Veena’s review of Storm Cursed (MercyThompson, Book 11) by Patricia Briggs
Urban Fantasy published by Ace 07 May 19
This book is all about witches ~ white, grey, and black against a background of politics with Mercy front and center. There’s a lot going on in this book, and if you haven’t read all the books that came before, you might miss some of the links that tie back to earlier books. It’s an intense story, quite a bit darker than a lot of the previous books, with Mercy standing alone against a threat that she can’t quite see and understand. And, if you can believe it, the launching pad is zombie miniature goats…This deep into the series friends and foes are clearly defined. The Columbia basin pack stands on its own, the Fae have retreated to the reservations, and Adam and his senior leadership are conspicuously absent, involved with some top-secret politicking. So it’s left to Mercy to defend the defenseless. I really like how Mercy is finally settling into our role and the female alpha of the pack, smoothing out the ruffled feathers that still need soothing.
Someone definitely does not want an alliance between the US Government and the Gray Lords and will do all they can to sabotage it. It appears the corruption – or maybe it’s fear – goes deep and high within the political infrastructure, and Adam and the pack are caught in the middle of it. I love the tongue-in-cheek nod toward some of our current political scenes.
Coyote, Mercy’s father, gets a lot of air time, as well as her brother making a rare appearance. I enjoyed seeing some open threads from the beginning of the series being closed, even as Mercy learns a whole lot more about her powers. Being Mercy, she’s going to forge some new alliances along the way, that I can see, playing a deeper role in the future with all the old favorites standing by her side as and how they are able to.
All in all, this one is a home run in the series and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.
Grade: A
Summary:
In this powerful entry in the #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.
