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 . . .
Comment: This is installment #14 in the Mercy Thompson series by author Patricia Briggs, a series I have been following for years.
In this story Mercy and Adam are going to see about a frost giant so that they can try to help her brother Gary, who has showed up without being able to talk or see those around him, as if a spell has been put on him. They learn it might have been something to do with a wedding which will take place somewhere and an artifact that was likely stolen from the frost giant. At the same time, Mercy is still dealing with the aftermath of what the soul taker did to her and there is still the worry of the vampire Bonarata, with the constant threats aimed their way... is there any solution for Mercy's problems or by traveling north she and Adam are only going to collect some more?
Although this is a well structured story, it cannot be recommended that a new reader starts with this one to enjoy the world building the author so cleverly imagined. Yes, it can work as a standalone from the plot's POV, but there are so many little things and references throughout that doing so would make this a very frustrating read. Still, this is book #14 and it can be quite the investment to start with the first one but it is so, so worth it.
If I think about authors whose stories still work out for me 100%, in terms of writing I mean - of course some books will always be better than others in big series - Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews come to mind. Both have a specific type of "voice" and their work always sounds solid to me. This series and the Alpha and Omega one by mrs Briggs are wonderfully complex and nuanced and I have enjoyed all the books because the world building is solid and the characters are layered and always fascinating.
That said, in regards to this installment, perhaps it is true that some repetition seems to happen and having Adam and Mercy mostly secluded at an isolated place with a completely new set of characters for the sole purpose of this plot, feels like an easy way out of dealing with many ongoing issues, but thankfully there is one major problem which is dealt with here and I'm quite glad for that. It was also a good way to see Adam and Mercy together without the physical presence of the pack and how that would affect them or not.
As for the frost giant's situation and the plot around it... I'll be very honest, some things were very confusing. Even when we had the explanation for this and that detail, some things just felt exaggerated, in the sense that why couldn't an easier solution be found? Plus, it felt as if the need for magical/mystical threads was higher than the need for an obvious plot. The link between some of the characters was kept secretive in ways I'd say were not always logical, but it all goes to the magical foundation of this world. I get it that magic is everywhere for these characters but sometimes it does feel a bit too much.
When we do learn about the characters and their roles in this big scheme, I'll have to say some were quite incredible, no doubt about it. I'd never imagine such a thing but the author has a lot of imagination, that's for sure. Other things were a little confusing, and seemed contrived, but the characters' personalities and their role in this world and in how they interact with others was made to seem special,as always. It's as if there is always some kind of detail, information about everyone that just keeps on making them all seem unique. I'm here to see their interactions and to learn more about them all. I just hope some of the main characters will remain untouchable until the end.
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