I have to get this post up IMMEDIATELY so I can start reading this book! Must find out what’s going to happen to Mercy Thompson this time.
Okay, so this time I decided to do a nine card spread, and pulled:
Mice Rider Dog
Snake Tower Crossroads
House Clover Clouds
Based on the first column (Mice/Snake/House), I think that something will be taken from Mercy’s home, through some sort of trickery or deception. She still has a friend in her house (reading the corners now, Dog/House), though I would expect so based on the ending of the last book. There are a lot of doubts about who could have stolen the item (corners again: Mice/Clouds). (Then again, those Mice could be anxiety, rather than theft, I suppose.)
Based on the second column, I think Mercy might be imprisoned at some point in the story (Tower) and/or that she feels isolated from her friends (Tower/Dog). Clover/Rider, though, makes me think she will be fortunate (Clover) to get a message (Rider) from a friend (Rider/Dog), and that message will lead to her having to make a choice (Crossroads) and/or to freeing herself from imprisonment (Tower/Crossroads). Unfortunately, the betrayer may also have some luck (Snake/Clover). Travel also seems possible (movement from House to Crossroads).
By the end of the book, I think Mercy will have some doubts as to who her friends really are (Dog/Clouds, with both knighted by Snake). Perhaps it isn’t clear who was responsible for the theft (if any) but it seems to have required a betrayal along the line by someone, somewhere. Reading more literally, maybe those clouds are a forecast of rain by the end of the book! Or of driving along a road in the rain with a friend (Dog/Crossroads/Clouds), probably the same friend who lives in her house (corners: Dog/House). Or, on the other hand, maybe Mercy is metaphorically in the doghouse, and her assumed betrayal of a friend leads her to be isolated or imprisoned (Tower).
One thing is certain; I don’t think Mercy’s life is going to become any less stressful any time soon (corners again: Mice/Clouds). When will Patricia Briggs ever write a novel in which Mercy peacefully works on cars the whole time? 🙂 And, why, oh why, doesn’t the Lenormand have a vampire card? (Oh, wait, maybe that’s the Coffin–but as you can see, it doesn’t turn up in my nine card spread above. Nor does the Scythe, which I almost expected to see, given the events of the past few books in the series.)
Now (in the interests of full disclosure), the cover copy says Mercy will be trying to return, in this book, the book that she borrowed in a previous one, but that when she tries to do so, the bookstore from which she borrowed the book turns out to be locked up and abandoned, and that Samuel (her beloved werewolf friend who lives with her) is struggling with his wolf. It’s possible the locked bookstore could be the Tower, but I’m not convinced of that yet. But I hope to find out soon…very soon!!! In case you’re wondering, this series is rather addictive. Which is why I checked out the book that follows this one at the same time…you can see it peeking out from under Silver Borne in the photo–it’s River Marked (which I might write a Literary Lenormand post about, if I can resist diving immediately into it after finishing Silver Borne!).
If you have read this and have comments about my forecast above, please feel free to post in the comments below. I don’t think you will spoil the story for me–I typically devour a Mercy Thompson book in about two days.
3/28/15 update
Sorry to be slow in updating this post–I have to admit that I wound up diving straight from this book into the next one in the series (but will only cover events in Silver Borne below). I love these books. For one thing, I love that trying to do cartomancy related to these novels has me thinking about thiings like, “what card WOULD represent a vampire? what card WOULD represent a werewolf?” If the Coffin represents vampires, and the scythe (for Mercy) is the tool she uses to cut off their heads, then the absence of these two cards from the spread above is appropriate, because this book did NOT focus on vampires.
There is imprisonment in this story (the Tower); as an aside, my one criticism of Patricia Briggs is that I wish she would use hostage-taking as a device a bit less often. Please?
Anyway, moving on:
Yes to the deception (the Snake), right from the start. Mice plus Snake is a major theme throughout the book. Deception, from people close by (in the house, not in her house but in Adam’s house next door). The deception does lead fairly inevitably to major decisions being made (the Crossroads). And, in re Deception, fae glamour. A double dose of the Snake!
Yes to the House. By page 10, Mercy is in her house and considering her relationship with Adam. However, by the end of the book, there is no more house (It burns down in a fire). Is that forecast by House/Clover/Clouds? The house was burned pretty much down to the grass (Clover), but I would expect the Clover to be a bit more positive. The Clouds card shows a ship at sea….representing moving away from the house after the fire? Possibly.
Yes to the dog in the house, though I would have expected a werewolf to be represented in the Lenormand by the Fox. But in this case…Samuel does masquerade as a dog at one point in the book. And is also a good friend (again, the Dog).
Reading the center vertical line: Rider/Tower/Clover. A message sent, related to imprisonment, and imprisonment where? Underhill. Under a great grassy meadow. I’d say yes to Clover here!
Overall I’m pleased with this reading. I think it hit the main points of this book’s plot fairly well. And as a learning exercise for figuring out what the Lenormand means when it says certain things….I am finding this very educational.
Quiet Mystic 