werewolves

Blind Date with a Werewolf

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Blind Date with a Werewolf: A Novel in Stories by Patricia Briggs

This is a treat for Briggs fans and readers of paranormal fiction. Set in the Pacific Northwest, present day, featuring werewolf Asil Moreno. Asil is set up on five blind dates during the winter holiday season by “your concerned friends”.

Asil is very, very old, powerful, and lonely. His main hobby is growing black roses. Two of the five dates go very badly, but none of it is Asil’s fault. A very pretty man who dresses well, he first goes to a dance with people pretending to be vampires, then has an encounter with a tiger and a lioness. Asil rescues people and fights a wyrm (distant relative of a dragon). Ghost hunters take him through a Victorian haunted house, and an old and treacherous vampire may or may not get his comeuppances. Fun and slightly dangerous, Asil and his wolf suit any occasion, formal or very casual. Some of these stories have been published before, and I had already read one of them. This is a quick, enjoyable, and less intense read than some of the titles in the Alpha & Omega werewolf or Mercy Thompson shapeshifter series.

Brenda

The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association

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The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis

Hard to put down, this contemporary fantasy novel is full of drama, humor, suspense, and guilt. Vivian has felt guilty since she couldn’t prevent her daughter Aria becoming a werewolf. Vivian and Daniel have relocated to a mostly magical town in New England, where Aria is starting kindergarten at a private school. Daniel is still commuting to New York City by train while accountant Vivian is helping Aria adjust to her new surroundings and trying to fit in as a non-magical parent. Of course, Vivian ends up on the PTA board, trying to sort out the accounts from last year’s gala.

While Aria was granted a scholarship for kindergarten, Vivian is dismayed to learn that Aria must participate in three events to determine if she will qualify for first grade: a talent show, a sports day, and a research project. It is rather ridiculous to have a kindergartner be expected to do anything except learn to stay in her human form more often and not to be too hard on her clothes. Vivian is told that a consultant can help, if needed. Then there’s Daniel, who is ready to move the family somewhere more welcoming, if they can find the right place. Oh, and there’s an ominous prophecy that might involve Aria or Vivian. Aria is adorable, the community is quite interesting, and the reader hopes that Vivian will learn which parents can be trusted and welcoming.

An excellent, immersive read. I’m not sure if it would be quite as enjoyable for a PTA parent in a new town, but they might find it hilarious. I haven’t even described the over-the-top kids’ birthday parties, or the magical gala. And why have I never seen a book set at a magical school from the point of view of an ordinary parent, or even a magical parent?

Brenda

Winter Lost

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Winter Lost by Patricia Briggs

The dedication for this book is to Dan dos Santos, the painter of the striking book jacket art featuring Mercy, holding a fancy and very unusual lyre. Mercy, a shape shifter, is still hurting and usually has a headache resulting from the events in Soul Taken. I read Soul Taken in 2022 but only remember Italy and a very strong and wicked vampire.

Mercy’s half-brother Gary, also the son of Coyote, shows up on a snowy night and can’t talk or write. Mercy and Adam, her werewolf husband, head to a ranch in rural Montana where Gary was working. They encounter a mammoth blizzard, caused by Ymir, a frost giant. At a lodge nearby they find most of a wedding party and some more supernatural beings. The lyre, or perhaps a harp, must be found. Also, the wedding needs to happen as scheduled, on the winter solstice by the nearby hot spring. The groom is still a couple of states away due to the blizzard.

Mercy investigates, Adam tries to protect her, and a silver spider gets involved along with Jack, a ghost. This is not the Mercy Thompson book to start with, but if you’re already acquainted with Mercy and the Tri-Cities werewolves, it may be hard to put down.

Brenda