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Mercy Thompson #11
Storm Cursed
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Fantasy (2019)My name is Mercedes Athena Thompson Hauptman, and I am a car mechanic.
And a coyote shapeshifter.
And the mate of the Alpha of the Columbia Basin werewolf pack.
Even so, none of that would have gotten me into trouble if, a few months ago, I hadn’t stood upon a bridge and taken responsibility for the safety of the citizens who lived in our territory. It seemed like the thing to do at the time. It should have only involved hunting down killer goblins, zombie goats, and an occasional troll. Instead, our home was viewed as neutral ground, a place where humans would feel safe to come and treat with the fae.
The reality is that nothing and no one is safe. As generals and politicians face off with the Gray Lords of the fae, a storm is coming and her name is Death.
But we are pack, and we have given our word.
We will die to keep it.
And a coyote shapeshifter.
And the mate of the Alpha of the Columbia Basin werewolf pack.
Even so, none of that would have gotten me into trouble if, a few months ago, I hadn’t stood upon a bridge and taken responsibility for the safety of the citizens who lived in our territory. It seemed like the thing to do at the time. It should have only involved hunting down killer goblins, zombie goats, and an occasional troll. Instead, our home was viewed as neutral ground, a place where humans would feel safe to come and treat with the fae.
The reality is that nothing and no one is safe. As generals and politicians face off with the Gray Lords of the fae, a storm is coming and her name is Death.
But we are pack, and we have given our word.
We will die to keep it.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2019
About the author
Patricia Briggs
156 books27.8k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Patricia Briggs was born in Butte, Montana, to a children’s librarian who passed on to her kids a love of reading and books. Patricia grew up reading fairy tales and books about horses, and later developed an interest in folklore and history. When she decided to write a book of her own, a fantasy book seemed a natural choice. Patricia graduated from Montana State University with degrees in history and German and she worked for a while as a substitute teacher. Currently, she lives in Montana with her husband, children, and six horses and writes full time, much to the delight of her fans.
Patricia Briggs was born in Butte, Montana, to a children’s librarian who passed on to her kids a love of reading and books. Patricia grew up reading fairy tales and books about horses, and later developed an interest in folklore and history. When she decided to write a book of her own, a fantasy book seemed a natural choice. Patricia graduated from Montana State University with degrees in history and German and she worked for a while as a substitute teacher. Currently, she lives in Montana with her husband, children, and six horses and writes full time, much to the delight of her fans.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,719 reviews
October 21, 2020
UPDATE: $1.99 Kindle US today 10/21/20
I loved the book but one little thing made me want to kill some peeps! And there are miniature zombie goats 😃. Well, there are a lot of things in the book but still, miniature zombie goats 😃
And Stefan and Zee; just the gang 😊💕
•••••••••
I'm obsessed with this cover!!
Happy Reading Mercy Fans!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
I loved the book but one little thing made me want to kill some peeps! And there are miniature zombie goats 😃. Well, there are a lot of things in the book but still, miniature zombie goats 😃
And Stefan and Zee; just the gang 😊💕
•••••••••
I'm obsessed with this cover!!
Happy Reading Mercy Fans!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
May 17, 2021
4.5 stars for this Mercy Thompson fantasy, brimming with black magic. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Storm Cursed, the eleventh book in Patricia Briggs’ MERCY THOMPSON urban fantasy series, kicks the series up a notch with some clashes with black magic witches, and no one is safe. Mercy, a coyote skinwalker and the shapechanger daughter of the god Coyote, is back in the Tri-Cities area of Washington state after her hair-raising adventures in Europe in Silence Fallen.
Storm Cursed begins with a seemingly tangential event: Mercy has tagged two of her husband Adam’s werewolf pack, firefighter Mary Jo and computer nerd Ben, to go on a goblin hunt with her, tracking down a goblin suspected of killing a policeman. She calls Larry, the goblin king who we met in Silence Fallen, to help. What this event discloses about Mercy’s evolving relationship with Mary Jo, and about a secret power held by goblins that is apparently unique among the fae, may have important repercussions in the future.
Indirectly this goblin hunt leads to a police request to help with a bunch of pygmy goats that someone has turned into zombies using witchcraft (interestingly, the pygmy goats are still adorable even though they’re dead and zombie-fied). When Mercy calls the witch family of Elizaveta Arkadyevna to help with the zombie goat problem, a strange woman with a soft Southern voice answers the phone and tells Mercy that Elizaveta’s family is “all tied up right now.” Not ominous at all! And then the family that owned the pygmy goats tell Mercy about a woman with a Southern accent who tried to buy the goats … and to get their young son to come to her car.
As Mercy and Adam investigate what has happened at Elizaveta’s house, and where the zombies are coming from, they find threats from both without and within their territory. Meanwhile, the Gray Lords of the fae are reengaging with humans, offering to meet with the U.S. government to negotiate a peace treaty, but the witch problem is threatening this process as well.
Black magic makes for a compelling but harrowing plot in Storm Cursed. Black magic witches are the most powerful of all witches in this world; far more powerful than white or gray witches. Their willingness to torture and kill both animals and people gives them a far greater boost to their magical powers than white and gray witches can access. That willingness to commit appallingly evil acts for the sake of power is front and center in Storm Cursed, and Briggs doesn’t pull her punches. (Sensitive readers are advised to tread carefully.)
Offsetting this darkness is the moral bedrock and decency of the key characters. It’s not just in Mercy and Adam, but also in Zee, a powerful fae who is Mercy’s longtime friend, Zee’s son Tad, and several others. We finally learn more about the mysterious past of Sherwood Post, a werewolf with a missing leg (supposedly an impossibility, since werewolves regenerate). Wulfe, an extremely powerful but unbalanced vampire, gets a chance to shine in Storm Cursed, and there are new revelations about his character as well.
Briggs pulls in plot threads and character arcs from prior books and takes them in unexpected but logical directions with each new novel in the MERCY THOMPSON and the related ALPHA AND OMEGA series, which are so closely interwoven that it’s definitely best to read all of the books in both series in order. In Storm Cursed, Briggs once again surprised me with her willingness to shake things up. No character is safe (well, perhaps other than Mercy and Adam), no matter how long they’ve been a part of the series.
Storm Cursed was fascinating reading, even though it had several disturbing scenes. It kept me glued to my chair. Sixteen books into the world of Mercy Thompson (counting both series), Briggs is still writing excellent urban fantasy and finding ways to keep it fresh.
Initial comments: SO GOOD I THINK IM GOING TO READ IT AGAIN! Black magic witches make for a great plot.
Mix in some wonderful secondary characters like Sherwood Post and Zee and a little Wulfe.
Also: adorable zombie pygmy goats! I can’t even.
I really enjoyed this book, even though it has some harrowing moments. It made me want to go back and reread the whole Mercy Thompson series (how did we first meet Larry the goblin king and Sherwood Post the mysterious werewolf again?).
Thanks to the publisher, Ace, for the free review copies.
Content warnings: some descriptions of torture and animal cruelty. Sensitive readers tread carefully. Also a few scattered F-bombs.
Update: And now a week later NetGalley finally informs me that I’ve been approved. So now I have two copies! 😂
Initial post: Guess what appeared on my doorstep today!!
There's nothing quite like asking for a book on NetGalley, getting no response, slowly losing hope, then having a hard copy get shipped to you!
Storm Cursed, the eleventh book in Patricia Briggs’ MERCY THOMPSON urban fantasy series, kicks the series up a notch with some clashes with black magic witches, and no one is safe. Mercy, a coyote skinwalker and the shapechanger daughter of the god Coyote, is back in the Tri-Cities area of Washington state after her hair-raising adventures in Europe in Silence Fallen.
Storm Cursed begins with a seemingly tangential event: Mercy has tagged two of her husband Adam’s werewolf pack, firefighter Mary Jo and computer nerd Ben, to go on a goblin hunt with her, tracking down a goblin suspected of killing a policeman. She calls Larry, the goblin king who we met in Silence Fallen, to help. What this event discloses about Mercy’s evolving relationship with Mary Jo, and about a secret power held by goblins that is apparently unique among the fae, may have important repercussions in the future.
Indirectly this goblin hunt leads to a police request to help with a bunch of pygmy goats that someone has turned into zombies using witchcraft (interestingly, the pygmy goats are still adorable even though they’re dead and zombie-fied). When Mercy calls the witch family of Elizaveta Arkadyevna to help with the zombie goat problem, a strange woman with a soft Southern voice answers the phone and tells Mercy that Elizaveta’s family is “all tied up right now.” Not ominous at all! And then the family that owned the pygmy goats tell Mercy about a woman with a Southern accent who tried to buy the goats … and to get their young son to come to her car.
As Mercy and Adam investigate what has happened at Elizaveta’s house, and where the zombies are coming from, they find threats from both without and within their territory. Meanwhile, the Gray Lords of the fae are reengaging with humans, offering to meet with the U.S. government to negotiate a peace treaty, but the witch problem is threatening this process as well.
Black magic makes for a compelling but harrowing plot in Storm Cursed. Black magic witches are the most powerful of all witches in this world; far more powerful than white or gray witches. Their willingness to torture and kill both animals and people gives them a far greater boost to their magical powers than white and gray witches can access. That willingness to commit appallingly evil acts for the sake of power is front and center in Storm Cursed, and Briggs doesn’t pull her punches. (Sensitive readers are advised to tread carefully.)
Offsetting this darkness is the moral bedrock and decency of the key characters. It’s not just in Mercy and Adam, but also in Zee, a powerful fae who is Mercy’s longtime friend, Zee’s son Tad, and several others. We finally learn more about the mysterious past of Sherwood Post, a werewolf with a missing leg (supposedly an impossibility, since werewolves regenerate). Wulfe, an extremely powerful but unbalanced vampire, gets a chance to shine in Storm Cursed, and there are new revelations about his character as well.
Briggs pulls in plot threads and character arcs from prior books and takes them in unexpected but logical directions with each new novel in the MERCY THOMPSON and the related ALPHA AND OMEGA series, which are so closely interwoven that it’s definitely best to read all of the books in both series in order. In Storm Cursed, Briggs once again surprised me with her willingness to shake things up. No character is safe (well, perhaps other than Mercy and Adam), no matter how long they’ve been a part of the series.
Storm Cursed was fascinating reading, even though it had several disturbing scenes. It kept me glued to my chair. Sixteen books into the world of Mercy Thompson (counting both series), Briggs is still writing excellent urban fantasy and finding ways to keep it fresh.
Initial comments: SO GOOD I THINK IM GOING TO READ IT AGAIN! Black magic witches make for a great plot.
Mix in some wonderful secondary characters like Sherwood Post and Zee and a little Wulfe.
Also: adorable zombie pygmy goats! I can’t even.
I really enjoyed this book, even though it has some harrowing moments. It made me want to go back and reread the whole Mercy Thompson series (how did we first meet Larry the goblin king and Sherwood Post the mysterious werewolf again?).
Thanks to the publisher, Ace, for the free review copies.
Content warnings: some descriptions of torture and animal cruelty. Sensitive readers tread carefully. Also a few scattered F-bombs.
Update: And now a week later NetGalley finally informs me that I’ve been approved. So now I have two copies! 😂
Initial post: Guess what appeared on my doorstep today!!
There's nothing quite like asking for a book on NetGalley, getting no response, slowly losing hope, then having a hard copy get shipped to you!
August 14, 2021
Witches + Zombies + Mercy!
Should have been a slam dunk.
But it wasn't.
For the vast majority of this book, I just kept reading out of love for all the other books. It wasn't awful, but the story just seemed to meander around without getting to the meaty stuff very quickly, and I found myself (shockingly) bored while reading about Mercy for the first time in ever.
I'm seeing nothing but 5 star reviews out there, but this was, unfortunately, my least favorite installment.
Ok. The swearing thing.
And I don't know why Adam's old fashioned values about not cursing in front of Mercy, and getting upset when anyone else cursed in front of Mercy, bothered me more this time around, but it really did. There was more than one mention of it, and it absolutely wore my nerves. I get it - he's from an era where that was a thing.
Yeah, still annoying.
I mean, if he didn't curse at all, then that would be a tad different. But changing the way you speak because she's a woman is...weird.
It's plain weird, dude. Stop it.
Anyway.
The gist is that the leaders of the humans and fae are going to meet and discuss how to go forward, and Adam's security team (plus the pack) are supposed to keep everyone alive. Of course, some nefarious group/person/being wants to blow it all to hell.
Potentially, it's a group of witches who are creating zombies by using black magic and feeding off of other witches in not nice ways.
Once again, my favorite parts of the book revolved around the vampires, and I'm really hoping that what happened in this storyline leads to including them even more in the future.
Ok, and even though I wasn't blown away, a "bad" book about Mercy & Co. is still a pretty decent book. So, yes, you can bet your ass I'll be reading the next one as soon as it comes out.
Should have been a slam dunk.
But it wasn't.
For the vast majority of this book, I just kept reading out of love for all the other books. It wasn't awful, but the story just seemed to meander around without getting to the meaty stuff very quickly, and I found myself (shockingly) bored while reading about Mercy for the first time in ever.
I'm seeing nothing but 5 star reviews out there, but this was, unfortunately, my least favorite installment.
Ok. The swearing thing.
And I don't know why Adam's old fashioned values about not cursing in front of Mercy, and getting upset when anyone else cursed in front of Mercy, bothered me more this time around, but it really did. There was more than one mention of it, and it absolutely wore my nerves. I get it - he's from an era where that was a thing.
Yeah, still annoying.
I mean, if he didn't curse at all, then that would be a tad different. But changing the way you speak because she's a woman is...weird.
It's plain weird, dude. Stop it.
Anyway.
The gist is that the leaders of the humans and fae are going to meet and discuss how to go forward, and Adam's security team (plus the pack) are supposed to keep everyone alive. Of course, some nefarious group/person/being wants to blow it all to hell.
Potentially, it's a group of witches who are creating zombies by using black magic and feeding off of other witches in not nice ways.
Once again, my favorite parts of the book revolved around the vampires, and I'm really hoping that what happened in this storyline leads to including them even more in the future.
Ok, and even though I wasn't blown away, a "bad" book about Mercy & Co. is still a pretty decent book. So, yes, you can bet your ass I'll be reading the next one as soon as it comes out.
June 2, 2019
The Mercy Thompson series is my guilty pleasure...
Since book #1 my son and I have been reading this series. We love werewolves, vampires, wolves, and direwolves (missing Games of Thrones!). I typically read serious books, and love digging into a fantasy novel on occasion. Mercy Thompson is such a driving force in her series. A tough woman. One that you don’t want to mess with. She is also married to the alpha male of her pack. SO MUCH FUN...
I usually rate these books with 5 stars, but dropped it to 4 based on the undead. I am not a fan of zombies. Don’t like them at all, but I still enjoyed this book!
Looking forward to reading #2 of Briggs other series...really good...
4 out of 5 stars
Since book #1 my son and I have been reading this series. We love werewolves, vampires, wolves, and direwolves (missing Games of Thrones!). I typically read serious books, and love digging into a fantasy novel on occasion. Mercy Thompson is such a driving force in her series. A tough woman. One that you don’t want to mess with. She is also married to the alpha male of her pack. SO MUCH FUN...
I usually rate these books with 5 stars, but dropped it to 4 based on the undead. I am not a fan of zombies. Don’t like them at all, but I still enjoyed this book!
Looking forward to reading #2 of Briggs other series...really good...
4 out of 5 stars
July 19, 2019
"A lot of what I know about the witches comes from Wikipedia; it told me that coven had thirteen witches."I finally got some time and managed to read Storm Cursed, yay for me! I missed Mercy.
"I get the best spells from Wiki," Wulfe said. "Have you read what it says about werewolves? I keep editing the article, but someone - and I think it's Bran Cornick - keeps changing it back."
This made me laugh so hard, because I can totally imagine Wulfe and Bran sitting behind their computers and editing the Wiki article on werewolves back and forth for it to fit each of their agendas.
After "going on a vacation" to Europe in the last book, Mercy is back home with Adam and the pack and things are more or less back to normal. Until reanimated animals start appearing and witches start dying. No offense to Sabrina and the Halliwell sisters, but witches are creepy as hell! Their portrayal in this series is super spooky and disturbing. I'm okay with werewolves fighting to death, vampires enslaving humans and the Fae killing humans and each other. But witches torturing puppies and kittens? Na-ah. Nope.
Whenever I re-read this series or whenever a new book comes out, I get reminded of how well written this story is and how well developed the characters are. There were a lot of plot twists I didn't see coming and a lot of new hints I expect will play bigger roles in the upcoming books. However, when it comes to characters, even though I absolutely love Mercy, Adam, Warren, Honey, Stefan and everyone else... Who really stole the show for me this time was Wulfe. I know that he is creepy and convoluted, but you can't say he isn't hilarious.
"Whose side [of the battle] were you on?" I asked.Twisted? Yes. Scary? Yes. Will probably turn into a villain eventually? Yes. Would I still like to hang out with him? Hell yeah.
"I don't remember," he lied.
"Why do you have both hands?"
"Because two is better than one," he said.
By the way, I'm really glad that Good job with solid story telling and not dragging out unnecessary villains, Patricia!
May 10, 2019
Read this when you won't be interrupted because it is not put-downable.
I do need to give a warning though: there is animal torture in this book. It was darker than most of the series, and I felt a little sickened by the torture stuff.
Who the fuck could torture a kitten?
I can't little kitty! I can't!
I need to pet it and love it forever..And, I'm a dog person!
To me, this felt like the darkest book in the series so far. I didn't mind the vampire stuff that was brutal like I did this black-magic thing.
I feel the need to get blessed by a priest after reading it.
Yeah, maybe not. Better not to take chances..
Okay, so the story is about witches who are making zombies and causing trouble. We aren't sure what their long-game is, but the story is woven together masterfully. A lot of questions are answered about past events as well as the current ones, and there will be trouble ahead.
We don't have Bran in this one, which might be a good thing considering what was recently revealed about him and the controversy surrounding it. But, we do get most of the other characters that we have all grown to know. And, best of all: Wulfe! He is very involved, which is awesome because he's such a mysterious character. You are never sure what he will do. Sometimes he seems good, and most of the time evil, but he's never boring.
Yeah, like that.
The best part of this book: the miniature goat zombies. I love how everyone keeps talking about how cute they were. It's like, yeah zombies are bad and want to eat your face, but did you see how cute they were?
"It could have been worse," I told the deputy who opened one side of the dumpster lid for me so I could drop my little zombie in with the rest of the adorable blood-hungry fiends...
Awww, let's just surrender to him. He's so cute!
The book needed that cuteness. I think that instead of freaking out a priest, I'll just look at baby goat pictures as my brain-cleanser.
I do need to give a warning though: there is animal torture in this book. It was darker than most of the series, and I felt a little sickened by the torture stuff.
Who the fuck could torture a kitten?
I can't little kitty! I can't!
I need to pet it and love it forever..And, I'm a dog person!
To me, this felt like the darkest book in the series so far. I didn't mind the vampire stuff that was brutal like I did this black-magic thing.
I feel the need to get blessed by a priest after reading it.
Yeah, maybe not. Better not to take chances..
Okay, so the story is about witches who are making zombies and causing trouble. We aren't sure what their long-game is, but the story is woven together masterfully. A lot of questions are answered about past events as well as the current ones, and there will be trouble ahead.
We don't have Bran in this one, which might be a good thing considering what was recently revealed about him and the controversy surrounding it. But, we do get most of the other characters that we have all grown to know. And, best of all: Wulfe! He is very involved, which is awesome because he's such a mysterious character. You are never sure what he will do. Sometimes he seems good, and most of the time evil, but he's never boring.
Yeah, like that.
The best part of this book: the miniature goat zombies. I love how everyone keeps talking about how cute they were. It's like, yeah zombies are bad and want to eat your face, but did you see how cute they were?
"It could have been worse," I told the deputy who opened one side of the dumpster lid for me so I could drop my little zombie in with the rest of the adorable blood-hungry fiends...
Awww, let's just surrender to him. He's so cute!
The book needed that cuteness. I think that instead of freaking out a priest, I'll just look at baby goat pictures as my brain-cleanser.
May 26, 2022
4.5 stars!
"One by one
Two by two,
The Hardesty witches
are traveling through."
I don't know how Briggs nails it every time but she does. Mercy Thompson is a series I've been reading almost since it started, and though time goes by and my reading tastes change, this series holds its own and remains a constant source of joy for me.
In the previous book Mercy made the tri-cities area a safe haven for citizens in her territory. Now with that proclamation, she needs to uphold it. When a new coven of witches comes in and threatens everything, she must fight them to keep those close to her safe.
First things first, miniature zombie goats. Who knew that would be a thing and that it would be cute and hilarious? A very riveting book for me, most of it I couldn't put the kindle down. My only thing is I wish I had a character guide, because as I approach my 30s, I cannot remember a damn thing and didn't know who some of these people were because it's been so long since I last read a Briggs book.
Honestly one of my favorite books of 2019. If you haven't read this series, seriously get your act together and make it work. I can honestly say this series only gets better and better.
"I've learned that there are always terrible things, and sometimes it is very important to grasp what joy and beauty you can, whenever you can."
ARC provided by the publisher via netgalley. All/any quotes in this review came from an advance unedited copy and may be subject to change in the final product.
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"One by one
Two by two,
The Hardesty witches
are traveling through."
I don't know how Briggs nails it every time but she does. Mercy Thompson is a series I've been reading almost since it started, and though time goes by and my reading tastes change, this series holds its own and remains a constant source of joy for me.
In the previous book Mercy made the tri-cities area a safe haven for citizens in her territory. Now with that proclamation, she needs to uphold it. When a new coven of witches comes in and threatens everything, she must fight them to keep those close to her safe.
First things first, miniature zombie goats. Who knew that would be a thing and that it would be cute and hilarious? A very riveting book for me, most of it I couldn't put the kindle down. My only thing is I wish I had a character guide, because as I approach my 30s, I cannot remember a damn thing and didn't know who some of these people were because it's been so long since I last read a Briggs book.
Honestly one of my favorite books of 2019. If you haven't read this series, seriously get your act together and make it work. I can honestly say this series only gets better and better.
"I've learned that there are always terrible things, and sometimes it is very important to grasp what joy and beauty you can, whenever you can."
ARC provided by the publisher via netgalley. All/any quotes in this review came from an advance unedited copy and may be subject to change in the final product.
Follow me on ♥ Facebook ♥ Blog ♥ Instagram ♥ Twitter ♥
July 21, 2020
3.5 stars
18/7/2020
Finally read this one.. For me it wasn't on par with the previous ones. I don't know why it didn't click for me.. Too formulaic? Predictable?Kinda disappointing? Book slump? Covid stress getting on my nerves and making it hard to enjoy stuff? Take your pick. The writing was good as always.
April 2015
But..
18/7/2020
Finally read this one.. For me it wasn't on par with the previous ones. I don't know why it didn't click for me.. Too formulaic? Predictable?Kinda disappointing? Book slump? Covid stress getting on my nerves and making it hard to enjoy stuff? Take your pick. The writing was good as always.
April 2015
But..
May 11, 2019
So. I initially was just going to give this three stars and move along. However, after thinking it through this morning, this book honestly doesn't deserve 3 stars (okay). This book's pacing was off, there was about zero character development, too much repetition, and I think at one point I even said to myself that this book was just filler. It's a book to bridge to the next Alpha/Omega book or the next Mercy Thompson. The book synopsis on this one sounded so bad ass and it had me convinced to go ahead and buy/read this even though the last Alpha/Omega book left a bitter taste in my mouth. Now I am just mad that I didn't suck it up and wait for it via my library. I don't know constant readers if this series is meant to go on. Maybe if Briggs decides to do some books set pre-Mercy that follow some of the interesting events mentioned in this and other books. I feel like the Mercy/Adam thing is getting boring and I am just so done with the black witches plots.
"Storm Cursed" follows after not only the last Mercy Thompson book, but also Alpha/Omega. Mercy is now training with a cutlass (I maybe laughed a few times not in glee about this) and carries it with her everywhere. After being kidnapped in the last book, apparently the cutlass has everyone calm about her protecting herself. I don't know, it makes no sense to me. Due to Mercy and her proclamation of sanctuary she and the Pack are involved with more disputes. And now Adam and the Pack are being asked to give security to a delegation including the United States government and also the fae. However, per usual, someone wants to throw a wrench in there and stop this meeting from going down. Supernatural things occur. The end.
The characters in this one were all over the place. I can tell you right now that I would have been happy to not read that Adam is most likely a Republican and voted for a President that sounds similar to Donald Trump. I just cannot today right now.
So Mercy. I don't get why at this point she doesn't start to punch the next werewolf that talks crap about her compared to Adam's first wife. I loathed the character of Christy and the fact that the Pack had the nerve to treat Mercy like an outsider when she popped back up in "Night Broken" (Mercy Thompson #8) still ticks me off. And yet Briggs has the character of Mary freaking Jo bring up again how Mercy is not good enough for Adam and he needs someone delicate like Christy. Hey you all remember how Adam put out that whole I will kill the next person who disrespects my mate in "Fire Touched"? Well it's nice that it's referenced, but ignored in this one. At this point I would not weep if Mary Jo had a bad end. I am over Mercy trying to get these idiots on her side. We also don't have Mercy really interacting with any of the long time favorites in this one besides Adam. We get brief appearances of Ben, Warren, (we hear about Kyle), I don't recall Jessie being around, etc. She meets up with Stephen and once again I don't want to hear about the bond or any of that crap anymore. Either Mercy does something about it, or just moves on from it. I swear we spent too much time inner monologuing with Mercy in this one. There's not a lot of development with Mercy though in this one besides one or two things that may be interesting in future books. I just wish she got more female friends and started to actually push back when people treat her badly. It's getting old.
Adam. See above.
Secondary characters we have followed get some more screen time in this one. We have a lot of focus on Zee and Tad which was welcomed. However, I call BS on a whole subplot dealing with Zee having to face repercussions from the Gray Lords if he helped Mercy. Either follow through or quit bringing it up.
Stephen reappears in this one and also Marsilla (via phone) as I said, it's crazy to me how so many scenes dealt with Mercy talking to someone via phone, text, etc. Yet we get about 20 mentions of this stupid Pirate game all of the werewolves love.
We have mentions of Bran (shudder) and Charles, but no appearances and that makes zero sense after the events in the last book. What irks me is that Briggs tries to write around this by saying that no one can know that Bran is still really connected to the Pack cause he cares about Mercy. Yeah but based on the plot in this book and the last Alpha/Omega book there's no freaking way that they would not have called at least Charles. It's beyond stupid. There's also a throwaway line about Bran's traitor that made me roll my eyes.
Speaking of traitors...is this going to be a thing every book? Long time characters we have gotten to know totally pop up not being who they have been through 11 freaking books? I won’t spoil, but I hated this entire plot and thought it was not well thought out at all.
And I just realized that Samuel has been missing for like 5 books. I guess he's just gone now. Along with Mercy's supposed female friends and half sisters.
Also there's a whole character that is introduced in this one who is apparently a gay woman who is married and has the nerve to call the Pack and fae abominations and how they are against Christianity and how no one didn't just hold up a mirror to her face and walk away from her is beyond me. I know people are this clueless in real life, but it made zero sense. There's also some language about ICE and how those with brown skin are being treated. If Briggs wants to touch upon the terribleness of the US government now that's fine, but the fact she turned Adam into a Republican. I am now rooting for him to get taken out by a rogue witch or werewolf.
Seriously though, this book was just not great. The pacing was so bad from beginning to end. I saw a lot of reviewers complaining about how slow it was. It wasn't just that in my opinion. We have Mercy and Adam going over everything regarding the events in Frost Burned (Mercy Thompson #7) and I just didn't want to relive all of that. It was beyond tedious and the reasoning and linkages did not make a lot of sense and I saw a couple dozen plot holes. At one point I was tempted to quit at 40 percent due to nothing really happening yet.
The world building in the Mercy Thompson series has always been one of its biggest strengths. I have to say though after what happened in "Burn Bright" I no longer want to hear about how werewolves can detect a lie. We already know that's not true and even in one scene again the werewolves that Mercy were with didn't catch the falsehood. So let's stop repeating it in every book.
The whole thing with witch-born people. Look it matters cause of Bran and Charles and all, but woo boy at this point we know that they have different reactions to magic. It's the 11th book. I don't need to have to keep reading how magic doesn't work on Mercy the way it does on others. If you somehow stumbled onto this as your first Mercy Thompson book that's not my fault. The author should realize that she's writing for long time readers, not pop-ins.
The ending was just a mess. It doesn't seem like this series is going to have a good stopping point and I wonder if there is a way to course-correct.
"Storm Cursed" follows after not only the last Mercy Thompson book, but also Alpha/Omega. Mercy is now training with a cutlass (I maybe laughed a few times not in glee about this) and carries it with her everywhere. After being kidnapped in the last book, apparently the cutlass has everyone calm about her protecting herself. I don't know, it makes no sense to me. Due to Mercy and her proclamation of sanctuary she and the Pack are involved with more disputes. And now Adam and the Pack are being asked to give security to a delegation including the United States government and also the fae. However, per usual, someone wants to throw a wrench in there and stop this meeting from going down. Supernatural things occur. The end.
The characters in this one were all over the place. I can tell you right now that I would have been happy to not read that Adam is most likely a Republican and voted for a President that sounds similar to Donald Trump. I just cannot today right now.
So Mercy. I don't get why at this point she doesn't start to punch the next werewolf that talks crap about her compared to Adam's first wife. I loathed the character of Christy and the fact that the Pack had the nerve to treat Mercy like an outsider when she popped back up in "Night Broken" (Mercy Thompson #8) still ticks me off. And yet Briggs has the character of Mary freaking Jo bring up again how Mercy is not good enough for Adam and he needs someone delicate like Christy. Hey you all remember how Adam put out that whole I will kill the next person who disrespects my mate in "Fire Touched"? Well it's nice that it's referenced, but ignored in this one. At this point I would not weep if Mary Jo had a bad end. I am over Mercy trying to get these idiots on her side. We also don't have Mercy really interacting with any of the long time favorites in this one besides Adam. We get brief appearances of Ben, Warren, (we hear about Kyle), I don't recall Jessie being around, etc. She meets up with Stephen and once again I don't want to hear about the bond or any of that crap anymore. Either Mercy does something about it, or just moves on from it. I swear we spent too much time inner monologuing with Mercy in this one. There's not a lot of development with Mercy though in this one besides one or two things that may be interesting in future books. I just wish she got more female friends and started to actually push back when people treat her badly. It's getting old.
Adam. See above.
Secondary characters we have followed get some more screen time in this one. We have a lot of focus on Zee and Tad which was welcomed. However, I call BS on a whole subplot dealing with Zee having to face repercussions from the Gray Lords if he helped Mercy. Either follow through or quit bringing it up.
Stephen reappears in this one and also Marsilla (via phone) as I said, it's crazy to me how so many scenes dealt with Mercy talking to someone via phone, text, etc. Yet we get about 20 mentions of this stupid Pirate game all of the werewolves love.
We have mentions of Bran (shudder) and Charles, but no appearances and that makes zero sense after the events in the last book. What irks me is that Briggs tries to write around this by saying that no one can know that Bran is still really connected to the Pack cause he cares about Mercy. Yeah but based on the plot in this book and the last Alpha/Omega book there's no freaking way that they would not have called at least Charles. It's beyond stupid. There's also a throwaway line about Bran's traitor that made me roll my eyes.
Speaking of traitors...is this going to be a thing every book? Long time characters we have gotten to know totally pop up not being who they have been through 11 freaking books? I won’t spoil, but I hated this entire plot and thought it was not well thought out at all.
And I just realized that Samuel has been missing for like 5 books. I guess he's just gone now. Along with Mercy's supposed female friends and half sisters.
Also there's a whole character that is introduced in this one who is apparently a gay woman who is married and has the nerve to call the Pack and fae abominations and how they are against Christianity and how no one didn't just hold up a mirror to her face and walk away from her is beyond me. I know people are this clueless in real life, but it made zero sense. There's also some language about ICE and how those with brown skin are being treated. If Briggs wants to touch upon the terribleness of the US government now that's fine, but the fact she turned Adam into a Republican. I am now rooting for him to get taken out by a rogue witch or werewolf.
Seriously though, this book was just not great. The pacing was so bad from beginning to end. I saw a lot of reviewers complaining about how slow it was. It wasn't just that in my opinion. We have Mercy and Adam going over everything regarding the events in Frost Burned (Mercy Thompson #7) and I just didn't want to relive all of that. It was beyond tedious and the reasoning and linkages did not make a lot of sense and I saw a couple dozen plot holes. At one point I was tempted to quit at 40 percent due to nothing really happening yet.
The world building in the Mercy Thompson series has always been one of its biggest strengths. I have to say though after what happened in "Burn Bright" I no longer want to hear about how werewolves can detect a lie. We already know that's not true and even in one scene again the werewolves that Mercy were with didn't catch the falsehood. So let's stop repeating it in every book.
The whole thing with witch-born people. Look it matters cause of Bran and Charles and all, but woo boy at this point we know that they have different reactions to magic. It's the 11th book. I don't need to have to keep reading how magic doesn't work on Mercy the way it does on others. If you somehow stumbled onto this as your first Mercy Thompson book that's not my fault. The author should realize that she's writing for long time readers, not pop-ins.
The ending was just a mess. It doesn't seem like this series is going to have a good stopping point and I wonder if there is a way to course-correct.
January 18, 2021
As always this series left me easily spellbound.
The book’s 384 pages flew by like nothing. With the author’s customary skill of weaving captivating stories, Storm Cursed was a thrilling ride from beginning to end.
While reading Storm Cursed, I was again reminded of how much I enjoy the author’s use of old and beloved characters instead of introducing a slew of new ones. Last book’s stint in Europe didn’t give me enough pack interaction, I’m happy to say Storm Cursed delivered in spades.
Mercy tumbled from one adventurous event into the next one. She had barely time to take a breath before she was called on again. It was endearing how Mercy always picked different pack members and allies to help her with her daily escapades. There wasn’t a boring minute in this book.
The overall storyline about the peace treaty between human and fae, with the werewolf pack as neutral ground, moved somewhat forward but there is still so much to be resolved. Especially since with each book new questions arise. Nevertheless I’m getting more intrigued with each book.
My favorite parts were a few wonderful scenes between Adam and Mercy – they just underscored how well those two are doing as a couple.
As always the book was well written, and I enjoyed the author’s smart and witty dialogues. The novel had some laugh out loud moments, and made it easy to be read in one sitting (actually two, evening and morning, but who is counting – lol).
One of the reasons why I love UF series so much, is the way they allow the reader to connect with the main couple for more than just one book. A series that focuses on one couple allows the characters to develop over time, as well as relationships, like Adam and Mercy’s – which a single book just couldn’t do it justice. Just to think of how far Mercy has come. Having Adam as a mate, having a pack and family – she has come a long way.
Patricia Briggs is one of my UF queens, next to Ilona Andrews and Anne Bishop. All three are MUST READ authors, and should be read by anyone that loves fantasy, or PNR.
___________________________________
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.
Find more reviews and book recommendations on my blog
Follow me on Bookstagram
The book’s 384 pages flew by like nothing. With the author’s customary skill of weaving captivating stories, Storm Cursed was a thrilling ride from beginning to end.
While reading Storm Cursed, I was again reminded of how much I enjoy the author’s use of old and beloved characters instead of introducing a slew of new ones. Last book’s stint in Europe didn’t give me enough pack interaction, I’m happy to say Storm Cursed delivered in spades.
Mercy tumbled from one adventurous event into the next one. She had barely time to take a breath before she was called on again. It was endearing how Mercy always picked different pack members and allies to help her with her daily escapades. There wasn’t a boring minute in this book.
The overall storyline about the peace treaty between human and fae, with the werewolf pack as neutral ground, moved somewhat forward but there is still so much to be resolved. Especially since with each book new questions arise. Nevertheless I’m getting more intrigued with each book.
My favorite parts were a few wonderful scenes between Adam and Mercy – they just underscored how well those two are doing as a couple.
As always the book was well written, and I enjoyed the author’s smart and witty dialogues. The novel had some laugh out loud moments, and made it easy to be read in one sitting (actually two, evening and morning, but who is counting – lol).
One of the reasons why I love UF series so much, is the way they allow the reader to connect with the main couple for more than just one book. A series that focuses on one couple allows the characters to develop over time, as well as relationships, like Adam and Mercy’s – which a single book just couldn’t do it justice. Just to think of how far Mercy has come. Having Adam as a mate, having a pack and family – she has come a long way.
Patricia Briggs is one of my UF queens, next to Ilona Andrews and Anne Bishop. All three are MUST READ authors, and should be read by anyone that loves fantasy, or PNR.
___________________________________
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.
Find more reviews and book recommendations on my blog
Follow me on Bookstagram
May 7, 2019
Thanks to Ace/DAW for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
First, let me get this out of the way: OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGWOW. Okay. Phew, that's all said and done.
Patty, you've outdone yourself. What a rollercoaster! Bringing back the vampires, throwing in a bunch of dark witches, tying a bunch of storylines together and revealing that you've got a much more devious master-plan kind of mind than we've realized before... game officially upped!
This one starts with all of the craziness that happened in Europe still fresh on everyone's mind. Lots of little things start to happen that seem to indicate something bigger is going on, and someone is playing with Mercy and the pack because of their declaration over the Tri-Cities area. Meanwhile, you've got the Fae and the government trying to work out a deal/peace between everybody, and of course, Mercy and the gang are all wrapped up in that too. Nothing like having a bunch on your plate, right? At least the stakes are super low, right? Oh wait, no, just the fates of humanity and Fae and everything in between on the line. Lots of pressure, check.
I can't really say much more without spoiling a ton, but let's just say it had everything I've been wanting from an urban fantasy book lately - humor, witches, werewolves, fae, plot twists - and also included things I had no idea I needed - like zombie Nigerian dwarf goats. Yep, turns out those are a necessity. :)
Highly recommended (and as always, I definitely suggest reading the entirety of the Mercyverse beforehand - both Mercy's books and the Alpha & Omega series).
First, let me get this out of the way: OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGWOW. Okay. Phew, that's all said and done.
Patty, you've outdone yourself. What a rollercoaster! Bringing back the vampires, throwing in a bunch of dark witches, tying a bunch of storylines together and revealing that you've got a much more devious master-plan kind of mind than we've realized before... game officially upped!
This one starts with all of the craziness that happened in Europe still fresh on everyone's mind. Lots of little things start to happen that seem to indicate something bigger is going on, and someone is playing with Mercy and the pack because of their declaration over the Tri-Cities area. Meanwhile, you've got the Fae and the government trying to work out a deal/peace between everybody, and of course, Mercy and the gang are all wrapped up in that too. Nothing like having a bunch on your plate, right? At least the stakes are super low, right? Oh wait, no, just the fates of humanity and Fae and everything in between on the line. Lots of pressure, check.
I can't really say much more without spoiling a ton, but let's just say it had everything I've been wanting from an urban fantasy book lately - humor, witches, werewolves, fae, plot twists - and also included things I had no idea I needed - like zombie Nigerian dwarf goats. Yep, turns out those are a necessity. :)
Highly recommended (and as always, I definitely suggest reading the entirety of the Mercyverse beforehand - both Mercy's books and the Alpha & Omega series).
September 9, 2019
4 stars
I love being back in the Mercy Thompson world! This is one of my favorite series ever and I always look forward to a new Patricia Briggs book. This one didn't disappoint. Briggs is one of those few authors that can write 11+ books in a series and it never gets boring or redundant. Each book is strong in it's own right and I loved this one just as much as the previous ones. Lots of witches, some fae, and even some miniature zombie goats! I have to say the mini zombie goats was a first for me!
These books are so hard for me to review because I feel like SO much happens and the characters and stories are so in depth. I don't want to spoil anything, but the focus of this story is the witches, black magic, and zombies. Yes. You read that right. Zombies. Mercy is a shifter and powerful in her own right. She's married to a werewolf who is kind of the face of all the werewolves. With this comes politics and other things that aren't so prominent in the earlier books.
There were a few new characters in this book, but a lot of my favorites played a large part. Zee and Tad, Stefan was in it for a bit, and of course Adam. One of my favorite things about this series is Mercy and Adam's relationship. Their bond is so strong and I just love them together. Mercy is one of my favorite book heroines and I never tire of reading about her and all the trouble that seems to follow her. With the way this one ended and how things were left with Coyote, I'm excited to see where the next book leads!!
I love being back in the Mercy Thompson world! This is one of my favorite series ever and I always look forward to a new Patricia Briggs book. This one didn't disappoint. Briggs is one of those few authors that can write 11+ books in a series and it never gets boring or redundant. Each book is strong in it's own right and I loved this one just as much as the previous ones. Lots of witches, some fae, and even some miniature zombie goats! I have to say the mini zombie goats was a first for me!
These books are so hard for me to review because I feel like SO much happens and the characters and stories are so in depth. I don't want to spoil anything, but the focus of this story is the witches, black magic, and zombies. Yes. You read that right. Zombies. Mercy is a shifter and powerful in her own right. She's married to a werewolf who is kind of the face of all the werewolves. With this comes politics and other things that aren't so prominent in the earlier books.
There were a few new characters in this book, but a lot of my favorites played a large part. Zee and Tad, Stefan was in it for a bit, and of course Adam. One of my favorite things about this series is Mercy and Adam's relationship. Their bond is so strong and I just love them together. Mercy is one of my favorite book heroines and I never tire of reading about her and all the trouble that seems to follow her. With the way this one ended and how things were left with Coyote, I'm excited to see where the next book leads!!
May 19, 2019
This is one of those instalments that manages to showcase the best and the worst of a series. The problem is the good bits only just managed to outweigh the bad, making it a rather worrying moment. Anyone who reads this type of fantasy knows that there comes point when it becomes necessary to let it go, and there were times in this that felt close.
****SPOILERS BELOW****
The book is done with the lightest touch, lots of marginally linked scenes, hardly any real development, and weird plot or character choices. It felt all over the place, the loss of cohesion resulting in a loss of heart. For example, it had some fun action scenes heightened with the usual humour: miniature zombie goats, anyone?? Then to ‘balance’ that there’s scenes of child and animal torture. Where the hell did that come from? I just did a whole series reread so I know I didn’t misremember any kind of process that led to children being chopped up and left in oil drums or animals being tormented for their pain. Then there’s the removal of most of the main characters, Adam is off somewhere for most of it, unless he’s popping back in to ‘nudge’ (major bloody eye-roll), a plot which promises things then forgets them a few chapters later, and new characters who had whole plots driven by them in past books who now hang around in the background with their handy new abilities.
Also:
-so much repetition
-so many phone calls
-a character death used for no reason
-another character given a whole new backstory out of nowhere to make them evil
-more repetition
-that bloody pirate game
-Mercy training with a cutlass because of that stupid pirate game
-even more repetition
Even with all these negatives, the book was fine, but that’s all it was. This series better pull itself together or it’s going to go the way so much UF does when it’s drawn out too long.
ARC via Netgalley
****SPOILERS BELOW****
The book is done with the lightest touch, lots of marginally linked scenes, hardly any real development, and weird plot or character choices. It felt all over the place, the loss of cohesion resulting in a loss of heart. For example, it had some fun action scenes heightened with the usual humour: miniature zombie goats, anyone?? Then to ‘balance’ that there’s scenes of child and animal torture. Where the hell did that come from? I just did a whole series reread so I know I didn’t misremember any kind of process that led to children being chopped up and left in oil drums or animals being tormented for their pain. Then there’s the removal of most of the main characters, Adam is off somewhere for most of it, unless he’s popping back in to ‘nudge’ (major bloody eye-roll), a plot which promises things then forgets them a few chapters later, and new characters who had whole plots driven by them in past books who now hang around in the background with their handy new abilities.
Also:
-so much repetition
-so many phone calls
-a character death used for no reason
-another character given a whole new backstory out of nowhere to make them evil
-more repetition
-that bloody pirate game
-Mercy training with a cutlass because of that stupid pirate game
-even more repetition
Even with all these negatives, the book was fine, but that’s all it was. This series better pull itself together or it’s going to go the way so much UF does when it’s drawn out too long.
ARC via Netgalley
May 8, 2019
You can find this review and more at Novel Notions.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher (Ace) in exchange for an honest review. While I’m incredibly thankful, all opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Actual rating: 4.5 stars, rounded up.
I was ecstatic to receive a copy of this book. First of all, Briggs’s Mercy Thompson series served as my gateway into truly appreciating urban fantasy. I had previous exposure to the genre, having binge read many of the Anita Blake novels (until it devolved into nothing but orgy after orgy), a handful of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, and the first five of Moning’s Fever series. While I enjoyed these books in the moment, I always viewed them as junk food, something to be consumed and forgotten, leaving nothing behind but a vague literary equivalent of a stomach ache from overindulgence.
Mercy was the first heroine in the UF genre who had true staying power for me. As soon as I met her in Moon Called, I was enamored. Here was a woman who felt like she could step right out of her story and become my friend, someone I would invite over when I was cooking something particularly spicy for dinner, who I could watch movies with or invite to a concert knowing that we would feed on each other’s enthusiasm. She felt (and still feels) incredibly real for me, despite that fact that she can shape-shift into a coyote. She’s been through some rough times, but she always bounces back. She was also the first UF heroine I’ve come across who shares my faith in spite of the craziness that plagues her life. Mercy is vibrant and kind and stubborn and fierce and I love her for it. The only other heroine who has this lifelike quality for me is J.D. Robb’s Eve Dallas, who I will also love forever.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, which felt like more of a return to the world I had come to love after the slight departure in both setting and storytelling style Briggs presented in Silence Fallen, the installment that preceded Storm Cursed. This book is once again told entirely from Mercy’s first person perspective, which is in my opinion the perspective through which Briggs’s writing shines the brightest. Some bad black magic is plaguing the Tri-Cities area. It first expresses itself in the form of a herd of miniature zombie goats. They’re just as adorably disturbing as they sound. Mercy is trying desperately to stay ahead of the zombie situation and find the culprit while Adam and most of the werewolves are preparing for a summit between the US government and the fae. Aiding Mercy is Sherwood, the mysterious werewolf amputee who was sent to their pack by Bran with little explanation. Finding out a bit more of his story was an interesting, satisfying addition to the story.
Storm Cursed was action packed and sassy and heart breaking, and was impossible to put down. My one and only issue was really more of an issue on my part than with the book itself. This is the 11th installment in this series. At this point, I simply don’t have time to reread ten books to refresh my memory, and the one thing I would add to this book if I could would be a quick recap of pertinent information from preceding books before beginning this story. However, Briggs did a good job of giving readers enough to keep them from getting lost without ever breaking the tension of the story by stepping outside of the narrative to explain or remind.
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit with Mercy. She’s a character who I could happily read dozens of novels about, and who I am always thrilled to revisit. This book had everything I’m looking for in an urban fantasy tale, and I was sad to reach the last page. And can I just mention this gorgeous cover? Talk about fierce. I can’t wait to see where her crazy life takes Mercy next!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher (Ace) in exchange for an honest review. While I’m incredibly thankful, all opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Actual rating: 4.5 stars, rounded up.
I was ecstatic to receive a copy of this book. First of all, Briggs’s Mercy Thompson series served as my gateway into truly appreciating urban fantasy. I had previous exposure to the genre, having binge read many of the Anita Blake novels (until it devolved into nothing but orgy after orgy), a handful of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, and the first five of Moning’s Fever series. While I enjoyed these books in the moment, I always viewed them as junk food, something to be consumed and forgotten, leaving nothing behind but a vague literary equivalent of a stomach ache from overindulgence.
Mercy was the first heroine in the UF genre who had true staying power for me. As soon as I met her in Moon Called, I was enamored. Here was a woman who felt like she could step right out of her story and become my friend, someone I would invite over when I was cooking something particularly spicy for dinner, who I could watch movies with or invite to a concert knowing that we would feed on each other’s enthusiasm. She felt (and still feels) incredibly real for me, despite that fact that she can shape-shift into a coyote. She’s been through some rough times, but she always bounces back. She was also the first UF heroine I’ve come across who shares my faith in spite of the craziness that plagues her life. Mercy is vibrant and kind and stubborn and fierce and I love her for it. The only other heroine who has this lifelike quality for me is J.D. Robb’s Eve Dallas, who I will also love forever.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, which felt like more of a return to the world I had come to love after the slight departure in both setting and storytelling style Briggs presented in Silence Fallen, the installment that preceded Storm Cursed. This book is once again told entirely from Mercy’s first person perspective, which is in my opinion the perspective through which Briggs’s writing shines the brightest. Some bad black magic is plaguing the Tri-Cities area. It first expresses itself in the form of a herd of miniature zombie goats. They’re just as adorably disturbing as they sound. Mercy is trying desperately to stay ahead of the zombie situation and find the culprit while Adam and most of the werewolves are preparing for a summit between the US government and the fae. Aiding Mercy is Sherwood, the mysterious werewolf amputee who was sent to their pack by Bran with little explanation. Finding out a bit more of his story was an interesting, satisfying addition to the story.
Storm Cursed was action packed and sassy and heart breaking, and was impossible to put down. My one and only issue was really more of an issue on my part than with the book itself. This is the 11th installment in this series. At this point, I simply don’t have time to reread ten books to refresh my memory, and the one thing I would add to this book if I could would be a quick recap of pertinent information from preceding books before beginning this story. However, Briggs did a good job of giving readers enough to keep them from getting lost without ever breaking the tension of the story by stepping outside of the narrative to explain or remind.
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit with Mercy. She’s a character who I could happily read dozens of novels about, and who I am always thrilled to revisit. This book had everything I’m looking for in an urban fantasy tale, and I was sad to reach the last page. And can I just mention this gorgeous cover? Talk about fierce. I can’t wait to see where her crazy life takes Mercy next!
May 14, 2019
3.5 stars
When even a brand new and much anticipated installment in a beloved series comes out and it doesn't end up exciting you - you start to worry if you'll ever love reading again!
I love this series. I do. Not so much the spin-off series, but this series I love. But this book? I don't know. I liked it. I will say I liked it. But I didn't love it as much as I was hoping/expecting. Is that a result of my current book-reading-funk coloring my opinion or is it a result of this book objectively not being as great as previous books? I don't know. But I did like this book. I'll leave it at that, because I don't want to go into book spoilers.
But I will say - is it just me or does this series keep adding new characters and now we're getting to the point that there just isn't enough pages in the books to do them all justice? Aidan and Joel are my particular issue with this. They both had an entire book basically devoted to them (Aidan - book 9, Joel - book 8) but now in book 11 they are barely mentioned and are only used to set things purposely on fire, and that's it. Even Jesse, Adam's daughter, is almost entirely absent from this book. And for the plot of this book most of the pack is largely left out of the real action, so they are mostly given no page time too. Though I will give Briggs credit for having make stronger reappearances.
Would I recommend reading this series? Absolutely! Would I recommend reading this book? Yes, but maybe just know this isn't as exciting perhaps as previous installments, instead it's essentially more focused on character growth/changes/reveals especially for .
When even a brand new and much anticipated installment in a beloved series comes out and it doesn't end up exciting you - you start to worry if you'll ever love reading again!
I love this series. I do. Not so much the spin-off series, but this series I love. But this book? I don't know. I liked it. I will say I liked it. But I didn't love it as much as I was hoping/expecting. Is that a result of my current book-reading-funk coloring my opinion or is it a result of this book objectively not being as great as previous books? I don't know. But I did like this book. I'll leave it at that, because I don't want to go into book spoilers.
But I will say - is it just me or does this series keep adding new characters and now we're getting to the point that there just isn't enough pages in the books to do them all justice? Aidan and Joel are my particular issue with this. They both had an entire book basically devoted to them (Aidan - book 9, Joel - book 8) but now in book 11 they are barely mentioned and are only used to set things purposely on fire, and that's it. Even Jesse, Adam's daughter, is almost entirely absent from this book. And for the plot of this book most of the pack is largely left out of the real action, so they are mostly given no page time too. Though I will give Briggs credit for having make stronger reappearances.
Would I recommend reading this series? Absolutely! Would I recommend reading this book? Yes, but maybe just know this isn't as exciting perhaps as previous installments, instead it's essentially more focused on character growth/changes/reveals especially for .
October 31, 2022
Goblins. Pirate swords. Zombie goats. Hunting trips in the middle of the night. Strange magic that smells of dark witches. Alas, Mercy’s job is never done. I loved the return of some of our favorite characters in this… Mary Jo, Ben, Tad and Zee with such awesome roles to play (they’re some of my favorites!) Sherwood! And Wulfe! Gosh there were some great scenes with Wulfe!
August 7, 2019
5 stars!
Well. I need a minute. Or several. Wow. The #11 in a series and it definitely proves that there is more to explore - and completely wreck - in this world. This was intense.
Character Development: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★★★★
Surprise Factor: ★★★★★
Will to continue with the series: ★★★★★
By the time you get get to the 11th book in a series, it sometimes falls into the trap of recycling plot and stagnating character development. Storm Cursed is a shining exemption from that tired rule—it glitters with nuanced character growth, an even-paced plot, and the continued exploration of a unique direction.
A little background on the world:
Mercy Thompson is a walker, one of the descendants of the spirit Coyote, most easily explained as the North American/Native god of change and mischief. Due to this parentage, Mercy can shape shift into a coyote, she has an interesting resistance and awareness to magic, and she tends to bring trouble wherever she goes. It's not her fault, it's change.
These books exist in the cross-section of urban fantasy that take the concept of vampires, werewolves, fae, and other fantastical creatures and plunks them in to our current world of technology and politics. Mercy's pack, the Columbia Basin Area pack in the Northwest United States, is one of the most visible werewolf communities in the country—you could say they're the poster children for the werewolf community. Due to this, many of Mercy's books tend to deal with the trials and everyday/not-so-everyday issues that plague a supernatural community that deals with a human population that has no idea how to react to them. Obviously, these tensions and political/social issues that arise often are juxtaposed against a supernatural bad guy who is trying to mess up the balance.
Let's talk about Storm Cursed:
I'm trying my hardest not to spoil anything for readers who are interested in starting the series from scratch, so I will not recap or allude to plot points from the previous books—I'll just note that this story involves details from some of them. Specifically, Mercy is dealing with the lingering results of the bad guy from Frost Burned, the promise she made to the supernatural community in Fire Touched, and....well, the interesting aspects of Mercy's powers that came up in Silence Fallen.
Storm Cursed also delves deeply into an aspect of the supernatural community that Mercy has pretty much left alone until this point: the witches.
Yes, here there be witches. Plural.
Also, to get my undead lovers interested, there is a zombie element. I don't know why I'm surprised to say this, but that element was extremely well done.
Storm Cursed was an extremely well-paced exploration into Mercy's world and the lengths to which the Columbia Basin pack will go to maintain the peace in their territory. While it was less lighthearted than some of the books in the series, it was swiveling between Mercy's newfound abilities, the pack's relationship with the American government, treaties with the Gray Lords (scary leaders of the fae), and some downright dark and twisted black witches.
There's a lot about death in this one and I'll admit, there were some deaths close to home.
One plot point in particular completely shook my foundations, and I had to read that page three times. I'm still shook. Just when you think Patricia Briggs can't surprise you....
Overall, a more than solid entry into the canon and a wonderful read for all who enjoy urban to high fantasy.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. Storm Cursed comes out May 7, 2019.
Well. I need a minute. Or several. Wow. The #11 in a series and it definitely proves that there is more to explore - and completely wreck - in this world. This was intense.
Character Development: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★★★★
Surprise Factor: ★★★★★
Will to continue with the series: ★★★★★
By the time you get get to the 11th book in a series, it sometimes falls into the trap of recycling plot and stagnating character development. Storm Cursed is a shining exemption from that tired rule—it glitters with nuanced character growth, an even-paced plot, and the continued exploration of a unique direction.
A little background on the world:
Mercy Thompson is a walker, one of the descendants of the spirit Coyote, most easily explained as the North American/Native god of change and mischief. Due to this parentage, Mercy can shape shift into a coyote, she has an interesting resistance and awareness to magic, and she tends to bring trouble wherever she goes. It's not her fault, it's change.
These books exist in the cross-section of urban fantasy that take the concept of vampires, werewolves, fae, and other fantastical creatures and plunks them in to our current world of technology and politics. Mercy's pack, the Columbia Basin Area pack in the Northwest United States, is one of the most visible werewolf communities in the country—you could say they're the poster children for the werewolf community. Due to this, many of Mercy's books tend to deal with the trials and everyday/not-so-everyday issues that plague a supernatural community that deals with a human population that has no idea how to react to them. Obviously, these tensions and political/social issues that arise often are juxtaposed against a supernatural bad guy who is trying to mess up the balance.
Let's talk about Storm Cursed:
I'm trying my hardest not to spoil anything for readers who are interested in starting the series from scratch, so I will not recap or allude to plot points from the previous books—I'll just note that this story involves details from some of them. Specifically, Mercy is dealing with the lingering results of the bad guy from Frost Burned, the promise she made to the supernatural community in Fire Touched, and....well, the interesting aspects of Mercy's powers that came up in Silence Fallen.
Storm Cursed also delves deeply into an aspect of the supernatural community that Mercy has pretty much left alone until this point: the witches.
Yes, here there be witches. Plural.
Also, to get my undead lovers interested, there is a zombie element. I don't know why I'm surprised to say this, but that element was extremely well done.
Storm Cursed was an extremely well-paced exploration into Mercy's world and the lengths to which the Columbia Basin pack will go to maintain the peace in their territory. While it was less lighthearted than some of the books in the series, it was swiveling between Mercy's newfound abilities, the pack's relationship with the American government, treaties with the Gray Lords (scary leaders of the fae), and some downright dark and twisted black witches.
There's a lot about death in this one and I'll admit, there were some deaths close to home.
One plot point in particular completely shook my foundations, and I had to read that page three times. I'm still shook. Just when you think Patricia Briggs can't surprise you....
Overall, a more than solid entry into the canon and a wonderful read for all who enjoy urban to high fantasy.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. Storm Cursed comes out May 7, 2019.
April 26, 2021
11 books in and I'm still enjoying this series - a rarity for me. Usually by now the author has to go to extreme lengths to up the stakes for the characters and create outlandish problems/tension (jumping the shark anyone?). However Patricia Briggs has created such a vast and intricate world with so many different characters and elements, that she has plenty of fodder for her books without having to do something drastic. I just picked up #12 this weekend now that it's in mass-market paperback size. The books all have to match! ;)
May 7, 2019
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I loved this book! I have to admit that I am a huge fan of all the books set in Mercy Thompson's world. Every time I get my hands on a new Mercy Thompson book, I feel like I have been given the most wonderful gift. These stories really are gifts and I cherish each one. As you may have guessed, I went into this book with really high expectations. This book was even better than I could have hoped. This book allowed me to escape my life for just a little while and I had a fantastic time with it.
Mercy seems to somehow attract trouble. Actually, her declaration a couple of books back that the wolves would protect their territory is causing most of the trouble. Early in this book, Mercy is called on to deal with some zombie goats and I wondered what the heck was going on. Seriously, zombie goats? I thought I had seen it all but I was obviously wrong. It was so much fun to watch Mercy try to figure out what was really going on.
I loved the direction this installment took. Witches are incredibly interesting to me anyway but witches in Mercy's world were even better. We learned a lot of things about several of the characters that have played pivotal roles in the series for a long time. All of the things that were revealed were eye-opening and some left me questioning everything that I thought I knew about the characters.
I love the role that Mercy and Adam's relationship plays in this series. It is really nice to see an established couple that is in it for the long haul. I think that Mercy and Adam's relationship only gets stronger with each book. I love the way that they trust each other completely and always have each other's backs. There were plenty of great moments between the pair in this story which I found touching.
I would highly recommend this book to others. This is the eleventh book in the Mercy Thompson series which is a series that really should be read in order since there are a lot of things carried over from previous installments. This was a highly entertaining story filled with mystery, action, excitement, great characters, and even a few zombie goats. I enjoyed this one so much I pre-ordered the audiobook so I can experience the story all over again in the future.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley.
Before Reading
So so happy to be approved for this one on NetGalley today!
Initial Thoughts
As expected, this was great! I love Mercy and Adam and the rest of the pack. There was a lot of excitement and a few surprises before the book drew to a conclusion.
I loved this book! I have to admit that I am a huge fan of all the books set in Mercy Thompson's world. Every time I get my hands on a new Mercy Thompson book, I feel like I have been given the most wonderful gift. These stories really are gifts and I cherish each one. As you may have guessed, I went into this book with really high expectations. This book was even better than I could have hoped. This book allowed me to escape my life for just a little while and I had a fantastic time with it.
Mercy seems to somehow attract trouble. Actually, her declaration a couple of books back that the wolves would protect their territory is causing most of the trouble. Early in this book, Mercy is called on to deal with some zombie goats and I wondered what the heck was going on. Seriously, zombie goats? I thought I had seen it all but I was obviously wrong. It was so much fun to watch Mercy try to figure out what was really going on.
I loved the direction this installment took. Witches are incredibly interesting to me anyway but witches in Mercy's world were even better. We learned a lot of things about several of the characters that have played pivotal roles in the series for a long time. All of the things that were revealed were eye-opening and some left me questioning everything that I thought I knew about the characters.
I love the role that Mercy and Adam's relationship plays in this series. It is really nice to see an established couple that is in it for the long haul. I think that Mercy and Adam's relationship only gets stronger with each book. I love the way that they trust each other completely and always have each other's backs. There were plenty of great moments between the pair in this story which I found touching.
I would highly recommend this book to others. This is the eleventh book in the Mercy Thompson series which is a series that really should be read in order since there are a lot of things carried over from previous installments. This was a highly entertaining story filled with mystery, action, excitement, great characters, and even a few zombie goats. I enjoyed this one so much I pre-ordered the audiobook so I can experience the story all over again in the future.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley.
Before Reading
So so happy to be approved for this one on NetGalley today!
Initial Thoughts
As expected, this was great! I love Mercy and Adam and the rest of the pack. There was a lot of excitement and a few surprises before the book drew to a conclusion.
April 3, 2019
I just have one question. What did Coyote mean at the end of Storm Cursed?
Arg, I wish I understood him. He's such a mystery. He's powerful, a trickster, very smart and he loves his daughter, Mercy, even though he has a weird way of showing it.
The Mercyverse is one of my favorite places to go back to. I adore Mercy and Adam. After this many years, Patricia Briggs has demonstrated that a couple can be together and still attract readers without the need for an unnecessary love triangle. To this day, Iron Kissed is still one of my favorite books.
Also, I love the side characters like Stephan, Zee, Sherwood Post, Tad, Joel, Ben, Wulfe, Larry (Goblin King), etc. I wish we could spend more time with each of them. They are fantastic! Mercy keeps on bringing on strays that make her life so much more interesting (and deadly..LOL).
When I start a new Mercy book, I always wonder where Mrs. Briggs is going to take her this time. Yes, Mercy has been hurt and almost killed so many times but she's fast, resourceful and she has learned to trust her mate and friends to help her out. She continues to grow as a character. She's my girl crush.
Storm Cursed is mostly about witches. Bad witches. Black Magic witches. Mercy is not a fan. She knows they are trouble and she must intervene. She must do it. Her job is to help the humans and the Fae meet without the witches killing them all.
I hated those Bad. Bad. Witches.
Storm Cursed is full of action, intrigue, suspense, and amazing characters. Unputtable down. The stories are only getting better.
Cliffhanger: no
4.5/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Ace via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
June 21, 2019
Full review up!
I’ve missed reading urban fantasy!! It’s been awhile since I’ve cracked open a book about werewolves, vampires and all the things that go bump in the night.
Storm Cursed is the 11th book in the Mercy Thompson series. This is not a standalone book. If this book and series sounds good to you, I would suggest starting at the beginning with Moon Called.
There are tons of returning characters and plots from past books, especially from book #10, Silence Fallen. I think you’ll be lost in Storm Cursed if you try to read this as a standalone.
By the way, this series has lots of interesting and fun creatures in it!
✔️ Vampires
✔️ Werewolves
✔️ Fae
✔️ Shapeshifters
And Storm Cursed is all about witches and black magic!
I absolutely love books about witches, so I was excited to read this new addition to the series. I loved this book and Patricia Briggs keeps bringing up fantastic, exciting and fun plots to this series!
Storm Cursed starts off with Mercy and some of her husband’s werewolf pack dealing with a rogue goblin. This goblin must be taken care of since it's been accused of killing a child and police officer. It’s now in the packs' territory and Mercy, along with a few pack members and the goblin king go off on a goblin hunt.
After this exciting start, we’re taken to another part of the pack territory. Miniature goats have been turned into zombies!
This book is action packed and one crazy scenario ends up leading into another. It all comes together though because all the chaos is from witchcraft and black magic. Who doesn't love evil witches?!!
I think you would like this book and series if you enjoy the urban fantasy genre. I’ve enjoyed all the books and characters in this series and it’s only gotten better throughout the years!
Patricia Briggs, I can’t wait to read the next book in your series! Well done!
I’ve missed reading urban fantasy!! It’s been awhile since I’ve cracked open a book about werewolves, vampires and all the things that go bump in the night.
Storm Cursed is the 11th book in the Mercy Thompson series. This is not a standalone book. If this book and series sounds good to you, I would suggest starting at the beginning with Moon Called.
There are tons of returning characters and plots from past books, especially from book #10, Silence Fallen. I think you’ll be lost in Storm Cursed if you try to read this as a standalone.
By the way, this series has lots of interesting and fun creatures in it!
✔️ Vampires
✔️ Werewolves
✔️ Fae
✔️ Shapeshifters
And Storm Cursed is all about witches and black magic!
I absolutely love books about witches, so I was excited to read this new addition to the series. I loved this book and Patricia Briggs keeps bringing up fantastic, exciting and fun plots to this series!
Storm Cursed starts off with Mercy and some of her husband’s werewolf pack dealing with a rogue goblin. This goblin must be taken care of since it's been accused of killing a child and police officer. It’s now in the packs' territory and Mercy, along with a few pack members and the goblin king go off on a goblin hunt.
After this exciting start, we’re taken to another part of the pack territory. Miniature goats have been turned into zombies!
This book is action packed and one crazy scenario ends up leading into another. It all comes together though because all the chaos is from witchcraft and black magic. Who doesn't love evil witches?!!
I think you would like this book and series if you enjoy the urban fantasy genre. I’ve enjoyed all the books and characters in this series and it’s only gotten better throughout the years!
Patricia Briggs, I can’t wait to read the next book in your series! Well done!
April 30, 2019
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/04/30/...
At eleven books, the Mercy Thompson series has become a veritable saga at this point. Pack drama and supernatural politics, this one’s got it all! And believe it or not, many of these story threads are still developing and building upon everything that has come before.
This is the case in Storm Cursed, which takes us back to the Tri-Cities area after our eventful detour through Europe in Silence Fallen—which also means we return to Tri-Cities politics. Repercussions of Mercy’s past decisions have caught up to her, and while it felt like the right thing to do at the time, nothing could have prepared her for the pressures involved in taking responsibility for the safety of everyone living in the territory of the Columbia Basin pack.
As always though, Mercy has the full support of her husband and pack leader Adam, even if some of the other werewolves only barely tolerate her—and only because they have to. But what’s done is done, and now everyone is busy dealing with the aftermath of Mercy’s proclamation, including getting rid of any intrusions on their territory or threats to their people.
Still, some major power shifts are happening. The Tri-Cities area now has the reputation of neutral ground, where negotiations can take place between the US Government and the Gray Lords of the Fae. As a whole slew of important people descends upon their home territory, Mercy finds herself playing reluctant liaison between the politicians and the supernatural community. Meanwhile though, other troubling things are happening around the place, including the emergence of zombie animals and a massacre on the local witch’s coven. With all these fires needing to be put out, Mercy barely has time anymore to put in hours at her car mechanic day job, even though the garage has reopened since being burned down a few months back.
I’ll be honest—this wasn’t my favorite Mercy Thompson novel by far, especially coming on the heels of the thrilling installment that was Silence Fallen. After that nice little break, it appears the series has settled into holding pattern again, in that this one felt like a bridge book whose purpose is to establish a foundation for what’s coming next. There also wasn’t one central conflict in the story; instead, there were several all being developed in tandem, which resulted in a lack of focus. In addition, the political aspects dragged on, not to mention how some of those parts felt awkwardly shoehorned in when there were more urgent problems to worry about, like, oh, I don’t know, how about Elizavetta’s entire family being brutally tortured and murdered and the imminent takeover by a rival coven of black witches? It certainly didn’t feel like that bombshell was given the gravity it deserved, and it’s possible all these reasons made Storm Cursed feel comparatively less engaging than some of the books that came before.
That said, if you’re still following the series at this point, you’ll know what a delight these characters are to follow. It’s impossible for Patricia Briggs to write a bad Mercy Thompson book in my eyes, because each volume always introduces something new and interesting. One of my favorite aspects is seeing all the relationships develop, not just on a personal level between characters but also on a larger scale between all the paranormal communities (Fae, Witches, Werewolves, etc.) in the Tri-Cities. I also love how this book brought back a ton of familiar faces like Zee and Stefan, while still having room to introduce newer names like Sherwood and Larry. It’s true that all the characters get hard to keep track of sometimes, and even as someone who has followed this series closely, occasionally I get forgetful and lost when the story references some past events. This is definitely a series where you have to be up-to-date with the books, and to an extent also be familiar with the Alpha & Omega universe (which I don’t read, which is probably why I’m at a slight disadvantage).
At the end of the day though, even with the Mercy Thompson series’ highs and lows, each book is still an adventure where you never know what’s around the corner for everyone’s favorite coyote shapeshifter and the rest of the gang. While Storm Cursed was a bit of a mixed bag, with a lot of things going on and sections that were less engaging than others, overall I had a good time, and as always, I can’t wait for more.
At eleven books, the Mercy Thompson series has become a veritable saga at this point. Pack drama and supernatural politics, this one’s got it all! And believe it or not, many of these story threads are still developing and building upon everything that has come before.
This is the case in Storm Cursed, which takes us back to the Tri-Cities area after our eventful detour through Europe in Silence Fallen—which also means we return to Tri-Cities politics. Repercussions of Mercy’s past decisions have caught up to her, and while it felt like the right thing to do at the time, nothing could have prepared her for the pressures involved in taking responsibility for the safety of everyone living in the territory of the Columbia Basin pack.
As always though, Mercy has the full support of her husband and pack leader Adam, even if some of the other werewolves only barely tolerate her—and only because they have to. But what’s done is done, and now everyone is busy dealing with the aftermath of Mercy’s proclamation, including getting rid of any intrusions on their territory or threats to their people.
Still, some major power shifts are happening. The Tri-Cities area now has the reputation of neutral ground, where negotiations can take place between the US Government and the Gray Lords of the Fae. As a whole slew of important people descends upon their home territory, Mercy finds herself playing reluctant liaison between the politicians and the supernatural community. Meanwhile though, other troubling things are happening around the place, including the emergence of zombie animals and a massacre on the local witch’s coven. With all these fires needing to be put out, Mercy barely has time anymore to put in hours at her car mechanic day job, even though the garage has reopened since being burned down a few months back.
I’ll be honest—this wasn’t my favorite Mercy Thompson novel by far, especially coming on the heels of the thrilling installment that was Silence Fallen. After that nice little break, it appears the series has settled into holding pattern again, in that this one felt like a bridge book whose purpose is to establish a foundation for what’s coming next. There also wasn’t one central conflict in the story; instead, there were several all being developed in tandem, which resulted in a lack of focus. In addition, the political aspects dragged on, not to mention how some of those parts felt awkwardly shoehorned in when there were more urgent problems to worry about, like, oh, I don’t know, how about Elizavetta’s entire family being brutally tortured and murdered and the imminent takeover by a rival coven of black witches? It certainly didn’t feel like that bombshell was given the gravity it deserved, and it’s possible all these reasons made Storm Cursed feel comparatively less engaging than some of the books that came before.
That said, if you’re still following the series at this point, you’ll know what a delight these characters are to follow. It’s impossible for Patricia Briggs to write a bad Mercy Thompson book in my eyes, because each volume always introduces something new and interesting. One of my favorite aspects is seeing all the relationships develop, not just on a personal level between characters but also on a larger scale between all the paranormal communities (Fae, Witches, Werewolves, etc.) in the Tri-Cities. I also love how this book brought back a ton of familiar faces like Zee and Stefan, while still having room to introduce newer names like Sherwood and Larry. It’s true that all the characters get hard to keep track of sometimes, and even as someone who has followed this series closely, occasionally I get forgetful and lost when the story references some past events. This is definitely a series where you have to be up-to-date with the books, and to an extent also be familiar with the Alpha & Omega universe (which I don’t read, which is probably why I’m at a slight disadvantage).
At the end of the day though, even with the Mercy Thompson series’ highs and lows, each book is still an adventure where you never know what’s around the corner for everyone’s favorite coyote shapeshifter and the rest of the gang. While Storm Cursed was a bit of a mixed bag, with a lot of things going on and sections that were less engaging than others, overall I had a good time, and as always, I can’t wait for more.
June 11, 2019
The Mercy Thompson series is not only one of the most fun series in its genre but also one of the most kick butt with lovable characters that are memorable. It is also why this series has, from the very first book, been in my top ten favorites in UF and will remain there.
It is so much fun, so addicting, and so freaking entertaining. It truly has a little bit of it all. Humor, action, magic, beasties, a family bond, danger, baddies...truly, all of it. Every single thing I love about this genre is always packed up tightly and effortlessly in these books. And even though it shouldn't be possible, each book just gets better and better. I adore them. I speed read through them and then kick myself for not savoring them more and making them last. But, can you blame me? They are fantastic and fans of the series know, they are impossible to ignore. It's like Christmas every time a new release comes out and this new release, let me tell you, was so worth the wait!
I adored it. I devoured it. I tried really really hard to make it last but I flew through it because it was just so good, just so everything I missed. I love Adam and Mercy and how they support one another, love one another and take care of one another without being overbearing or alpha male even though Adam is so. Alpha. Male.
The pack, the friendships, the supernaturals beings, just everything about this series screams perfect and Briggs once again did an amazing job. I was completely in her power as I read each page taking very little breaks from anything else. I was hooked and once again, in love.
Truly another wonderful installment and I'm so thrilled this series is still going strong.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
It is so much fun, so addicting, and so freaking entertaining. It truly has a little bit of it all. Humor, action, magic, beasties, a family bond, danger, baddies...truly, all of it. Every single thing I love about this genre is always packed up tightly and effortlessly in these books. And even though it shouldn't be possible, each book just gets better and better. I adore them. I speed read through them and then kick myself for not savoring them more and making them last. But, can you blame me? They are fantastic and fans of the series know, they are impossible to ignore. It's like Christmas every time a new release comes out and this new release, let me tell you, was so worth the wait!
I adored it. I devoured it. I tried really really hard to make it last but I flew through it because it was just so good, just so everything I missed. I love Adam and Mercy and how they support one another, love one another and take care of one another without being overbearing or alpha male even though Adam is so. Alpha. Male.
The pack, the friendships, the supernaturals beings, just everything about this series screams perfect and Briggs once again did an amazing job. I was completely in her power as I read each page taking very little breaks from anything else. I was hooked and once again, in love.
Truly another wonderful installment and I'm so thrilled this series is still going strong.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
May 29, 2019
[2.5/5 stars] Storm Cursed had a lot of the elements I’ve come to love from the Mercy Thompson series. Pack dynamics (I love it when they don’t get along lol), fun mysteries (in this case involving miniature goat zombies), and a world filled with so many interesting characters it’s hard to find page-time for them all.
Alas, despite having all the same ingredients, Storm Cursed was my least favorite since Frost Burned. I have some thoughts as to why:
The main character, Mercy is where I see my most prominent dissatisfactions here. For one thing, she just doesn’t seem like the same Mercy I fell in love with at the beginning of the series. Her character seems very different these days, at least to my perceptions. And not because of how her profile has evolved (because character growth is essential to any good series), but more from a writing standpoint (i.e. what Briggs chooses to have Mercy’s POV focus on). She’s very concerned with mundane things that don’t add any real character value for me – such as making sure to not use her phone while driving, or taking care to wear gloves while working on an engine. Moments like that are clear moments, and I’m finding them distracting. The sentiments are all good, for sure, but there are other ways to convey a character’s practical nature without sounding like an after school special. I read a really good article by Chuck Wendig about why including the mundane, even to establish character, can work against you, and much of what he warns against was present in this book (I’m referring specifically to his “Not Everything is Interesting” section).
Maybe it’s just me. Most of the readers in my Goodreads group didn’t have any of these same objections. Maybe all these mundane things add to the experience for others and I’m just being too picky. For whatever reason, it’s just didn’t work for me in this book.
The problem compounds even further for me. Mercy used to be a catalyst! An instigator of change who took her destiny into her own hands and made things happen. But in these last two novels, she was kind of a non-factor when it came to the conflict resolution… very reactionary. This issue doubles down in Storm Cursed because many of the conflicts happened off-page (on the periphery of the story, where the characters find out about them after the fact), which only served to increase the distance I felt. Maybe that’s why I had more time to scrutinize the characters – there wasn’t as much active engagement.
Now for some positive talk (because, after all, I still love the series). What definitely didn’t let me down were the side characters and the overall advancement of the series. Between Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega, this world has so much depth! The number of stories and characters Briggs could expand on are boundless. Every side character is interesting. Every backstory compelling. Every supernatural faction is still mostly an enigma. The care paid to its overall construction and development is brilliant, and it’s also why Briggs is one of my favorite authors (not to mention she’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Working as a bookseller, I’ve met countless authors over the years, and she’s still responsible for my favorite interaction to date, by far. If you can catch her at a signing – go!!).
My point is, even though Storm Cursed didn’t quite tickle my fancy like past novels have, I’m still a huge fan of this series and will definitely be reading anything Briggs decides to write next. Which, incidentally, is NOT going to be a random spinoff novel about Christy… apparently Briggs & Co. played an April fools joke where they announced she’d be taking a break from the main characters for a while. Unfortunately I didn’t see the original post, just a summary in a weekly newsletter… meaning I read about it on April 7th and had no reason to suspect it wasn’t legit. So I spread the word… and then facepalmed when I found out it was a joke. But I suppose it’s a testament to this author that I would’ve been totally on board with a Christy novel! I’m not sure how I feel about jokes in general on that scale, but considering that’s how the Hugh books in Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels series got started (Iron and Magic was bomb), I won’t complain too much.
Recommendations: while Storm Cursed contained many of the components I’ve come to love from this series, a bit of the magic was missing for me, making it my least favorite in a long while. However, it advances the plot nicely and will give you a few laughs along the way. Definitely don’t pick it up unless you’re up to date with the series. :)
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
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Alas, despite having all the same ingredients, Storm Cursed was my least favorite since Frost Burned. I have some thoughts as to why:
The main character, Mercy is where I see my most prominent dissatisfactions here. For one thing, she just doesn’t seem like the same Mercy I fell in love with at the beginning of the series. Her character seems very different these days, at least to my perceptions. And not because of how her profile has evolved (because character growth is essential to any good series), but more from a writing standpoint (i.e. what Briggs chooses to have Mercy’s POV focus on). She’s very concerned with mundane things that don’t add any real character value for me – such as making sure to not use her phone while driving, or taking care to wear gloves while working on an engine. Moments like that are clear moments, and I’m finding them distracting. The sentiments are all good, for sure, but there are other ways to convey a character’s practical nature without sounding like an after school special. I read a really good article by Chuck Wendig about why including the mundane, even to establish character, can work against you, and much of what he warns against was present in this book (I’m referring specifically to his “Not Everything is Interesting” section).
Maybe it’s just me. Most of the readers in my Goodreads group didn’t have any of these same objections. Maybe all these mundane things add to the experience for others and I’m just being too picky. For whatever reason, it’s just didn’t work for me in this book.
The problem compounds even further for me. Mercy used to be a catalyst! An instigator of change who took her destiny into her own hands and made things happen. But in these last two novels, she was kind of a non-factor when it came to the conflict resolution… very reactionary. This issue doubles down in Storm Cursed because many of the conflicts happened off-page (on the periphery of the story, where the characters find out about them after the fact), which only served to increase the distance I felt. Maybe that’s why I had more time to scrutinize the characters – there wasn’t as much active engagement.
Now for some positive talk (because, after all, I still love the series). What definitely didn’t let me down were the side characters and the overall advancement of the series. Between Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega, this world has so much depth! The number of stories and characters Briggs could expand on are boundless. Every side character is interesting. Every backstory compelling. Every supernatural faction is still mostly an enigma. The care paid to its overall construction and development is brilliant, and it’s also why Briggs is one of my favorite authors (not to mention she’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Working as a bookseller, I’ve met countless authors over the years, and she’s still responsible for my favorite interaction to date, by far. If you can catch her at a signing – go!!).
My point is, even though Storm Cursed didn’t quite tickle my fancy like past novels have, I’m still a huge fan of this series and will definitely be reading anything Briggs decides to write next. Which, incidentally, is NOT going to be a random spinoff novel about Christy… apparently Briggs & Co. played an April fools joke where they announced she’d be taking a break from the main characters for a while. Unfortunately I didn’t see the original post, just a summary in a weekly newsletter… meaning I read about it on April 7th and had no reason to suspect it wasn’t legit. So I spread the word… and then facepalmed when I found out it was a joke. But I suppose it’s a testament to this author that I would’ve been totally on board with a Christy novel! I’m not sure how I feel about jokes in general on that scale, but considering that’s how the Hugh books in Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels series got started (Iron and Magic was bomb), I won’t complain too much.
Recommendations: while Storm Cursed contained many of the components I’ve come to love from this series, a bit of the magic was missing for me, making it my least favorite in a long while. However, it advances the plot nicely and will give you a few laughs along the way. Definitely don’t pick it up unless you’re up to date with the series. :)
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
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October 18, 2020
Mercy and Company and in the middle of all the politics between the Humans and the Fae at the same time a coven of witches has decided that the Tri Cities is ripe for a take over and will use the distraction in order to infiltrate and try to take over Elizaveta’s territory.
There are a lot of moving pieces in this one. Normally there is one bad guy and plot line and all in all it is relatively easy to follow. But we have the following:
I did enjoy most of the story even though I wanted to get to the meat and potatoes of it a little faster. Mercy as usual got to tell off a few people for being dumb or bullies or both. She is again theexpected unexpected hero to the story. Figuring out how to best the enemy with her special brand of chaos and pack of friends.
This is a good story and I was really surprised with the dark direction it has taken, especially in regards to Elizaveta and her coven.
The big battle at the end had a really nice build up and pay off. These are some bad witches and the ending was fitting.
I’m happy with the strength of each new book in the series and while some things seem really silly like Adam freaking out anytime someone swears in Mercy’s presence overall the characters are endearing and the plots entertaining.
“That which doesn’t destroy us . . .”
“Leaves us scratching our heads and saying, ‘What’s next?”
There are a lot of moving pieces in this one. Normally there is one bad guy and plot line and all in all it is relatively easy to follow. But we have the following:
- Human politicians who seem to be a little dumb when it comes to anything Fae or Witch related.
- Zombie things that keep popping up everywhere and need to be taken care of. The zombie pigmy goats being my favorite.
- Black Witches and they are nasty. The magic around them is built on pain and torture and they love and revel in it.
- The goblins. They are becoming bigger players and have a role in this too.
- A pretty old werewolf who refuses to remember his past but definitely has a history with these witches and even if the man has forgotten the wolf wants revenge.
- Coyote jumping into the fray to make sure Mercy knows that she has a part to play in this.
- Zee and Tad showing just why the graylords should be afraid of them.
- Wulfe making you scratch your head and wonder what the world will look like when he decides to go full on cray cray and play a hand instead of toying with everyone.
- And finally Adam and Mercy fighting all the bad and still finding time to nudge each other.
I did enjoy most of the story even though I wanted to get to the meat and potatoes of it a little faster. Mercy as usual got to tell off a few people for being dumb or bullies or both. She is again the
This is a good story and I was really surprised with the dark direction it has taken, especially in regards to Elizaveta and her coven.
The big battle at the end had a really nice build up and pay off. These are some bad witches and the ending was fitting.
I’m happy with the strength of each new book in the series and while some things seem really silly like Adam freaking out anytime someone swears in Mercy’s presence overall the characters are endearing and the plots entertaining.
October 26, 2020
Re-read by audio October 25th 2020
As usual I glean more details that I somehow missed the first time around. Listened to the entire book in one day. Long road trip and then couldn't stop listening when we got home.
Original review:
It seems witches are the issue in Storm Cursed, the newest Mercy Thompson installment. Same with the latest Alpha & Omega (a companion series), Burn Bright. And I think they’re going to be important in the books to come. While it’s not necessary to read Burn Bright before Storm Cursed there are a few connecting dots between the two books. I don’t want to detail the plot because I think it’s best going in not knowing much, but as soon as I started reading I didn’t want to stop! I will say Sherwood Post, Wulfe, Zee, Tad, Elizaveta were big players in this installment, and there are some intriguing surprises.
Mercy Thompson is a series that is consistently amazing and keeps me wishing for more even when the series is at eleven books! That’s not even counting the companion series, Alpha & Omega. I just recently did a re-read of both series, one right after the other, that’s how good it is! Patricia Briggs’ writing is smart, and her stories are well-plotted. I feel like she examines the motivations of each of her characters before setting them on a path of action. Even the fight scenes are well-choreographed and exciting. The relationship between Adam and Mercy is strong, they both lean on each other for support without question, and there’s always an undercurrent of passionate simmering under the surface!
Mercy Thompson is one of my all-time favorite urban fantasy series, and if you haven’t picked it up you are missing out! Best to start at the beginning and read the books in order. I have an e-ARC, but I also bought an audio copy and that’s how I ended up “reading”. Lorelei King’s narration is perfection! Her performance of both her male and female voices are amazing, and her comedic timing when there’s humor is spot on!
A copy was kindly provided by Ace via Netalley in exchange for an hones review.
As usual I glean more details that I somehow missed the first time around. Listened to the entire book in one day. Long road trip and then couldn't stop listening when we got home.
Original review:
It seems witches are the issue in Storm Cursed, the newest Mercy Thompson installment. Same with the latest Alpha & Omega (a companion series), Burn Bright. And I think they’re going to be important in the books to come. While it’s not necessary to read Burn Bright before Storm Cursed there are a few connecting dots between the two books. I don’t want to detail the plot because I think it’s best going in not knowing much, but as soon as I started reading I didn’t want to stop! I will say Sherwood Post, Wulfe, Zee, Tad, Elizaveta were big players in this installment, and there are some intriguing surprises.
Mercy Thompson is a series that is consistently amazing and keeps me wishing for more even when the series is at eleven books! That’s not even counting the companion series, Alpha & Omega. I just recently did a re-read of both series, one right after the other, that’s how good it is! Patricia Briggs’ writing is smart, and her stories are well-plotted. I feel like she examines the motivations of each of her characters before setting them on a path of action. Even the fight scenes are well-choreographed and exciting. The relationship between Adam and Mercy is strong, they both lean on each other for support without question, and there’s always an undercurrent of passionate simmering under the surface!
Mercy Thompson is one of my all-time favorite urban fantasy series, and if you haven’t picked it up you are missing out! Best to start at the beginning and read the books in order. I have an e-ARC, but I also bought an audio copy and that’s how I ended up “reading”. Lorelei King’s narration is perfection! Her performance of both her male and female voices are amazing, and her comedic timing when there’s humor is spot on!
A copy was kindly provided by Ace via Netalley in exchange for an hones review.
July 13, 2019
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*A Whole Lot Of Skimming*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
Sometimes I wonder what the hell is wrong with Mercy. She doesn't deserve Stefan. He's done nothing but helped her, and yet she doesn't even want to talk to him. She actually lost my respect when it comes to Stefan. That being said... Adam's supposed to be powerful, yet he gets kidnapped (previous books) and has had his will taken from him. That kinda takes away the feeling of him being powerful and I don't like that.
Wolfe intrigues me, but I'm annoyed that after ten books, we still don't know him. Same goes for Zee. I also feel sorry for Wolfe; it's not his fault that he was tortured. I think that just because someone scares - or creeps Mercy out, she becomes quite judgey. Overall, I skimmed I too much in this book. I wasn't interested at all. Only Stefan, and Wolfe a bit, interest me. Of course Adam still interest me, but he was barely in it too. How many more books in the series is there gonna be?
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Urban Fantasy (M/F)
Series: - Series, Book Eleven.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Adam Hauptman.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Sure.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Sure.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating - 2/2.5 stars.
May 2, 2019
Mon avis en Français
My English review
I love the Mercy Thompson series, so I was really looking forward to getting my hands on this new novel. I didn’t remember very well the last events of the previous volume, but it was with great pleasure to find all the characters.
If I had a little trouble at the beginning of the novel getting into the story that I found a little confusing, I finally managed to get into it and I was really curious to find out what was going on.
Mercy is facing the consequences of the previous events and must protect the city. When witches arrive in town with powers beyond comprehension, our heroine has a hard time managing all this. In addition to that, she finds herself having to negotiate a meeting between the faes. So yes, our heroine will have many things to manage and she will have to make decisive choices!
Despite a difficult start I really had a very good time with this novel once again and I am still very curious to see what the author has in store for us in the future.
My English review
I love the Mercy Thompson series, so I was really looking forward to getting my hands on this new novel. I didn’t remember very well the last events of the previous volume, but it was with great pleasure to find all the characters.
If I had a little trouble at the beginning of the novel getting into the story that I found a little confusing, I finally managed to get into it and I was really curious to find out what was going on.
Mercy is facing the consequences of the previous events and must protect the city. When witches arrive in town with powers beyond comprehension, our heroine has a hard time managing all this. In addition to that, she finds herself having to negotiate a meeting between the faes. So yes, our heroine will have many things to manage and she will have to make decisive choices!
Despite a difficult start I really had a very good time with this novel once again and I am still very curious to see what the author has in store for us in the future.
March 21, 2020
“Do you need help?” he asked.
“Always.” I sighed. “But it is too late for me. You just stood there watching when I went out on that bridge and started blabbing about the Tri-Cities being our territory to guard, when any idiot could have seen that I needed you to shove a gag in my mouth.”
Mercy is busy protecting the territory! That‘s what happens, when you kill trolls and make bold statements about protecting what is yours! Goblins, zombies, witches and black magic...
One of my favourite things about Patricia Briggs are her likeable, fun supporting characters. Zee, Tad, Uncle Mike, Wulfe, Marsilia, Sherwood and Larry are a delight.
My favourite scenes are the fight scene with the goblin in the beginning and the final fight. I am a big fan of that one creature popping up there at the end. The witches are very, very creepy.
This brings my Mercyverse re-read to its end. I started in January and read all of the full-length Mercy Thompson and Alpa & Omega novels, one prequel and a comic adaptation. I had fun and kept most of the ratings the same. Onwards to Smoke Bitten...
————
Reading order and progress of my chronological Mercyverse re-read:
Complete time-line for the "Mercyverse", including the short stories:
http://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/t...
————
First read in 2019: ★★★★★
A good title for this book could have been „Trouble with Witches“.
Zombies, vampires, werewolves, the fae, the mentioned witches and other critters that you have to figure out for yourself... And Mercy—“Not that clever. But I am a coyote and apparently stupid lucky.”—Thompson. I loved having so much of Zee, he has always been one of my favourite characters.
I had a lot of fun reading this! It might not have been terribly complex or twisty. But it had a cohesive plot, well-drawn characters, great action scenes, suspense, things to smile and laugh about, tension and some scary moments. Good fun, I was entertained!
Anything else would be spoilers.
Additionally I salute Patricia Briggs for ensuring that all of Zee‘s spells were worded in perfect German*. They sound much better and more poetic in German, rather than in the translated English, by the way.
*You wouldn‘t believe how much badly translated German can be found in English language novels. It’s terribly jarring, if you speak the language.
“Always.” I sighed. “But it is too late for me. You just stood there watching when I went out on that bridge and started blabbing about the Tri-Cities being our territory to guard, when any idiot could have seen that I needed you to shove a gag in my mouth.”
Mercy is busy protecting the territory! That‘s what happens, when you kill trolls and make bold statements about protecting what is yours! Goblins, zombies, witches and black magic...
One of my favourite things about Patricia Briggs are her likeable, fun supporting characters. Zee, Tad, Uncle Mike, Wulfe, Marsilia, Sherwood and Larry are a delight.
My favourite scenes are the fight scene with the goblin in the beginning and the final fight. I am a big fan of that one creature popping up there at the end. The witches are very, very creepy.
This brings my Mercyverse re-read to its end. I started in January and read all of the full-length Mercy Thompson and Alpa & Omega novels, one prequel and a comic adaptation. I had fun and kept most of the ratings the same. Onwards to Smoke Bitten...
————
Reading order and progress of my chronological Mercyverse re-read:
Complete time-line for the "Mercyverse", including the short stories:
http://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/t...
————
First read in 2019: ★★★★★
One by one,
Two by two,
The Hardesty witches
Are traveling through.
With a storm of curses,
They call from their tomes;
They will drink your blood
And dine on your bones.
A good title for this book could have been „Trouble with Witches“.
Zombies, vampires, werewolves, the fae, the mentioned witches and other critters that you have to figure out for yourself... And Mercy—“Not that clever. But I am a coyote and apparently stupid lucky.”—Thompson. I loved having so much of Zee, he has always been one of my favourite characters.
I had a lot of fun reading this! It might not have been terribly complex or twisty. But it had a cohesive plot, well-drawn characters, great action scenes, suspense, things to smile and laugh about, tension and some scary moments. Good fun, I was entertained!
Anything else would be spoilers.
Additionally I salute Patricia Briggs for ensuring that all of Zee‘s spells were worded in perfect German*. They sound much better and more poetic in German, rather than in the translated English, by the way.
*You wouldn‘t believe how much badly translated German can be found in English language novels. It’s terribly jarring, if you speak the language.
Water, be my friend,
come and stay by my side.
Flow, release, bind, grab,
entangle the witchcraft, catch it,
diminish the curse, decay the spell,
take it away, hear me.
March 24, 2020
STORM CURSED by Patricia Briggs is the eleventh book in the Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series. This is one of my favorite series and this novel did not let me down. Mercedes Thompson Hauptman is a car mechanic, a coyote shapeshifter and the mater of the Alpha of the Columbia Basin werewolf pack. In this novel their area of Washington is viewed as neutral ground for talks between the U.S. Government and the fae. However, there are those that want to disrupt the process.
Mercy is a strong protagonist and brings interesting twists to these stories as magic tends to affect her differently. The characters were compelling and definitely someone you can root for with believable motivations and appropriate emotions. The internal and external conflicts were well defined and the stakes were high.
The prose is compulsively readable, dark, twisty, and entertaining. The plot is suspenseful, complex, dark, and fast-paced. The ending was action-packed. There are some dark themes running through this novel, but there is also an occasional bit of humor as well as family bonds.
Overall, this was a vivid, riveting, fabulous read. If you like action-packed urban fantasies, then this may appeal to you, too. I would recommend starting with the first book in the series.
Mercy is a strong protagonist and brings interesting twists to these stories as magic tends to affect her differently. The characters were compelling and definitely someone you can root for with believable motivations and appropriate emotions. The internal and external conflicts were well defined and the stakes were high.
The prose is compulsively readable, dark, twisty, and entertaining. The plot is suspenseful, complex, dark, and fast-paced. The ending was action-packed. There are some dark themes running through this novel, but there is also an occasional bit of humor as well as family bonds.
Overall, this was a vivid, riveting, fabulous read. If you like action-packed urban fantasies, then this may appeal to you, too. I would recommend starting with the first book in the series.
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