22) Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs

The Blurb :

Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae.

Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans, and the fae, Mercy, Adam, and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?

My Thoughts :

Fire Touched is the ninth installment in the Mercy Thompson series.  I have been following this series pretty much from the beginning and have enjoyed the unique concept and exciting stories but this latest addition wasn't my favourite.

While there were enough werewolves around and quite a bit of excitement and action, I felt that the coyote was unusually absent this time around.  The Fae have never been an area of the supernatural that I have found interesting but Patricia Briggs has always managed to keep me hooked despite my non interest of this topic.  This time however it was too much for me and while I tried to look past the deep involvement of the Fae, it still left a bad taste.

Also this is turning into a series that needs a 'Previously, on...' prologue chapter. While it is obvious that after nine books there is a lot of information involved in this series, it is getting harder and harder to remember everything that happened.  Especially with a year wait between each installment.  A year I spend reading many other books and not having time to re-read the whole of this series again.

There is a lot of good stuff in this book though.  A lot of content that any fan of the series will be happy to read.  However for me it wasn't the best of the bunch and it lacked a certain something that the previous installments had.  There was certainly no wow factor and not even a cliffhanger.  This could have been the end for all I know.

A definite must buy for fans and a story that any Mercy lover will enjoy.  Just be prepared to not like this one as much as the others.

23) Night Broken by Patricia Briggs

The Blurb :

An unexpected phone call heralds a new challenge for Mercy. Her mate Adam’s ex-wife is in trouble, on the run from her new boyfriend. Adam isn’t the kind of man to turn away a person in need—and Mercy knows it. But with Christy holed up in Adam’s house, Mercy can’t shake the feeling that something about the situation isn’t right.

Soon, her suspicions are confirmed when she learns that Christy has the farthest thing from good intentions. She wants Adam back and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen, including turning Adam’s pack against Mercy.

Mercy isn’t about to step down without a fight, but there’s a more dangerous threat circling. Christy’s ex is more than a bad man—in fact, he may not be human at all. As the bodies start piling up, Mercy must put her personal troubles aside to face a creature with the power to tear her whole world apart.

My Thoughts :

The Mercy Thompson series has been a favourite of mine ever since I came across it when book three in the series was releasing.  Now eight books in I can hardly contain myself until another installment arrives.  Mercy is an amazing female character that never ceases to amaze me.  Her story so far has not only been exciting and addictive but also inspiring.  I am really happy that I found this series and have had the pleasure of reading it.

This time around there is a bit of trouble at home which makes for some nice bitchy and witty dialogue and a nice practical joke.  The problem that comes to stay is Adam's ex-wife.  This in turn brings along a whole new kind of supernatural nastiness and pulls Mercy into a very gruesome chain of events.  Dog lovers beware!  You will not like some of this story!

Now that Mercy is married to Adam and is part of the pack it is interesting to see how the other members react to her and also how they treat her.  This book builds on the relationship she has with the other wolves and also challenges the bonds they have made.  Both sides are having to cope with the new situation and I enjoyed being able to see how things progress instead of some kind of invisible switch being turned.  It made for great reading and while the process of her joining the pack is done it will definitely be long time before Mercy is completely accepted.

Also in Night Broken we have another meeting with Coyote and Mercy meets a relative.  The new family member is or could be a step-brother but he could also be a cousin three times removed.  The up in the air suggestions make it more fun to read about and gives Mercy a chance to act very unbothered about it all.  She actually has enough to deal with and I hope the character will appear again so we can find out more.

All in all this was another great addition to the series.  I just wish that there wasn't such a long wait between installments.  It isn't hard to forget about Mercy and her life but the events that have taken place and are sometimes referred to are more difficult to remember as the years pass by.  However this is a series I hope to revisit via Audio book sometime soon.

Well worth reading!  This is one of the best Paranormal Urban Fantasy series out there and it has an amazing amount of supernatural delights and manages to stay unique and addictive.









 

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39) Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

The Blurb :

Mercy Thompson’s life has undergone a seismic change. Becoming the mate of Adam Hauptman—the charismatic Alpha of the local werewolf pack—has made her a stepmother to his daughter Jesse, a relationship that brings moments of blissful normalcy to Mercy’s life. But on the edges of humanity, what passes for a minor mishap on an ordinary day can turn into so much more…

After an accident in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Mercy and Jesse can’t reach Adam—or anyone else in the pack for that matter. They’ve all been abducted.

Through their mating bond, all Mercy knows is that Adam is angry and in pain. With the werewolves fighting a political battle to gain acceptance from the public, Mercy fears Adam’s disappearance may be related—and that he and the pack are in serious danger. Outclassed and on her own, Mercy may be forced to seek assistance from any ally she can get, no matter how unlikely

My Thoughts :

I have been a fan of the Mercy Thompson series since it started. I remember seeing that first cover for Moon Called and knowing I had to read the book asap. Since then it has beena long ride of ups and downs but the coyote has stayed in my heart and on my must read list. So when this seventh book came out it was no wonder that I had it on pre-order.

As things began I was extremely interested in what was going to happen this time around. However as things progressed I found myself wondering a bit about all the events being talked about and the characters. Some of the people seemed familiar to me while others not as much. Some how I felt like I had missed something somewhere but then I realised it has been two years since there has been a new installment in this series! I wasn't missing anything, I was just out of sync with the series after such along break.

Despite Adam and practically the whole pack being gone for the first half of the book I didn't share Mercy's concerns. It was nice to have her back on her own again, using her resources and brains. Not taking orders or being packed up in cotton wool by Adam. Most of the fun about these female heroines is the amount of mess they manage to get in and how they get out of it again. Sure some of them are extremely blonde and get rewarded with a large amount of eye rolling but characters like Mercy are tough and kick-ass. These are characters you need to read about in action and not sitting on the sidelines waiting to be directed.

Things were slightly different this time around with the addition of a few chapters from Adam's perspective. I don't remember the perspective ever being changed in this series and at first I made a little groan. However it turned out to be good and showed some more insight to the relationship that Mercy now has. Instead of just seeing how she feels and acts because of her mate we got the chance to see Adam's side of things. It was refreshing.

Another change in the story was the ghost factor. It has been mentioned to us before that Mercy can see ghosts. This time around the subject took on a more interesting angle and saw Mercy finding out more about her ability. It could be a nice subject for the next book and I hope it is something the author continues to expand on. I likes me a little spooky ghost action.

All in all this was everything I have come to expect from this series. Wonderful characters and location mixed in with a very unique paranormal storyline that will hopefully continue to entertain me for a few more books. It does seem that Mercy is ready to settle down to a quieter life but I think she has another one or two books left in her. I can see a nice end in sight with her curled up with a couple of cubs. What really happens, well only time will tell.

Hopefully we won't have to wait so long for the next installment. This is a must read series and one that any Paranormal Urban Fantasy reader needs to be on top of.