Image

Book Review: Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

a2Title: Frost Burned

Author: Patricia Briggs

Series: Mercy Thompson #7

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: 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.

a26

The Review:

I never have anything bad to say about Patricia Briggs! I have loved every book in the Mercy series so far, putting them at the top of my all-time favorites list.  Already owning the paperbacks, I decided to invest in the hardcovers because I like them that much. Not only are they fun to read, but they also have excellent characters, story, and humor.

 With each new book so far, Briggs has introduced a new element of supernatural expanding the otherworldliness of her series. Now were at the point where there is so much back history and development with each creature and character that the storyline for this book was almost a culmination of everything we have read so far. Frankly, the characters could be doing practically anything at this point and I would still enjoy reading about it.

Conflicts that happen in past books play a big role in this one, so it didn’t take long to get into the action of the story. I love how Briggs paces her novels, there is usually barely enough time to catch your breath before she launches from one action scene to the other. Mix that with fantastic, lovable characters and a great deal of humor, and you have yourself one fantastic series! I am bummed that it’s going to be at least a year before I get to read another one… It kind of makes me wish I had read it slower. Oh, well. I guess I’ll just have to go back and do a series reread!

As a side note, I chose to read the Alpha and  Omega series because there are rather important things in those books that played a major role in Frost Burned. In fact, if I hadn’t read them I would’ve been a little confused with the feeling of, “Wow, I don’t remember that in the last Mercy book… What other stuff that I forget?” (this usually only happens if I read books in a series too far apart). Anyway, the first A&O book, Cry Wolf, I didn’t really care for. However, the other two, Hunting Ground and Fair Game, were every bit as good as the Mercy series, adding a lot of back-history to the werewolf culture.

Recommendations: These books don’t have near as much language and sex as many other urban fantasies on the market, which is why (aside from their obvious awesomeness) I recommend them the most often. Along with Butcher’s Dresden Files, these books are excellent starter sets for the genre and must-reads for any hard-core fans!

by Niki Hawkes

 Other books you might like:

Image

Book Review: Fair Games by Patrica Briggs

s3Title: Fair Game

Author: Patricia Briggs

Series: Alpha & Omega #3

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Mystery

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

The Overview: It is said that opposites attract. And in the case of werewolves Anna Latham and Charles Cornick, they mate. The son—and enforcer—of the leader of the North American werewolves, Charles is a dominant Alpha. While Anna, an Omega, has the rare ability to calm others of her kind.

When the FBI requests the pack’s help on a local serial-killer case, Charles and Anna are sent to Boston to join the investigation. It soon becomes clear that someone is targeting the preternatural. And now Anna and Charles have put themselves right in the killer’s sights…

The Review:

While Cry Wolf read like a paranormal romance and Hunting Ground read like an urban fantasy, Fair Game was strongly tugging at the mystery category. It’s almost like Briggs is playing with different story structures to branch out from her comfort zone. And you know what? I’m 100% willing to go on that ride with her. It’s not easy to write in a different genre, but I love that she’s introducing it within urban fantasy parameters.

Fair Game was easily the most gruesome story to date (at least as far as I was concerned – but I sort of let my imagination run wild with this one). It raised the stakes, kept me at the edge of my seat, and made me really hate the bad guys. My favorite part of this novel was the layered plot; it slowly revealed one clue after another, building an excellent momentum for the end.

I mentioned in my review of book #2 that Anna and Charles’ relationship is one of my favorites in the genre. To be honest, I wasn’t  even certain if I liked either of the characters up front, but I still loved how well their personalities played off of each other. The visuals of a five-foot mousey woman scolding a behemoth of a werewolf without fear makes me smile every time. Briggs gets an A+ for character development and perhaps another + for story.

Recommendations: I am sure lovers of Mercy have already picked these books up, but I have to say the back history here makes the whole saga rich and vibrant. If you like Briggs but haven’t read this one yet, put it one your list! A warning to the wary: this series does contain a good deal of language and sexual content but not nearly as graphic as Laurell K. Hamilton or Keri Arthur.

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like:

Image

Book Review: Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs

w1Title: Hunting Ground

Author: Patricia Briggs

Series: Alpha and Omega #2

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: Anne Latham didn’t know how complicated life could be until she became a werewolf. And until she was mated to Charles Cornick, the son—and enforcer—of Bran, the leader of the North American werewolves, she didn’t know how dangerous it could be either…

Anna and Charles have just been enlisted to attend a summit to present Bran’s controversial proposition: that the wolves should finally reveal themselves to humans. But the most feared Alpha in Europe is dead set against the plan—and it seems like someone else might be, too. When Anna is attacked by vampires using pack magic, the kind of power only werewolves should be able to draw on, Charles and Anna must combine their talents to hunt down whoever is behind it all—or risk losing everything…

The Review:

This is what I’ve been waiting for! I mentioned in my review of the first book, Cry Wolf, that I didn’t like it quite as well because it read more like a paranormal romance than an urban fantasy. Not so with Hunting Ground. It had everything I’ve come to expect from a Patricia Briggs book: lots of action, plenty of paranormal creatures, and a suspenseful crime to solve.

I especially appreciated the relationship development in this book. A lot of times authors will throw two people together and tell you they were made for each other. With Anna and Charles, you can actually see how well their personalities play off of and fit together which made it feel really… organic. It is one of the best relationships developments I’ve ever read, and I marvel at how well the author paired the two personalities. Briggs has always been great at creating well-rounded characters, but I think she may have outdone herself here.

Another aspect that I was missing in the first book was the involvement of other werewolves. I wanted to know more about the political situation within the werewolf pack and how their decisions are going to affect things in upcoming Mercy Thompson books. There was definitely plenty of questions answered here, and I am really looking forward to reading Fair Game to see how it all plays out. I’m convinced these are must reads for Mercy fans – why miss out on any back story if you don’t have to?

Overall, the story, the humor, and the relationships were fantastic, and it just makes me that much more fired up to read Frost Burned (the latest Mercy book). I think fans of both paranormal romances and urban fantasies would really enjoy this series. As spinoffs, you actually can read them without reading the parent series but you’d be missing out. The Mercy Thompson novels are some of the best on the market, and I recommend them constantly. A warning to the wary: these books contain violence and sexuality.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Image

Book Review: Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs

a1Title: Cry Wolf

Author: Patricia Briggs

Series: Alpha and Omega #1

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Overview: Anna never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack…and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she’s learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. Then Charles Cornick, the enforcer—and son—of the leader of the North American werewolves, came into her life. Charles insists that not only is Anna his mate, but she is also a rare and valued Omega wolf. And it is Anna’s inner strength and calming presence that will prove invaluable as she and Charles go on the hunt in search of a rogue werewolf—a creature bound in magic so dark that it could threaten all the pack…

The Review:

As the first full-length novel of Anna and Charles, I thought this was an great companion story to the Mercy Thompson series. Briggs is one of my favorite authors, and I haven’t met anyone yet who hasn’t liked her works. As spinoff novels, the Alpha and Omega series expand the story of Mercy’s adopted werewolf relatives. While these books have relatively little to do with Mercy, they still makes the world she lives in more rich and vibrant, and gives us behind the scenes look at werewolf pack politics – which I think is going to be relevant in upcoming novels.

I enjoyed Cry Wolf but not as much as I thought I would. It reads more like paranormal romance than an urban fantasy, which means we got great character development and inner dialog, but not a whole lot of action. While I like Anna and Charles, and enjoy reading about their developing relationship, I missed that fast-paced event-driven writing that made the Mercy books so fun. Not that stuff didn’t happen, it just wasn’t the focus. This is not a failing on the author’s part, either. I remember reading somewhere that she had intended this book to be more in the romance genre than fantasy, and I think it’s great she was able to exhibit both types of storytelling so well. For that matter, her pure fantasy books (Masques and Dragon Bones) were also great books within their genre. 

Overall, I’m glad I read this one, and will definitely be continuing on with Hunting Ground and Fair Game. For those of you who haven’t read this series yet, I’d recommend you start with the novella Alpha and Omega found in the anthology On the Prowl or sold separately as a digital copy. 

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like:

  • Stray by Rachel Vincent
  • Blue Moon by Lori Handeland
  • How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper
  • Dark Lover by J.R. Ward (Which I didn’t care for, but it’s considered the uber-paranormal romance and everyone else seems to friggin love it)
  • Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead

a1 a2 a3 a4 a5

Image

Top Ten Tuesday! (3/12/2013)

a111Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish book blog. Since I love lists and talking about my favorite books, I decided to join in the fun. This week’s topic:

Top Ten Books At The TOP Of My Spring 2013 TBR list!

(drumroll please)

#1 Pure: I came across this book by accident while researching upcoming releases (I found the second one, Fuse, and was intrigued). Now I can’t wait to read it, and am hoping it’s as good as it sounds.

#2 Frost Burned: for as long as I’ve been blogging about the release date for this one, I should dang well be reading it soon. I just have to finish Fair Game first….

#3 Fragments: Partials was one of my favorite reads last year, and I am stoked to pick up the next one. I have no excuse why I haven’t read it yet.

#4 Eve & Adam: K.A. Applegate is the reason why I am so passionate about books. I was so enthralled with her Animorphs series as a kid that its sparked the obsession that I’ve built a career off of. Grant is her husband and the author of the popular Gone series, so I’m sure it’s going to be an amazing book (I hope).

#5 Dragon Keeper: The ending of Fool’s Fate was so profound that I needed a few months to let it sink in. Now that I’m done reeling, I’m finally ready to begin Hobb’s latest series. This is going to be so, so good!

#6 The Way of Kings: No matter what circle I’m in of book lovers, they all seem to agree that this is by far Sanderson’s best novel. Having read everything else he’s got (and loving it all) I am super eager to see for myself what all the hype is about. I have been recommending this to people without having actually read it – that is a mark of my confidence in my peers’ reviews. 

#7 Kushiel’s Scion: Kushiel 1-3 knocked my socks off, and this second trilogy following Imriel is going to be just as good – I can feel it! I tend to pick these up only when I need that guaranteed good read fix (this is why I am so far behind).

#8 Beyonders: I admit I tried this one already and put it down. Although Fablehaven is my favorite young adult series (besides HP), I just couldn’t get past a hippopotamus’s mouth as a magical portal. I’ve resigned to overlooking that the second time around.

#9 Spirit War: I loved the first three books in this series, and remember every detail vividly over a year later. These characters, this magic system, and this author are amazing!

#10 Stardoc: I find the idea of intergalactic medical care oddly fascinating, and I’ve been trying to get this one picked for my monthly Your Pick for Nik! feature. Alas, it hasn’t received a single vote, and I’m pretty sure I’ve nominated it the most times (figures). Come on, people! It promises so much world-building awesomeness how can you resist?

Of course, making this list I remembered half a dozen other books I really want to read… oh, the hardship. What about all of you out there? What are your top TBR books?

Niki’s Book Recommendations!

If you liked: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs…

a1

Then you might also like:

a1Title: Stray

Author: Rachel Vincent

Series: Shifters #1

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Shifters was an incredibly absorbing series that I can still remember vividly years later. The first books is weakest, but the rest of the series boasts great character development, world-building, and overall story. This is my first pick for fans of the Mercy series. (MA: sex and violence)

a2Title: Succubus Blues

Author: Richelle Mead

Series: Succubus #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Fiction

One of my favorite authors, the Succubus series will knock your socks off! Fantastic character-driven story that also manages to build an interesting magic system while following a great story-line. I read these back to back – I haven’t done that with a series since grade school! (MA: sex and language)

a4Title: Magic to the Bone

Author: Devon Monk

Series: Ally Beckstrom #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

This series has a strong concept and magic system, with a touch more grit than the mercy series. (MA: language (I think))

a7Title: Ill Wind

Author: Rachel Caine

Series: Weather Wardens #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

I picked these up after reading the author’s Morganville Vampire novels, and I have to say, it’s a highly original urban fantasy. For me, it had the same overall feel as the Mercy series.

a3Title: Dead Witch Walking

Author: Kim Harrison

Series: Rachel Morgan #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

I love Kim Harrison!!! She is quickly creeping up my list of all-time favorite authors. It’s the series as a whole that makes me feel this way, and I wasn’t totally on-board until a few novels in. Now I can’t put them down! The similarities to Mercy here are great characters, great writing, and similar genre. (MA: sex and violence) Read full review

a5Title: Grimspace

Author: Ann Aguirre

Series: Sirantha Jax #1

Genre: Science Fiction

I’m recommending this one because, even though its science fiction, it reads more like an urban fantasy. The characters made me incredibly nostalgic about Mercy, and it was one of the most entertaining series I’ve ever read. The world-building, at least in the first book, is probably its only flaw. (MA: Language/Sex/Violence) Read full review

a6Title: Full Moon Rising

Author: Keri Arthur

Series: Riley Jensen

Genre: Urban Fantasy

For the longest time, this was my favorite urban fantasy. I love the cast of characters, I love the plot, and I love how sexy it is. Definitely for mature audiences only (sex, language, and violence)