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Fire Touched
Fire Touched
Fire Touched
Audiobook10 hours

Fire Touched

Written by Patricia Briggs

Narrated by Lorelei King

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

Mercy Thompson has been hailed as “a heroine who continues to grow and yet always remains true to herself.”* Now she’s back, and she’ll soon discover that when the fae stalk the human world, it’s the children who suffer.…

Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae.

Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans, and the fae, Mercy, Adam, and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?

*Library Journal

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMar 8, 2016
ISBN9781455820153
Fire Touched
Author

Patricia Briggs

#1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs lives in Washington State with her husband, children, and a small herd of horses.

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Reviews for Fire Touched

Rating: 4.336486572972973 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

740 ratings38 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Continuing adventures of Mercy and the pack. As always with reference back to the previous book, but little actual progression as such.Having rescued a boy fromt the fae, Mercy declares the Tri-Cities her pack's terroritary with guest rights to any who claim it (and abide by it). Given that the fae and the vampires both also claim the area, this seemed somewhat bold. And now the pack have to abide by it. Adam lays down the law and everybody seems slightly happier. The fae are always about bargains and politics though with motive a very complex beast. I still feel there is occasional re-conning of previous books happening, Underhill being just a place previously, but now seems to be both a place and a person.Still fun though. Could actually stand to be longer, but it's always a balance between padding t he plot with character development and keeping th backstory ongoing and consistant.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I love the interaction of the characters as well as the story line! While things happen around Mercy, she doesn't start them; she does however end them - one way or another.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another great instalment in the series.
    I’m really enjoying these books and the audio versions are great!
    The story is also getting more and more mind blowing! What an amazing imagination Patricia must have.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Trouble is brewing between werewolves and fairies. Mercy's safe little world is exploded when she learns that a troll is tearing apart a local suspension bridge. It seems that Zee and his son Tad have escaped from their Fey captors and left the reservation. The troll was part of an attempt to recover them, but also a blatant power play intended to discourage interference. Mercy, Adam, and their wolves kill the beast but the pack's newest member, Joel, loses control and is within inches of attacking his friends when an odd boy calms him. It seems that along with Zee and Tad, this boy, Aiden, has escaped from the fairies. He was held captive in Underhill for hundreds of years. His time there has left him "fire-touched". He is able to control flame even though he is still only human. The Fey want him back, as he holds the key to bringing peace with Underhill. Mercy isn't about to turn over a scared child to the Fey, even if he is several centuries old. The pack offers him protection and as a result are on the verge of starting a war. It will be up to Adam and Mercy to negotiate a truce with the Fey or face the devastating consequences of a supernatural war in rural Washington state.Like so many of the recent additions to this series, this novel felt rushed, low stakes, and almost pointless. It had the feel of a friend recounting the events of a movie. We jump from scene to scene without any plot development and there's very little suspense as we are always confident that our heroes will be victorious. None of the scenes seem inter-related or important. Any of them could have been dropped out or their order switched around without affecting the plot at all. A lot of the different characters are starting to get super irritating too. The fact that basically every other woman in these novels hates Mercy and is super catty, petty, and jealous of her is now bordering on the absurd. This whole thing with how Adam is the most gorgeous man and everyone want to be with him and can't believe that Mercy managed to snag him is nauseating. I don't care what he looks like, he's not the only man in the world. Also, he has a teenage daughter, a crazy ex-wife, and about thirty semi-permanent house guests. He has BAGGAGE. I don't care what he looks like, he's not an attractive life partner. I'd have divorced him too, and the fact that his ex is still hanging around making his life miserable is super unlikely. I'd have run for the hills.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Well written, well developed and fun. Mercy is a strong female character who has compassion for those around her. She takes in stray's and makes them her own, she doesn't want to be the cause of anyone elses pain and this is difficult for her often. With the help of her mate Adam and a host of other colorful characters she shows that beauty and being female does not make you weak. I love this series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was shorter and less climactic than I was expecting. I guess I was getting used to Mercy getting injured all the time in all her hero-escapades. She's still one of my favorite heroines, but she seemed a little two dimensional in this latest volume, not at all like the bad ass she was in the last volume Night Broken. I'm chalking it up to a 'middle book' slump. Because the next book is already scheduled to come out next March and it looks like that one is going to be a good one. Fingers crossed. I still enjoyed this story and of course I loved all the characters, but there seemed to be something missing here. PS. I love the cover art on these books.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Love the reader. Makes everything flow so well. Great job!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Each book gets better! Love the narrator of the story!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Liked it so much, I read twice back to back. I love how Briggs balances the larger story with the episodic kick-ass adventure. I love the characters. I love the setting. I love the weird political negotiations with Fae. Yeah, I got nothing here except Awesome! What's next? Please don't ever stop writing these, I look forward to them all year.

    And the image of Mercy on the bridge brandishing the walking stick and defying the Fae is just one of my favorite things ever.

    Update: read 3 times so far. The audio book versions are good, too!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It was better than the last one. Dealing with the fae, Briggs brought back some of the characters I liked and missed. And we may have finally resolved the Mary Jo problem, so yay for that. I still like this series more than Alpha and Omega.

    So many characters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This one felt like it was more talking and politics than earlier books in the series, but there is still plenty of action and adventure.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The latest book in the series in not a good place to start and it is better if you have read both the Mercy books and the Anna & Charles books. The pack gets a call for help with a troll on a bridge in the Tri Cites. Wen Zee and Tad arrive on the scene bringing a human boy that control fire the war with the Fay starts to heat up. The story is very fast paced in this book and things resolve themselves quickly. There were touches of humor that I really liked with Adam and Mercy’s marriage that did lighten the tone. By the end of the story it should be interesting to see where the story in this goes next. As a bit of a spoiler it might be a good thing if you have read all of the short stories set in this universe since some more people are involved with the plot and they have a walk-on during the story as well.

    Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fire Touched, the ninth instalment of Patricia Briggs urban fantasy series featuring Mercy Thompson, begins with a naked troll released by the Fae Gray Lords, creating havoc on a Tri-Cities bridge. Leaping to the defence of the city, Mercy, Adam and the pack engage in a fierce battle to end the rampage, and wind up indebted to a boy seeking refuge from the fae.Providing sanctuary to Aiden, a once human boy who is now something Other after having spent years in Underhill, puts the pack in direct conflict with not only the Gray Lords who want him back, but also the humans who fear a supernatural war, and the most powerful werewolf pack in the country.In addition Adam and Mercy must finally take a stand against the members of the pack who have been unhappy about the influence Mercy wields as Adam’s mate. It’s imperative the pack is united if they are going to survive.Action packed and fast paced, Fire Touched is another entertaining and creative story. Though some fans have expressed discontent with the focus on the fae of late, It seems as if the author is bringing this thread to a close. As always, I’m already impatient for the next adventure for Mercy, and her friends.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was the best Mercy book yet. Right from the start I knew it was going to be great book- it started with a dose of humour, then dived right into the action. Mercy really shined in this one. Not necessarily because of any specific heroic feat, but just as a person. The writing was very smooth, it jumped up a few levels from the writing in its predecessors. We got a good look at pack magic, and very few vampire interactions- I was very ambivalent about the earlier books, mostly because they were too vamp-focused. This time the pack and the fae squared off, and it was pretty brilliant. We had all the best characters involved in this one- Tag, Zee, Jesse (more Jesse please!), and we had a few intriguing new characters introduced who look like they might stick around for a while. Good job Patricia Briggs!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Oh my goodness! I can't think in complete sentences so this review is going to be choppy.
    I love this series.
    So Adam finally FINALLY!! Sets the pack straight! And I know Mercy didn't like it but it sooo needed to happen. I love that their relationship is kinda real! And that they make mistakes but then talk about them. (As real as you're going to get in an urban fantasy with werewolves and mating bonds LOL)
    I love that Honey doesn't hate Mercy.
    I still really really REALLY! Hate Christy.
    I really hope Sunshine/maggie and Mercy get to be friends and we get to see them in the future
    I think my heart kinda broke a bit with Brann.
    Sooo sad about the walking stick.
    Lol about Baba Yaga and MLM!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read Fire Touched when it first came out, so this is my second time reading it. I seemed to remember not loving it at the time, and reading it again just confirmed that for me. It certainly wasn't a chore to read it again, but it just didn't thrill me, despite the fact that it had a lot of things going for it. There were some interesting plot developments, with the fae withdrawal taken in a direction that I hadn't anticipated, but which made a lot of sense. The book introduced a new character, Aiden, who I'm happy to see more of. It also re-introduced some characters I was glad to meet again—Thomas Hao, who appeared in Frost Burned and one of my favourite short stories from Shifting Shadows, Alistair Beauclaire, and Baba Yaga, who first appeared all the way back in Bone Crossed.I think maybe there were too many things going in this book, and not enough time to really explore them properly. There was the introduction of Aiden and his trauma, there was the "what's going on in Underhill" plot, there was the intrigue among the Gray Lords, there was the Troll attack to investigate, there was the Thomas Hao and Margaret subplot, there were the ongoing developments in the Pack…just too many things going on, none of them developed as fully as they might have been, leaving the book feeling a bit empty despite its abundance of events. A slight let-down, but still a must-read for anyone who likes the series!P.S. Am I the only one who finds the title of this book confusing? Yes, the plot mostly hinges on Aiden, who is called "the fire touched" within the novel, but his abilities with fire made much less of an impression on me than those of the volcano-god from the previous book. It doesn't help that this book's cover has what I assume is a tibicena on it. Both the title and cover feel like they ought to belong to the Guayota book (whose title, Night Broken, has never seemed to have much to do with the book's plot.)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Who knew trolls were brightly coloured down there. Something to keep in mind during your next internet argument.

    Adam and Mercy's pack is quickly becoming the go-to problem solving group. Vampire dispute: call the pack. Wayward fae: call the pack. Troll rampaging on a bridge in town and threatening to kill everyone: call the pack. Since that isn't happening anywhere else, Mercy claims the Tri-cities as their territory and any and all are under their protection. Only took a few seconds for someone to take up the protection offer and give them another headache in the form of a fire-touched human hunted by the fae.

    This instalment in the Mercy Thompson series sees some of the older conflicts resolved, only to be replaced by new conflicts as the importance of the Columbia Basin pack in the wider world grows. The way Patricia Briggs has gradually grown the Mercy's world, and the characters who live within it, has felt natural, whilst upping the stakes. Of course now that I'm up-to-date with the series, I have a fortnight to wait for the next instalment to be published.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Mercy's b-a-c-k and we're back to the storyline expected of series. The last couple of books ... just weren't Mercy or Adam. Not really much more to say in a review that I haven't already said in reviews of this series.Adam does finally step up.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another really excellent installment in the Mercy Thompson series. Lots of great characters, lots of great supernatural action and some very scary fae, lots of heart-warming dynamics of loyalty, love, protection, heroism, bravery, fighting the good fight.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Maybe my favourite of the nine books so far. It was fast-paced, a little bit breathless and everybody pulled their heads out of their... and started acting like a unit instead of a roomful of kids hyped up on too much birthday cake. Fire Touched took a page of out Zee's book of philosophy and played no games; there weren't any sly plots on the side, no melodramatic angst, no misapprehensions or misunderstandings. It was a welcome change to have a story where Mercy and Adam worked together from beginning to end. I loved that Zee got a lot more page-time and I think it might be a little wrong how much I liked Baba Yaga's character. These two and Margaret's cameo made up for the absence of Samuel and the small bit with Bran (although I loved this scene, with Charles playing invisible chorus). I'd have liked to have known more about Aiden's power (how it works) and his past, although I did enjoy learning a bit more about Underhill and, I don't know if the author intended this or not, I liked the allegory of mankind's treatment of Earth. At the end of the book, I had a feeling it lacked a very small something, but on thinking about it, I think that's more about my expectation of side plots and melodrama (because let's face it, that's pretty much SOP in most books) going unfulfilled than anything of substance actually missing. I went 4.5 stars because as much as I really enjoyed the plotting, the writing and the characters, fae politics just aren't that fascinating to me, and that's purely personal taste. I'm looking forward to seeing what Briggs does next.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Well, you know what you're getting with this series, but it's better than the last few.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    4 "Its a Brave New World" Stars for the story and 5 stars for the narration! True to form, Mercy Thompson proves what she does best in Fire Touched. That is fight for those who need protection--no matter what the cost. Perhaps even more surprising, is the lengths to which Adam goes in this new installment to show his support for the woman he loves. And, as always, rounding out this delicious, suspense, and action filled urban fantasy, is Lorelei King's superb narration. Please note this series must be read in order, and the below review may contain spoilers for prior books in the series. If you have not yet made your way all the way to Fire Touched, book 9 (and I suggest you quickly remedy that!), please see my review for the applicable title you are presently on.Tensions among and between the various supernatural beings and the humans inhabiting Mercy Thompson's world are definitely running hot. Fire Touched does a fantastic job of combining all of these supernatural forces (fae, vampires, trolls, and shifters) that have been introduced in previous books to bring this urban fantasy suspense-filled plot to a new power struggle quandary which could have very devastating consequences for everyone, including Mercy and Adam and their pact. Adding further heat to the fire is the return of Adam's, human, ex-wife (Christy). As those of you who read Night Broken (Book 8) know, there is no love lost between Mercy and Christy--and Christy doesn't seem totally over Adam or the safety that being an alpha's mate could provide her.Can Mercy do "the right thing" and protect the love of her life, his ex-wife, and her pact? Moreover, will Adam stick with Mercy when it could mean the end of his world as he has ever previously known it?Ms. Lorelei King's narration further complements the story. Providing an incredible consistency of voice for the multitude of characters that have been previously introduced in the prior 8 books, Ms. King manages to personify and be the voice of many of these characters who once again reappear in Fire Touched. Not only does this make it remarkably easy to know which character is talking--even without having to rely on dialogue tags--but it gives the listener the comfort feeling of settling in to a well loved story where the characters make one feel like one is coming home again to a well-loved and secret fantasy world, making it seamless to just sit back and enjoy Ms. Brigg's clever and action-packed story. All in all, lovers of the Mercy Thompson series will not want to miss this latest installment. Additionally, I believe it is pivotal if you want to continue with this series to listen to Fire Touched as a number of potentially series changing events take place ensuring that an understanding of future books will necessarily necessitate listening to this one.Incredibly after 9 books, I'm still in it for the long-haul. I can't wait for book 10, Silence Fallen. My only lament is that I will have to wait until next year to listen to it as the expected publication is 2017! Source: Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Nice. A pretty standard Mercy - that is, things are going wrong and it's all landing on her doorstep. The whole business with the Fae withdrawing is coming to a climax, and the triggers are starting with her and Adam's territory and with various allies and friends of hers. We get to see Zee and Tad again, and Thomas Hao and Margaret show up (I loved their short story, great to see them (as a pair) crossing with Mercy). Lots of old connections affecting the latest action. Oh, and Adam finally tells his pack to stop ragging on Mercy; the next one who attacks her, verbally or otherwise, is out of the pack. She objects, but one of her regular opponents comments that some people need to "shut their mouths in order to open their minds" - and he may be one of them. It's a weird moment, but it feels like werewolf culture versus normal human culture - they've been allowed to treat her casually/disrespectfully a little too long, by Pack standards (Adam's pack, at least). There's not much visible effect in this book, it may (probably will) echo on through the rest of the series. Mercy is changing the Pack...but the world is changing around them, too, and Mercy's Pack may be much better suited than the way they used to be. Worth reading, probably worth rereading later on.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Patricia Briggs has delivered another great Mercy Thompson story. I have been hooked on this series from the beginning. I couldn't put this book down, I love all the characters and enjoyed meeting new ones. My only regret is in how fast I finished this book. Now I have to wait for another one.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Tensions are rising in the Tri-Cities. The fae have retreated to their hidden reservations but have let very dangerous fae escape. Humans are wondering what they will do next.Mercy and Adam come to be at odds with the Marrok when they provide a safe haven for a young human boy who has escaped from Underhill and when they declare that the Tri-Cities are under their protection. Aiden spent a long time Underhill and was given some powers to help him cope. But now Underhill is unhappy and wants him back and a variety of fae, all with their own agendas, want to give him back.Mercy and Adam are unwilling to give this person, who looks like a child, into a situation that he fears. The Grey Lords have different plans. As a matter of fact, many different factions of Grey Lords all seem to have different plans. Adam and Mercy have to deal with the ones who have plans that will bring harm to humans or werewolves.Mercy gets to spend time with a number of the fae that she knows and likes and a few that she can actually trust.This story was more about political maneuvering than it was about battles though there were a couple of those too. And Mercy did have a few occasions when she could let her snarky side out.Fans of the series won't want to miss this one.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    4.5 stars- Mercy steps up in the pack and Adam finally grows a pair. Yes, I said that, Adam has has a deflated sack and you know it too. Happy Happy Happy, that was the feeling I had while joining them on their adventure. I'm not going to tell you anything about the story. Don't ruin the surprise by looking for spoilers ! I will tell you that a certain stick comes back and does amazing things. A few favorite characters that left come back. There are several new additional characters to the series that are fabulously complicated. Adam and Mercy are still smexy hot and romantic, and stubborn. It was fun, a stay up all night reading book. I can't wait to see where it goes with the new characters. Now I am off to listen to the audiobook version.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    As this series goes on, I'm liking it less and less. It's still entertaining, but trying to remember which monster Mercy took down is getting harder. There is just something about Briggs' plots that make them hazy and indistinct. For instance, I still don't remember the character Joel from the previous book. However the relationship between Mercy and Adam is the bedrock upon which this series rests and they are great together.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    *Book source ~ NetGalleyMercy Thompson is the wife to Adam Hauptman, Alpha werewolf of the Columbia Basin Pack and she’s a Walker who can shift into a coyote. She can see ghosts, has a nose for magic and has the knack of making friends, allies and enemies wherever she goes. In this novel, while dealing with every day Pack business, she and the Pack suddenly have to deal with a troll. But the troll is not a run-of-the-mill problem. They come to find out the troll is the shot across the bow from the Fae. Mercy and the Pack have given refugee to a boy who has escaped Underhill and the Fae want him back. As if Mercy’s life wasn’t complicated enough, now they have a possible war with the Fae to prepare for.Mercy Thompson is back and better than ever. I was getting worried, as each book produced a Big Bad that was bigger and badder than those that came before, that this series may be writing itself into a corner. However, Patricia Briggs brought things back home and gave me a look into what it’s like to belong to the Columbia Basin Pack and having a husband like Adam. While there is a tense and potentially fatal situation developing between humans, the Pack, and the Fae, there is no single Big Bad to up the stakes yet again. In any volatile situation there are going to be factions and this tale shows how things can go from bad to worse to good again, how to negotiate (especially with the tricky Fae) and how to make the most of your connections. I also am glad that a situation in the pack that was driving me crazy is finally resolved. As with every story so far in this series, this book has everything I love: paranormal situations and characters, humor, depth, action, great dialogue and steaminess. I love every bit of it and I look forward to more Mercy books.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent installment in the Mercy Thompson series. There were some fresh twists and turns in the the maneuvering with the Fae and the characters continue to grow yet remain true to themselves. The author has also added a couple of new characters that I hope to see more of.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When the book opens, everyone's favorite pack needs to save their territory from a troll, sent by the Fae. Which almost leads to the war everyone was trying to stop. Mercy and her marry band of wolves, I mean pack, start to run around trying to find a solution to the problem they kinda started (but then they would not have left the troll to kill people no matter what). Add Tad and Zee who show up again after escaping the reservation (and Zee is not very happy with his ex-captors), Baba Yaga makes an appearance (and saves the day more than once) and Adam and Mercy and the pack take in a stray boy (who almost leads to a war with the Fae as well). Aiden, the fire touched, once was a normal boy. But then he got caught in Underhill and is now a human with the power of fire... amazing powers of fire, not so amazing control. He also escaped the reservation and the Fae really wants him back - not because they care about him but because he is the conduit to Underhill. And they won't stop at nothing to get him. Even when the pack gives him protection. Throw in another powerful Fae that comes out from nowhere and a bit of the usual angst with Bran and we have a pretty solid Mercy Thomson novel. I was missing Sam and Ariana though (they were dispatched to Europe before the novel and were not back yet by the end).