Thursday, May 9, 2019

Bea & Jax Review Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs

Series: Mercy Thompson #11
Publisher: Ace
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: May 7th, 2019
Buying Links: Amazon* | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository*  | iBooks* | * affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

In this new installment in the No. 1 New York Times bestselling series, Mercy Thompson must face a deadly enemy to defend all she loves . . .


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.

Bea's Thoughts:

The blurb for this book is so vague and empty of information I wasn't sure what to expect. What I got was a story lured me in then kept me reading until the end.

Witches and goblins and zombies, oh my! I loved learning more about goblins and seeing Larry the goblin king again. And the twists! Whoa. I loved that it tied in threads from earlier books, such as "Frost Burned", "Fire Touched", and "Silence Fallen", and also from the Alpha and Omega series. I did have some mixed feelings about the story. While I liked that it tied together some threads, and closed some story lines while opening up others, I wasn't happy that Mercy's powers keep expanding. I liked her best as the scrappy underdog. She's still scrappy but in danger of becoming everyone's problem. It was good to see her and Adam working together and I was delighted to see Stefan again. 

Briggs moved the series story arc forward, further developed some characters, tied up some threads and set in motion new threads. "Storm Curse" was her usual mix of humor, action, intricate and overly complicated plot, excellent characterization and world building, and a gripping story.

Jax's Thoughts:

I love a series that truly builds off what happens in past books, or take into account events from other series in the same fictional world. For fans, you'll understand what I mean when I say Ben is growing, and yet still expletive deleted Ben. There's joy in seeing our fictional friends become happier and healthier without losing the quirks we adore. There's amusement in seeing the unexpected results of choices made in an unguarded moment. And there's bittersweet satisfaction in seeing justice served. This is why I keep coming back to Patricia Brigg's books. She weaves all these little pleasures into each book - old jokes, secrets revealed and new adventures.

In Storm Cursed, we get a few more peeks into the complexity of politics - fae, human and witch. Each a tangled mess when separate, those threads converge bringing chaos that only our favorite coyote can break. Mercifully, she has earned friends and resources over the years to help find the best way to cut through the Gordian knot.

4 comments:

  1. I've been wanting to try this series for a long time. I eventually will get to it. It really sounds like a good one.

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    1. It's a really good series but when you start, do read in order.

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  2. Nice review! This is one of my favorites in the series. And Bea: you have a great point about "I liked her best as the scrappy underdog." I too worry she'll become something of a powerhouse, but for now, I like what I'm reading.

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    1. Thanks Jen! I like what I'm reading too, just a little anxious about Patty's plans for Mercy. In the meantime, happy reading to us!

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