> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Book Review: Frost Burned
- URL: https://newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com/book-review-frost-burned/
- Published: 2019-11-16T08:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2024-01-10T23:21:22.000Z
- Author: Ryan Southwick
- Tags: Blog, Book Review

*Frost Burned* is the 7th installment in Patricia Briggs’ *Mercy Thompson* series. I’ve made it this far, which is a testament to Patricia’s world- and character- building skills. That said, *Frost Burned* wasn’t my favorite of the series.

The previous book, *River Marked*, had flowing action, relationship building, history, a mysterious and fantastical antagonist, and expanded on Mercy’s past. It was a fabulous holiday feast for readers hungry for more of the complex world and protagonist Patricia’s woven.

*Frost Burned* did little of the above. While the antagonists were mysterious, they felt shallow. Their transgressions included killing a recurring character. It was explained over and over why Mercy’s pack cared about the murder (i.e. why I should care), but the truth was that it was a minor character, and I had little personal investment. This, unfortunately, set most of the emotional foundations through the rest of the book, riling the pack into action and commiseration, which I had trouble connecting with. Even Stefan, who had finally gotten some much-deserved attention in previous books, felt flat and, if anything, confusing where his character arc was going, and what purpose he served.

Mercy did pull a few cool tricks out of her Walker hat, which furthered explored her atypical mate bond with the pack. We also got a much larger dose of Tad, Mercy’s former garage assistant who had always been a minor character. In this book, Tad acquires the spotlight and earns his Certificate of Badassitude. Long-winded explanations and justifications over plot points and decisions overshadowed these strengths, however, making it hard to get into this book as I had others.

The good news is that book 8, *Night Broken*, is off to a strong start, and will hopefully make up for what I consider a lull in the series.