Patricia BriggsWinter Lost: A Mercy Thompson Novel, Book 14

With clever writing, smart characters, and a delicious plot filled with danger and mystery, WINTER LOST is a definite must-read and a true keeper. I can't wait to see what Patricia Briggs comes up with next!Patricia Briggs does it again, absolutely knocks it out of the park with this fourteenth volume in the Mercy Thompson series. Mercy has faced a lot of danger since mating Adam and joining the pack. It's not enough she's got the lord of all vampires making obscene phone calls while reminding her that her time is short and he's coming for her. She also keeps finding herself involved in other messes, many at the whims of her mercurial father, Coyote, the epitome of the trickster.In this rousing installment, Mercy and Adam go on a quest to figure out who has cursed her brother, Gary. But they find a lot more than danger when they come upon a frost giant, a missing artifact, and a haunted house. There are layers to this story, and the author has given us a clever way of showcasing several characters not involved in the main plot with small interlude chapters, showing us what they are doing (in addition to adding a character or two from a previous story for those who like easter eggs in their stories).The writing is smart, the characters continue to grow in depth and maturity, and the clever plot line continues to impress in its scope and creativity. Here, Mercy and Adam and trapped with strangers in an unfamiliar winter lodge in the middle of nowhere. There is old magic everywhere, and Mercy is still recovering from an incident in a prior book that leaves her vulnerable at times.Again, Briggs does something a lot of other authors don't. She lets her heroine suffer and grow, never a perfect heroine but one worth rooting for. And of course, there's humor and wit in the story, making it all the brighter.For fans of the Mercy Thompson series, this is a must. But newcomers might be a little confused unless they start at the beginning of the series.

Once again, Patricia Briggs has blended urban fantasy, action, suspense, and a little romance into another fantastic novel. Winter Lost is the fourteenth book in the Mercy Thompson series. Mercy, a car mechanic and coyote shapeshifter, is now traveling with her mate, Adam Hauptman, the leader of the Columbia Basin werewolf pack. When Mercy needs to help her half-brother Gary in Montana, they find themselves trapped with strangers at the Looking Glass Hot Springs lodge. This isn't an ordinary storm, and Gary's problem is more than they expected, with ancient magic in play.Mercy is a strong female lead—independent, kind, and humorous. She handles problems her way and doesn't like causing worry, so she sometimes keeps things to herself. Adam, a strong alpha werewolf, supports her despite his temper. Together, they make a powerful team. While the other pack members play minor roles, brief interludes keep us updated on them, though these can slightly disrupt the story's flow.I was quickly drawn back into Mercy’s life. The scenes are vivid and transportive. Briggs is a wonderful storyteller, keeping the pages turning with a great plot, gripping scenes, and strong characters. The plot twists, the pacing is fast, and the mystery culminates in a fascinating conclusion.Overall, this is an excellent urban fantasy novel with great characterization and fantastic world-building. I can’t wait to see where the story goes from here. Fans of urban fantasies, supernatural suspense, and Patricia Briggs will enjoy this series. I recommend reading it in order to fully appreciate the evolving story and characters.

I love the Mercy books. This author is wonderful. It seems she is trying something new. Not sure why… the format distracts immensely from the plot. I do like an occasional shift in POV when it is essential to the story, but when she shifts all over the place to characters we have never met, and the readers don’t understand who they are or where they are coming from in the plot, it is frustrating. To the author: Please stick to your amazing characters and former writing style and leave off all the crazy changes in point of view. Some segments are only a page long. I agree with the other reviewers who say it is like a collection of short stories. Trying something new for the art of it is fine, but I don’t have to like it.Spoilers:The plot overall is very interesting and a little out there. Definitely a change of pace. Stepping out of the Tri-cities was fun. I do love Gary and would like to see more of him and Coyote. Sadly, the Gary issue was suddenly just, POOF, over without any real fight or explanation; it is like he was discarded halfway into the story in favor of Mercy. Shouldn’t there have been some greater sacrifices made by Mercy to free her brother? Yes, finding the harp was part of that deal, but once she found out the real problem, she would have done anything to find the harp ANYWAY to save the world. Yes, I know coyote was messing around, always 5 steps ahead, and he had to plot (in a very complicated and indirect way) to replace Gary with Mercy to get the job done, but that part of the plot just seemed weak. It could have been really great.At least Mercy stopped whingeing about Coyote (instead of Joe Old Coyote) being her father and finally accepted it for what it is. That was a relief.

Witty, clever, and fast paced the story keeps your interest the whole way through. I always love the banter in this series. This story is a wonderful continuation of this series, so well thought out. I always want these to be longer because I hate having to say goodbye to the characters.

I'd say this is more a short story compilation than a novel, and is in between next great book, hopefully, it was ok, not the super interesting stories i'm used to.Although i may say that the others characters were promising a forward in the bookline? Maybe a new pack for Daryl and Auriele? Bonarata being so obssessed with Mercy that he will end dead and who will take his place? The wizard? Stefan?Other than that, meh, too many words for short tales (all the useless interludes) and a main story not super compelling to lead to fixing Mercy, that should have been a novella, not a full novel. I will never read this book again, so...Till next one, i hope that one is better.

I absolutely devoured Winter Lost. Read it cover to cover in 7 hours, which is a bit longer than I typically take to read a Mercy book, however the playoffs are going on and hockey needs watching.Winter Lost fixes a lot of issues the previous book had and explains why Mercy was so out of character. I understand now that Soul Taken and Winter Lost need to be read close together to make the most sense. I had been furious reading Soul Taken, but I had so much fun reading Winter Lost and having Mercy be in character again. Adam seems a bit weird though, but I am chalking that up to what happened in Storm Cursed & Smoke Bitten.I was worried about this book, because the last 2 (Soul Taken, Wild Sign) had left me feeling like maybe I should drop the series. Winter Lost was the deciding factor in whether or not I continue to reach Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega. And I am so glad it was as good as I hoped.

Clearly worse than the rest, it's starting to feel like an avenger movie more than the stories of human and mysterious being we had at the start.I still have hope for alpha and omega, but not that much.Also cringe

It's not easy being Mercy, sometimes. She gets half frozen, bitten, gnawed on, and,.... No spoilers, read it yourself.If you already started the series, you know, there is all kinds of creatures, their shenanigans, magic, and all kinds of other good stuff. Especially humor! In between the mayhem are plenty of moments to smile, chuckle, and lol. The characters in general are likable, lovable, especially Adam and Mercy's pack of werewolves.Patricia Brigg's Mercy Thompson series is well loved by her readers, and rightly so. Start one of the books, and they are hard to put down.Mercy Thompson is a VW-Mechanic, a coyote shape shifter, wife of the alpha of the local werewolf pack, and a Stress-Baker. She is also friends with a Scooby Doo-loving vampire.Heartwarming often, the books are page turners. You love urban fantasy? You need to read them. Get a copy, and after finishing, get the first one, too. Enjoy!

This was a gritty book, gloomiest of the entire series perhaps? But loved every second of it. Werewolves for the win!