For this installment, I went back to books. I picked up this character when I was feeling jaded from the Anita Blake series fallout. I was seeking a strong female character in urban fantasy that didn’t have to sleep her way through problems. I picked up the author name Patricia Briggs via Amazon. People kept saying to check out her books. So, that led to me to the Mercedes Thompson series, the title character of which is this week’s crush.
The Stats:
Full name: Mercedes Athena Thompson
Age: Around 31
Job: Volkswagen Mechanic, Walker
Who is She?
Mercy is the star of Patricia Briggs’s novel series. Her day job is to be a mechanic who works on German engineered cars, mainly Volkswagens. Her mother had a sense of humor when she named her. She can also shapeshift into a coyote. She doesn’t turn into a super coyote with a dozen powers. She mostly runs around and hunts rabbits.
Fun Facts:
- Mercy bakes cookies when she is upset.
- Mercy’s pet is a bobtailed cat named Medea.
- Mercy keeps a junked out car in her backyard to offend her werewolf neighbor who is a neat freak. She doesn’t take kindly to being told what to do by a werewolf.
- Mercy became a mechanic when she couldn’t find a job as a history teacher.
- Mercy weighs around thirty pounds as a coyote.
Art by ~ebas and ~ChrisNewmann
Why So Popular?
I think a reason why she is so popular is that she is normal person, barring shifting into a coyote. Many fantasy characters are loaded down with powers and a world saving purpose. Mercy just wants to work on cars and stay out of trouble. Of course, if she didn’t get into situations there would not be any books. She uses her brains, coyote form, and sometimes a weapon to get through her problems. In terms of power, she doesn’t have much to sling around but she makes it work.
I like a good underdog story. Mercedes usually gets beaten down before she gets back up. Fans like to see how Mercy rises up to overcome disaster. They like how she walks around with coveralls and car grease under her nails. It’s good to read about her human moments when she is not outrunning a bad situation. Mercy is also a unique character. You don’t read too much about female mechanics in books. It’s great to see a female character in a non-traditional role. Fans have been hoping for a movie for years. I think it would make a great mini-series.
Why Do I Love Her?
Mercy was a breath of fresh air during a time of fan stagnation. She wasn’t a sex object. She didn’t have any crazy powers. I just liked reading about her. I really like how she handled her love life as well. Of course, Patricia Briggs wrote all this but I appreciate how it was handled. I was happy that Mercy’s character stayed true to who she was. I loved how she was just a small town girl. She wasn’t made out to be glamorous. I am far from glamorous and I could relate to her. Mercy is like a cool older sister you wish you had. Or your dream woman. Who doesn’t like someone who can bake and work on cars?
