Review: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Title: Moon Called
Author: Patricia Briggs
Series: Mercy Thompson, Book 1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 31 January 2006

Mercy Thompson's life is not exactly normal. Her next-door neighbor is a werewolf. Her former boss is a gremlin. And she's fixing a VW bus for a vampire. But then, Mercy isn't exactly normal herself.

Wow. So there's really not a good cover-blurb for this book. What the heck? I guess, if they're going for tease, it's hitting the mark. *frowns*

I can't remember who first told me to read this book. I wish I could because it has given me endless hours of entertainment over the years. Patricia Briggs is one of my all-time favorite authors, and I'm not sure I can do her books justice (which is why I haven't even tried to review them before now).

This book's fate rested squarely on Mercy's shoulders when I first read it. And, did she ever deliver. Mercy's nearly a perfect heroine for me (I do have a few - incredibly - minor issues that become more prevalent later in the series but I'm not going to get into them now). She's smart, can make mistakes, takes her share of blame, isn't uber-strong, isn't weak, knows when to back down in a world of stronger beings, knows when to fight, and even better she knows when to quietly sneak around the tough obstacle. She's loyal and caring, with a huge heart, but she's nobody's fool. I was immediately drawn to her.

For once I could see why all these super-sexy alpha men were attracted to her as well. I suppose one could say there's a love-triangle in this series. I never saw it that way, because for me there was only ever one option...however there is something like a triangle. And though I normally HATE love-triangles, I love how this one plays out. I love how Mercy handles both her suitors and maintains her integrity. She balances an incredibly fine line at times, but she does it perfectly.

At first glance the world may seem like a million other urban-fantasy worlds that have been created, but I'm incredibly impressed with the world that Patricia Briggs has created. Not only are there werewolves, but there are vampires, fae, humans, witches, and mentions of ghosts and demons. The politics in, and between, these groups makes for some awesome stories. Something that I always appreciate is consistency in the world. If you tell me something, I want it to be true. I'm not saying there can't be exceptions, but I want to know the 'rules' for lack of a better word - much like I know physics, laws and social customs for our world. The Mercy Thompson world is one of the most consistent worlds I've ever read. I am always comfortable here, even when I'm learning something new. I trust Patricia Briggs.

The mystery is the driving force of the plot, and while I was intrigued, I did feel it ended a bit abruptly. I was okay with that because I was able to dive into book 2 right away, but I do wish that there had been a little more time spent in the denouement. For me, though, this book is all about the characters and the world overall.

I love it. I find that I can't say anything better than that.

Grade: A

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