Frost Burned (Mercy Thompson, #7)

by Patricia Briggs

Patricia Briggs “has reached perfection”* in this #1 New York Times bestseller, as Mercy Thompson faces a shapeshifter’s biggest fear...
 
Mercy’s life has undergone a seismic change. Becoming the mate of Alpha werewolf Adam Hauptman 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 a traffic accident in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Mercy and Jesse can’t reach Adam—or anyone else in the pack. They’ve all been abducted. Mercy fears Adam’s disappearance may be related to the political battle the werewolves have been fighting to gain acceptance from the public—and that he and the pack are in serious danger. Outmatched and on her own, Mercy may be forced to seek assistance from any ally she can get, no matter how unlikely.


*The Nocturnal Library

• ISBN10: 044102002X
• ISBN13: 9780441020027
• Publish Date: 28 January 2014 (first published 1 March 2013)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Imprint: Ace
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780441020027

Reviews

[booksandcats]

I am going to sound so repetitive in my reviews of this series, because I honestly enjoy every single book so far. I enjoy reading Mercy's perspective, reading along with her thougths and how she is able to systematically go through different possibilities and sort out what actually fits the things that are happening in her life.

The death that happens in this book is tragic and made me cry, even if we don't experience it first hand, but it reminded me of book one and how I expected to grow fond of Mac and have him be a big figure in the series and have him killed off so soon, it reminded me that, even if this series has happy endings in general, Patricia Briggs isn't scared of taking out some characters permanently, which makes it more fun to read for me.

Also, I really enjoyed that we got chapters from Adams point of view, it really added to the experience.

[Berls]

For more reviews, see: Fantasy is More Fun


I really enjoyed this book and, were it not for my high expectations because of reading the other books in this series, I would probably have given it 4 starts. Unfortunately this book is missing the tension that has made the others so good - everything feels to easy from fighting the bad guys to the relationship between Mercy and Adam. Their marital bliss has erased all sexual tension that used to light the earlier books.

All that being said - there is some really exciting action and Mercy is learning more about herself and her pack bonds. I also really liked the way this book finally starts to overlap with the Alpha and Omega series (also by Patricia Briggs and in the same world) in fun and interesting ways. Even better - while this book is a bit disappointing, I do think it is potentially building towards some really great action in upcoming Mercy and Omega books! So I'd recommend it in hopes that the series will be going in really exciting directions in upcoming books.

[Quirky Cat]

It has been far too long since I've allowed myself to binge read a series. But when I need to do exactly that, I know that the Mercy Thompson series will be there for me. This is and always has been a great series to read right through. The only downside of course being that once you hit the last book that's out, you go through book withdrawal. Oh well.
Mercy Thompson is a fantastic series about werewolves, fae, walkers, witches, and so much more. Currently the series is eleven books strong, plus there's a spin-off series. So if you're looking for a world to dive into, this is one to check out.
Frost Burned it the seventh book in the series, and it is still going strong. This time around, Mercy finds herself separated from the pack – thanks to the actions of the human variety. Mercy is left alone to figure out what is going on and save the day.
I've loved this series for a while now, and that's particularly because of all the different supernatural interactions and politics that occur. That being said, I feel like Frost Burned is the moment where all of that really starts kicking it up a few levels.


Warnings: Like many of these books involving the werewolves and fae, there are some graphic moments. Such as control/ownership issues and things of that nature.
I had been feeling like it had been a hot minute since we've seen Mercy deal with the vampires, and then along came Frost Burned. This novel has a lot going on in it, but that's really no surprise. Mercy is exceptionally talented when it comes to getting into messes. Thankfully she's also pretty good at getting out of them.
I know I've been saying this a lot lately, but I literally read Frost Burned in one sitting. It was so good that I just couldn't put it down. I had forgotten how much I love this series, so I'm grateful that this book got me back into the fold, so to speak.
There were a lot of amazing moments in this novel. I probably could mention spoilers, considering how old it is, but I'm going to try and play it safe. Mercy got put into a really rough situation, and frankly so did Adam. But they both managed to find ways out of it. Though I imagine both are going to be haunted about what they went through.
I love watching Mercy try and figure out how her abilities all work. I always think that she's got a good grasp on them, and then suddenly she's learning something new. It's been wonderful and fascinating.
There were some heartbreaking moments to balance out the good moments though, which is the mark of a well-written series. And it all came up so suddenly. It was a good move in a sense, because it suddenly made the situation feel more real and threatening (and it must be difficult to create a threatening situation for a bunch of werewolves).
I had thought that there was a strong coverage of all things supernatural until now, but Frost Burned added a whole new element into the mix: Ghosts. It makes sense in a lot of ways, but it's also going to change a lot of things in the long run.
You know what the best part about being behind in an awesome series like this is? I get to go right on to the next book! So I'm off to read Night Broken now. Wish me luck!


For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[nitzan_schwarz]

Another great Mercy adventure! I admit it took a while for me to really click with this one, up until the time familiar faces finally showed on page. Namely, the queen Kyle. I love Kyle. I would 100% read a spin-off with Warren and Kyle as our mains. Just saying. It could be completely separate from wolf business; maybe one of the cases that required Kyle to shelter someone in his house. Just suggesting!

With every Mercy novel that I read, I fall more and more in love with Ben. He needs a mate. Also, I find it really funny that Briggs TELLS us about his bad qualities, but she rarely SHOWS them. He must be a favorite of hers because even in the first book he came across more as funny and sort of rude than anything Mercy describes him as. But I digress.

Mercy and Adam are #relationshipgoals, as always, and by this point, I am really worried for a time they finally have kids because... man, Mercy CANNOT stay out of trouble! Still, I really want to see them deal with that--and see how Briggs potentially scales that hurdle of putting Mercy in danger but not *so* much danger as to hurt the baby.

Don't really have much else to say. A really solid installment in the series, I loved all the characters and was DEVASTATED by The Death. Also, I like Hao and I am still confudeled by Wulfe as a whole.

[jesstheaudiobookworm]

3.75 ★ Audiobook

Somehow my review and rating is gone, so my review won't be as detailed as before.

I do remember liking this book, hence my 5 star rating. It was quite a roller coaster and showed the strong bond between Adam and Mercy. I would say it's probably the best book in the series so far.

I would recommend this book series to anybody, with telling to start reading at book 1, since it shows the buildup of Mercy and how we got to this point. I would tell them to read the other series in this world, Alpha and Omega, since this book includes some stuff that happened in their book series.

[EBookObsessed]

Mercy would rather face down a vampire seethe than take Jesse Black Friday shopping, but she’s trying to be a good stepmother after Jesse’s mother told her she wouldn’t be around for Thanksgiving. If they stayed home, they wouldn’t be trying to get into the congested mall. If they had stayed home, they wouldn’t have gotten into a car accident. If they stayed home, they would have been captured with the rest of the pack when the government mercenaries came storming in the door.

In Frost Burned, the death of Mercy’s beloved VW Rabbit is the least of her problems. After the accident, she can’t reach any of the pack to pick them up. Someone has taken the pack and all she can feel through her mating bonds is Adam’s rage and pain.

Ben makes it out of the house, and on orders from Adam, he is sent to find Mercy and Jesse and keep them safe. Mercy needs more than just an injured wolf if she is going to locate the pack but she can’t get any help from Zee or the fae. The fae and the government are at war and all of the fae have been ordered back to the reservations which have ‘disappeared’ due to glamour and magic.

They found the pack through the phones, even the ones who weren’t ‘out,’ so she can’t even get Bran’s help without sending someone to Montana.

Mercy needs to go hunting but first she has to get Jesse somewhere safe. Then she has to find out if any other members of the pack or their families are in trouble.

Someone is trying to take out the pack so they can take over the Tri-Cities. Mercy was shocked by the attack on the pack, but what is more surprising is who really is behind it. Mercy will have to fight to keep the Tri-Cities from falling into the wrong preternatural hands.

THOUGHTS:
This was the first book that changes POV between Mercy and Adam so that we can see what is happening to the pack which was an interesting twist. Also interesting was the war between the fae and the U.S. government. Mercy has earned many new enemies, but also a number of important fae owed Mercy a favor. Now that she could have used help, the only people she could look to were Stefan (who Mercy helped over his depression) and Zee’s son Tad, who is half-fae and not required to return to the reservation.

There was a reference in the jacket to the big surprise of who helps free the pack. What I found more surprising was why the pack was taken in the first place.

Mercy is also hit by more fae magic which affects her personality. I am quite surprised that she hasn’t turned into a fae artifact destroying machine. Vampire magic doesn’t affect her, but fae magic is kicking her butt.

Mercy begins to suspect that her bond with Stefan wasn’t destroyed after bonding with the pack and she isn’t sure how happy she is to find out that she has more than just Adam and the pack in her head.

[Linda]

WOW, what an excellent installment Frost Burned is! There is a lot of action, and Mercy is even more awesome than usual.

Full review to come soon.

This an all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews

[kimbacaffeinate]

The tale begins at almost midnight on Black Friday and if you can believe it Mercy is out Christmas shopping with Jesse. She is no longer in a wheel chair and fully healed. When the two get into a fender bender and are unable to reach Adam or any of the pack they realize something is dreadfully wrong. Through her bond she realizes they have all been kidnapped and the tale that unfolds is non-stop action with twists and turns as Mercy and her unusual friends must save the pack.

I love all of the characters in Briggs Mercy Thompson series even snarky Honey and the Vampire Queen. I enjoying the growth we continually see in Mercy and love the slow building thread that reveals more and more just how special this shape-shifting coyote is. Mercy is really starting to feel comfortable as the mate of Adam and her role in the pack. Their relationship is healthy, heated and continues to become stronger. We see her use her position with confidence more as she finds it necessary and despite her call to protect and dive in to save the day she is really balanced. Briggs gave us a real treat as we got a third person POV from Adam. While this was necessary because of the plot, it also gave us a little more insight into the smexy alpha himself and I quite enjoyed it. Since the pack was kidnapped we got a chance to spend more time with Kyle, Warren’s mate. I have always liked Kyle, as a lawyer he is pretty level headed and his attention to fashion always makes me giggle. Missing were both Samuel and Bran which was disappointing since I like them both. Bran does send aid to help but we never really get to know this wolf. Stephan, the Fae and the vampires are back. We learn things, see a different sides of their personalities and I was quite satisfied. The humans are involved and their police and military branches added to the overall arcs political unrest.

One of the things that I enjoy about this series is the non-stop action and clever twists. From the moment you open a book in this series you know you are in for one hell of a ride. Briggs carries your emotions right along with it. She takes us from sweet moments that make me giggle, to the saddest moments that had me wiping tears from eye. I love that we continue to see growth from Mercy both as a coyote and as a woman. We didn’t get a lot of alone time with Adam and Mercy but when we do it is both romantic and intense. I really liked getting inside Adams head and would love to see more of this but in first person. His love for Mercy just makes me shiver and the responsibility and burden he carries close to his heart for his pack, wife and daughter is touching. Why the pack was kidnapped and the end game were exceptional well written and had me on edge. The overall arc regarding revealing themselves to the humans and the consequences are present and we get hints of things to come.

originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[Melanie]

In this book, we get to see all the characters we've been missing for a while. While Zee and Stefan, make a small appearance, we see more of Kyle and Tad. We also learn a lot more about Tad and what it means for him to be half fae. We also learn more about Mercy's coyote side. Adam is still a little overbearing for my liking, and Mercy's too, I think. I would like him to start to see, that while he really wants to protect her, she isn't a person to stand around and wait for someone else to save her friends. He wouldn't love her if she just sat on the sidelines or screamed and ran the other way every time there is trouble.

This book isn't without loss. We do lose a very important person to Mercy and her friends. Even if this person was a minor character to the book, this person was very important to the other characters. This character will be missed.