Winter Lost (Mercy Thompson, #14; Mercy Thompson World, #20) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Jun 26, 2024 Katyana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, shapeshifters, uf, fantasy

This series has been a firm favorite for a very long time. Mercy and Adam are so great that every book is like getting to visit some of my most dear friends, and the entire secondary cast is wonderful. I especially love when Coyote has something afoot, which is most definitely the case here. It gets twisty and convoluted as the story unfolds, but in the best kinds of ways ... because Coyote plays complicated games, that always fall together beautifully.

I've bailed on the A&O spin-off series, sad This series has been a firm favorite for a very long time. Mercy and Adam are so great that every book is like getting to visit some of my most dear friends, and the entire secondary cast is wonderful. I especially love when Coyote has something afoot, which is most definitely the case here. It gets twisty and convoluted as the story unfolds, but in the best kinds of ways ... because Coyote plays complicated games, that always fall together beautifully.

I've bailed on the A&O spin-off series, sadly - I know I'm in the vast minority here, but I don't really like Anna. She's just this perfect combo of self-righteous and naive (in a YA-ish way) that just sets my teeth on edge. That plus the retconning happening in that series really just pushed me away, but again, I know I'm in the minority. I'm only mentioning it for the folks wondering if they HAVE to be current on A&O to follow this series. The answer is: no. I'm not current, and there was no place where I felt like I was missing crucial info or events. So the threads where the two series braid together - and I'm sure they're present, they were in the earlier A&O books that I read - were done subtly enough that they don't feel like a big neon sign in these books screaming "IMPORTANT INFO THAT YOU ARE MISSING HERE!" I feel like that's perfect - a fun bit of extra for the folks reading them both, without ruining the story for folks who aren't.

However, there were details from Mercy's series that I could have used a refresh on, and felt like I was floundering around them for a bit. I remember Bonarata from the book where he kidnapped Mercy to Italy, but not any other appearance in books since then (which is weird to me, because he's such a big presence, but apparently my brain didn't agree). I think that's because there are 2-3 years between books, and some of the details just slide away. Briggs gives you enough of a refresh in this book that you can follow the story, but I was kicking myself for not doing a re-read of the series before hitting this book, honestly. I may do that now.

Only other quibble: I know their split from the Marrok is not as real as they try and make it look to the outside world (and I agree with their reasons - a war between the supe communities would be a disaster), but I missed the little interactions with those characters - Bran the father figure, Charles and Samuel as brother figures, and the overall feeling of a dysfunctional family that has been trying to mend the bonds between them. It was nice, in previous books, having them as even somewhat distant secondary characters (though I miss the Samuel of earlier books, who lived in the Tri-Cities too). That said, I'd rather not have them at all than have to deal with the retconning that goes on about them in the A&O series, so it is what it is.

While this book itself is probably 4-4.5 stars, I gotta give it 5 because this series is a long-time favorite. ...more

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Aug 31, 2024 Mandy Beyers rated it it was amazing

Shelves: urban-fantasy, borrowed

Another solid addition to one of my favorite urban fantasy series, this novel sees Mercy and Adam still dealing with the fall out of the last book while stuck trying to save the world from ending. In this case, a wedding must happen, or Ragnorak will begin. (And if you think the old fae won't make disparaging remarks about Marvel movies, you'd be wrong! Lol) I think the strength of this series comes from the bonds the characters have built over time and Mercy's willingness to save even people wh ...more

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Jul 19, 2024 Connie B rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook

I was so looking forward to this book, I reread 1-13 (actually listened to) but I must say, I was a little disappointed in this one. I NEVER thought I would say that about a Mercy book! But the way the book kept going from one timeline to another made me dizzy! I hope Patricia writes many more Mercy books though!!

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Jun 20, 2024 Kati rated it really liked it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, in-english, work-translations, ebooks, 2024

This was lovely. I loved the multiple POVs and that we got these little side stories about Sherwood and Warren, Gary and Hrímnir, Darryl and Auriele, Baba Yaga and Grandmother Spider... and even Zane. I hope we see Zane again. And Elyna and Jack! So wonderful. Mercy's world is so rich and colorful and every character seems like a real person. ...more

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