4 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2019/08/26/storm-cursed-mercy-thompson-11-by-patricia-briggs/
Ahh Mercy, I wonder how much you’re wishing you could turn back time and maybe not announce that everyone in your territory falls under the protection of the pack! Hindsight. Yes, things are spiralling for Mercy and her pack. Instead of the region feeling safe Mercy’s declaration seems to have brought nothing but bad attention and this instalment is another fine example of just how much the stakes are being raised. Although miniature goat zombies – they were kind of cute. Sorry, but they were.

I’d had a bit of a break in the Mercy series and fell behind but have had a recent burst of reading and have now caught up with the latest release. I’ve really enjoyed the return to the world and to the people and this instalment is no exception, although I confess I loved No.10 which saw Mercy completely out of her comfort zone and also gave Adam some page time.

If you haven’t read the rest of the series and intend to start then take this as fair warning that spoilers may be contained in this review.

This series definitely feels like it’s going to take a turn on the dark side. This instalment involves lots of bloodshed when powerful witches try to gain the attention of the pack. There are surprises in store for Adam and the key to everything seems to revolve around the proposed meeting between those humans in authority who want to meet with the powerful fae grey lords.

I have to say, in fact, that things get pretty serious in this one. There are zombies running amok and some of them are not cute goats. These witches mean business and they’re not at all related to Glenda the Good. These witches are bad. Black magic practitioners, they’ve turned to the dark side in search of power and they’ve crossed the line so many times that the line is now a dot in the distance which they can never return to. There is a serious takeover challenge on Elizaveta’s turf – I’m talking about really serious. These witches are not taking prisoners and in fact have a bigger goal in mind. I won’t say more.

I really enjoyed this instalment, maybe not as much as Silence Fallen, but still fast paced and fraught with danger and I really enjoyed returning to this, I think my short holiday from the storyline gave me a new love for the characters. And to be honest, the characters are what really make this series. I’m attached to them and I care what happens and in this story I was genuinely worried.

That’s not to say I didn’t have a couple of issues. Nothing major but, for example, this does feel a little like a bridging book. Mercy has unwittingly brought down trouble – although to an extent you can’t help feeling that it was inevitably going to come out anyway with or without Mercy’s intervention, but, at the moment, there is a real sense of things building, and even with all the drama and excitement you can feel that it’s all leading to something else – a big showdown that will make everything that came before look like child’s play perhaps. Also, I think there were too many diversions in this one – it felt a little like I was being pulled in too many directions. That being said, I loved the involvement of some of my firm favourites.

Overall, I’m loving this series, of course not every book is going to be equal, this is book No.11 after all so some are going to stand out more than others. But, taking this series as a whole, looking at the sum of its parts, the growth in terms of character arcs and world development – then this is not just an entertaining and fast paced series that keeps pulling out the stops but it’s also impressive in its vision. I’m filled with equal measures of anticipation and dread to see what PB puts these characters through next.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

The plot was good, evil witches and all. The suspense in the beginning was intriguing. The zombie goats and the curious case of Elizaveta's dead family actually had me hooked. I particularly enjoyed Sherwood's fight with the zombie wolf. So, basically, yeah, a lot of good ingredients. I liked the part where Mercy lived though the cat's memories. Wolfe was also very entertaining at the end. Zee and Tad scenes were also intriguing. Stefan was the only character who seemed to have so little to do. In fact, he was almost a no-event.

Adam came across as very lack luster despite him being the alpha. I expected something more from him. He was just another character and nothing alpha about him.

But I liked several scenes like the dragon one, Sherwood's mystery, Zee's talent, Wolfe's entry at the end. I just thought Death could be a little more sinister than just being like a Kardashian. The witches were, as Elizaveta said, really stupid and they could have put a much better fight. Makes me wonder how they took over Adam.

So, overall a 3 from me. So many good things, but Adam and the end were a let down for me.

It’s 11th Mercy’s book, and it’s still not boring! Wow
And there are still those who want the power that Mercy and Adam’s pack have!

Briggs knows how to write a story that is packed with action, but same time it’s not too busy, it still has some pretty descriptions about nature and landscape, just to illustrate the magical moonlit night when Mercy wants to surprise Adam, or the heinous landscape when Mercy crawls to rescue her friends from torturing witches. And this time the story is stretched to couple of days, instead of the usual 24 hours. But it’s only natural, since Mercy needs time to heal from being flattened by the house. And as usual, the story is filled with humor and fantastical characters and surprises. It’s intensive and compelling.

Next please!

Ms Briggs can surely write a book that will keep you reading till late in the night.
It was the first I read in this series and I was hooked after a few pages and couldn't put it down.
Even if it's not the first in this series I didn't find hard to understand the plot and the characters even if I'm curious about a troll on a bridge.
This book is brilliant, fun to read and engaging. It has everything I expect from a good urban fantasy.
It's well written, the cast of characters is likable and fleshed out, the plot is amazing, fast pace and full of twists and turns.
I will surely look for the other books in this series because I want to understand what happened before and read other very good books like this one.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I had not read any of the Mercy Thompson series before and l think this made the first part of the book confusing working out the characters and their place in the story. The second half really revved up and l really enjoyed the battles.
I enjoy werewolves stories and with trolls, witches and vampires this is a story well worth persevering with. If you have read other stories in the series l think this will be a must read for you.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

So this is another work of brilliance from Briggs. Definitely not a book for the beginner but for those of us who are invested it continues to deliver.

Mercy is living her life, dealing with an overprotective pack and a new garage to run. in her designated ‘protector of the city’ role she also has to deal with seemingly unconnected incidents. A goblin, dealing with which brings an appearance from Larry aka the Goblin King, zombies and politicians who wNt to meet the fae. However it turns out there is witchcraft involved, the Hardesty witches having failed to get a hold on Bran have come a calling bringing with them death and destruction along with my favourite invention Miniature Zombie Goats!

This packs the punches whilst rolling with them in a deft and light tone that brings the funny at times. One passage i highlighted as i laughed out loud
‘You know you’re in a hotbed of agriculture when there is a traffic jam at four in the morning on a gravel road.’
I continue to care about all our growing cast and just wish this had more Ben!

I will admit to being a million per cent biased, I adore Patricia Briggs and I don’t think she can do any wrong, well she hasn’t for me yet and this book is no exception, another thrilling instalment in the Mercy Thompson series. Fast paced action you don’t want to put down, sassy characters, strong characters and great books, you’ll find it all here.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

What can I say - the Author has produced yet another OUTSTANDING book in the Mercedes Thompson Hauptman series .

After her kidnapping Mercy was hoping that things would be a bit quieter - she could go back to her everyday life as a motor mechanic …………… wishful thinking .
She finds that the world is getting stranger by the day ……………… pygmy zombie goats , zombie cows , cats , dogs and squirrels ……………… witches are involved , just not her local ones .
Adam has been tasked with providing security/protection for a meeting between The Fae Grey Lords and US Politicians ( much against his will ) and Mercy has been drawn in to provide the site for the meeting .
Who can they trust as old allies are revealed to be 'dark' and old enemies come to the rescue in the battle to save the day . We see unexpected deaths and a 'lesser' character reveals he is something much , much more
than they he seems .

This was another superb book in this series with the Author maintaining her usual high standards of storytelling and worldbuilding . I love the complexity of the characters and storylines and cannot wait ( although I will have to ) for the next books in the various series .

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

How does Patricia Briggs do it? Installment eleven, Mercy and Adam are married and yet the writing is as gripping and enthralling as ever. After the last book where Mercy and the Columbia Basin werewolf pack took a stand to defend humanity against the fae there has been an uneasy peace.

Now Adam has been forced into providing protection to US politicians in a meeting with the Gray Lords of the fae while Mercy is fighting zombie pygmy goats and a coven of witches who are looking to take over. As old allies reveal themselves to be something else Mercy must make alliances with old enemies in order to protect the peace and the citizens she has claimed as her territory.

This has absolutely everything I have come to expect from Patricia Briggs, intricate plotting, a large cast of characters old and new, humour, love, tragedy, suspense. She weaves her story so effortlessly, sweeping the reader along in her wake breathless and hanging on her every word. I truly wanted to read this slowly and savour every sentence, analyse every scene and probe every ulterior motive. Instead I read this book at breakneck speed, barely able to put the book down to do my job.

I only gave it four stars because I thought it could have been waaaaay longer, I wanted to carry on reading for hours and hours. I'm still reeling from the first and last deaths, so different and both made me sad. Where does Mercy go from here?

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Storm Cursed, A Mercy Thompson novel, Patricia Briggs

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Sci-fi and Fantasy

My all time favourite fantasy author, others come close but she's still Queen of Fantasy for me, so when I saw this I just had to request it.
I've read and reread all the books multiple times and even now find things I've missed on previous readings. Its a fabulous series, and unlike some that go on to become long running but tired, its still as fresh as the first one.
Each story is complete but part of a long term story arc.

What I love about good authors is the way they bring in what I think of as story seeds, the little hints that are easy to miss, that become part of bigger plots further down the line, sometimes books later.
Sherwood Post is one of those, we met him a few books back, he's grown in person as we meet him more and he plays a big part in this book. Being a fellow leg amputee I have a real soft spot for him, and it was great to slowly see more of him in this story.
He's had a tangled history with witches, can't recall his past but retains an awful lot of instinctive fear about witchcraft, so its probably a psychiatric issue more than physical one but who knows? The brain is a curious organ. Where usually werewolves can regrow body parts, his leg presumably was spelled in some way and hasn't regrown. I feel for his struggles, and although he has a below knee amputation and mine is most of my leg his struggles are real. Patricia clearly either knows someone like this or has done research because unlike in so many books ( Horse Whisperer anyone?) Sherwood's physical issues with his missing limb and prosthesis are genuine. I know, having struggled over the same things. In fact when he talks about his socket for his prosthetic I knew exactly what he meant, it was suggested as possibly suitable for me by a doctor in the early days, and though my prosthesist disagreed he made one anyway, so I could try and he was right. It was incredibly comfortable and perfect for those only missing below knee, but for people like me the weight of a whole limb was too much, and it just wouldn't stay on :-( I love that Patricia didn't just give Sherwood a false limb, but made it the right sort for him. Small touches but those are what make her books so incredible to read for me. I can believe in them, can believe in the weird and wonderful types of folk she dreams up.

Once more its am amazing story, full of suspense and yet lightened with touches of humour ( nudge!!). I love that she brings in so many parts of past stories, and weaves them seamlessly with the current one. So here we've Mercy and the wolves still dealing with her perhaps rash proclamation, but the right thing to do, offering protection to the inhabitants of the Tri-cities. That brings in everyone in this story, the Pack, Elizaveta and her family, the vampires, and of course the Fae, including my much admired Zee and Tad. Zee's actions here reminded me very much of his earth affinity that allowed Mercy and the others into Underhill several books back. I enjoy that kind of continuity.

Wulfe is in this story a lot towards the end and I'm kind of confused about how I feel over him. He's a real mix, we've seen his seemingly uncaring, blase attitude to his menagerie, and to humans in general, his lack of loyalty to the seethe possibly in the Frost book, or maybe he was playing a long game, his strange abilities as the Wizard, and yet he seems to have a thread of doing the right thing running through. Is it because of morals ( unlikely) or just that it appeals to his sense of fun, his fondness for causing change, stirring things up? A bit like Coyote you never quite know whats behind their mechanisms. I guess its part of that long, hundreds- maybe thousands- of years of life, they like entertainment to relieve the ennui that affects some.

Mercy, well, I've loved her character right from the start, overlooked so, so often by Wolves, Witches, Fae and humans, yet she's incredibly intelligent, with the strong sense of morals that guides her, and somehow gets others doing whats right. Adam ( swoon) has always seen her value though, and respects her even while he's terrified for her as she veers into life changing difficulties. He knows that while he's love to keep her wrapped up safely away from danger that's not who she is, and their relationship would suffer so he respects her decisions and always has her back.
I hope she and the others have got lots more stories to come, this world Patricia has created and its evolution can take much more yet before the story gets old.

Stars: five of course. Another riveting read, taking me on a wonderful journey into another world. A book to get lost in, to leave reality for a few hours and immense myslef in the Tri-cities and its inhabitants.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publisher