This volume is totally a breaking point with the rest of the series, will have been realized. This is where you make a choice for the future: to continue to play or stop forever?
I opted to go on and I do not regret even if reading this book there was quite difficult. The "worse", perhaps that is the end that ruins everything. Three-quarters of the book are worthy of any Mercy Thompson, the last quarter turns her too into the "New york criminal section" for my taste. "Trash" is perhaps the most appropriate word that comes to mind when writing this comment. To say that I have not attacked the series "McKayla Lane" by Karen Marie Moning almost similar for a reason ...
I do not want to spoiler, but I figure it's better to prevent possible future readers simultaneously. Mercy will live an event that many beings can tolerate without losing control (myself I could not, and that's one of the reasons why I do not like reading this). But here, I admit that Patricia Briggs has not abused in the sense that it does not describe, do not go into details (fortunately!).
It will be appreciated in this volume still to learn about the fae on good old Zee, Ben (and especially on the new aspect of the relationship with Mercy, as this may be what "saves" the drama the story here), on the gray lords, etc.
In summary, it remains essential to effectively saga even if it is not a book to put in any hands (this turning point in the saga place permanently in the adult category, and certainly not in those of the pre- Twilight fan teens that have been here just the opposite).