Friday, May 25, 2012

Challenge Review: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs




Title: Moon Called
Series: Mercy Thompson #1
Author: Patricia Briggs
Genre: Supernatural Fictions, Urban Fantasy Fiction
Elements: Werewolves, Vampires, Fae, Shapeshifters, Witches, Ghosts
Publisher: Ace Books, Penguin Group
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 288 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-441-01381-4
Release Date: January 31, 2006
Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library
Rating: 4.5/5

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: Werewolves can be dangerous if you get in their way, but they'll leave you alone if you are careful. They are very good at hiding their natures from the human population, but I'm not human. I know them when I meet them, and they know me, too.

Mercy Thompson's sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf.

She's tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire.

But then, Mercy Thompson is not exactly normal herself...and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble.

Review:

Patricia Briggs brings us a fast-paced, action-packed thrill ride of an urban fantasy in the first book in her Mercy Thompson series, Moon Called. Mercy Thompson is a mechanic in the Tri-Cities area, but she's so much more than that. Hidden within the mundane world of humans is a world of werewolves, vampires, witches, and the fae. Then there is Mercy. She's a Walker, a Native American shapeshifter who changes into a coyote.

Mercy is very independent, fiercely loyal, and she knows her strengths and limitations. She was raised by the Marrok, the alpha of the alphas--so she knows her place among the werewolves; she has friends among the fae and vampires, and acquaintances among the witches. With hostility rising after the Gray Lords revealed the existence of the fae to the humans, Mercy needs all the friends and connections she can get.

A young man named Mac, who is running from some pretty bad men, shows up at Mercy's shop looking for a job. She knows right away that Mac is a werewolf, a newly made one at that. When he tells Mercy of a group doing experiments and drug testing on newly created werewolves, Mercy calls in help from the local alpha, Adam Hauptman. But things quickly go wrong when Adam brings Mac into his pack and his house is attacked by the very group Mac was running from--Adam's daughter, Jesse, is kidnapped, and Adam is almost killed. This leads Mercy back to her childhood home for help from the Marrok--and her first love, Samuel.

I've been wanting to read the Mercy Thompson series for a while, but hadn't had the chance until now. But I'm really glad that I finally picked up Moon Called. I'm already addicted to this series, and I've recently gotten Blood Bound and Iron Kissed so I can continue reading right away.

We have a straightforward, sassy, and fearless heroine in Mercy. Two alpha werewolves vying for her attention. And a conspiracy that erupts into and all-out battle for survival. All these create an engaging story I wasn't able to put down. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more romance. I know that urban fantasy doesn't usually have a lot in the romance department, but in Moon Called we only see hints of the love triangle forming.

We know that Mercy cares about Adam--she wouldn't have done so much  to save his life otherwise--but we don't really know what she's feeling for him. With Samuel in the picture, Mercy is conflicted by her past feelings for him resurfacing. There's a nice kiss toward the end, but it's more sweet than steamy. There's isn't any depth to the romance, so it's left kind of vague and flat.

But since it is a love triangle, we know that Mercy will eventually have to choose between Adam and Samuel. Other than that I loved Moon Called and I can't wait to continue the series with Blood Bound. 

About this Author:

Patricia Briggs was born in Butte, Montana to a children’s librarian who passed on to her kids a love of reading and books. Patricia grew up reading fairy tales and books about horses, and later developed an interest in folklore and history. When she decided to write a book of her own, a fantasy book seemed a natural choice. Patricia graduated from Montana State University with degrees in history and German and she worked for a while as a substitute teacher. Currently, she lives in Montana with her husband, children and six horses and writes full-time, much to the delight of her fans.





Moon Called was read during the Bout of Books 4.0 Read-A-Thon

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