Fantasy Book Review: Grimm: The Icy Touch

Grimm-The-Icy-Touch

Grimm: The Icy Touch by John Shirley

Synopsis:
Back in the 19th century a Wesen and a Grimm fight to the death. The Grimm wins, but the Wesen’s son escapes and vows revenge. In the present day, Captain Renard sends Nick and Hank to investigate an international crime cartel named Le Touche Givre (The Icy Touch). They discover this deadly gang is run by Wesen, and is involved in various illegal activities, including forced prostitution and drug pushing. As they close in on the gang, Nick begins to realize that their charismatic and dangerous leader is just as intent on tracking him down.

Review:
Grimm fans will definitely want to check out this book series with all new stories from Titan Books. This first novel takes place near the end of the 2nd season, so it’s not too out of date as far as Juliette and Nick’s relationship. And Hank knows about the Wesen world – which was a big step for Nick and Hank’s partnership. We also get a backstory of Monroe that he has kept secret from everyone that comes into play in a big way. And there are a few flashbacks to Nick’s ancestor’s and history with the cursed coins and what eventually leads to the Icy Touch gang.

The Icy Touch is a thrilling and suspenseful story. Dark, violent, with plenty of different Wesen characters – it felt just like a long episode of the show. The characters were pretty spot on – including Wu and his corny humor. There’s also a point when Nick questions his career as a police detective when it conflicts with his Grimm persona. I’m surprised it doesn’t come up in the show more. I’m happy to say I enjoyed this novel more than I thought I would. The mystery, humor, and fantastic characters are all here. And I’m certainly looking forward to the next in the series.