Narrated by Lorelei King

I’m a big fan of the Mercy Thompson series (and the Alpha & Omega series too for that matter) but every time there is a new release, I get simultaneously scared and excited. Excited because I love Mercy (and Adam. Mmmm…  Adam…) and scared because what if it doesn’t live up to expectations (and my expectations are HIGH)? But every time, only the excitement is necessary.

Mercy has recovered from the injuries sustained in the events of River Marked and things are calm within the Pack. However, late on Thanksgiving night, Adam and most of the Pack are abducted by a group of men identifying themselves as government agents. Mercy must protect Jesse and the few remaining (non-abducted) Pack members, while trying to work out what’s going on and also while trying to get Adam and the other wolves home safely.

I read the print version of Frost Burned first so the plot was, of course, not a surprise to me. When I read the print book, I was hearing Lorelei King in my head (so strongly do I associate her voice with the series) and I was very much looking forward to what she was going to add to the mix. I suppose I did enjoy the audiobook a little bit less than the print version but that was only because I had already read it (and not very long ago). When it comes to Mercy T, I will inhale any version I can get my hands on. More than once.

The plot was very intricate but not difficult to follow and, as usual, action-packed. What I adore about this series is the fact that although Adam is the Alpha of the Columbia Basin Pack and completely in charge, he doesn’t overshadow Mercy. In the same way, Mercy’s kickassedness (I made up a word) is not diminished by Adam’s authority. This is so very cleverly done. Adam never looks weak but Mercy often saves the day all on her own. She’s clever and resourceful and also, very lucky. This last is something that worries Adam a lot, as luck is something which runs out.

As a bonus for Adam fans, there are TWO chapters from Adam’s POV. Patricia Briggs is able to convey the depth of feeling Adam has for Mercy with really only a few words. And Lorelei King, with the deep growly rumble that is Adam’s voice, adds another layer to them. Swoon. Ms. King’s narrative voice remains the same (perhaps slightly deeper to help convey the POV shift) in these chapters – I had been wondering if she would use Adam’s voice as narrator. But, as the Adam bits are in third person, it wasn’t necessary and I imagine Adam is hell on her vocal chords anyway so who can blame her?

While there is no Samuel in the book (sadly), Mercy is assisted by Asil (who features more prominently in the Alpha & Omega series – if you haven’t read/listened to it – do so), a very old werewolf who is clever and strong but also a little unhinged. Asil’s accent was supposed to be Spanish, I believe, but it sounded more like Stefan and Marsilia’s accents and for all three, they did occasionally drop out just a little bit when they were talking (and slipped into an American accent). And I love the way Ms. King depicts Warren and Kyle and even though they (Warren in particular) didn’t have HUGE parts in the book, their deep love for one another is also very evident.

One of the niggles I had in print didn’t present itself in audio format. The book contains some long and convoluted sentences – I found myself having to re-read them in print but in audio, Ms. King parsed the text so that I understood on the first go round. It wasn’t that I had read it before; my memory isn’t quite that good. I didn’t have to rewind to understand anything – the only rewinding I did was when people were (rudely!) interrupting my listening pleasure to ask me about such mundane things as school drop off or dinner.

As usual, the production values were high quality and there was only one, maybe two, vocal errors I picked up. Also Lorelei King can say “CAGCTDPBT” really really fast without getting tongue-tied.

Ms. King’s narration made me a bit emotional right at the end. In print, I got a lump in my throat; in audio there was also the sting of tears. And that, right there, is why I love audio.

Editors note: If you want to read more of Kaetrin’s thoughts on Frost Burned, check her print review here. 

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