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) 

One of the best urban fantasy series

Because I knew this book was coming out, I re-listened to all the Mercy books, the Alpha and Omega books, and all the short stories in either series in their proper order.

With all the entries in this double series fresh in my mind, I have to say that this book and "River Marked" are my two favorites. The overall quality of the series makes it a close call. The series started very good and has gotten better as it goes along.

I like the fact that Mercy still has lingering trauma from when she was raped. I like even better that she doesn't dwell on it. When bad things happen, instead of moaning about her problems, she takes action. And action is what this genre of book is about. I like that she feels free to take actions that she knows her husband would not approve, and I like that she is secure enough in herself and in him that she doesn't have to spend a lot of time and energy moaning about that. Again, she calmly recognizes the situation, but takes the action she feels necessary.

I like the fact that even when she doesn't think she can win, she still does what she thinks is right. I like the fact that she doesn't default to a big gun in a fight. She has the Coyote's gifts, and she uses them.

I like the fact that not only Mercy, but many of the minor characters have grown and changed over the course of the series. And I like the fact that the characters who get the most on-stage time are the likable ones. One of my problems with some authors is that unpleasant characters get so much time onstage.

Patricia Briggs knows how to build suspense, and she does it to great effect in this book.

If you have not read the previous books in this series, I think you could start with this one and still follow what is going on, but I recommend that for the richest experience, you start with the first book in this series ("Moon Called") and read both this series and the Alpha and Omega series in order of publication date.

I highly recommend both this series and this entry into the series.

Easy Listening

With each book I listen to I am reminded that Mercy Thompson series is cheesy and too predictable. But it is very easy to follow when you are not wanting to think about things. And Lorelai king makes up for lacking of writing skill. Perhaps if I was a teenager this would be more down my alley. Regardless of all this, for some reason I still keep listening to these audiobooks. Overall this is a good series.

Drudgery

Stale, disappointing and weak plot. Mercy spent so much time shifting back and forth from coyote/human; you forget what form she was in. Way too many characters. I had to keep going back to see who was who. Thus, I lost interest. It didn't hold my attention like the former books. I finished it but it was drudgery and this series has been a favorite of mine up to now.

Mercy is becoming such a love struck chick!

Would you try another book from Patricia Briggs and/or Lorelei King?

I'm a die hard series reader, unless the series becomes completely unbearable. I have hope that Mercy will stop blathering on about her "mate" and feel her own strength. However, I'm becoming skeptical

Has Frost Burned turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, but I'm getting tired of potentially strong female leads succumbing to sappy romance with that romance taking over the plot

Awesome addition to the series

I have recently started reading this series, but i was deep in from the first book... the sense of humer in the past books is still here ... This book started strong and fast, I was thinking "What the hell!!!!! doesn't these kind of things wait until half way through the book!!!"
After what happens, you think you can predict whats going on and what will happen... but NOPE YOU CAN'T!!!!

so many twists in this book and so many things happen.. Let me just say this... the car comments during the book was the best thing :) you'll understand when you start ...

Narration, Characters, and plot is great as always.... and hope to start the next one soon.

Enjoy.

One of my least favorite in the Mercy Thompson boo

Still ok but it lacks the spark of some of the earlier books . I still love Patricia Briggs. I am looking forward to look #8

Please Let this Installment be a Fluke!

Would you try another book from Patricia Briggs and/or Lorelei King?

Absolutely! I started reading Ms. BRIGGS religiously right after her first Mercy Thompson book (Blood Bound) came out. Eventually I was so satisfied with her Thompson books I started buying her older books and enjoyed those as well. At this point I have already read just about everything this author has written and can heartily recommend everything she has written so far except The Alorn books.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I would like to see more interaction with the main characters of the series and just generally more cultural experiences / history / background in the story. My favorite books in this story include River Marked and Iron Kissed so I think what I enjoy most is learning about the cultures created in these books and Frost Kissed didn't have enough of this for me.

Have you listened to any of Lorelei King’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Always a good listen.

Did Frost Burned inspire you to do anything?

Yes! Pray for the authors future work.

Any additional comments?

PLEASE don't loose the magic, Ms. Briggs. Create a new series if need be. I have been so disappointed by Charlaine Harris deterioration of her Sookie Stackhouse series, Hamilton's Anita Blake books went South really fast, and even the last installment of one of my favorite Looooonng series, Bujold's Vorkosigan series, showed signs of this "no longer up to par" performance for the first time. I won't even start on Nora Roberts In Death series.....why do i keep buying these? Generally every author who continues their series for over 5 to 8 books grows old and repetitive or unimaginative. Create a new series if need be. I have great respect for Harris coming out with her short lived but very satisfying Grave series about the time Sookie was getting old, then ending that series before it could grow old. I could barely finish her last few Dead book. This installment of Mercy feels like it's going the way of the author hanging on too long to a hit after the inventiveness / creativity is gone. I like nearly all Ms. Briggs worlds. If you don't have a new twist for Mercy (and I LOVED your Coyote and Indian cultuural twists in River Marked) write your next book in a new world! Tell us what happens next in Where Demons Walk. Your writing is enoyable and I don't want to see you go stale playing the big hit too long....like so many other authors I could name. I hope to be enjoying your books for many more years.

Decent story, but awkward reading

If you could sum up Frost Burned in three words, what would they be?

Decent story - awkward reading. Well that's 4 words. Up until now, I had read all the books. This is the first one I had listened to. I think the story is decent and it kept me listening despite the narrator.

How could the performance have been better?

The reader has an awkward cadence to her voice and provides inflection and emotion where it doesn't match with the story. It is almost like she is reading a different story in her head while saying the words written in the book. It is disconcerting. Her character voices are not bad except for younger characters which are all read as one character of kid. They don't have individual personalities and are read in a very shrill high voice.

Any additional comments?

I'll probably go back to reading them.

Better than the last book......

I found this book to be ok! It was interesting, but I don't feel the same fire I used to feel with the first five books that I listened to. Perhaps it is becauase Adam and Mercy are already together now and before I loved the little dance around their feelings that they used to do. Don't get me wrong it was a lot better than the last book which I did not really like much at all, and after waiting over a year for this book, it was worth the wait, but didn't have me jumping at the end. Still, I cannot wait until the next book.

ehhh!!!!

After waiting for so long for this book I was a little disappointed It kept my interest but it wasn't gripping like I couldn't put it down or anything. But it was still alright..