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Fire Touched
Written by Patricia Briggs
Narrated by Lorelei King
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Start ListeningDescription
Mercy Thompson has been hailed as "a heroine who continues to grow and yet always remains true to herself."* Now she's back, and she'll soon discover that when the fae stalk the human world, it's the children who suffer.…
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?
*Library Journal
Book Actions
Start ListeningBook Information
Fire Touched
Written by Patricia Briggs
Narrated by Lorelei King
Description
Mercy Thompson has been hailed as "a heroine who continues to grow and yet always remains true to herself."* Now she's back, and she'll soon discover that when the fae stalk the human world, it's the children who suffer.…
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?
*Library Journal
About the author
Reviews
Oh my goodness! I can't think in complete sentences so this review is going to be choppy.
I love this series.
So Adam finally FINALLY!! Sets the pack straight! And I know Mercy didn't like it but it sooo needed to happen. I love that their relationship is kinda real! And that they make mistakes but then talk about them. (As real as you're going to get in an urban fantasy with werewolves and mating bonds LOL)
I love that Honey doesn't hate Mercy.
I still really really REALLY! Hate Christy.
I really hope Sunshine/maggie and Mercy get to be friends and we get to see them in the future
I think my heart kinda broke a bit with Brann.
Sooo sad about the walking stick.
Lol about Baba Yaga and MLM!
I love this series.
So Adam finally FINALLY!! Sets the pack straight! And I know Mercy didn't like it but it sooo needed to happen. I love that their relationship is kinda real! And that they make mistakes but then talk about them. (As real as you're going to get in an urban fantasy with werewolves and mating bonds LOL)
I love that Honey doesn't hate Mercy.
I still really really REALLY! Hate Christy.
I really hope Sunshine/maggie and Mercy get to be friends and we get to see them in the future
I think my heart kinda broke a bit with Brann.
Sooo sad about the walking stick.
Lol about Baba Yaga and MLM!
This was the best Mercy book yet. Right from the start I knew it was going to be great book- it started with a dose of humour, then dived right into the action. Mercy really shined in this one. Not necessarily because of any specific heroic feat, but just as a person. The writing was very smooth, it jumped up a few levels from the writing in its predecessors. We got a good look at pack magic, and very few vampire interactions- I was very ambivalent about the earlier books, mostly because they were too vamp-focused. This time the pack and the fae squared off, and it was pretty brilliant. We had all the best characters involved in this one- Tag, Zee, Jesse (more Jesse please!), and we had a few intriguing new characters introduced who look like they might stick around for a while. Good job Patricia Briggs!
Fire Touched, the ninth instalment of Patricia Briggs urban fantasy series featuring Mercy Thompson, begins with a naked troll released by the Fae Gray Lords, creating havoc on a Tri-Cities bridge. Leaping to the defence of the city, Mercy, Adam and the pack engage in a fierce battle to end the rampage, and wind up indebted to a boy seeking refuge from the fae.Providing sanctuary to Aiden, a once human boy who is now something Other after having spent years in Underhill, puts the pack in direct conflict with not only the Gray Lords who want him back, but also the humans who fear a supernatural war, and the most powerful werewolf pack in the country.In addition Adam and Mercy must finally take a stand against the members of the pack who have been unhappy about the influence Mercy wields as Adam’s mate. It’s imperative the pack is united if they are going to survive.Action packed and fast paced, Fire Touched is another entertaining and creative story. Though some fans have expressed discontent with the focus on the fae of late, It seems as if the author is bringing this thread to a close. As always, I’m already impatient for the next adventure for Mercy, and her friends.
I read Fire Touched when it first came out, so this is my second time reading it. I seemed to remember not loving it at the time, and reading it again just confirmed that for me. It certainly wasn't a chore to read it again, but it just didn't thrill me, despite the fact that it had a lot of things going for it. There were some interesting plot developments, with the fae withdrawal taken in a direction that I hadn't anticipated, but which made a lot of sense. The book introduced a new character, Aiden, who I'm happy to see more of. It also re-introduced some characters I was glad to meet again—Thomas Hao, who appeared in Frost Burned and one of my favourite short stories from Shifting Shadows, Alistair Beauclaire, and Baba Yaga, who first appeared all the way back in Bone Crossed.I think maybe there were too many things going in this book, and not enough time to really explore them properly. There was the introduction of Aiden and his trauma, there was the "what's going on in Underhill" plot, there was the intrigue among the Gray Lords, there was the Troll attack to investigate, there was the Thomas Hao and Margaret subplot, there were the ongoing developments in the Pack…just too many things going on, none of them developed as fully as they might have been, leaving the book feeling a bit empty despite its abundance of events. A slight let-down, but still a must-read for anyone who likes the series!P.S. Am I the only one who finds the title of this book confusing? Yes, the plot mostly hinges on Aiden, who is called "the fire touched" within the novel, but his abilities with fire made much less of an impression on me than those of the volcano-god from the previous book. It doesn't help that this book's cover has what I assume is a tibicena on it. Both the title and cover feel like they ought to belong to the Guayota book (whose title, Night Broken, has never seemed to have much to do with the book's plot.)
Patricia Briggs has delivered another great Mercy Thompson story. I have been hooked on this series from the beginning. I couldn't put this book down, I love all the characters and enjoyed meeting new ones. My only regret is in how fast I finished this book. Now I have to wait for another one.
Another really excellent installment in the Mercy Thompson series. Lots of great characters, lots of great supernatural action and some very scary fae, lots of heart-warming dynamics of loyalty, love, protection, heroism, bravery, fighting the good fight.
Mercy's b-a-c-k and we're back to the storyline expected of series. The last couple of books ... just weren't Mercy or Adam. Not really much more to say in a review that I haven't already said in reviews of this series.Adam does finally step up.
Who knew trolls were brightly coloured down there. Something to keep in mind during your next internet argument.
Adam and Mercy's pack is quickly becoming the go-to problem solving group. Vampire dispute: call the pack. Wayward fae: call the pack. Troll rampaging on a bridge in town and threatening to kill everyone: call the pack. Since that isn't happening anywhere else, Mercy claims the Tri-cities as their territory and any and all are under their protection. Only took a few seconds for someone to take up the protection offer and give them another headache in the form of a fire-touched human hunted by the fae.
This instalment in the Mercy Thompson series sees some of the older conflicts resolved, only to be replaced by new conflicts as the importance of the Columbia Basin pack in the wider world grows. The way Patricia Briggs has gradually grown the Mercy's world, and the characters who live within it, has felt natural, whilst upping the stakes. Of course now that I'm up-to-date with the series, I have a fortnight to wait for the next instalment to be published.
Adam and Mercy's pack is quickly becoming the go-to problem solving group. Vampire dispute: call the pack. Wayward fae: call the pack. Troll rampaging on a bridge in town and threatening to kill everyone: call the pack. Since that isn't happening anywhere else, Mercy claims the Tri-cities as their territory and any and all are under their protection. Only took a few seconds for someone to take up the protection offer and give them another headache in the form of a fire-touched human hunted by the fae.
This instalment in the Mercy Thompson series sees some of the older conflicts resolved, only to be replaced by new conflicts as the importance of the Columbia Basin pack in the wider world grows. The way Patricia Briggs has gradually grown the Mercy's world, and the characters who live within it, has felt natural, whilst upping the stakes. Of course now that I'm up-to-date with the series, I have a fortnight to wait for the next instalment to be published.
With a ton of action, plenty of drama and our favorite coyote shifter, FIRE TOUCHED brings us back to the Mercy Thompson world with a bang.Mercy continues to grow as a character with each installment. She is loyal, strong, and willing to get her hands dirty. FIRE TOUCHED tests all of those traits and she stuck to her convictions to the end. Mercy and Adam's relationship continues to grow and strengthen in FIRE TOUCHED. I love that Adam knows that Mercy can protect and stick up for herself, but will still do it for her when needed.Let's talk about a few of the secondary characters that really stuck with me in book nine. Bran really disappointed me in FIRE TOUCHED. I always thought he would be there for Mercy, but he totally let her down. I understood his decision as the Marrok, but their relationship took a bit of a hit and I don't know how his decision will affect the future of Mercy and Adam's pack. There is yet another character introduced in FIRE TOUCHED that becomes part of the pack. Not only is this character NOT a wolf, but the pack offering him protection causes problems with the Fae and they still protect him. I LOVE that about the pack! I wasn't so sure about Aiden when he was first introduced, but by the end of the book, he fit right into the pack and I can't imagine him not being a part of their future.I really enjoyed the plot in FIRE TOUCHED and didn't want to stop reading. The author continues to surprise and shock me in the best ways. We already know so much about the world, but it still continues to grow. A lot changed in FIRE TOUCHED and the pack will need to unite as one to get through what is to come. I look forward to seeing how they accomplish it.* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the story in this installment and was initially going to give it five stars. Fire Touched finally tackles the possibility of Fae war head on; new and interesting characters are introduced; and Adam and Mercy's relationship with each other and the pack is further developed. The pace was steady and there were some very good action sequences. I was also delighted to see Margaret and Thomas from the short story collection appear. All in all, I could not put the book down. I deducted two stars after I thought about how quickly I finished the book - in one evening. Fire Touched, and the rest of the series, are all very short books. Now, that isn't necessarily a bad thing and I'm not advocating that authors pad their work. However, there was definitely room to expand this story in a meaningful way. Sherwood Post appears out of nowhere, with absolutely no build-up (I thought maybe I had accidentally skipped some pages!) and there should have been more fallout on Zee and Tad's time within Faery. Perhaps more time with Aiden acclimating to life outside Underhill.The real problem is that the retail price of this is comparable to other paranormal/urban fantasies with much more content. I prefer to buy in hardcover, and try to support authors by buying new releases. However, the Mercy series averages roughly 350 pages per book, in cotrast to the Dresden Files which averages about 500. And not one of the last six books was less than 400. Honestly, I'm getting tired of paying so much for too little content. These books should be priced in line with YA series at less than $18 retail. Overall, I highly recommend the story to fans of the series. I also recommend you get it from the library. As much as I love the series and characters, I'll be waiting until the paperback is released or buy used on future installments.
This series has got to be one of my favorites of all time. I cannot get enough of Mercy and really hope that this series does not end for a very long time. I had to really control myself to not start reading this right away when it first came out.Mercy is back and once again dealing with problems with the fae. This time she and the pack must protect a once human boy who has fae-like powers (it's a long story) from the fae. I was so happy that Adam finally confronted the pack about how they treat Mercy. It was long overdue. Hopefully now they will continue to treat her with the respect she deserves. That was probably my favorite part of this book because I honestly didn't find the action in this book to be all that great.I wasn't too sure about Aiden in the beginning of this book but the more I read about him the more I liked him. I hope that he will continue to be in this series. I also loved getting to read about Zee and Tad again, they always brighten the story for me.Overall I enjoyed this installment but it wasn't my favorite. I cannot wait to read more of this series.
As this series goes on, I'm liking it less and less. It's still entertaining, but trying to remember which monster Mercy took down is getting harder. There is just something about Briggs' plots that make them hazy and indistinct. For instance, I still don't remember the character Joel from the previous book. However the relationship between Mercy and Adam is the bedrock upon which this series rests and they are great together.
When the book opens, everyone's favorite pack needs to save their territory from a troll, sent by the Fae. Which almost leads to the war everyone was trying to stop. Mercy and her marry band of wolves, I mean pack, start to run around trying to find a solution to the problem they kinda started (but then they would not have left the troll to kill people no matter what). Add Tad and Zee who show up again after escaping the reservation (and Zee is not very happy with his ex-captors), Baba Yaga makes an appearance (and saves the day more than once) and Adam and Mercy and the pack take in a stray boy (who almost leads to a war with the Fae as well). Aiden, the fire touched, once was a normal boy. But then he got caught in Underhill and is now a human with the power of fire... amazing powers of fire, not so amazing control. He also escaped the reservation and the Fae really wants him back - not because they care about him but because he is the conduit to Underhill. And they won't stop at nothing to get him. Even when the pack gives him protection. Throw in another powerful Fae that comes out from nowhere and a bit of the usual angst with Bran and we have a pretty solid Mercy Thomson novel. I was missing Sam and Ariana though (they were dispatched to Europe before the novel and were not back yet by the end).
Well written, well developed and fun. Mercy is a strong female character who has compassion for those around her. She takes in stray's and makes them her own, she doesn't want to be the cause of anyone elses pain and this is difficult for her often. With the help of her mate Adam and a host of other colorful characters she shows that beauty and being female does not make you weak. I love this series.
Excellent installment in the Mercy Thompson series. There were some fresh twists and turns in the the maneuvering with the Fae and the characters continue to grow yet remain true to themselves. The author has also added a couple of new characters that I hope to see more of.
Maybe my favourite of the nine books so far. It was fast-paced, a little bit breathless and everybody pulled their heads out of their... and started acting like a unit instead of a roomful of kids hyped up on too much birthday cake. Fire Touched took a page of out Zee's book of philosophy and played no games; there weren't any sly plots on the side, no melodramatic angst, no misapprehensions or misunderstandings. It was a welcome change to have a story where Mercy and Adam worked together from beginning to end. I loved that Zee got a lot more page-time and I think it might be a little wrong how much I liked Baba Yaga's character. These two and Margaret's cameo made up for the absence of Samuel and the small bit with Bran (although I loved this scene, with Charles playing invisible chorus). I'd have liked to have known more about Aiden's power (how it works) and his past, although I did enjoy learning a bit more about Underhill and, I don't know if the author intended this or not, I liked the allegory of mankind's treatment of Earth. At the end of the book, I had a feeling it lacked a very small something, but on thinking about it, I think that's more about my expectation of side plots and melodrama (because let's face it, that's pretty much SOP in most books) going unfulfilled than anything of substance actually missing. I went 4.5 stars because as much as I really enjoyed the plotting, the writing and the characters, fae politics just aren't that fascinating to me, and that's purely personal taste. I'm looking forward to seeing what Briggs does next.
Tensions are rising in the Tri-Cities. The fae have retreated to their hidden reservations but have let very dangerous fae escape. Humans are wondering what they will do next.Mercy and Adam come to be at odds with the Marrok when they provide a safe haven for a young human boy who has escaped from Underhill. He spent a long time there and was given some powers to help him cope. But now Underhill is unhappy and wants him back and a variety of fae, all with their own agendas, want to give him back.Mercy and Adam are unwilling to give this person, who looks like a child, into a situation that he fears. The Grey Lords have different plans. As a matter of fact, many different factions of Grey Lords all seem to have different plans. Adam and Mercy have to deal with the ones who have plans that will bring harm to humans or werewolves.Mercy gets to spend time with a number of the fae that she knows and likes and a few that she can actually trust.This story was more about political maneuvering than it was about battles though there were a couple of those two. And Mercy did have a few occasions when she could let her snarky side out.Fans of the series won't want to miss this one.
Ahhh....finally....I get my Mercy fix! Fire Touched is well worth a re-read, which I plan to do soon, simply because it sets up big changes for Mercy, Adam and The Pack. I loved seeing Zee and Tad get in on the action in the early stages of the book! There was less action than I hoped for, but with relations between the Fae and Humankind teetering on the brink of war, I suspect we'll have more action in future books than we know what to do with. It was fun to see Baba Yaga make an appearance and of course, Lugh's walking stick....*sniff* What the heck? Is it coming back? Somehow? I know Mercy picked up the pieces, literally, but...still... Coyote did have it for awhile. A girl can hope, right? This was a good one! Hopefully the next book won't be to far out in the future!
Nice. A pretty standard Mercy - that is, things are going wrong and it's all landing on her doorstep. The whole business with the Fae withdrawing is coming to a climax, and the triggers are starting with her and Adam's territory and with various allies and friends of hers. We get to see Zee and Tad again, and Thomas Hao and Margaret show up (I loved their short story, great to see them (as a pair) crossing with Mercy). Lots of old connections affecting the latest action. Oh, and Adam finally tells his pack to stop ragging on Mercy; the next one who attacks her, verbally or otherwise, is out of the pack. She objects, but one of her regular opponents comments that some people need to "shut their mouths in order to open their minds" - and he may be one of them. It's a weird moment, but it feels like werewolf culture versus normal human culture - they've been allowed to treat her casually/disrespectfully a little too long, by Pack standards (Adam's pack, at least). There's not much visible effect in this book, it may (probably will) echo on through the rest of the series. Mercy is changing the Pack...but the world is changing around them, too, and Mercy's Pack may be much better suited than the way they used to be. Worth reading, probably worth rereading later on.
I absolutely loved this book! As soon as I had this book, I set everything else aside and started it right away. It has been two long years since I had a new Mercy Thompson book to read and this book proved to be worth the wait. It really had just about everything that I could have hoped for. There was tons of excitement, some tender moments, and some scenes that made me laugh. I haven't read a book this entertaining for a very long time.Can I just say up front how much I love this series?!?! It has been so much fun to watch these characters developed over the course of the series. Mercy and Adam are so good together and I find it really refreshing to see such a solid relationship demonstrated in this series. I think I like Mercy just a bit more with every book. She is really such a wonderful character. She knows her weakness and doesn't try to pretend that they don't exist. She doesn't make a lot of assumptions and when she makes a mistake, she owns up to it.This book is filled with action and excitement from beginning to end. An epic fight with a troll on a bridge leads Mercy and the pack to become protector of a boy who has lived with the fae for many, many years. Adam's pack finds themselves in a difficult situation that must be handled with extreme car. I love the pack politics in this book. I think that everything has been leading up to this moment for a while but I loved seeing how everything played out.The writing in this book was nearly perfect. The pacing was well done with the more exciting scenes between nicely spread throughout the book. The lighter moments were well placed in the story and it seemed liked any time I needed a laugh, I soon found one. The characters continued to develop in this installment and really proved to be one of the strengths of the book. As I read this book, I was completely immersed in Mercy's world and happy to be there.I would highly recommend this series to fans of urban fiction or anything paranormal. I do recommend that this series be read in order since the characters and world have changed and developed over the course of the series. Plus the rest of the books are excellent so why would anyone want to skip them? I have been a fan of Patricia Briggs and this series for a long time and I plan to continue to read and re-read this series many times in the future.I received an advance reader edition of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.
I would like to thank Ace & NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book to review. Though I received this e-book for free, that has no impact upon the honesty of my review. Goodreads Teaser: "Mercy Thompson has been hailed as "a heroine who continues to grow and yet always remains true to herself."* Now she's back, and she'll soon discover that when the fae stalk the human world, it's the children who suffer...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?"As with the prior Mercy Thompson books this one runs pretty true to form. Crazy situations that somehow end up revolving around Mercy, and usually spilling out into some, if not all, of the pack. Since Mercy made Joel part of the pack without going through the proper channels there's been some tension between certain pack members and her. So when she makes a rash declaration that's unfortunately picked up on national news, things go from mild tension to just under DEFCON Five. But Mercy was being guided by ancient fae Magic at the time, so it wasn't really her fault. Was it?Mercy is still Mercy, yet she continues to evolve with each new adventure. These days her changes aren't as radical, usually more emotional as she and Adam try to find a happy medium for both of them to survive, and thrive, in their still shiny new relationship. She has her man, family, and the pack. So the big stuff is mostly handled. Mostly. Her mouth still has a tendency to get her into trouble. Thankfully she has enough control to avoid verbal trouble with the fae. At least she usually does. Some of that is thanks to her mechanics mentor and friend Zee. Though Zee and his son Tad disappeared in the last book, they've still got roles to play in this one, so we get to see them in one way or another in part of this tale. In some ways it's like going back to the beginning, which is part of what makes Mercy's stories so engaging and endearing; her ability to make unusual friends into part of her extended family, and keep them as constants in her life is a real part of her attraction. She, Adam, and the pack still have battles to fight, evil to triumph over, treaties to draft and enforce. In other words, a typical few weeks in Mercy's life. But it's the personal stuff, and the expertly portrayed emotional experiences that really help hold these books together and keep them from feeling stale or recycled. That, and of course the awesome adventures that Mercy's growing family continue to get pulled into. Each situation still feels unique and different from those that went before, so it remains very easy to get pulled into each new Mercy Thompson adventure and stay there to the very end. And then lament the fact that you've got at least eight months, if not a lot longer, to wait for the next exciting installment in the Mercy chronicles.
4 "Its a Brave New World" Stars for the story and 5 stars for the narration! True to form, Mercy Thompson proves what she does best in Fire Touched. That is fight for those who need protection--no matter what the cost. Perhaps even more surprising, is the lengths to which Adam goes in this new installment to show his support for the woman he loves. And, as always, rounding out this delicious, suspense, and action filled urban fantasy, is Lorelei King's superb narration. Please note this series must be read in order, and the below review may contain spoilers for prior books in the series. If you have not yet made your way all the way to Fire Touched, book 9 (and I suggest you quickly remedy that!), please see my review for the applicable title you are presently on.Tensions among and between the various supernatural beings and the humans inhabiting Mercy Thompson's world are definitely running hot. Fire Touched does a fantastic job of combining all of these supernatural forces (fae, vampires, trolls, and shifters) that have been introduced in previous books to bring this urban fantasy suspense-filled plot to a new power struggle quandary which could have very devastating consequences for everyone, including Mercy and Adam and their pact. Adding further heat to the fire is the return of Adam's, human, ex-wife (Christy). As those of you who read Night Broken (Book 8) know, there is no love lost between Mercy and Christy--and Christy doesn't seem totally over Adam or the safety that being an alpha's mate could provide her.Can Mercy do "the right thing" and protect the love of her life, his ex-wife, and her pact? Moreover, will Adam stick with Mercy when it could mean the end of his world as he has ever previously known it?Ms. Lorelei King's narration further complements the story. Providing an incredible consistency of voice for the multitude of characters that have been previously introduced in the prior 8 books, Ms. King manages to personify and be the voice of many of these characters who once again reappear in Fire Touched. Not only does this make it remarkably easy to know which character is talking--even without having to rely on dialogue tags--but it gives the listener the comfort feeling of settling in to a well loved story where the characters make one feel like one is coming home again to a well-loved and secret fantasy world, making it seamless to just sit back and enjoy Ms. Brigg's clever and action-packed story. All in all, lovers of the Mercy Thompson series will not want to miss this latest installment. Additionally, I believe it is pivotal if you want to continue with this series to listen to Fire Touched as a number of potentially series changing events take place ensuring that an understanding of future books will necessarily necessitate listening to this one.Incredibly after 9 books, I'm still in it for the long-haul. I can't wait for book 10, Silence Fallen. My only lament is that I will have to wait until next year to listen to it as the expected publication is 2017! Source: Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
Each book gets better! Love the narrator of the story!
Another great instalment in the series.
I’m really enjoying these books and the audio versions are great!
The story is also getting more and more mind blowing! What an amazing imagination Patricia must have.
I’m really enjoying these books and the audio versions are great!
The story is also getting more and more mind blowing! What an amazing imagination Patricia must have.
I love the interaction of the characters as well as the story line! While things happen around Mercy, she doesn't start them; she does however end them - one way or another.
The latest book in the series in not a good place to start and it is better if you have read both the Mercy books and the Anna & Charles books. The pack gets a call for help with a troll on a bridge in the Tri Cites. Wen Zee and Tad arrive on the scene bringing a human boy that control fire the war with the Fay starts to heat up. The story is very fast paced in this book and things resolve themselves quickly. There were touches of humor that I really liked with Adam and Mercy’s marriage that did lighten the tone. By the end of the story it should be interesting to see where the story in this goes next. As a bit of a spoiler it might be a good thing if you have read all of the short stories set in this universe since some more people are involved with the plot and they have a walk-on during the story as well.
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
Love the reader. Makes everything flow so well. Great job!
The latest instalment in the Mercy Thompson series proves to be more of the same, keeping steady with previous novels, and finally bringing to a close a multi-book conflict. I was extremely excited to continue on with the Mercy series, wanting to see what new adventures her life would bring. Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs was solid, and managed to finally finish off the fae conflict that had permeated the past few novels. Yet, for some reason, I am a little sad or disappointed. Perhaps, my expectations were too high, or more likely, I see a resemblence to another series I once read and fear where Mercy Thompson will end up.The opening scene sets up the action for the rest of the novel. A troll set loose from Faerie and the pack’s urgency to defeat it and protect the Tri-City citizens. No one is grievously injured, save the troll who obviously ends up dead. And we finally have the return of Zee, alongside son Tad, and a new stranger, a strange changeling named Aiden who spent countless years locked away in Underhill when all of the fae were locked out. Aiden pleads for asylum, and Mercy grants it, inadvertently granting asylum and protection to all innocents in the Tri-City area.One of the great scenes in the novel is when Adam finally, FINALLY steps up and puts his pack in order. Ever since Mercy and Adam became a couple, we’ve had to deal with pack members sniping about it, about Mercy. No one has said anything, leaving Mercy to handle it on her own. Just because you can handle it on your own, doesn’t mean you need to, and this time, Adam finally backed Mercy up and made it clear she is his mate. Don’t like it? Leave.For all of the fun stuff in the book, and the jaunt through Underhill is pretty fun (especially meeting Tessa), there is something that has me disappointed. The conflict with the Fae is finally resolved, somewhat, but now we have so many extra, superfluous characters clogging up the series. This would have been a great time to introduce the Wild Hunt possibly. They could have come on scene and taken care of a few extras. Instead, we gain Aiden, we still have Joel, we’re introduced to Sherwood, Thomas Hao is back along with Margaret, and that’s in addition to all of the pack members we already know about. Joel really needs to go, and as lovely as Aiden is, he does as well. After Adam gave the pack the option of leaving if they can’t handle Mercy as his mate, there could’ve been a great chance to off-load extra characters. It just feels like it’s getting too bogged down with personalities and is starting to remind me of Anita Blake’s harem of men. I read for Mercy.That said, I am excited to see what the next book in the series will feature as the main conflict. I’m guessing it might be a challenge against Adam’s pack from a rival, or perhaps the vampires will act up again. Would be nice to see Stephan back and that bonding connection he has to Mercy further explored. Being nine books into the series, readers are obviously going to pick up Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs, and while it’s a good conclusion to the latest main conflict, more needs to be done to bring readers back for the next novel.
Well, you know what you're getting with this series, but it's better than the last few.
This was shorter and less climactic than I was expecting. I guess I was getting used to Mercy getting injured all the time in all her hero-escapades. She's still one of my favorite heroines, but she seemed a little two dimensional in this latest volume, not at all like the bad ass she was in the last volume Night Broken. I'm chalking it up to a 'middle book' slump. Because the next book is already scheduled to come out next March and it looks like that one is going to be a good one. Fingers crossed. I still enjoyed this story and of course I loved all the characters, but there seemed to be something missing here. PS. I love the cover art on these books.