Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Review: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs


Publication Date: January 31st 2006 by Ace
Pages: 295
Narrator: Lorelei King
Audiobook length: 9hrs 14min
Source: Purchased e-book & Audiobook
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible

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


So fyi, I originally read and posted this review while on another blog: The Readers Den, back in July of 2013, but as I participate in of Anne @Books of My Heart read-along & series giveaway (For info & giveaway click HERE). I thought I'd re-post my review and my re-read updates. I first re-read the entire series back in 2017 and I've just started my third re-read this last week. This series is so awesome and I can't recommend it more, so if you're at all interested join all of us in the read-along!

My Thoughts:
Re-read for a third time March 29th 2020 and I'm upping my rating from 4 stars to 5! With each re-read my appreciation for the writing, characters, and story grows. The story was captivating even knowing what happens, and with each re-read I notice new things I missed previously. I've already started on book two! I listened to the audio again. Lorelei King's performance is perfection! She is Mercy Thompson to me!

Re-Read March 19th 2017. Still awesome!


Moon Called is the first book in the Mercy Thompson Urban Fantasy series, and it was a strong start. It was fun, fast paced, with strong characters and an engrossing plot. I love my female protags to have some spunk and be able to kick a little ass and Mercy Thompson ticks all those boxes and more!

Mercy Thompson is a “walker” and can shapeshift into a coyote. Mercy isn’t a werewolf but she is very close to them after being raised by a powerful pack. At sixteen, she leaves after the pack Alpha sends her away to prevent her mating with his son, Sam. Now situated in the state of Washington as an auto mechanic, she comes under the Columbia Basin Wolves’ pack in a round-about way, under the charismatic, hot-tempered (and just plain HOT) Alpha, Adam. Not that she admits to it, mind you. Being a coyote she’s not obligated to be under any pack.

When Adam is attacked and his teenage daughter, Jesse, is kidnapped, Mercy takes it upon herself to help him and track down his daughter. Mercy returns to her roots for help in unraveling this mystery and getting Jesse back safely. Her past and present collide in the form of Sam and Adam.

We are tossed into Mercy’s world with her as our guide, and as a narrator she’s easy to like and root for. If you’re tired of frustrating or whiny female leads, Mercy is your girl! She’s a smart, witty, and feeds us just enough background information so we’re not lost in the story, yet doesn’t overwhelm with too many details. This makes me extremely happy because info dumping is a sure-fire way to put me to sleep!

I steeled myself to be patient with this book because I’ve come to realize that in UF usually the first book lays the groundwork for the whole series and might not be as satisfying or riveting because of that. This was not the case in Moon Called. I was immediately drawn into the story and it captured and held my attention just fine throughout. Also, because this is the first book in the series, the romance is just getting started. It seems possible for Adam or Sam to be the love interest, there’s definite chemistry between Mercy and both of them. But it does sway to one a little more than the other by the end.

Moon Called wraps up nicely with the main mystery solved by the end, however, the story of the characters, and their relationships have just begun. I can’t wait to see how everything plays out and I’ve got the next one locked and loaded, ready to listen to.

Lorelei King narrates this story and she is spot on! I’m familiar with this performer because she narrates the Charley Davidson series as well. She brings just the right amount of sarcastic inflection when needed to make the character’s wit and spunk come through loud and clear. She does a great job with the male voices as well, and most of the time it doesn’t even cross your mind that a female is narrating those parts. Her performance made the story come alive.


5 Suns


20 comments:

  1. Everyone seem to be loving this series. I need to get on board. 😊

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  2. I can reread this series over and over and never get tired of them. :D

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    1. I know, right? It's like my version of comfort food, especially right now with everything going on. :)

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  3. I love re-reading series and should really do it more often. I've never read this series by Briggs but I know so many people who are big fans of it. I've been wanting another UF series ever since Anne Bishop's Others series, so I might have to check this one out.

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    1. I hope you do, Tanya! I'd love to hear what you think.

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  4. It is so fun to re-read something you loved, especially when you are able to find more to love this go around!

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  5. Yay! Thank so much for joining the reread with me! I am loving it again.

    Anne - Books of My Heart

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    1. My pleasure, Anne! Thanks for setting it up and hosting an awesome giveaway!

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  6. Loved getting your 2017 thoughts and that the latest re-listen was even better. I feel the same way about Mercy as a heroine and the way that we're pulled right into the story.

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  7. I love that with each reread your appreciation has grown for the story, characters, and writing grows! This narrator sounds fantastic too! I love when the narrator becomes the character!

    Lindy@ A Bookish Escape

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  8. I love to re-read some books. I have a few that have been read a few times.

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    1. It's nice to get back to the series, even when I should be tackling other review books, lol!

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  9. I love rereading books as well :)

    Beena @ Beena Khan

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  10. I do think that this series gets better with each read. I don't think I will ever get tired of Mercy!

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