Item: Winter Lost
Rating: 4.00
Author: quirkycat

by Patricia Briggs

'Patricia Briggs never fails to deliver an exciting, magic and fable filled suspense story' Erin Watt, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of The Royals series.

Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, must stop a disaster of world-shattering proportions in this exhilarating entry in the No. 1 New York Times bestselling series.

In the supernatural realms, there are creatures who belong to winter. I am not one of them. But like the coyote I can become at will, I am adaptable.

My name is Mercy Thompson Hauptman, and my mate, Adam, is the werewolf who leads the Columbia Basin Pack, the pack charged with keeping the people who live and work in the Tri-Cities of Washington State safe. It's a hard job, and it doesn't leave much room for side quests. Which is why when I needed to travel to Montana to help my brother, I intended to go by myself.

But I'm not alone anymore.

Together, Adam and I find ourselves trapped with strangers in a lodge in the heart of the wilderness, in the teeth of a storm of legendary power, only to discover my brother's issues are a tiny part of a problem much bigger than we could have imagined. Arcane and ancient magics are at work that could, unless we are very careful, bring about the end of the world . . .

Praise for Patricia Briggs:

'It is always a joy to pick up a new Briggs novel' RT Book Reviews

'Patricia Briggs is an incredible writer . . . I love hanging out with the amazing characters in this series!' Nalini Singh, New York Times bestselling author of the Psy-Changeling series

Book Summary:

Mercy Thompson is back for another adventure. As usual, she wasn’t looking for a dangerous task to jump into. She just wanted to spend time with her mate and help the pack, that’s all.

A series of events are going to change those plans - starting with her brother coming to town. Something’s wrong with him, and it may take a quest to release him of the ancient magic that has a hold over him. In other words, it’s time for Mercy to step in once again.

My Review:

Whew. Okay, it took me way too long to pick up and read the latest Mercy Thompson book. I hate that I’m a few months behind, but at least I’m current in the world (for now). Also, I can’t believe that Winter Lost is the fourteenth (14!!) book in the series. Where has the time gone?

I may be misremembering things, but Winter Lost switched things up. Instead of Mercy being the only perspective, readers get a view of some of the pack, including Adam.

It’s a great touch, especially as Mercy and Adam travel away from the pack for a bit. Getting to see how the pack functions without their alphas was fascinating, to see the least. That said, I feel like one of their subplots was left hanging. I get that it wasn’t urgent, but I would have appreciated a stronger feeling of resolution.

Onto the main plot - it was intense. Well, readers already know that any plot involving the fae will be intense. And this time, we’re dealing with older fae, which is never great. It led to many unexpected twists and turns.

Even though it felt like ages since I read the last Mercy Thompson novel, diving into Winter Lost felt like coming home. It was easy to slip back into this world, remembering who was up to what and why. I’m already looking forward to the next installment (and I’ll read it faster this time!).

Highlights:
Urban Fantasy
Werewolves & Fae
Tackling Legends of Old
Multiple POV

Trigger Warnings:
Torture/Trauma
Controlling Behavior

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Winter Lost (Mercy Thompson, #14)

by Patricia Briggs

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on Dec 30, 2024

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