Review: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Series: Mercy Thompson #1
Published by ACE
Published on: January 31, 2006
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Werewolves
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased

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Mercedes "Mercy" Thompson is a talented Volkswagen mechanic living in the Tri-Cities area of Washington. She also happens to be a walker, a magical being with the power to shift into a coyote at will. Mercy's next-door neighbor is a werewolf. Her former boss is a gremlin. And she's fixing a bus for a vampire. This is the world of Mercy Thompson, one that looks a lot like ours but is populated by those things that go bump in the night. And Mercy's connection to those things is about to get her into some serious hot water...

I’m 99.99% positive that I read this book many years ago before I got bit by the werewolf bug because I had a few déjà-vu moments here and there. I’ve been told that this series is a must read for all lupine fanatics out there so I decided to give it another go and I’m glad I did. I’m also happy that I didn’t jump ahead to the second novel because I would have been so terribly lost. Mercy is a very relatable character in that she’s a woman in a man’s world or rather, a coyote in a werewolf’s world. I’ve always considered myself somewhat of a tomboy so I enjoyed the fact that she works on cars during the day and kicks butt at night.

I liked how down-to-earth and independent Mercy is. She’s remarkably good at reading people and genuinely cares about others’ wellbeing. Despite having been raised by werewolves, she’s well aware of the fact that she’s not one of them. Thompson has different strengths and weakness which she uses to their full advantage. If you can’t out-muscle your enemies then outsmart them! Walkers seem to be few and far between in this supernatural universe so Mercy sticks out like a sore thumb among her fellow preternaturals. Her allegiances are all over the place and she doesn’t care whether you turn furry during the full moon or have fangs, just so long as you’re a decent person. If only our society could be as non-discriminatory! Nothing much fazes her and I liked that about her. Thompson finds herself in some pretty sticky situations and handles them better than I could have ever expected.

Going into this novel I was a little worried that there wouldn’t be enough werewolf action for my tastes because the main protagonist isn’t one but Briggs passed my test with flying colors. I loved the power struggles between alphas, the pack mentality and how the wolves are an integral part of the plot. I find some authors incorporate supes into their stories without really exploring their natures which irks me to no end. When I pick-up a werewolf book I expect them to be front and center not a means to an end. Patricia didn’t really add any new twists on lupine lore but that’s fine by me; if something isn’t broke why fix it?

I’ve been reading a lot of paranormal romance lately so I was a little disappointed by the lack of sexy moments in this novel but I got over it quickly. A few hints are dropped here and there but nothing substantial. It’s hard to say whether there will be romance in future installments but here’s hoping! Regardless, Patricia nailed the werewolf aspect of the story and that’s really all that I care about.

I’m thrilled to report that Moon Called fulfilled my need for a kick ass werewolf book tenfold. Patricia Briggs’ writing style is enthralling, her characters are memorable and her wolves are dead-on. I’m kicking myself for not having taken up this series sooner. Lesson learned. Blood Bound here I come!

Mercy Thompson Series
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