Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1)
by Patricia Briggs
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Book Reviews of Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1)
Book Review: A Good, Quick Read for Fantasy Lovers (3.5 Stars)
Summary: 4 Stars
Mercedes "Mercy" Thompson is a walker (coyote) and auto mechanic in the tri-cities area of Washington State. She was raised by a powerful pack of werewolves, is close friends with fae and vampires, and her next door neighbor and possible love interest, is pack leader of the area werewolves. Needless to say, it isn't long before trouble comes to her doorstep. A new werewolf, Mac, shows up at her shop asking for a job and a place to stay. He is a were, but seems to have dulled senses and no direction on how to control his inner wolf. No sooner than Mercy can introduce Mac to pack leader Adam, all hell breaks loose. Adam is attacked in his home, his daughter is kidnapped and a dead body is dropped at Mercy's door. It's up to Mercy to get to the bottom of things with a little help from the wolves, fae and vampires.
There are some things that I really liked about this book. For one, I think Mercy is a great protagonist. She is strong willed, big hearted and has one hell of a sense of humor. I like that she is independent - she owns her own business and because she is a walker, she does not belong to a pack. And this book has a little more diversity than some others in this genre in that Mercy and several of the characters are at least part Native American. I also liked that this book centered on the wolves, and I learned a lot about werewolf lore, which is good because so many books concentrate on vampires.
As for what I did not like - I thought the plot was slightly disjointed and I wanted more development of the characters. The writing was also a little choppy and got cliché at times. While there was a lot of action and suspense in the story, it never really pulled me in and got the pages turning.
All in all, I thought it was a good, quick read and I did get the impression that the series could improve as it expands. The book was good, not great, and I'll probably read at least the next book in the series.
I'll end this review with a caveat - this is my first book after completing Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series. After reading such a great series, I think almost anything in the same genre would have paled in comparison. There is nothing really wrong with this book, it's just not quite as good as others that I've read recently.
Book Review: Okay book, the characters fell flat for me though
Summary: 3 Stars
This is another new series that I picked up to read. I have read a lot of preternatural series and I was hoping this would be a good one. I know Patricia Briggs has written a lot of fantasy in the past and I was curious about what she would write for this alternative reality-type series.
This is the first book in the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. Mercy is an auto mechanic who is also a walker. As a walker she can change into coyote shape. She was raised by werewolves and does a lot of auto mechanic work for the preternatural community. When a boy shows up on her doorstep looking for work at the garage, Mercy finds out he is a new unclaimed werewolf. From there on everything gets complicated and dangerous.
There were somethings I liked about this book but more things I disliked. I liked the fact that it is hinted that Mercy's walker powers are not yet fully discovered. I liked Mercy's honest character and her tough girl facade. I also liked that Mercy knew where to draw the line most of the time. If she knew a situation was out of her league she usually admitted it. I also like the addition of fae into the novel and I especially enjoyed Mercy's old teacher Zee. I liked that the novel was fast-paced and fun; it was easy to read too.
Unfortunately there was a lot I didn't like. The whole situation between Mercy and Samuel echoes the situation between Anita Blake and Richard a bit too much for my comfort. I found that I didn't really like any of the main characters all that much; most of them fell flat for me. There wasn't anything all that special about the writing either. For the most part the book was written in a straightforward style with little description; the book never really grabbed me and made me desperately want to finish it.
All in all I liked this book better than the recent Anita Blake books but I liked it a lot less than the Kim Harrison Hallows books or the Jim Butcher Dresden books. The book was okay, just nothing special to me. I already bought the next two books in the series (I found then for cheap used) so I will probably read the next one and see if I get more into this world and the characters. I was a bit disappointed that this wasn't something a bit more special.
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Book Review: very well written supernatural romance
Summary: 4 Stars
I was truly impressed by Patricia Briggs writing style. Moon Called is not my cup of tea as far as stories go. Vampire/Werewolve romances are not what I usually pick up to read. But the amazing reviews this book has been getting grabbed my attention.
The plot is pretty simple. The story seems to be set in our present day, but this is a world where supernatural creatures are living side by side with humans. They are getting exposed now that humans have become adept with forensic sciences. (one thing that kind of bothers me with tales of vampires or werewolves... how could a covenant of vampires live in a medium sized city here in America and not be discovered? Or how could a group of a few dozen vampires live in a town the size of St Paul MN, and no one ever notices that all these humans end up as vampire bait?).
The main character is not a werewolf, but a shape shifter. A being that can shift from human to coyote. The mysteries of Tony Hillerman who wrote of Native American culture explored shape shifting in several of his books. Here, the shape shifter is known as Mercy who supports herself by being a car mechanic.
The story starts with her working on a car in her shop and a young lad comes in begging for work. She can smell that he is a werewolf and knows that he is not part of the local pack. She takes him in, gives him work, feeds him hamburgers, and becomes a protector. She introduces him to the local pack, and quickly things go out of control. Soon she finds herself caught up in matters she doesn't really understand.
Some of what made me groan was wolf on wolf romantic heavy breathing scenes. I know that this is a romance/fantasy... & I should have expected it. But still...
I can't give this book 5 stars. Its a good fast light read, I think that if you want a way to spend a few pleasant hours and enjoy romances, this is going to make your day. But this book is not trying to be exceptional. Its a manipulative market driven story. It felt like Briggs was imagining a whole series of movies and spin-offs as she wrote this. & maybe that wont bother you. But I expect something a little more from most writers I read. Briggs does a great job with what she presents her readers, but in the end, its pure fluff.
Book Review: Just enough to whet my appetite
Summary: 4 Stars
I absolutely enjoy stories about vampires, werewolves and supernatural creatures. I was a huge fan of Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake until the author decided to give her a sex life; indeed, a very active one which has made Anita under the mercy of her raging hormones. I have been looking for something similar to quench my thirst for dark urban fantasy. While Patricia Briggs is a new author for me, I decided to give this series a whirl after reading the great reviews. I am certainly glad that I did.
Mercedes Thompson is the heroine and narrator of the series. To the unknowing, she is simply a law-abiding citizen who operates her own garage. But to the preternatural community, she is what they call a Walker, a coyote with shapeshifting powers and uncanny sense of magic. Thus, she immediately recognizes the young werewolf that approaches her for work. Although it isn't wise to be around an untrained werewolf, Mercy senses his extreme anxiety and offers him a job. It doesn't take long before danger comes to her doorstep as Mac's background is revealed. And Mercy knows that she must enlist the help of her sexy neighbour who also happens to be the local Alpha. But shortly after Adam welcomes Mac to his pack, he is attacked by those who hunt Mac and left badly injured. Mercy has no choice but to take him to her adopted clan in Montana where the Marrok, the leader of all North American werewolves, lives. Not only do we get to meet other key players in the series, but we also learn about Mercy's childhood and her failed relationship with Samuel.
The plot gets complicated as Briggs brings in a whole heap of characters, vampires and werewolves alike, who all have an interest in solving this mayhem that has terrorized the werewolves of the Tri-Cities. I believe that this is where the author particularly excelled in, for instead of sending my head spinning, I was actually intrigued by these characters that hold promise for future stories. The characterization is good and the plot flowed smoothly ensuring a fast-paced and action-packed read. Mercy is a very likeable and believable heroine who comes across as modest, vulnerable and endearingly stubborn. I look forward to reading more about her world and the creatures that she shares it with.
Book Review: Good entertaining book...
Summary: 4 Stars
So I always check a rating before buying or reading a book. You are always going to have those one or two people that really dislike books that get great reviews and then whine that they bought the book because of their reviews. So I always make a point to read those reviews AFTER I have read the book to ensure that I am able to form my own opinion about the writing. In this particular case, I really enjoyed this book. There was quite a bit of filler in the book that others felt unnecessary, but I feel that some filler is needed to ensure that the character and her habits are developed to give us a better sense of the character. I feel this book does well and doesn't go overboard. I personally feel that sometimes by putting in these mundane activities, it allows us to have a break from the action and helps humanize the character a bit. She can't be off fighting all of the time. Everyone needs to sleep and eat sometimes. If these things were omitted, someone would complain that the character was unbelievable because she never slept, or took a crap, or whatever people complain about.
Anyway, I personally enjoyed the book thoroughly. I read it all in one sitting. I will defiantly be purchasing the next books in the series as well. I really enjoyed the writing of this book. In most dark fantasy novels, the heroine is always making mistakes and bad choices - Mercy definitely has good instinct and she follows them. This is the first werewolf/shape shifter book that I have read. I really enjoyed the concept and I enjoyed that the heroine was a little more rough, harsh, and not overly girly. This is a character that I can see actually holding her own. I also enjoyed how the character didn't do anything super human - she has a good self-defense base, but overall didn't do anything unrealistic (she didn't get captured and fight a room full of men that obviously had her out-muscled, beat them all to a pulp, and walk away unscathed).
So, my verdict is - if you are looking for the next great American classic, look elsewhere. BUT if you want something entertaining to allow you to have an escape from reality for a few hours and like this genre this book may be for you.