Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

Title: Frost Burned

Author: Patricia Briggs

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Mercy Thompson # 7

Publication: January 1, 2013 

352 pages

Source: Personal Library

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Mercy Thompson's life has undergone a seismic change. Becoming the mate of Adam Hauptman - the charismatic Alpha of the local werewolf pack - has made her a stepmother to his daughter Jesse, a relationship that brings moments of blissful normalcy to Mercy's life. But on the edges of humanity, a minor mishap on an ordinary day can turn into so much more...

After an accident in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Mercy and Jesse can't reach Adam - or anyone else in the pack for that matter. They've all been abducted.

Through their mating bond, all Mercy knows is that Adam is angry and in pain. But she fears Adam's disappearance may be related to the political battle the werewolves have been fighting to gain acceptance from the public - and that he and the pack are in serious danger. Outmatched and on her own, Mercy may be forced to seek assistance from any ally she can get, no matter how unlikely.

MY THOUGHTS

It’s been over ten years since I last read the Mercy Thompson series, so naturally, I decided a re-read was in order. I’m so glad I did; it reminded me just how much I love this world and these characters. Frost Burned is the seventh installment in the series, following Mercy, a coyote shifter, and her husband Adam, the local werewolf Alpha, as they navigate their new mate bond while dealing with the usual highs and lows of supernatural politics.

The story kicks off with a bang when Mercy and Jesse are ambushed during a Black Friday outing, and things only get worse when she discovers the entire pack, except Ben, has vanished. It turns out they’ve been taken by mercenaries, setting the stage for an action-packed ride.

If you’ve ever read this series or really any Urban Fantasy, you’ll know the protagonist rarely gets any downtime, and Mercy is no exception. Even seven books in, I was happy to find that the characters, writing, and plot remain just as strong as when I first started the series. There wasn’t a single lull; I stayed engaged and invested all the way through. I especially enjoyed this plot compared to some of the previous installments, and I liked seeing the mix of both familiar and fresh faces playing active roles in the story.

Now that I’ve finished my re-reads, it’s on to the books I haven’t yet read. I’m excited to see what Briggs has in store for Mercy and the crew.

The Midnight Pack by Jasmine Kuliasha

Title: The Midnight Pack

Author: Jasmine Kuliasha 

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Jericho James # 1

Publication: May 27, 2025, 338 pages

Source: Libby

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Jericho James is in over her head.

She's a Private Investigator famed for debunking mythical creature sightings, and she expects her latest case in Stillbridge, Maine to be just another instance of "town who cried wolf." But instead of finding a poorly judged animal in the Northeastern woods, Jericho discovers a family of reclusive scientists. Handsome scientists, no less, working on a cure for a mystery virus.

Intrigued by the virus and utterly captivated by Benjamin--a man with cheekbones that must have been chiseled by God himself--Jericho finds she's dying to learn more about the family and their work.

And when she accidentally discovers the family's secret, she might just get her wish.

MY THOUGHTS

When I first saw the cover for The Midnight Pack, I literally gasped. It was stunning and the fact that it was a werewolf urban fantasy was an added bonus. I've been reading urban fantasy for as long as I can remember; it's one of my favorite sub-genres. The cover and synopsis both looked and sounded promising. But it saddens me to say that The Midnight Pack unfortunately did not live up to my expectations.

To start, the pitch for this book was completely inaccurate. Beauty and the Beast meets Supernatural? The novel was nowhere near being influenced by Beauty and the Beast. There was ONE line, cheesy as hell and not in a good or funny way. As for the Supernatural comparison, I’m guessing it’s because the main character is a P.I. who takes on bizarre, unexplainable cases? Hard to say. To be frank, I had a lot of issues with The Midnight Pack.

The story begins with Jericho being called to the town of Stillbridge to solve a murder. In the first couple of chapters, she does the usual investigative work' talking to people and witnesses. She gets a tip about a reclusive man in the woods, and on her way to find him, she sprains her ankle and is rescued by his son, Benjamin. For the next 70% of the book, I had to endure endless scenes of Jericho and Benjamin flirting. She stays with him for most of the book, supposedly waiting for her ankle to heal but for someone who's injured, she walks around quite a bit. The murder case is all but forgotten, and whenever Jericho does remember it, she’s quickly distracted by her lust for Benjamin.

Despite being in their late twenties or early thirties, Jericho and Benjamin acted like horny teenagers; immature and ridiculous. The author repeatedly used the word “blushed” to describe their reactions to each other, every few paragraphs and it drove me bonkers.

I wish the werewolf element had been a mystery to the reader, but since it's splashed across the cover, watching Jericho obliviously stumble around the Grey' household, clueless that they’re werewolves, was painful. There was so much missed potential for suspense and discovery, but it was completely undermined by the cover tagline. The worst part of the novel, however, was the romance; it was childish and full of angst. It was instalove in the worst way. They said “I love you” after knowing each other for a week or less. There was no foundation, no buildup; just superficial attraction: she’s hot, he’s hot. If the author had removed the romance altogether, the novel might have been better, but unfortunately, it ends up overshadowing everything and dragging the story down.

There were also numerous plot holes, where things either didn’t make sense or were too easily and conveniently explained, as if the reader was just supposed to accept it and move on. The Midnight Pack was a real chore to get through, but I pushed on just to finish it. I had already invested so much time that I didn’t want to DNF it; though in hindsight, I should have. I do not recommend this book. The Midnight Pack was poorly written, with superficial characters and a subpar plot.

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison

Title: The Good, the Bad, and the Undead

Author: Kim Harrison

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: The Hollows # 2

Publication: 405 pages, January 25, 2005

Source: Personal Library

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It's a tough life for witch Rachel Morgan, sexy, independent bounty hunter, prowling the darkest shadows of downtown Cincinnati for criminal creatures of the night.

She can handle the leather-clad vamps and even tangle with a cunning demon or two. But a serial killer who feeds on the experts in the most dangerous kind of black magic is definitely pushing the limits.

Confronting an ancient, implacable evil is more than just child's play - and this time, Rachel will be lucky to escape with her very soul.

MY THOUGHTS

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead is the second book in the Hollows series, following green witch Rachel Morgan. In this installment, ley line witches are turning up dead, and Rachel is determined to find the killer. She suspects her archnemesis, Trent, whom we met in the previous book. However, Trent turns out to be the least of her concerns, as it seems everyone is after her, including the person hunting down the ley line witches.

I like Rachel as a protagonist, but half the time, she comes across as extremely immature and impulsive. She frequently does reckless things without considering how her actions affect the people around her. That’s not to say she doesn’t care for or love her friends, but she has plenty of lapses in judgment. These mistakes often lead to her screwing up, feeling guilty, and then scrambling to fix the problems she’s caused. Honestly, the book would probably be half as long if she used her head more often.

The overall plot of each book so far feels fairly typical for the urban fantasy genre; a quick, one-and-done case. However, the author does introduce an intriguing history between Trent and the demon Al, which is the main thing keeping my interest. I actually enjoy the dynamic between Rachel and Trent more than with any of the other side characters. Jinx is whatever, and Nick, Rachel’s boyfriend, is a complete bore. Honestly, I hope Rachel dumps him soon; he’s the least interesting character, following Glen and his dad.

I’m interested in continuing this series, but I really hope the author gives Rachel some serious character development...and fast. With 17 books in this series, I’m not sure I can stick with her current personality for the long haul.