Patricia Briggs – Frost Burned

The seventh book in the Mercedes Thompson series, published March 5, 2013.
Genre: urban fantasy
Cover: I wish my book had the American cover, I like those better.



Now that she’s the mate of Alpha werewolf Adam, Mercy Thompson’s life finally seems to be calming down – but not for long. After a traffic accident, Mercy suddenly can’t reach Adam or the rest of the pack. All she knows is that Adam is angry and in pain.
If Adam’s disappearance has anything to do with the werewolves fight for public acceptance, it means the entire pack is in serious danger. Outclassed and on her own, Mercy will have to seek help from an unlikely ally – no matter how grave the consequences.


The book starts with Mercy doing something she would never have thought possible: she is shopping on Black Friday with Jesse, her werewolf husband Adam’s teenage daughter. Jesse is a normal human though. When Jesse spooks her with an innocent question, she wrecks her precious car, a vintage Rabbit. She tries not to show Jesse how sad she is about it as she had that car while still in college. And as her friend Zee is hidden in the Fae reservation, she doesn’t have his help fixing the car again. This time her old Rabbit is truly deceased.
But the strange thing is, when she tries calling someone to come pick them up, she can’t reach anyone from the pack. Finally, they hitch a ride from the tow truck back to her garage, where she finds a strange car in the parking lot, and Gabriel and Ben hiding inside. Ben is one of the pack, and he is wounded and not healing.
When he tells her the pack has been rounded up by some Federal Agents with the same kind of tranquillizer as used before, and that secret was supposed to have died with its inventor!

Mercy needs to stash Jesse somewhere safe, they will surely come for them next. She can’t look after Jesse and Gabriel when she has to rescue Adam and the pack. But first she has to find them. And what has happened to the other non-werewolf spouses of the pack members? Have they been taken as well? She has to get Ben to Samuel, so he can be treated, and then find Adam. Through the mating bond she can feel he is in pain. There is only one choice, she will have to take Marsilia’s brand new Mercedes, as no one will think to look for her in that car. Also as Marsilia is the local vampire Queen, and no friend of Mercy at all, the car is been secured and protected from bullets and magic alike.
Unfortunately, Samuel has been called away by his father, Bran, the Marrok, and won’t be back for days. Ariana, Samuel’s mate, can only help a little, as she is very afraid of werewolves. When Ariana wants to call Samuel, she hears something else on the line and knows her phone has been tapped. Which reminds Mercy to get rid of their cellphones, asap. How else did the Government agents know where to find the werewolves who were not out of the closet yet?

After Ben is treated, Mercy tries to contact Adam through the mate bond. She can rest his mind about herself and Jesse, and finds out what he knows about why they have been kidnapped. They want him to murder a high profile senator who is very much against the supernaturals and wants their rights revoked. Of course that will only work against the werewolves, and Adam does not want to do it, but with the safety of his pack on the line, he will have no choice. They are all pumped full of silver to keep them call and captive, and it won’t be long before some of the weaker wolves will die.

Of course, Mercy will not give up on them, and the next stop is Kyle. With Jesse and Gabriel safely put away at his mother’ apartment, Mercy will need back up, and she calls for her old friend Stephan. Stephan likes Warren and Kyle, and he will help her safe them. They soon discover that Kyle is held captive in his own house, and that there are at least 5 well armed strangers in the house with him. When they overhear that Kyle is about to be tortured, they cannot wait any longer, and Mercy’s reluctance to just kill them all, is overruled. They need to act fast, and now, to safe their friend.

And they will have no choice but to involve the local police in this. They need the public opinion on their side, before they are all killed.


This book is just chock full with action, and plot twists. Even after the pack is rescued, the action doesn’t stop. It never was about the pack after all, something much more devious is behind it. And when Mercy finds that out, she will have no choice but to put her own life on the line, again. She cannot stand by and have innocent people get slaughtered if this mad man wins.

I am always looking forward to reading the next Patricia Briggs book, and as always, it was read way too soon. I was immersed in Mercy’s world right from the start of the book, no catching up time needed. I love the relationship between Mercy and Adam, how she doesn’t back down even though Adam is so much an alpha. I was surprised by the appearance of Asil to help Mercy out, but he was great. It is fun to read about werewolf hierarchy and customs, and how dangerous it can become in a heartbeat.
Mercy is still discovering more about her walker powers, and I enjoyed Zee’s brief appearance in the story. I don’t know what more to tell you, I just like this series a lot and urge you all to start reading it from book 1.

Patricia Briggs has created a great world, filled with all kinds of paranormal beings, some are out of the closet, and others like the vampires, are not. Her characters are kick ass, and the books are filled with action, but there is also room for humor and love and romance.

9 stars.

© 2013 Reviews by Aurian