large black scythe. This book was released on August 23, 2022.

Mercy #14

The title for this book is not yet announced. It is planned to be released in 2023.

Mercy's Character

Physical Appearance

In the books, Mercy is described as being about 5 feet 6 inches tall. She has an average build and long, straight, dark brown hair, which she often wears in braids. She has strong muscles from studying a type of martial arts called shisei kai kan. Her skin is tanned.

She has a tattoo of a coyote paw print on her stomach, below her belly button. She also has buckshot scars on her behind. When she changes into her coyote form, she weighs about 32 pounds. Her adoptive parents passed away seventeen years ago when she was fourteen. At the start of Moon Called, Mercy is around 31 years old.

Personality and Powers

Mercy is known for being stubborn, strong-willed, and independent. She is also hardworking, thoughtful, and caring. Her strong belief has saved her at least once from a powerful 'Vampire Queen'.

She can change between her human and coyote forms whenever she wants. As a coyote, she is a bit faster. She can also see much better in the dark and has a slightly better sense of smell. In both human and coyote forms, she has a very sharp sense of smell. She is also resistant to some types of magic.

It has been shown that Mercy can see and even control ghosts. The books explain that this is why Walkers are so rare. Vampires have hunted them down to stop them from being "vampire hunters." This is because where vampires live, there are usually ghosts of their victims who can reveal them.

Mercy works as an auto mechanic. She likes to playfully annoy her neighbor Adam by keeping old, broken-down cars on her lawn.