Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Ace (2006), Edition: 1, 304 pages
Description
THE FIRST MERCY THOMPSON NOVEL! Moon Called is the novel that introduced Patricia Briggs's Mercy Thompson to the world and launched a #1 bestselling phenomenon... Mercy Thompson is a shapeshifter, and while she was raised by werewolves, she can never be one of them, especially after the pack ran her off for having a forbidden love affair. So she's turned her talent for fixing cars into a business and now runs a one-woman mechanic shop in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State. But Mercy's two worlds are colliding. A half-starved teenage boy arrives at her shop looking for work, only to reveal that he's a newly changed werewolf--on the run and desperately trying to control his animal instincts. Mercy asks her neighbor Adam Hauptman, the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, for assistance. But Mercy's act of kindness has unexpected consequences that leave her no choice but to seek help from those she once considered family--the werewolves who abandoned her... "In the increasingly crowded field of kick-ass supernatural heroines, Mercy stands out as one of the best."--Locus… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Lman
Discernibly more a dark urban fantasy than a paranormal romance, Moon Called is a fun, fast read, offering enough originality and individuality in the story-line to measure favourably against other books in this genre.
The premise engenders Mercedes Thompson: a mechanic running a one-woman garage,
Mercy, as the book’s narrator and main protagonist, ingeniously introduces the reader to her individual world from the very first, dynamic page. Apart from the fae, whose existence is openly acknowledged, werewolves and vampires form a major part of Mercy’s life; and it is within these interactions, and through Mercy’s previous experiences and past history, that the reader is allowed entry and understanding into her reality. And with these perceptions and attitudes, Patricia Briggs allows her creation to unfold, thus offering an inventive take on the species, and the genus. As Mercy networks and operates within the various paranormal groups, the structure and magical essence, and the hierarchy and working of each distinct faction is unveiled, in refreshing detail.
Fast-flowing and action-packed this was an engrossing, entertaining read, filled with preternatural characters displaying many human, and thus, endearing characteristics; consequently trending to a more realistic approach, a better credibility, of a magical tale. And with enough loose threads, at the end, to warrant a great deal of interest, on my part, in the next book, Blood Bound - where I am deducing, as Moon Called focussed on the ‘moon-called’ werewolves, this may feature, in as much detail, the domain of the vampires: the 'blood-bound'. Here’s hoping…
The premise engenders Mercedes Thompson: a mechanic running a one-woman garage,
Show More
who is able to shift form, effortlessly and from birth, into a coyote, and thus, in her uniqueness as a walker, associates, by necessity, with many otherworldly creatures. When a young werewolf lands, literally, at Mercy’s feet, and in need of supernatural help, she finds herself engulfed, rather rapidly, in much greater consequences than foreseen in the course of aiding this newly-changed wolf. But when the Alpha of the local pack, and Mercy’s neighbour, is attacked and almost killed, and his daughter is kidnapped, Mercy must now face sensitive aspects from her past, in order to protect her present, hard-won independence, and to help her friends.Mercy, as the book’s narrator and main protagonist, ingeniously introduces the reader to her individual world from the very first, dynamic page. Apart from the fae, whose existence is openly acknowledged, werewolves and vampires form a major part of Mercy’s life; and it is within these interactions, and through Mercy’s previous experiences and past history, that the reader is allowed entry and understanding into her reality. And with these perceptions and attitudes, Patricia Briggs allows her creation to unfold, thus offering an inventive take on the species, and the genus. As Mercy networks and operates within the various paranormal groups, the structure and magical essence, and the hierarchy and working of each distinct faction is unveiled, in refreshing detail.
Fast-flowing and action-packed this was an engrossing, entertaining read, filled with preternatural characters displaying many human, and thus, endearing characteristics; consequently trending to a more realistic approach, a better credibility, of a magical tale. And with enough loose threads, at the end, to warrant a great deal of interest, on my part, in the next book, Blood Bound - where I am deducing, as Moon Called focussed on the ‘moon-called’ werewolves, this may feature, in as much detail, the domain of the vampires: the 'blood-bound'. Here’s hoping…
Show Less
LibraryThing member BeckyJG
Moon Called, the first of Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson novels, portrays a detailed, well-planned universe in which the the rapidly developing capabilities of forensic science necessitated the outing of the "lesser fae" (fairies and brownies and pixies and their ilk) by their own leaders some
Moon Called, however, does not deal with the lesser fae, but rather with the greater fae--werewolves, shape-shifters (Mercy's special talent), and vampires--about which the world at large is still ignorant (if suspicious).
The plot involves kidnapping, drug running, and internecine warfare. And, although Moon Called is certainly an excellent, quite bloody, actioner, it's got more going for it than the action alone. Briggs does an excellent job of building her world, explaining the social intricacies of life among the werewolf packs, the plight of the lone wolf, and the treatment of modern women in these ancient societies. All of the main characters are nicely developed, particularly Mercy Thompson, a likable, smart, talented woman, who knows the rules but doesn't always play by them.
Show More
twenty years earlier. So the eastern Washington in which Mercy Thompson runs her car repair business resides in a United States in which the supernatural coexists, if not comfortably and amiably, at least somewhat openly side-by-side with the mundane.Moon Called, however, does not deal with the lesser fae, but rather with the greater fae--werewolves, shape-shifters (Mercy's special talent), and vampires--about which the world at large is still ignorant (if suspicious).
The plot involves kidnapping, drug running, and internecine warfare. And, although Moon Called is certainly an excellent, quite bloody, actioner, it's got more going for it than the action alone. Briggs does an excellent job of building her world, explaining the social intricacies of life among the werewolf packs, the plight of the lone wolf, and the treatment of modern women in these ancient societies. All of the main characters are nicely developed, particularly Mercy Thompson, a likable, smart, talented woman, who knows the rules but doesn't always play by them.
Show Less
LibraryThing member KeanLibraryGuy
The first book of the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. When my good friend first told me about this series of books, I was highly skeptical. "Really? A shapeshifter who hangs out with werewolves, is friends with a vampire and works with a fairy?". My friend practically had to beg me to
Show More
read it. I'm so glad that I did. Despite the rather ridiculous premise, these books are absolutely compelling, and surprisingly well written. I suggest these books to anyone. Show Less
LibraryThing member cinnleigh
The first in the Mercy Thompson series, MOON CALLED by Patricia Briggs was a wonderful introduction to a new paranormal series. I found these books after finishing the Twilight Saga and was looking for something a little different. This definitely did the trick.
Mercy is a mechanic, an occasional
When an unexpected visitor pops up in Mercy's life, her entire world will be thrown upside down. Forced to come to terms with her past, Mercy will have to suffer and survive if she ever wants to see her home and her cat Medea again.
There are so many things about this book that make it a winner, both in terms of the first in a series and in terms of the story itself. The first thing I noticed about this book was the strong amount of shapeshifting in the story. More than that though, Ms. Briggs gives us some other magical beings to broaden the story and capture our interest. Including the mysterious fae and quirky vampires, every page holds something to interest the reader.
There are some shapeshifting stories that rely on the novelty of shapeshifting to carry the story (and no authors, none of the books reviewed here fit this description). Ms. Briggs, however, utilizes a great plot, a good deal of suspense, and fast-paced action scenes in MOON CALLED. Yes, watching Mercy slide into her coyote form is cool and watching the werewolves shifter is even cooler, but it's the rest of the story that really captivated me. If this story could be written without the paranormal aspect to it, I would probably still fall in love with it. That's saying something.
I suggest MOON CALLED to any fans of the paranormal genre. I have no doubt that this will become a must-have in many readers' collections.
Mercy is a mechanic, an occasional
Show More
trouble-maker, and a coyote. Able to slide into her coyote form at will, Mercy takes joy in running and chasing small rodents. What coyote doesn't like a fresh, warm meal? Having grown up in a pack of werewolves, Mercy understands and appreciates the temperamental creatures, but that doesn't mean she's always smart about it. Living next door to the alpha of the local pack, Mery really should keep her nose low and mind her own business. The only problem is that she's just not so great at doing that. Wolves don't like to share their territory, especially with a coyote. Does that bother Mercy? Not really. Bugging her furry neighbors seems to be a bit of a hobby for her.When an unexpected visitor pops up in Mercy's life, her entire world will be thrown upside down. Forced to come to terms with her past, Mercy will have to suffer and survive if she ever wants to see her home and her cat Medea again.
There are so many things about this book that make it a winner, both in terms of the first in a series and in terms of the story itself. The first thing I noticed about this book was the strong amount of shapeshifting in the story. More than that though, Ms. Briggs gives us some other magical beings to broaden the story and capture our interest. Including the mysterious fae and quirky vampires, every page holds something to interest the reader.
There are some shapeshifting stories that rely on the novelty of shapeshifting to carry the story (and no authors, none of the books reviewed here fit this description). Ms. Briggs, however, utilizes a great plot, a good deal of suspense, and fast-paced action scenes in MOON CALLED. Yes, watching Mercy slide into her coyote form is cool and watching the werewolves shifter is even cooler, but it's the rest of the story that really captivated me. If this story could be written without the paranormal aspect to it, I would probably still fall in love with it. That's saying something.
I suggest MOON CALLED to any fans of the paranormal genre. I have no doubt that this will become a must-have in many readers' collections.
Show Less
LibraryThing member AbundanceofBooks
Mercy is happy with her life as a foreign car mechanic and owner of her own garage. She has an eclectic group of friends, her former boss is gremlin, she's on friendly terms with a vampire whose van she fixes, and she's friends with both an undercover cop and her neighbor the local werewolf pack's
A young kid named Mac stops into the garage one day looking for temporary work. Mercy, realizing that Mac is a werewolf, helps the runaway out. She returns to the garage one night to pick up something she forgot and discovers that a strange military type and another werewolf are trying to kidnap Mac. (Mac's been sleeping in a van that she's been working on). When things get violent, Mercy rushes to Mac's aid, accentually killing the other were. Once things calm down, Mercy calls Adam, the local alpha, to tell him what happened and to help with the cleanup. As they wait for him, Mac explains a bit about what happened. She learns that Mac was attacked by a were a few months earlier, and when he came to he was being sold as a test subject. After some questioning, Mercy believes that a well known alpha is purposefully attacking turning people and then selling new wolves to labs. With no control over his beast, and an alpha breaking all the rules, it's more important than ever that Mac stay with Adam.
Adam takes the teen home and things are looking up for a day or two. And then Mercy wakes up to find Mac's body on her porch, Adam's home attacked with Adam horribly injured and his daughter kidnapped. Her instincts tell her that she can't trust the pack, so Mercy drives a Adam to the only person she can trust - the Marroc, the alpha over all North American werewolf packs and the man who sent Mercy away from the only home she knew when she was sixteen.
As I stated in my review of the graphic novel Homecoming, I had been avoiding the Mercy Thompson series for quite awhile. I think I read somewhere about another series having really tedious love triangle and confused it with the Mercy Thompson books. The books kept being recommended to me and I finally relented and I'M SO GLAD I DID!
Mac was an endearing kid and a great way for Briggs to explain Mercy's world. Certain Fae races have admitted their existence and now are strongly encouraged to live on reservations. I couldn't quite get the handle on wether or not people knew about vampires or not, but there were a few instances that led me to believe that they were still a secret. The werewolves were pretty cool, too. Werewolves didn't so much balance their human and beast halves as much as the beast changed their human side. It's not that good people became bad, it's just that the beast's instincts and tendency (short tempered, territorial, etc.) were coopted by the human side. The world building is creative and well done, it's one of the reasons I like the series so much.
There are a variety of characters that reflect the varied world of the book. Nobody is all good or bad, making them more realistic. I found Mercy to be a more realistic kick ass heroine. She knew her strengths and weaknesses, tried not to be foolish (like looking a werewolf in the eye), wasn't afraid to ask for help, and just so generally likable. Adam and her other friends are also well thought out characters, each with realistic strengths, weaknesses, and problems.
My only complaint was that Mercy seemed to make jump in reasoning when it came to a suspect list later in the story. It really sticks out every time I read it. And then the bad guy behind the entire operation, his reasoning was a bit silly. This did not stop me from buying the entire series after finishing Moon Called.
Verdict:
Such a fun read filled with original and refreshing characters. Mercy was a breath of fresh air after suffering through Anita Blake's attitude and anger (only made it through 4 books before I had to quit). This has become one of my favorite series and I think urban fantasy fans really need to have this one. I give it 5 stars.
Show More
alpha. As a walker, a coyote shape changer, she's changes faster and a werewolf, but she isn't as strong or quick as a normal were. But as the only known living walker, with a few odd abilities, Mercy doesn't really fit in with the other supernatural groups in the area. She's not a fae (a group who has gone public) or vampire and not part of their communities, and the wolves normally see her as an intruding predator in their territory. But she's kind, hardworking, fair, and trustworthy and the friends she makes look out for her.A young kid named Mac stops into the garage one day looking for temporary work. Mercy, realizing that Mac is a werewolf, helps the runaway out. She returns to the garage one night to pick up something she forgot and discovers that a strange military type and another werewolf are trying to kidnap Mac. (Mac's been sleeping in a van that she's been working on). When things get violent, Mercy rushes to Mac's aid, accentually killing the other were. Once things calm down, Mercy calls Adam, the local alpha, to tell him what happened and to help with the cleanup. As they wait for him, Mac explains a bit about what happened. She learns that Mac was attacked by a were a few months earlier, and when he came to he was being sold as a test subject. After some questioning, Mercy believes that a well known alpha is purposefully attacking turning people and then selling new wolves to labs. With no control over his beast, and an alpha breaking all the rules, it's more important than ever that Mac stay with Adam.
Adam takes the teen home and things are looking up for a day or two. And then Mercy wakes up to find Mac's body on her porch, Adam's home attacked with Adam horribly injured and his daughter kidnapped. Her instincts tell her that she can't trust the pack, so Mercy drives a Adam to the only person she can trust - the Marroc, the alpha over all North American werewolf packs and the man who sent Mercy away from the only home she knew when she was sixteen.
As I stated in my review of the graphic novel Homecoming, I had been avoiding the Mercy Thompson series for quite awhile. I think I read somewhere about another series having really tedious love triangle and confused it with the Mercy Thompson books. The books kept being recommended to me and I finally relented and I'M SO GLAD I DID!
Mac was an endearing kid and a great way for Briggs to explain Mercy's world. Certain Fae races have admitted their existence and now are strongly encouraged to live on reservations. I couldn't quite get the handle on wether or not people knew about vampires or not, but there were a few instances that led me to believe that they were still a secret. The werewolves were pretty cool, too. Werewolves didn't so much balance their human and beast halves as much as the beast changed their human side. It's not that good people became bad, it's just that the beast's instincts and tendency (short tempered, territorial, etc.) were coopted by the human side. The world building is creative and well done, it's one of the reasons I like the series so much.
There are a variety of characters that reflect the varied world of the book. Nobody is all good or bad, making them more realistic. I found Mercy to be a more realistic kick ass heroine. She knew her strengths and weaknesses, tried not to be foolish (like looking a werewolf in the eye), wasn't afraid to ask for help, and just so generally likable. Adam and her other friends are also well thought out characters, each with realistic strengths, weaknesses, and problems.
My only complaint was that Mercy seemed to make jump in reasoning when it came to a suspect list later in the story. It really sticks out every time I read it. And then the bad guy behind the entire operation, his reasoning was a bit silly. This did not stop me from buying the entire series after finishing Moon Called.
Verdict:
Such a fun read filled with original and refreshing characters. Mercy was a breath of fresh air after suffering through Anita Blake's attitude and anger (only made it through 4 books before I had to quit). This has become one of my favorite series and I think urban fantasy fans really need to have this one. I give it 5 stars.
Show Less
LibraryThing member CatholicKittie
Mercedes Thompson is my favorite Heroine of all times. She is just the right amount of ballsy and even though sometimes she makes stupid mistakes they are some what believable.
Mercy is a shape-shifter what they call a Walker in a world were witches, fae, vampires are known creatures. She can turn
Mercy meets a young wolf at her car shop and the adventures starts from there. Someone is attacking humans and turning them into werewolves. Mercy wants to find out who, exactly is doing this.
I loved the way Mercy's long-term relationship with werewolves unfold. I was so enthralled with this book from pretty much the first sentence. "I didn't realize he was a werewolf at first." Maybe it was just me but I could not put this book down.
Mercy and Adam have a complex relationship more than neighbors, but no where near the mates that Adam claimed her as. Adam has a hilarious, punk rockish but lovable daughter, Jesse, that Mercy just adores, as do I as well. And when ex-lover Samuel, son of Bran, enters the picture after Mercy has to make an unexpected and un-wanted return home to Montana, you will think Adam and Mercy's complex relationship is a walk in the park.
Moon Called is a great book. I give kudos to Briggs for the world she created while not getting caught up in petty descriptions and background filler information. Briggs finds an entertaining way to tell us all we need to know as we need to know it.
The characters are very well written and believable. And boy there are a lot of characters to know. Luckily they are easy to remember. The tri-city, where Mercy resides, wolf pack are characters who's importance that ranger from major to minor but you will remember every single one. And Bran's Montana pack (Bran is the Alpha of the entire North American wolves) will introduce themselves as they show what relevance they have to Mercy's past.
All in all I have nothing but great things to say about the opening book for the series and you won't regret reading this book. I love the huge Native American culture that is infused in this book and the magical beings that this world has, both openly and hidden in among the public.
Mercy is a shape-shifter what they call a Walker in a world were witches, fae, vampires are known creatures. She can turn
Show More
into a coyote. Her neighbor is the alpha of the local werewolves pack and has claimed her as a mate among the pack for her protection. So that the wolf guys will not harm her. They aren't foolish enough to upset their alpha, the drop dead sexy Adam Hauptman. Adam and Mercy have this love-annoy relationship. He threatens to eat her cat, while she annoys him to no end by keeping an old and dilapidated VW Rabbit in her back yard in his house's view. Mercy meets a young wolf at her car shop and the adventures starts from there. Someone is attacking humans and turning them into werewolves. Mercy wants to find out who, exactly is doing this.
I loved the way Mercy's long-term relationship with werewolves unfold. I was so enthralled with this book from pretty much the first sentence. "I didn't realize he was a werewolf at first." Maybe it was just me but I could not put this book down.
Mercy and Adam have a complex relationship more than neighbors, but no where near the mates that Adam claimed her as. Adam has a hilarious, punk rockish but lovable daughter, Jesse, that Mercy just adores, as do I as well. And when ex-lover Samuel, son of Bran, enters the picture after Mercy has to make an unexpected and un-wanted return home to Montana, you will think Adam and Mercy's complex relationship is a walk in the park.
Moon Called is a great book. I give kudos to Briggs for the world she created while not getting caught up in petty descriptions and background filler information. Briggs finds an entertaining way to tell us all we need to know as we need to know it.
The characters are very well written and believable. And boy there are a lot of characters to know. Luckily they are easy to remember. The tri-city, where Mercy resides, wolf pack are characters who's importance that ranger from major to minor but you will remember every single one. And Bran's Montana pack (Bran is the Alpha of the entire North American wolves) will introduce themselves as they show what relevance they have to Mercy's past.
All in all I have nothing but great things to say about the opening book for the series and you won't regret reading this book. I love the huge Native American culture that is infused in this book and the magical beings that this world has, both openly and hidden in among the public.
Show Less
LibraryThing member snat
Move on. Nothing new to see here.
That's my biggest complaint about Moon Called. For someone new to the fantasy/supernatural world, it's probably entertaining enough but it definitely has the smack of "been there, done that" for the seasoned genre reader. I would have loved it 10 to 15 years
Moon Called does have a few things going for it, especially the fact that too often books like this are just an excuse to have "things that go bump in the night" bump uglies in the middle of the night (*cough* Sookie Stackhouse *cough*). Usually they're just sex with fangs and fur--with nary a plot in sight. Not so in Moon Called. Nothing throbs, nothing is exposed, and there is a plot, albeit a fairly standard mystery.
The other thing the novel has going for it is the addition of Native American mythology to the supernatural genre. Sure, there are werewolves, vampires, gremlins, witches, and all the standard *yawn* European characters, but Mercy Thompson provides an unexpected dash of something new. Part Blackfoot Indian, Mercy is a skinwalker, a shapeshifter who can take the form of a coyote. So many possibilities here for something unpredictable and refreshing and . . .
That leads me directly to the other letdown of the novel. Mercy could be so bad ass, so awesome and instead she just serves as the observer through which we see the werewolf and vampire culture. It's possible to go entire chapters and forget how extraordinary she should be. Her character serves to provide info dumps on the supernatural world around her and, no matter how many times she claims to be her own agent and not a part of the werewolf pack, she sure seems like their bitch. Mercy's an in-the-wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time character, seldom shaping events or making choices on her own.
I do respect some of the choices made by Briggs and there are a few interesting spins on some fairly standard world-building, but in the end its not enough to make me sign on for such a lengthy series.
That's my biggest complaint about Moon Called. For someone new to the fantasy/supernatural world, it's probably entertaining enough but it definitely has the smack of "been there, done that" for the seasoned genre reader. I would have loved it 10 to 15 years
Show More
ago.Moon Called does have a few things going for it, especially the fact that too often books like this are just an excuse to have "things that go bump in the night" bump uglies in the middle of the night (*cough* Sookie Stackhouse *cough*). Usually they're just sex with fangs and fur--with nary a plot in sight. Not so in Moon Called. Nothing throbs, nothing is exposed, and there is a plot, albeit a fairly standard mystery.
The other thing the novel has going for it is the addition of Native American mythology to the supernatural genre. Sure, there are werewolves, vampires, gremlins, witches, and all the standard *yawn* European characters, but Mercy Thompson provides an unexpected dash of something new. Part Blackfoot Indian, Mercy is a skinwalker, a shapeshifter who can take the form of a coyote. So many possibilities here for something unpredictable and refreshing and . . .
That leads me directly to the other letdown of the novel. Mercy could be so bad ass, so awesome and instead she just serves as the observer through which we see the werewolf and vampire culture. It's possible to go entire chapters and forget how extraordinary she should be. Her character serves to provide info dumps on the supernatural world around her and, no matter how many times she claims to be her own agent and not a part of the werewolf pack, she sure seems like their bitch. Mercy's an in-the-wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time character, seldom shaping events or making choices on her own.
I do respect some of the choices made by Briggs and there are a few interesting spins on some fairly standard world-building, but in the end its not enough to make me sign on for such a lengthy series.
Show Less
LibraryThing member kassyavon
About- 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
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.
My Review- First of all, this is not a YA book. My aunt lent this book to me about a year ago, and sadly it took me all this time just to finally pick it up. As she always kept insisting that I pick this book up and read it, she promised me that the longer I wait, the more I would end up kicking myself in the butt for not reading it sooner. And she was right.
The main character Mercedes Thompson (also known as Mercy) is not just any ordinary women. She is a Walker. And by that I mean she can turn into a coyote. Now unlike the werewolf's, she is not a slave to the Moon, and it does not take her 15 minutes to shift into her coyote form.
When my aunt first recommended this series to me, I was okay with reading it, but at that time, all I ever wanted was to read YA books. So when I read this book, I fell in love with it. I also love the fact that it does not take forever for the author to jump right into action. Seriously, just two chapters in, and already there's a fight scene. The plot of the book is also wonderful. Mercy is trying to figure out who kidnapped her sexy Alpha werewolf neighbor's daughter. His name is Adam by the way. Throughout the book, we get to learn about Mercy's past and how she was raised and by whom.
The characters in Moon Called are written in well depth too. Plus I love Mercy's tattoo's that are on the cover. Well, at least the coyote paw print tattoo. But if you look at all the covers from the series, you will notice that most of her tattoo's represent what the book is going to be about more or less. I want to point out that just because this book in not a YA book, there is no inappropriate scene. But I do not know if that might change within the series. The author has you laughing, guessing what might happen next, and Patricia Briggs gives you many turning points too. But best of all is how the book ends. Overall, I really recommend this book to both YA and Adult readers.
Plot: ♥♥♥♥♥
Characters: ♥♥♥♥♥
Ending: ♥♥♥♥♥
Cover Art: ♥♥♥♥♥
Pages in Novel: 288
ISBN: 0-441-01381-3
Other books in the Series: Blood Bound, Iron Kissed, Bone Crossed, Silver Borne, River Marked
Mercy Thompson's sexy next-door neighbor is a
Show More
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.
My Review- First of all, this is not a YA book. My aunt lent this book to me about a year ago, and sadly it took me all this time just to finally pick it up. As she always kept insisting that I pick this book up and read it, she promised me that the longer I wait, the more I would end up kicking myself in the butt for not reading it sooner. And she was right.
The main character Mercedes Thompson (also known as Mercy) is not just any ordinary women. She is a Walker. And by that I mean she can turn into a coyote. Now unlike the werewolf's, she is not a slave to the Moon, and it does not take her 15 minutes to shift into her coyote form.
When my aunt first recommended this series to me, I was okay with reading it, but at that time, all I ever wanted was to read YA books. So when I read this book, I fell in love with it. I also love the fact that it does not take forever for the author to jump right into action. Seriously, just two chapters in, and already there's a fight scene. The plot of the book is also wonderful. Mercy is trying to figure out who kidnapped her sexy Alpha werewolf neighbor's daughter. His name is Adam by the way. Throughout the book, we get to learn about Mercy's past and how she was raised and by whom.
The characters in Moon Called are written in well depth too. Plus I love Mercy's tattoo's that are on the cover. Well, at least the coyote paw print tattoo. But if you look at all the covers from the series, you will notice that most of her tattoo's represent what the book is going to be about more or less. I want to point out that just because this book in not a YA book, there is no inappropriate scene. But I do not know if that might change within the series. The author has you laughing, guessing what might happen next, and Patricia Briggs gives you many turning points too. But best of all is how the book ends. Overall, I really recommend this book to both YA and Adult readers.
Plot: ♥♥♥♥♥
Characters: ♥♥♥♥♥
Ending: ♥♥♥♥♥
Cover Art: ♥♥♥♥♥
Pages in Novel: 288
ISBN: 0-441-01381-3
Other books in the Series: Blood Bound, Iron Kissed, Bone Crossed, Silver Borne, River Marked
Show Less
LibraryThing member wizardsheart
I am not quite sure why, but I really surprised myself by enjoying this book. I think it's because I am not normally as into werewolves as I am with vampires. It tells the story of Mercy who is a skinwalker. She allows a young werewolf to work in her shop and ends up thrusting herself into some
The story was very fast, it didn't drag at all. The plot was very tight though. The characters were well done. Mercy is a strong woman. I thought Briggs did very well with her because she isn't wishy washy...but she isn't too hard either. It was incredibly well done for the genre. I went and put all of Briggs books on my wish list after this one!
Show More
dangerous territory with some of the local packs. The story was very fast, it didn't drag at all. The plot was very tight though. The characters were well done. Mercy is a strong woman. I thought Briggs did very well with her because she isn't wishy washy...but she isn't too hard either. It was incredibly well done for the genre. I went and put all of Briggs books on my wish list after this one!
Show Less
LibraryThing member 2wonderY
I was frankly surprised that the characters were so engaging. Briggs steps away from the mold and allows her beings to have real character and personal problems, hobbies and quirks. A vampire restoring an old VW bus? That's great! I'll be reading more of the books to visit with the gremlin, Zee and
Show More
the werewolf, Warren and his boyfriend Kyle. Show Less
LibraryThing member page.fault
Despite a ton of recommendations to try this, I've been avoiding this series like the plague. I've been burned more times than I'd like by urban fantasy novels with female protagonists--all to often, I discover that the innocent-looking UF disguises hardcore PNR, and paranormal romance with
As it turns out, the cover and marketing does the book a huge disservice. Moon Called is not PNR, and if you're looking for PNR, you're going to be really unhappy with this one. Granted, there are an impressive number of men who appear to be romantically interested in the protagonist, Mercy Thompson. Granted, two of them fall into the alpha-male-he-man-dominator style love interest, and have a low-key and continual battle with one another for her affections. But despite this, Mercy has the unusual ability to actually concentrate on little details like staying alive and rescuing her friends rather than being distracted by her ovaries every three seconds. She also doesn't see pushy, dictatorial, overbearing, possessive, and sexist men as hot--she sees them as pushy, dictatorial, overbearing, possessive, and sexist. She is aware of the men's interest in her, but she doesn't dissolve into brainless estrogen jello every time they look at her or touch her. Instead, she keeps her mind on the job. I don't think I've ever encountered a UF protagonist who managed that before. The only gooey (but skippable) romantic scene comes at the end, after the conflict has been resolved.
I also really liked the world itself. As is standard in UF, it turns out that there have been fey, werewolves, vampires, and more living amongst the myopic humans for millennia. However, in Thompson's world, the supernatural creatures have come to the realization that science is about to put an end to their days of hiding and are beginning to come out to the rest of the human race. The lesser fae, forced into the open by the Grey Lords (the high fae), are the first to be exposed, and it seems that time is running out for the werewolves, vampires, and the rest.
Mercy herself is a Walker, a Native American shapeshifter who can turn into a coyote. She tries to keep a low profile as a car mechanic, but as she was raised by werewolves, employed by a fey, and semi-friends with a vampire, she has a pretty good finger on the pulse of the supernatural world. So when a rogue runaway werewolf turns up on her doorstep with stories of kidnap, cages, and drugs, she knows that things are about to get complicated. As she works to assist the local werewolves, she is dragged into the political embroglios of werewolf, fey, vampire, and human alike.
Overall, I really enjoyed it--the mystery was perhaps a little clumsy, but the characters were vivid, there was a very positively portrayed LGBT couple, and Mercy herself is likeable and pretty badass. Sound like a good read? It is. It makes an even better audiobook--the narrator is terrific.
Show More
supernatural hunky males sends me running for a punching bag and a barf bucket. So, anyway, I have bad luck with female-protag UF even when the cover makes the protagonist look badass, and I figured any cover featuring a scantily-clad, provocatively posing female just wouldn't be for me.As it turns out, the cover and marketing does the book a huge disservice. Moon Called is not PNR, and if you're looking for PNR, you're going to be really unhappy with this one. Granted, there are an impressive number of men who appear to be romantically interested in the protagonist, Mercy Thompson. Granted, two of them fall into the alpha-male-he-man-dominator style love interest, and have a low-key and continual battle with one another for her affections. But despite this, Mercy has the unusual ability to actually concentrate on little details like staying alive and rescuing her friends rather than being distracted by her ovaries every three seconds. She also doesn't see pushy, dictatorial, overbearing, possessive, and sexist men as hot--she sees them as pushy, dictatorial, overbearing, possessive, and sexist. She is aware of the men's interest in her, but she doesn't dissolve into brainless estrogen jello every time they look at her or touch her. Instead, she keeps her mind on the job. I don't think I've ever encountered a UF protagonist who managed that before. The only gooey (but skippable) romantic scene comes at the end, after the conflict has been resolved.
I also really liked the world itself. As is standard in UF, it turns out that there have been fey, werewolves, vampires, and more living amongst the myopic humans for millennia. However, in Thompson's world, the supernatural creatures have come to the realization that science is about to put an end to their days of hiding and are beginning to come out to the rest of the human race. The lesser fae, forced into the open by the Grey Lords (the high fae), are the first to be exposed, and it seems that time is running out for the werewolves, vampires, and the rest.
Mercy herself is a Walker, a Native American shapeshifter who can turn into a coyote. She tries to keep a low profile as a car mechanic, but as she was raised by werewolves, employed by a fey, and semi-friends with a vampire, she has a pretty good finger on the pulse of the supernatural world. So when a rogue runaway werewolf turns up on her doorstep with stories of kidnap, cages, and drugs, she knows that things are about to get complicated. As she works to assist the local werewolves, she is dragged into the political embroglios of werewolf, fey, vampire, and human alike.
Overall, I really enjoyed it--the mystery was perhaps a little clumsy, but the characters were vivid, there was a very positively portrayed LGBT couple, and Mercy herself is likeable and pretty badass. Sound like a good read? It is. It makes an even better audiobook--the narrator is terrific.
Show Less
LibraryThing member brandileigh2003
I wanted to read Moon called because of them branching out into the adult General little bit and this is one of the things that came up on the list of books to try if you like Richelle Mead and I very much enjoyed her adult fantasy books so we can give it a couple of them a try.
Mercy is the main
It was a nice blend of the Paranormal there were werewolves and vampires and of course Walker's which is what they called her seat and her shape-shifting.
There were hints of the romance developing, but for a while it kept me guessing because Mercy deals with a lot of the paranormal beings, and she has a history with some as well. But I liked the eventual pick, and direction it was going.
I will continue with the series, because I liked the characters, and plot and how this one wrapped up.
Bottom Line: Fast, entertaining with good characters.
Mercy is the main
Show More
character and I liked her a lot she's different from a lot of women that I read about she is a mechanic and she's strong and she's a shapeshifter and what she shifts into is a coyote which is also something that I haven't read about. She's strong and sassy and snarky but she also has a big heart. She comes across a new werewolf who asked her for work and she ends up being a big Ally for him and help him out.It was a nice blend of the Paranormal there were werewolves and vampires and of course Walker's which is what they called her seat and her shape-shifting.
There were hints of the romance developing, but for a while it kept me guessing because Mercy deals with a lot of the paranormal beings, and she has a history with some as well. But I liked the eventual pick, and direction it was going.
I will continue with the series, because I liked the characters, and plot and how this one wrapped up.
Bottom Line: Fast, entertaining with good characters.
Show Less
LibraryThing member stephxsu
Mercedes Thompson is not your typical mechanic. For one thing, she’s female. For another, she deals with vampire customers often. For a third, she’s not entirely human: raised by werewolves, she is a shapeshifter, and takes the shape of a coyote when she changes.
Mercy’s life takes an
I had heard such good things about this series, but unfortunately MOON CALLED didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Mercy just simply didn’t have the engaging personality that I seek in my urban fantasy. Neither was I particularly besotted by either Sam or Adam, who more often than not became confused in my mind. The world setup is expansive and provides lots of fodder for conflicts, but overall I felt like MOON CALLED moved very slowly for an introduction into Mercy’s world.
Mercy’s life takes an
Show More
interesting turn when the local werewolf alpha, Adam, who lives in the house behind her, is attacked, and she is forced to take him away to the werewolf pack that raised her in order to heal. Therefore, she crosses paths with Sam, an ex-lover. In the meantime, they all have to deal with a mysterious organization that has kidnapped Adam’s daughter and is using an injected serum that is actually harmful to werewolves.I had heard such good things about this series, but unfortunately MOON CALLED didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Mercy just simply didn’t have the engaging personality that I seek in my urban fantasy. Neither was I particularly besotted by either Sam or Adam, who more often than not became confused in my mind. The world setup is expansive and provides lots of fodder for conflicts, but overall I felt like MOON CALLED moved very slowly for an introduction into Mercy’s world.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Nemerith
Yessssssssss, I remember why I tagged this series as one of my favourites. Love it!
Worldbuilding:
All scenes and environments were clear well detailed and you could tell that the author really did pay attention to getting all the info across (about the world Mercy lives in) in a very smooth and
Character development:
All the characters at this point are still pretty mysterious :)
We know a fair bit about Mercy and her family. She isn't a damsel in distress (by far) but she knows when she can't do it on her own and needs help. It might sting a little, but she asks for it. I really like, I mean, it makes her feel real and believable. Add to that a good dose of humour and some strong values and voila, you've got to love Mercy!
Adam, the local Alpha (actually one of the strongest in NA) wants you to think he's all badass and such, but his humour and little gestures make him more than just another Alpha male. But if he gets to goad Mercy, just so much more fun for him. We don't know all that much about him or any of the werewolves really, but the few things we did pick up on, lets us know he has dealt with a lot in his past, Jesse being one of the bright spots in it.
There are so many characters that I want to know more about, so I'm pretty lucky this is a long series ;) (goooooooo Warren!!!)
Pacing and flow:
It was a smooth and enjoyable read, I had a hard time putting it down.
The story had a good balance between all the action and conversation. If you'd think that the first book of this series was just setting the stage and not that much else, you'd quickly find out that is soooo not the case. It's more like: throwing you in and have fun ;)
The book:
The book itself was well written with no (noticeable) errors. There is so sex described (if that is important to you).
The book has 289 pages, spread over 16 chapters.
All in all:
As I'm reading (and partially re-reading) this series together with my Goodreads group SOS (Serious Overload of Series), I kinda have to wait for the next book... I'm not sure if I'm that strong, to be honest :D
But yeah, this book reminded me why I love this series so much, even from the first instalment you get a feeling for the depth the characters have (even the support cast) and Mercy is just someone you can only root for.
Worldbuilding:
All scenes and environments were clear well detailed and you could tell that the author really did pay attention to getting all the info across (about the world Mercy lives in) in a very smooth and
Show More
unhurried way. Character development:
All the characters at this point are still pretty mysterious :)
We know a fair bit about Mercy and her family. She isn't a damsel in distress (by far) but she knows when she can't do it on her own and needs help. It might sting a little, but she asks for it. I really like, I mean, it makes her feel real and believable. Add to that a good dose of humour and some strong values and voila, you've got to love Mercy!
Adam, the local Alpha (actually one of the strongest in NA) wants you to think he's all badass and such, but his humour and little gestures make him more than just another Alpha male. But if he gets to goad Mercy, just so much more fun for him. We don't know all that much about him or any of the werewolves really, but the few things we did pick up on, lets us know he has dealt with a lot in his past, Jesse being one of the bright spots in it.
There are so many characters that I want to know more about, so I'm pretty lucky this is a long series ;) (goooooooo Warren!!!)
Pacing and flow:
It was a smooth and enjoyable read, I had a hard time putting it down.
The story had a good balance between all the action and conversation. If you'd think that the first book of this series was just setting the stage and not that much else, you'd quickly find out that is soooo not the case. It's more like: throwing you in and have fun ;)
The book:
The book itself was well written with no (noticeable) errors. There is so sex described (if that is important to you).
The book has 289 pages, spread over 16 chapters.
All in all:
As I'm reading (and partially re-reading) this series together with my Goodreads group SOS (Serious Overload of Series), I kinda have to wait for the next book... I'm not sure if I'm that strong, to be honest :D
But yeah, this book reminded me why I love this series so much, even from the first instalment you get a feeling for the depth the characters have (even the support cast) and Mercy is just someone you can only root for.
Show Less
LibraryThing member FantasyDreamer
Mercy (short for Mercedes) Thompson is not your average girl. She is an auto mechanic, running her own garage, and she is a walker. She was born with the ability to shift into a coyote. Mercy's doesn't really know much about what she is but she does know that she is rare and there aren't many like
Mercy tries to lead quiet life in the small town of Tri-Cities, Washington but it doesn't quite work out that way. For one, her next door neighbor, Adam, is the alpha leader of the local werewolf pack, the VW van she's working on belongs to Stepan, a vampire and she bought her garage from her former boss Zee, who is fae. Zee sold her his garage after the fae had come out to the rest of the world because some of the humans were having a hard time adjusting to the fact that the fae existed. But the humans do not know about the werewolves, vampires or those like Mercy and they would like to keep it that way.
Mystery and suspicions arise when a young, newly turned werewolf, who reluctantly gives the name Mac, shows up at Mercy's shop looking for temporary work. She knows Mac's a werewolf because she can smell the werewolf in him through her enhanced senses. After Mercy, against her better judgment, gives the boy a job, a group of humans and a half-crazed werewolf show up, they try to kidnap the boy. Then shortly there after, Adam is injured and his daughter is kidnapped. Mercy finds herself going to Montana, back to the werewolf pack she grew up in, for help with Adam's injuries and hopefully answers to some disturbing questions. Problem with this is, she left years ago under unhappy circumstances.
I have no idea why I waited so long to start reading this series, but I am so glad I did. I am now officially a Mercy Thompson fan girl. The story had my attention from the very beginning, I can honestly say, there is not a dull moment in this book. Moon Called had me reading until the early morning hours, not caring I needed to go to sleep because I had work the next day. It is a very smooth flowing story with plenty of action and suspense, involving the supernatural. Mercy is a believable and admirable heroine with a lot sass and spunk, not to mention smart with good instincts. The romance is very light in this book, but Mercy has a couple of possible love interests. This series has made it's way to my auto-buy list. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a book based around a strong heroine in the supernatural world.
Show More
her around.Mercy tries to lead quiet life in the small town of Tri-Cities, Washington but it doesn't quite work out that way. For one, her next door neighbor, Adam, is the alpha leader of the local werewolf pack, the VW van she's working on belongs to Stepan, a vampire and she bought her garage from her former boss Zee, who is fae. Zee sold her his garage after the fae had come out to the rest of the world because some of the humans were having a hard time adjusting to the fact that the fae existed. But the humans do not know about the werewolves, vampires or those like Mercy and they would like to keep it that way.
Mystery and suspicions arise when a young, newly turned werewolf, who reluctantly gives the name Mac, shows up at Mercy's shop looking for temporary work. She knows Mac's a werewolf because she can smell the werewolf in him through her enhanced senses. After Mercy, against her better judgment, gives the boy a job, a group of humans and a half-crazed werewolf show up, they try to kidnap the boy. Then shortly there after, Adam is injured and his daughter is kidnapped. Mercy finds herself going to Montana, back to the werewolf pack she grew up in, for help with Adam's injuries and hopefully answers to some disturbing questions. Problem with this is, she left years ago under unhappy circumstances.
I have no idea why I waited so long to start reading this series, but I am so glad I did. I am now officially a Mercy Thompson fan girl. The story had my attention from the very beginning, I can honestly say, there is not a dull moment in this book. Moon Called had me reading until the early morning hours, not caring I needed to go to sleep because I had work the next day. It is a very smooth flowing story with plenty of action and suspense, involving the supernatural. Mercy is a believable and admirable heroine with a lot sass and spunk, not to mention smart with good instincts. The romance is very light in this book, but Mercy has a couple of possible love interests. This series has made it's way to my auto-buy list. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a book based around a strong heroine in the supernatural world.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Monkeypats
Reading the Mercy Thompson series is like reading Twilight's slightly trashy, action-filled cousin. Of course, that doesn't make it any less enjoyable, just slightly more embarrassing that there's a half-naked tatooed woman on the cover (nothing in the story indicates that Mercy is overly
Show More
voluptuous or dresses like a porn star - so the cover does confuse me). The series provides an excellent collection of the supernatural - werewolves, shifters, vampires, fae, and more. It also provides constant action. Mercy can't seem to step foot outside her house without involving herself in some sort of trouble. I enjoyed reading about a strong female character - not just physically, but someone who maintains her own life and personality and who knows how to work the male-dominated system surrounding her to her advantage. My only complaint would be that the stories take place over very short periods of time, not allowing enough time to develop her romantic interests far enough for my personal taste - only so much can happen over the course of a week or two! :-) Show Less
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
I found Moon Called a lot more interesting this time. It's still annoying that every eligible male (and some that shouldn't be) is chasing Mercy, and she gets away with a lot too much just by being stubborn. But that aside - there's a lot more worldbuilding than I'd noticed the first time through.
Show More
Alpha and Omega is set up here - it's Mercy's discoveries about Mac (poor Mac) that send Charles off to Chicago and Anna. I'd read Star of David without remembering that David Christiansen shows up here. And so on. Also interesting reading this right after Homecoming - that's the graphic novel of Mercy's arrival in the Tri-Cities. So this book is only moderately interesting, but it sets up and links to a lot of good stuff...and I've been assured that it gets better later on in the series. Actually, her telling the truth to Tony, at the end, is the most amusing scene in the whole thing. Worth continuing, though I still prefer her high fantasy to the urban stuff. Show Less
LibraryThing member MlleEhreen
I absolutely loved Moon Called by Patricia Briggs. Mercy Thompson is a cool chick. She's smart, she's not full of herself, she thinks before she opens her mouth, and even better: she thinks before she acts.
Mercy is a skinwalker, loosely affiliated with the werewolves but not one of them. She's
I liked the way the book was written and constructed - a very strong, clean narrative voice, with magic integrated coolly and seamlessly into the contemporary landscape. Briggs has an interesting way of tweaking the standard paranormal landscape - the interplay between technology and the supernatural here is pretty cool, and I look forward to seeing how it plays out through the rest of the series. Lots of politics, werewolf politics, vamp politics, but not too pompous. The other characters are great, and the location is pretty cool - a small city in the Pacific Northwest.
I recommend it highly.
Mercy is a skinwalker, loosely affiliated with the werewolves but not one of them. She's
Show More
easy to get along with, but she remains an outsider - not pack, not vampire, not human. Being special has made her life more difficult in a lot of ways, but she appreciates her gift. I liked the way the book was written and constructed - a very strong, clean narrative voice, with magic integrated coolly and seamlessly into the contemporary landscape. Briggs has an interesting way of tweaking the standard paranormal landscape - the interplay between technology and the supernatural here is pretty cool, and I look forward to seeing how it plays out through the rest of the series. Lots of politics, werewolf politics, vamp politics, but not too pompous. The other characters are great, and the location is pretty cool - a small city in the Pacific Northwest.
I recommend it highly.
Show Less
LibraryThing member justchris
The main werewolf series by Patricia Briggs features Mercedes Thompson, a Native American VW mechanic who can turn into a coyote and who was fostered with werewolves when she was a child. As far as she knows, she's the only (skin)walker around, since the colonization of the New World led to the
In the first book, Moon Called, Mercy gives a job to a teenage runaway who also happens to be a werewolf. When some bad guys show up to reclaim the fugitive, things get messy. The plot races forward from there. She introduces Mack to the local Alpha, Adam Hauptmann, who also happens to be her neighbor. The bad guys show up at the Alpha's home, Mack ends up dead, Adam is nearly dead, and his human daughter is missing. The action proceeds from there. An important note is that Samuel Cornick reappears in Mercy's life. She was desperately in love with him when she was 16, but his father the Marrok broke it up, and she left the werewolf pack and ultimately became an entrepreneur and an independent woman. But now she maybe has to deal with that emotional baggage. SPOILER Mercy ends up with a broken arm.
So why do I like this series? Multiple strong minority characters including African American, Native American, multiracial African-Asian, Latino, gay, and probably others that I'm not bringing to mind right now. Most of the characters are still white and straight and male, but not all of them, and the minorities are liberally scattered through the series in important roles, not just a token here and there.
There aren't as many women characters; certainly, Mercy doesn't appear to have any female friends (besides Adam's daughter). She apparently had problems in her youth with the female werewolves in the pack, and the female werewolves in the present-day storyline are mentioned only in passing with the exception of Honey, who appears to be developing into a friend after initial antagonism. The only other female characters who get any time are Jesse, the teenage human daughter of Adam, the local Alpha, and Marsala, the mistress of the local vampire seethe.
It is nice to see a plucky female protagonist succeeding in a patriarchal society (and the werewolves are that), and that this character is realistically portrayed, including the physical and emotional and mental costs of coping with crises. However, it is a little disturbing that these costs are escalating throughout the series, which the characters themselves point out. I recently came across a discussion of the
Women in Refrigerators pattern in comic books, which was later expanded to other fictional media . Other characters are taking real beatings too, but they're men with supernatural healing powers that Mercy lacks. I'm not saying that Patricia Briggs is being sexist here, but this escalation of horrors for Mercy is troubling.
Other reasons I like the series--engaging characters, generally good dialogue, interesting ideas like the fae reservations, certainly fast-paced action stories with a good dollop of romance and emotional depth. It's not set in one of the obligatory major urban areas--New York and California really don't need any more attention. The Pacific Northwest needs to be better represented in fiction, in my opinion. The character is blue collar and worries about paying her bills. She also has a sense of humor. These are all things I can connect with, though my collar's been bleached in the last couple years.
Show More
extermination of its native magical creatures by the European magical types, just like the real history of American Indian cultures. The stories are set in the Tri-Cities of Washington State.In the first book, Moon Called, Mercy gives a job to a teenage runaway who also happens to be a werewolf. When some bad guys show up to reclaim the fugitive, things get messy. The plot races forward from there. She introduces Mack to the local Alpha, Adam Hauptmann, who also happens to be her neighbor. The bad guys show up at the Alpha's home, Mack ends up dead, Adam is nearly dead, and his human daughter is missing. The action proceeds from there. An important note is that Samuel Cornick reappears in Mercy's life. She was desperately in love with him when she was 16, but his father the Marrok broke it up, and she left the werewolf pack and ultimately became an entrepreneur and an independent woman. But now she maybe has to deal with that emotional baggage. SPOILER Mercy ends up with a broken arm.
So why do I like this series? Multiple strong minority characters including African American, Native American, multiracial African-Asian, Latino, gay, and probably others that I'm not bringing to mind right now. Most of the characters are still white and straight and male, but not all of them, and the minorities are liberally scattered through the series in important roles, not just a token here and there.
There aren't as many women characters; certainly, Mercy doesn't appear to have any female friends (besides Adam's daughter). She apparently had problems in her youth with the female werewolves in the pack, and the female werewolves in the present-day storyline are mentioned only in passing with the exception of Honey, who appears to be developing into a friend after initial antagonism. The only other female characters who get any time are Jesse, the teenage human daughter of Adam, the local Alpha, and Marsala, the mistress of the local vampire seethe.
It is nice to see a plucky female protagonist succeeding in a patriarchal society (and the werewolves are that), and that this character is realistically portrayed, including the physical and emotional and mental costs of coping with crises. However, it is a little disturbing that these costs are escalating throughout the series, which the characters themselves point out. I recently came across a discussion of the
Women in Refrigerators pattern in comic books, which was later expanded to other fictional media . Other characters are taking real beatings too, but they're men with supernatural healing powers that Mercy lacks. I'm not saying that Patricia Briggs is being sexist here, but this escalation of horrors for Mercy is troubling.
Other reasons I like the series--engaging characters, generally good dialogue, interesting ideas like the fae reservations, certainly fast-paced action stories with a good dollop of romance and emotional depth. It's not set in one of the obligatory major urban areas--New York and California really don't need any more attention. The Pacific Northwest needs to be better represented in fiction, in my opinion. The character is blue collar and worries about paying her bills. She also has a sense of humor. These are all things I can connect with, though my collar's been bleached in the last couple years.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Akaria
After twists and turns and scratching of the head Moon Called ended up a pretty satisfying read. First of all, I really like Mercy. As a coyote shifter raised by werewolves she's had a difficult life and always felt like an outsider but it hasn't left her angry, bitter and broken. She's a smart
One of the problems I had with Moon Called was that the numerous twists and turns in the plot weren't really necessary. First it's one guy who's the big bad, then another, then it's really this other guy that's calling the shots. The first book in a series has so much to put out there that I'm ok with the plot being a little obvious and ordinary. I'd rather get to know the characters and find out what makes them tick. Briggs gave us an excellent look at werewolf politics and structure. I just wish I'd connected with Adam, Sam and even Mercy more. Maybe then when Adam's making out with Mercy on her front porch it would've made more sense. As it was I was left wondering when did she start liking him like that?
Briggs created an intriguing enough world for me to continue on and hopefully discover more of what makes Mercy tick. It promises to be a fun ride!
Show More
capable heroine that's easy to root for. Mercy stands up for herself amongst the multitude of dominant males surrounding her and manages to do it without coming across and bossy and annoying. She's tough and can hold her own yet knows when to get the hell outta dodge. One of the problems I had with Moon Called was that the numerous twists and turns in the plot weren't really necessary. First it's one guy who's the big bad, then another, then it's really this other guy that's calling the shots. The first book in a series has so much to put out there that I'm ok with the plot being a little obvious and ordinary. I'd rather get to know the characters and find out what makes them tick. Briggs gave us an excellent look at werewolf politics and structure. I just wish I'd connected with Adam, Sam and even Mercy more. Maybe then when Adam's making out with Mercy on her front porch it would've made more sense. As it was I was left wondering when did she start liking him like that?
Briggs created an intriguing enough world for me to continue on and hopefully discover more of what makes Mercy tick. It promises to be a fun ride!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Tom_Wright
This book was a fun read. It pains me to bring up Twilight, but it's an obvious point to compare it to. This was everything Twilight should have been, written concurrently and published a couple of months after Twilight.
Unfortunately, the magic system was soft, or at least not well enough explained
Definitely enjoyed the action, and especially the werewolf mythology. Didn't enjoy the sexism. Why are so many science fiction and fantasy books sexist or misogynistic?
This book was marketed horribly. The front cover? What's up with that? Is this some weird skeezy romance novel? Then the back cover starts by reading, "Mercy Thompson's sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf." If I'd had that and the cover to go on alone, I would never have read this. Seriously, Ace Books, get your stuff together. For shame.
Lastly, I enjoyed that the protagonist was a strong female character that acted for herself and didn't spend the book needing to be rescued.
Unfortunately, the magic system was soft, or at least not well enough explained
Show More
to make it feel rigid and structured. As Abinadi says, Brandon Sanderson ruined books for me.Definitely enjoyed the action, and especially the werewolf mythology. Didn't enjoy the sexism. Why are so many science fiction and fantasy books sexist or misogynistic?
This book was marketed horribly. The front cover? What's up with that? Is this some weird skeezy romance novel? Then the back cover starts by reading, "Mercy Thompson's sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf." If I'd had that and the cover to go on alone, I would never have read this. Seriously, Ace Books, get your stuff together. For shame.
Lastly, I enjoyed that the protagonist was a strong female character that acted for herself and didn't spend the book needing to be rescued.
Show Less
LibraryThing member teckelvik
This is the first book in the Mercy Thompson series. It was fun, and I enjoyed it. The mystery was rather slight, and I'm not sure that it was really strong enough to sustain the novel. At some point about halfway through, I found myself thinking, "There sure is a lot of backstory in this book."
The setting is well-imagined, and the way the various creatures are depicted makes sense. I liked the way the Old-world and New-world creatures were shown, and the way their interaction with humans was explained. I also thought that there were quite a few well-written, interesting characters.
My last quibble is that Mercy is not written as so delightful as to explain the way the males in the book throw themselves at her. But she is interesting, smart, intuitive and caring, which are all good qualities in a PoV character.
Show More
After that, I was conscious of it, and there was a lot of filling things in and telling about the past. It mostly worked, but it made me wonder whether the book started in the right place.The setting is well-imagined, and the way the various creatures are depicted makes sense. I liked the way the Old-world and New-world creatures were shown, and the way their interaction with humans was explained. I also thought that there were quite a few well-written, interesting characters.
My last quibble is that Mercy is not written as so delightful as to explain the way the males in the book throw themselves at her. But she is interesting, smart, intuitive and caring, which are all good qualities in a PoV character.
Show Less
LibraryThing member calclan
We meet Mercy while she is under a car repairing it. She's a mechanic who works on foreign cars, owns her own shop and, is a "walker". What's that? Well she changes into a coyote, not a were-coyote, she's different. She hales from a line of skinwalkers, witches who shift into whatever creature's
I loved this book! Mercy is just a great character. Not over the top kick-a$$ like Anita Blake, not jaded like Kate Daniels, nor spoiled like Faythe from Stray. Just a regular gal, as much as she can be, that steps up to the plate and does what needs to be done. Loyal to her friends and having a good heart, I really liked her. The supporting characters were good too. Adam and his daughter Jesse, Warren, his second in command, Zee, and Stefan were nice rounded characters and look forward to getting to know them better. Samuel wasn't bad, but I have a problem with guys who think they have rights to former girlfriends, but that's just me ; )
One funny part involves the vamp Stefan. Mercy is repairing his VW Vanagon which is tricked out like the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine, and even his cell phone voicemail music is the theme from Scooby Doo prompting Zee to ask, "What kind of vamp uses the music from Scooby Doo for his voicemail?"
I will definitely continue with this series!!
Show More
skin they put on. She happens to be the coyote. That said, she was raised by foster parents, one of whom was a werewolf. Her mother felt that would be the best for her so that she could be raised understanding what she was somewhat better. Now on her own her neighbor Adam is the Alpha of the local werewolf pack and she has a dilemma, a newly made were has turned up in her shop and she needs to inform him so there isn't any trouble. Sadly though there is a lot of trouble. Someone has come up with a drug that works on were's fast metabolism and is changing people into weres willy nilly. Mercy gets sucked into this mess and needs the help of all her unusual friends. Zee, the fae who sold her the shop, Stefan, the vamp, and Samuel her first love. Of course, the wolves hate the vamps, the fae are suspicious of everyone, and Adam and Samuel flex their dominant muscles over Mercy.I loved this book! Mercy is just a great character. Not over the top kick-a$$ like Anita Blake, not jaded like Kate Daniels, nor spoiled like Faythe from Stray. Just a regular gal, as much as she can be, that steps up to the plate and does what needs to be done. Loyal to her friends and having a good heart, I really liked her. The supporting characters were good too. Adam and his daughter Jesse, Warren, his second in command, Zee, and Stefan were nice rounded characters and look forward to getting to know them better. Samuel wasn't bad, but I have a problem with guys who think they have rights to former girlfriends, but that's just me ; )
One funny part involves the vamp Stefan. Mercy is repairing his VW Vanagon which is tricked out like the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine, and even his cell phone voicemail music is the theme from Scooby Doo prompting Zee to ask, "What kind of vamp uses the music from Scooby Doo for his voicemail?"
I will definitely continue with this series!!
Show Less
LibraryThing member xXlovelyxladyXx
I really love me some sexy werewolf stories. I'm kind of mad because there are not enough out there to satisfy my craving for them. But damn, I have to say that Moon Called is definitely satisfying enough (even if I'm not to crazy about the title). I've had this book on my to be read pile for god
Mercedes Mercy Thompson is a kick butt heroine who certainly does not get enough recognition for it. Although I found her personality to be a little bland at times, you can tell that she is strong, independent, and real smart too. I really liked how Patricia Briggs portrayed her throughout the novel. That she learned from her mistakes but knew how to handle herself in battle too.
I'm also really mad we didn't get to see more of Adam in this book. From the few times we did hear about him, I found myself liking him more and more, although he didn't strike me as the patronizing bastard that Mercy described him to be so often. I am just dying to see more of him in the next few books and I'm really excited to see their chemistry grow into something more.
I also absolutely LOVE Warren and Kyle. I need to see more of them in future books because they are just too cute together. Seriously. Samuel was alright and I loved it when he and Adam got into Alpha fights over Mercy :) But he needs is ego shot down a few hundred feet. Just saying. And Stefan is such a cute vampire...weird considering he's lethal but definitely cute.
Overall, I really loved this book and then some. Because of the slow start, I wasn't too crazy about this book at first but I've really grown to enjoy the exciting - and more importantly, original - plot that Briggs has created. Thanks god I have the next five books in the series or I would die from the wait.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Show More
knows how long and I just feel like slapping myself for taking so long to read this.Mercedes Mercy Thompson is a kick butt heroine who certainly does not get enough recognition for it. Although I found her personality to be a little bland at times, you can tell that she is strong, independent, and real smart too. I really liked how Patricia Briggs portrayed her throughout the novel. That she learned from her mistakes but knew how to handle herself in battle too.
I'm also really mad we didn't get to see more of Adam in this book. From the few times we did hear about him, I found myself liking him more and more, although he didn't strike me as the patronizing bastard that Mercy described him to be so often. I am just dying to see more of him in the next few books and I'm really excited to see their chemistry grow into something more.
I also absolutely LOVE Warren and Kyle. I need to see more of them in future books because they are just too cute together. Seriously. Samuel was alright and I loved it when he and Adam got into Alpha fights over Mercy :) But he needs is ego shot down a few hundred feet. Just saying. And Stefan is such a cute vampire...weird considering he's lethal but definitely cute.
Overall, I really loved this book and then some. Because of the slow start, I wasn't too crazy about this book at first but I've really grown to enjoy the exciting - and more importantly, original - plot that Briggs has created. Thanks god I have the next five books in the series or I would die from the wait.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Show Less
LibraryThing member being_b
Well-written and thoughtfully put-together worldbuilding, with a compelling first-person narration. Turns out I just don't like werewolf romances with Alpha Dominance tropes.
Awards
P.E.A.R.L. (Nominee — 2006)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2006-02-07
ISBN
9780441013814