Frost Burned

Mercy Thompson, Book 7

By: Patricia Briggs

Narrated by: Lorelei King

Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

Mercy Thompson returns in the seventh novel in the number-one New York Times best-selling series.

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.

©2013 Patricia Briggs (P)2013 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic reviews

“The characters and events in this world just keep getting better and better.... A fantastic book!” (Fresh Fiction)

“There’s a great story here of family, friendship, and love.” (SFRevu)

“The arc of the Mercy Thompson series has showcased Briggs’s incredible gift for delivering character development alongside intriguing plots filled with thrills and chills. This latest installment is worth every penny and moment of your time!” (RT Book Reviews)

Holiday fun

This story starts in Black Friday, so on that day I sometimes reread it. Good holiday fun.

Mercy is back on track

Would you listen to Frost Burned again? Why?

This book was much better than book 6. I was worried the series was going to take a dive. Patricia Briggs did a good job bringing back the action. The reader is great.

Another great addition to the series.

Both my daughter and I love the Mercy Thomson series. I have listened to the series at least three times all the way through... My teenage daughter also enjoys the series and has read it more than once..

This book takes story lines developed in both this series and the overall Mercy-virse and brings them together nicely. The story has action, humor, and characters that are easy to fall in love with.

This series is fairly clean of sexual situations and when one occurs they are described in a tasteful manner so I would recommended it for a teen audience. The other series in the Mercy-virse "Alpha and Omaga" is a little more explicit but still not too bad.

A rating....

My Review:

Overall.... 4.5
Performance... 4.75
Story.... 4.5

Absolutely everything about this book was good! I loved this one! I particularly like the way this one started with Jesse and Mercy doing Black Friday shopping and all the craziness that entails. I honestly was riveted from page one with what was going on with the pack, the wreck, everything. This book grabbed hold of me and never let go. Loved, loved, LOVED all the action in this one.

And I also really enjoyed being back in the arms of the pack again...both Adam's wolf-pack and Mercy's pack of strays. Ben & Kyle...gah, I love both these guys and I loved how much page time they got. Honestly, I think Ben is one of the most under-appreciated wolves. He is so strong and his will-power in this one was amazing. I love how much he is tied to and devoted to her...probably because their relationship was so not that way to begin with. They just have a great partnership...mainly in that it's so unexpected.

And this book explored even more of Mercy's powers. I love how much they continue to grow and evolve and surprise even her. Coyote is an interesting mentor to her. Honestly, I don't even really like the character, but I like what Patricia Briggs has done with him in the story to help Mercy.

And then there's the little easter egg of happiness in this book...TWO WHOLE CHAPTERS FROM ADAM'S POV. I squealed aloud when the first one happened and then couldn't believe that there was a second. Mercy and Adam are in such a good stable place which is crazy when you consider how unstable their lives are on a daily basis. Their marriage has enriched them and I like that a lot. No, he hates that she risks herself and his wolf fights him on letting her do her thing...BUT there's a respect between them. She takes him into consideration when she knows she's doing something risky and does everything in her power to negate the risk and to let him know exactly what's going on so there's no question if it goes bad.

In this book there were more vampire politics. Stefan...love him. Wulfe...I like him too and think in the end of the series he's gonna be a serious ally too. He's so slippery, but I think he honestly admires what Mercy is able to accomplish and I think that will end up working for good. The whole story with Marcelia's car cracked me up through the whole book. I loved everyone's reactions when they would see the car and then find out it was hers. It's that thread of humor that flows through these books which just puts them above-par for my enjoyment levels. These stories make me laugh and they make me cry, but above all I adore Mercy and her neverending fight for what's right...no matter the cost. That right there is the perfect Urban Fantasy set-up and why this continues to be one of my top UF series reads ever!!

And yes, Lorelei King continues to be brilliant in her narration of these books. Wow, that woman has talent!

mercy,Adam, etc all

always good. exciting with interesting twist in the story. highly recommend. a little bit is sadness, too.

Great as usual

I love these adaptations. Perfect presentation. The books were already awesome and these audio books are just the icing on the cake.

Series is back to exciting pack action!

I felt the previous novel in this series, River Marked, suffered by being outside of the usual Spokane, Washington setting and not including all the intriguing supporting cast, foe and friend. Briggs has recaptured a bit of what made the earlier books great in this volume.

I particularly enjoyed the sections from Adam's point of view. I do think the book could have been improved by a little more involvement/development of the supporting characters (Briggs has so many great characters to develop -- Stephan, Tad, Warren, The Moor, etc.), but these volumes read more like a romance series than paranormal. That complaint aside, we saw Mercy get a lot of action (of the kick butt variety) and that never disappoints. Perhaps Briggs will write some novellas or short stories focusing on some of these characters?

The narrator, King, delivers as usual.

In any case, I highly recommend this book. It is fast-paced and well written, has lots of action and includes many of the characters from previous volumes in the series.

*******************************spoiler alert*****************************************************

One bit of ominous (in my opinion) foreshadowing to the series is the hint about Mercy/Adam having a baby. When Mercy gets asked the question "When you are you and Dad having a baby", she crashes and kills "the Rabbit", her beloved car. Since "the rabbit died" is a slang phrase to indicate a woman is pregnant (and elsewhere in the book Mercy thinks about her impending closing of her mechanic's shop), there is little doubt we will see a baby in the future. So often, though, book series (and especially T.V. series) experience a "jump the shark" transition when a munchkin is introduced. But, I will give Briggs the "benefit of the doubt" and continue reading, as perhaps she will not let the series become too domestic (although, it amuses me to think of the werewolf pack babysitting and changing diapers.)

even better the second time

I am re-listening to the Mercy Thompson series after having read it several times over the years. The stories hold up well; the mystery aspects of the plot are more intriguing than I remembered, and the development of the characters is masterfully done. unlike a lot of paranormal /urban fantasy, the plot is primary, not driven by anyone's HEA (happily ever after). there is some sex and a lot of love, but these drive the characters, not the plot, and sometimes bad things happen to mess up a good romance.
Mercy is the person I would like to be. Not the shape changing or the hot husband or even the ability to change her own carburetor. What I love about her is that her belief in doing what is right and good doesn't stop at easy or convenient. At one point, she does something honorable to someone who she knows doesn't deserve it, but does it anyway because of who she is. Mercy is a Christian in the way she lives her life, which is why her lamb necklace works with vampires. She doesn't have to run around with a flaming sword. She is the patron saint of the underdog, and if she is what walkers are typically like, it's no surprise there aren't many left. Like a chihuahua, she leaps into fights she can't possibly win to defend someone even weaker than herself. That is faith. And stupidity, but they often look the same, depending on your perspective.
I can't recommend these books enough. They are exciting, thoughtful and one of the best ways to spend a few hours.

Awesomely Done Again!!!

Ms. Briggs keeps it coming and I love how she evolves all her characters! This one is another example of how she can keep a story line strong and well rounded. I love this and if you love the series you'll continue to love it!!! This one brings along a challenge in itself for Mercy she does some clever workings to get through it!

Huge Mercy Thompson Fan

I can't get enough of this series. the writer is awesome and the narrator is perfect. i reread the whole series at least once a year, sometimes more. If i owned the paper back books they would be falling apart.