Review of Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs

 

Review of “Fire Touched” A Mercy Thompson novel by Patricia Briggs

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The ninth book in this series starts to suffer from the weight of the world that Briggs has built. This book revolves around the politics between the Fae and the wolves and vampires that live in the city. The Fae were the focus of books three and five and have had small presences in other books. “Fire Touched” focuses on the politics of the Fae and their home world of Underhill.

The book opens with a troll attack on a bridge, and Mercy and the wolves try to help save civilians. I found this opening to be too drawn out and boring, but it’s the catalyst for a war brewing with the Grey Lords, a council of leaders of Fae kind. Mercy’s old fae friend, Z brings her a young-looking boy that has escaped from Underhill. The boy, Aiden, was a human that looks like a twelve-year-old but has spent centuries in Underhill and developed fire powers.

The Grey Lords want Aiden to be turned over to them, to study why and how he has Fae powers, as well as how he survived and escaped Underhill. The Fae races were cut off from Underhill years ago and long to return. Mercy and Adam help protect Aiden from the Grey Lords, in the mix they met up with a vampire Mercy met in another book, who is traveling with an old Fae woman. The groups met up with the Grey Lords, who state that if Mercy can retrieve an artifact from Underhill, they will give a truce to stay out of the cities.

Mercy and Adam with the guide of Aiden navigate their way through Underhill to retrieve the artifact. Aiden has to face off with Underhill itself, and they trade an unborn life (a chicken egg) in order to be granted permission to leave. The group makes it back and everything works out between the Grey Lords. There is also a small subplot with Babayaga, who gives Mercy advice about dealing with the Fae, like bringing an egg with her. Then it’s revealed that the Babayaga is actually behind a multi-level marketing essential oils company, using real magic in the products.

While there are a few good moments, such as the ending in Underhill, most this book is dull and redundant. This book suffers from too many new characters making it hard to keep track of who is who. None of the Grey Lords make any impression, except the one we met last book. I do like the new older fae woman that just wants to sleep with her vampire protector, but that plot doesn’t really go anywhere. The main plot of Fae politics is also hard to follow because the conflict is thin, and it slows the pacing of the book. I found myself slogging through this one. I kept putting it off and putting it off. It just didn’t capture my interest. It’s not the worst story in the series, the plot is fair but for me it might be the most boring book in the series so far.

I liked getting to see more of Underhill and learning about some of the history of the Fae. I don’t think it was really ever explained how Aiden got fire powers, but it doesn’t have to, I guess. Here's hoping that the next book is better, because I really do like the characters and the urban fantasy world the Patricia Briggs has built.