chez_jae | Entries tagged with author: patricia briggs

Winter Lost by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I took advantage of having a day off with no plans or obligations to read Winter Lost cover to cover. Woo! It's the 14th installment in author Patricia Briggs' "Mercy Thompson" urban fantasy series. The main character is Mercy Thompson Hauptman--coyote shifter, auto mechanic, and mate to Alpha werewolf Adam.

When Mercy's brother Gary shows up, disoriented by a powerful spell, it's up to her and Adam to travel to Montana in search of a resolution. On the way, they encounter a brutal winter storm, magical in nature, that strands them in a lodge with a small wedding party. There they learn that Gary may have stolen a powerful Fae artifact and stashed it somewhere in the lodge. The artifact is important to the wedding ceremony, and without it the very end of the world may result. As Mercy and Adam apply themselves to finding the object, Mercy must also deal with the debilitating effects of battling with the last artifact she encountered, the Soul Taker. Together, Mercy and Adam must sort friend from foe and learn to take some things on faith.

The book certainly kept me captivated. Briggs is a deft story teller, and this story featured layers upon layers. It deviated from the norm, in that it wasn't wholly in Mercy's first-person point of view, and there were time skips. I can't say as that I liked that, but it did add nuances to the story that wouldn't have existed had we only been seeing things unfold through Mercy's eyes. I also prefer it when Mercy and Adam interact with the pack, but for most of this book they were separated from the others. However, we did get to see what was going on with the rest of the wolves, as told in short, "interlude" chapters.

Favorite lines:
♦ It's always an uncomfortable adjustment when the rules of the world get rewritten over the course of a conversation.
♦ "I saw a frost giant about a couple of horses." I had a sudden thought. "The eggs didn't make it, did they?"
♦ "Of course he's an extraordinary idiot. Take any skill and add years of practice and you get extraordinary."

A bit of a departure for this series, but it worked and I enjoyed it. Five stars.

mercy

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Shark Fest: Jaws vs Boats

Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I knocked back Soul Taken, by Patricia Briggs, in 24 hours. Woo! This is the 13th installment in the "Mercy Thompson" urban fantasy series, starring our favorite coyote shifter, Mercy. Story is told in Mercy's first-person point of view, except for one chapter that was in Adam's third-person pov. I didn't see the need for that, and it sort of jarred me out of the narrative. Moving on.

There is turmoil in the pack when damaged wolf Sherwood regains his memories and it turns out he's more dominant than Adam. Neither wolf wants a fight, but the situation must be settled between them. During their cautious negotiations, Marsilia, the mistress of the local vampires, appears to warn Mercy and Adam that Wulfe, her damaged vampire, is missing. Mercy is worried, because what could take down a vampire as dangerous as Wulfe? Not long after, the pack is apprised of a potential serial killer in the area--a supernatural serial killer. One who seems to have drawn from a local legend, the Harvester, who kills with a cursed sickle. Since Adam's pack has claimed the entire Tri-Cities as their territory, it falls on them to investigate and eliminate this new threat. Mercy's ability to scent and parse magic, along with her hit-or-miss immunity to magic, makes her a valuable asset in this endeavor...until the Soul Taker sets its sights on the daughter of Coyote.

The book was pretty much pedal to the metal the entire way through. Mercy and Adam are pulled in so many different directions that I was exhausted for them. Add to that the issue with Sherwood, Zee's covetous desire for the cursed sickle, the disappearance of not only Wulfe but all the vampires in the seethe, and Warren's personal problem that left him snappish and very un-Warren-like, and I had difficulty setting the book aside. Characterizations were flawless, as always. The pacing was frantic with only brief, quieter interludes to allow a breather. Descriptions were vivid. The author hinted at what may be involved in the next "Alpha and Omega" book, much as the most recent "Alpha and Omega" book hinted at what would happen with Sherwood in this series. A cruel, yet brilliant ploy!

Favorite lines:
♦ Stories like to grow as they are passed around, becoming more exciting and less likely.
♦ "I'll find time to gibber in a corner with fear as soon as we're all safe."

I loved the book, but the ending was just a tad (Tad? Hah!) disappointing. Giving this one a score of four.

mercy

Current Mood: good

Wild Sign by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I spent a good portion of my weekend engrossed in the book Wild Sign by Patricia Briggs. It's the 6th installment in her "Alpha & Omega" series. This one features werewolf Charles and his Omega mate, Anna.

When an entire village of people disappear on lands owned by the Marrok's pack, the FBI drops the issue on Charles and Anna, whom they have worked with before. Charles and Anna, along with Tag, one of Bran's damaged wolves, head to the California mountains to find out what has happened. When they arrive, they find the area steeped in magic and danger. Anna's affinity for music puts her in a particularly precarious position, as the entity dwelling there also has an affinity for music. She calls it the Singer. Throughout their investigation, the werewolves encounter enemies both old and new, but they also have allies, both old and new, whom they can rely on to assist them. Charles and Anna will need to pull on everything they have to destroy an entity that is on the verge of becoming a god.

I liked some aspects of this book and disliked others. It was interesting to learn more about Tag and about Bran's mate, Leah, whom I've never liked until now. However, for the most part what we knew about Leah was from Mercy's point of view (the coyote shifter from the author's "Mercy Thompson" series), and Mercy and Leah have never gotten along. It was also interesting to learn more about Sherwood (the damaged wolf in Adam's pack), even though he never had any screen time. Correction, he literally had one sentence of screen time.

What I didn't like was the lack of resolution for some plot points. While the overall story had resolution, there was that one sentence about Sherwood that just left the reader hanging. Also, what did Coyote do at the "assisted living" center? Has anything truly changed between Bran and Leah? And then there was the bombshell in the epilogue. Argh! Maddening.

Favorite lines:
♦ And they had added two and two and come up with twenty-two.
♦ There were things that grew more powerful when spoken of.
♦ The person who'd turned Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" into elevator music should have been shot.
♦ "You can feed your wallet, or you can feed your soul, but you seldom can do both at the same time."
♦ "It's not ideal, but it's the best of bad options."
♦ "At least it's not the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man."

Not my favorite of this series, but as I mentioned, it was virtually un-put-down-able, earning it five stars.

Current Mood: calm

Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I started reading Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs yesterday. It's the 12th installment in her "Mercy Thompson" series. I could have stayed up longer to finish it last night, but I opted to finish it this morning.

When Underhill opens a doorway to itself in Mercy and Adam's backyard, it's for certain that nothing good will come of it. Mercy's suspicions are proven correct when they learn that something has escaped from Underhill via the doorway--something that can take a person over and assume their form with a single bite. It could be anyone or anything, and when it begins targeting those closest to Mercy, she starts calling on her contacts to learn how to stop it.

In addition to a fae of unknown origin in their territory, a small pack of werewolves has begun encroaching. Dealing with them should be a minor matter to a pack of Adam's size and strength, but these wolves have witchcraft on their side.

Compounding these problems is the fact that Adam has withdrawn from Mercy, keeping her at arms length as if to protect her from himself. Mercy is having none of it. Everything in the Tri-Cities is in chaos, but Chaos is Mercy's forte, and if anyone can restore the balance, it's this coyote shifter.

As with all books in this series, characters are vibrant and alive. There are some I would have liked to have seen more of, but others that had been fringe players before came to the forefront in this one. In that respect, it was refreshing to learn more about them. Best of all, a favorite character of mine put in a return appearance, much to my delight. The plot, although it pelted along at breakneck speed, still managed to flow smoothly. Fight scenes were different than usual, in that they were less physical and more metaphysical. It was odd, but not in a bad way.

Favorite lines:
♦ If I'd known how much better I'd feel with new carpet, I'd have hunted down a zombie werewolf to disembowel a long time ago.
♦ "I have decided to be amused by the whole thing."
♦ It just wasn't useful to run around shrieking in fear.
♦ Cats are good company when you are sad or worried.

Excellent story, jarring in some places, and soothing in others, with some hints dropped at what may come in future books. Five stars!

mercy

Current Mood: happy
Current Music: "Wild Child" ~ Enya

Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Over the course of this weekend, I read Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs. It's the 11th installment in her "Mercy Thompson" series, featuring coyote shifter Mercy, who's the mate of the Alpha of the Columbia Basin Pack.

After taking responsibility for the safety of everyone in their territory, Mercy and Adam's pack now find themselves in the unenviable position of mediating a meeting between humans and fae. That wouldn't be so awful, but at the same time, the local coven of witches is attacked by black-magic wielding rogue witches. One of them is a necromancer, and Mercy and the werewolves are soon tracking down zombies and dispatching them at an alarming rate. Worse, it seems that one of their broken wolves, Sherwood, may be a particular target of the witches, but the Columbia Basin Pack protects their own. To combat the threat, Mercy calls on her allies, including the fae and the local vampire seethe. However, it is Mercy herself, and her odd immunity to most magic, that may be the key to saving them all.

As per usual, the action in this book raced along at breakneck speed. I was a tad disappointed not to see more of my favorite pack members, but we got to know some of the fringe wolves better, including Sherwood. There were enough light moments to keep the story from getting bogged down in gore and tension, which I also appreciated.

Favorite lines:
♦ "What are we going to do? Stand out here until the goblin gives up and runs out screaming, driven desperate by boredom?"
♦ You know you're in a hotbed of agriculture when there is a traffic jam at four in the morning on a gravel road.
♦ "Zombie miniature goats. Roaming the countryside. Doing what zombie goats do...whatever that is."
♦ "Miniature zombie goats," I corrected. "Or miniature goat zombies. The 'miniature' is important. 'Zombie goats' just sound satanic."
♦ Sometimes there is no way to make things better. There is only making it through.
♦ "Happy to oblige by distracting the ogre with my grisly remains."

This wasn't my favorite of the series, but I enjoyed it immensely. Briggs always crafts such marvelous stories. Five stars!

mercy

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: Blues at Sharks game 5

Burn Bright (Alpha & Omega, #5; Mercy Thompson World - Complete, #15)

Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

With the benefit of a three-day weekend, I was able to read Burn Bright, by Patricia Briggs, between yesterday and today. It's the fifth installment in her "Alpha and Omega" verse, featuring tough werewolf Charles and his mate Anna.

Charles' father, Bran, the Marrok, leader of all werewolves, has long accepted damaged and dangerous wolves into his pack. The worst of these, known as the wildlings, live on the fringe of the pack. Close enough to be part of the pack, yet far enough away not to cause trouble. When the fae mate of one such wildling calls the Marrok for help, it is Charles who must respond. His father is out of the country and unable to help.

What Charles and Anna discover is that someone is trying to abduct the wildling wolf. They are able to rescue her, but not without cost. Now on a quest to warn the other wildlings, Charles and Anna come to the realization that there is a traitor in their midst--one who may be far too close to Bran for comfort. They also learn that witchcraft is involved, dark magic, blood magic, born of revenge. This time, it will take more than Charles' strength and cunning, and Anna's determination and intuitiveness. They will need the help of the pack.

The story was engrossing; I knocked it back in 24 hours. It was not my favorite of this series, however. While the main focus was on Charles and Anna, the narrative followed several other characters as well. It was almost more of a character study and a history lesson than a plotted story. I was able to figure out who the traitor was, which pleased me. The author did an excellent job of dropping just enough hints. I like it when a book goes like that. Too many mysteries I read nowadays don't do that at all, but that's what makes reading mysteries fun.

Favorite line: There is a certain sort of evil that cannot abide happiness...

A couple things about this story did bug me:

( Spoilers )

I wish we'd see more of this series than a book about every two years. In fact, I'd love to see a crossover with Mercy & Adam and Charles & Anna! In spite of my love of these books, this one only gets four stars instead of five.

Current Mood: good

The Hob's Bargain by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

With the day off work and no plans other than to relax, I was able to finish reading The Hob's Bargain by Patricia Briggs.

The simple farmers and villagers of Fallbrook fear magic, even though evil bloodmages bound it generations ago. Aren of Fallbrook has the sight, a fact that she keeps hidden. When raiders attack, killing her family, and something unleashes the magic, Aren makes the decision to come out with her ability, in hopes of saving her village.

As the villagers try to protect themselves from raiders, they also come under attack from wildlings--magical creatures now on the loose after the magical binding fell. Aren is just desperate enough to seek out the Hob, a powerful mountain spirit who agrees to help...for a price. The price is Aren herself.

The story was edgy and dark, but endlessly fascinating. It had undertones of Beauty and the Beast, as Aren comes to see the Hob as more than his appearance. He, in turn, teaches her to control her increasing magic and how to use it. Aren's magic, however, is very close to that wielded by the bloodmages, and if she isn't careful, it may exact a heavy toll on her.

Favorite line: "No one's business how you mourn, but your own."

Very good book, four stars:

****

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: "Daughter" ~ Pearl Jam

I stayed up a bit late last night, but I finished reading Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs, which is part of her "Mercy Thompson" urban fantasy series.

On a late night run to the local convenience store, Mercy's SUV is deliberately struck, and she is kidnapped from the wreckage. Things go from bad to worse when Mercy realizes that her abductor is none other than the so-called Lord of the Night--the most powerful vampire in Europe, if not the world. Also, Mercy learns she is in Italy, and that she is too far from home to be able to communicate with her Alpha husband, Adam.

Adam, in the meanwhile, is furious and frantic to get Mercy back. Bonarata, the Lord of the Night, wants to negotiate, and Adam selects a small team of paranormals to jet to Italy with him, including the Mistress of the local vampire seethe, a powerful witch, and a goblin.

Mercy, however, isn't waiting around to be rescued. She engineers her own escape, after shifting into her coyote form, and she stows away aboard a bus, in the luggage department. The bus deposits Mercy in Prague, where she has a new set of problems: she doesn't speak the language, she has no money, and oh yeah, she has no clothes. With help from friends old and new, as well as some guilt-ridden theft from the luggage, Mercy manages to get a message to the pack back home, and she seeks out the local Alpha to request sanctuary.

In Italy, Adam is growing ever more frustrated, as is his inner wolf. All he wants to do is kill someone, but instead, he's forced to use tact and diplomacy, which are not his strong suits. It's all he can do to keep his people alive and not start a war between werewolves and vampires.

When Mercy is forced to flee once more, she encounters other werewolves, vampires, ghosts, and the most powerful spirit in Prague. It may prove to be an ally, but then again, this spirit may have its own agenda.

The story was fabulous and engrossing, but it reminded me of an earlier book in this series, River Marked, in which Mercy and Adam are apart from the pack. One of the main reasons I love these books so much is because I enjoy reading about the pack bonds and their interactions, and I felt cheated out of it in this story. In addition, point of view kept switching from Mercy (first person) to Adam (third person), with another character thrown in willy-nilly as well. Then, to top it off, the timeline was inconsistent, which the author warned for up front. Frankly, I think she could have arranged her chapters so that they were in chronological order, but that's just my opinion.

Favorite lines:
♦ A powerful vampire who knew ASL and unself-consciously watched Scooby-Doo.
♦ I'd lived with magic my whole life--and not in a happy Harry Potter sort of way, either.
Scooby Doo and Harry Potter references, for the win!

Although I enjoyed the story, enough of it annoyed me that this is getting four stars instead of five:

****

mercy

Current Mood: peaceful
Current Music: Dryer

After reading one Mercy Thompson novel, I was compelled to dive into another. Last night, I read Fire Touched cover-to-cover. Good thing I have Good Friday off! This is the ninth book in Patricia Briggs' series about skinwalker Mercedes Thompson and her husband, Adam Hauptman.

Local police call on the werewolves for assistance when a troll takes up residence on a bridge over the Columbia River. Mercy and Adam are among the first responders, and they manage to take the troll down. However, they also find themselves giving sanctuary to a boy who is seeking shelter from the fae. By taking him in, the Columbia River Basin pack has made enemies of the fae, causing the leader of all North American wolves to repudiate them. On their own now, it's up to Mercy, Adam, and the rest of their pack to negotiate where they can and fight where they must.

Very compelling read. Not as action-packed as others, but there was more of pack dynamics, which I always enjoy. New, interesting characters were introduced, and former, secondary characters were fleshed out more, which I also appreciate. Through it all, the bickering and bantering between Mercy and Adam added a lighter note and provided some comic relief.

Favorite line: "Take happiness where you can," he said. "It seldom lasts--'course, neither does sorrow, right?"

Excellent book! Five stars!

*****

mercy

Current Mood: impressed
Current Music: "Feelin' Love" ~ Paula Cole

I began reading Night Broken Friday night, then spent most of Saturday reading the rest of it. The book is part of author Patricia Briggs' "Mercy Thompson" series. And yes, I'm woefully behind in the series.

When the ex-wife of Mercy's husband, Alpha werewolf Adam, calls seeking sanctuary from a dangerous stalker, Adam grants it. She's the mother of his teenage daughter, and he still feels responsible for her. Mercy has her misgivings, especially when Adam deems that the safest place for Christy to stay is in their home...which used to be Christy's home. Mercy isn't happy, but to show it would be to display petty jealousy, and she wants to prove she is above that.

In the meantime, a powerful fae has sought Mercy out, wanting to claim an equally powerful fae artifact that has attached itself to Mercy. The problem is, Mercy gifted the walking stick to her father, the Coyote of legend, and now she has no way to contact him to request it back. Inquiries lead her to another of Coyote's children, a man who's in prison for petty crime. Mercy is surprised to encounter another coyote shifter, and even more surprised when the man has a Vision that relates to Christy's stalker.

As Christy's stalker goes on a killing spree to reach her, he finds Mercy alone in her auto repair shop. It soon becomes apparent that he's not human, nor fae, nor werewolf, but something else entirely...something dark and dangerous and deranged. Mercy fights for her life, knowing her only hope is that help will arrive in time.

What a fantastic story! I love all of the books in this series, and this one continued in the same hard-hitting, fast vein as the others. Learning more about Mercy's "family" was fascinating, it was a sheer delight to connect with other, beloved characters, and I enjoyed meeting new ones. Even the villain/stalker was portrayed well, to the point that the reader could almost feel sympathy for him. Almost. This story was so engrossing that I picked the book up this morning and skim-read it again.

:D

Favorite lines:
♦ "Withholding cookies is world-class mean."
♦ "As long as everyone is above the age of consent and has enough sense to be able to give informed consent, I could care less what anyone does in their own space."
Huzzah! Well-said!
♦ "Don't juggle porcupines."
♦ I was not going to say anything about the stupid lamb if only because I was certain he wanted me to say something about the stupid lamb.
♦ "Man with cat is one of my fantasies."

Excellent story, characterizations, dialogue, and I loved how the various subplots all wove together. Five stars!

*****

mercy

Current Mood: impressed

Once again, I stayed up too late last night to finish a good book, but finish it, I did! The book was Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs, and it is the 7th installment in her "Mercy Thompson" urban fantasy series. I love these books, and this one was no exception.

When Mercy is out shopping Black Friday with her stepdaughter Jesse, she intuits that something is wrong with her mate Adam and the Pack. Mercy returns to her work shop, where she meets up with Ben, a Pack member, who tells her that sketchy federal agents took the entire Pack into custody. Now, it's up to Mercy and a ragtag bunch of allies (including vampires, Fae, good cops, humans, and one decent agent) to keep Jesse safe, retrieve the Pack, and get even with the perpetrators. In doing so, Mercy discovers that the kidnapping of the Pack was only a small piece of a large, sinister puzzle.

This series is typically told in first-person pov, from Mercy's perspective, but this one contained some chapters in third-person pov, from Adam's perspective. It was different, but not so as to jar me out of the narrative. The only thing I didn't like was at the end, when the story vacillated between what was going on now, and things that had occurred earlier. Now that was a tad jarring. Nevertheless, giving this one a top rating of five!

♦♦♦♦♦

mercy

Favorite line: "There are some things you never name out loud, like Macbeth, the IRS, and Voldemort."

Current Mood: blah
Current Music: "Footloose" ~ Kenny Loggins

As expected, I zipped through Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs. It's the fifth book in her urban fantasy series about shapeshifter Mercedes Thompson. I love those books so much! There is always a lot of action and subplots going on that make it difficult to put these books down.

Favorite line:Fourteen preteen girls, a tableful of werewolves--there were certain monstrous similarities.

Now, if I can continue selecting awesome books like this to read, I will easily meet my 25-book goal this year.

mercy

I spent a good portion of last night finishing the book Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs. It was the fourth in her series featuring the kick-ass Mercy Thompson. Yes, I finally broke down and bought it in hard cover, only to find it in paperback in stores a week later. D'oh! However, the newest book in the series is due to be released soon in hardcover, and this time I will snap it up right away. These books are keepers.

Bone Crossed was just as good as the previous books in the series. Action-packed, riveting and difficult to put down. As per usual, Mercy manages to land in the epicenter of trouble, and new abilities of hers are revealed to her and the readers.

I love these books. If you haven't tried the Mercy Thompson series, why not? *shoos you off to read*

mercy