Review: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs -
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Review: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Angel’s Adjectives: mythical and meaty

Moon Called opens the Mercy Thompson series of urban fantasy novels by Patricia Briggs. The story introduces Mercedes “Mercy” Thompson, a car mechanic who can change into a coyote at will. She’s surrounded by paranormal characters who quickly drag her into their dramas. We meet numerous werewolves right from the start, a vampire, a witch, and a fairy. One might say it contains a mythical smorgasbord of paranormal characters.

The story is centered on Mercy, and we experience everything from her point of view. She’s a no-nonsense kind of woman who can kick the ass of a werewolf and who stands up to both the chauvinist, bossy male werewolves and the territorial, bitchy werewolves. Her backbone impresses the right people, fortunately, while pissing off those who will become enemies. We watch as she maneuvers through the social pit traps of werewolf society, always waiting for the moment when one of them will take off her face.

The story was entertaining, although the entire book was obviously an introduction to Mercy, her friends, and her enemies. I haven’t read the second book, yet, but I suspect the action will reach a new level in it. Patricia lays the foundation well for the series, and I feel like I understand who Mercy is and how Patricia’s personal brand of werewolf society works well enough to enjoy the rest of the series even more. In retrospect, I can see how Patricia crammed a metric crap-ton of social and personal information into this book, making it meaty in an easily digestible way.

The action keeps Mercy on the move, tripping from one bad situation to the next, often facing danger even from the people she loves. In this book, Mercy is forced to take the lead on an investigation into a werewolf kidnapping and murder when some members of the pack itself may be involved. She appeals to a different werewolf pack, the one that raised her, and thus we find out about Mercy’s background.

I found that I liked Mercy very much. Her practical approach to life appealed to me. She’s not the kind of character who has something snide to say at every turn, but is real and sincere. She’s just a good person who happens to be able to turn into a coyote and fix your carburator.

Most fans of urban fantasy will find this to be a quick and enjoyable read. I did.

Description from Patricia’s website:

Mercedes is Volkswagen mechanic living in the Tri-Cities area of Washington. Her native american heritage has gifted her with the ability to take the form of a coyote at will. She’s surrounded by far more powerful supernatural beings, including werewolves, vampires and an assortment of fey.