Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1)

by Patricia Briggs

Book Overview

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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0441013813
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Ace
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 0.8" x 4.1"

Customer Reviews

Moon Called keeps you guessing

Plenty of twists and turns. You do not get tired of guessing. Reading it you want to know more about the supernatural creature that inhabit her world Mercy is a level headed, independent person, who is a joy to read about. The romance in the novel is a good amount and does not take away from the story. This is an excellent start to the series. I cannot wait to read more.

Amazing

I love this book it keep me on the edge of my seat. If you like books with vampires,wolfs,and witches this is a book for you.

A great starter!

finished a few days ago and am just now getting around to writing a review! Never thought I'd read an urban fantasy, but apparently I had this on my Kindle app so I decided to read it just for funs and it turns out I really liked it. Never thought I'd somehow be ok with werewolves and alpha dynamics but here I am giving it 4 stars. Only reason it isn't 5 is because there is a VERY long chapter that basically goes into the "why this happened" and it is basically one of the big bads just explaining their actions. It makes sense in the context of the story, but it went on for so long I got kind of lost and so the ending chapters I was kinda wandering around lost. The full ending redeemed it though. Listen if you're going to read this you just have to accept the fact you're dealing with werewolves and alphas and just embrace the cheese of it all. Mercy is a fun MC, but she is also a shifter so you have to accept that cheese too. It was something fun I lost myself in for a few hours and it was a nice reprieve from the heavy stuff I was reading. It is not high quality literature, but if you need a fun "fantasy creatures in modern times (2006 tho)" story that isn't too long then you should pick this up. Like I said it takes a while to get going, and to just get over the fact someone is saying "alpha" and being serious about it. Once you just accept that though, it is a fun ride. (Also really diverse for an 06 book. A mixed race side character, a gay side character that is slightly relevant to the main plot [and is HAPPY], and a lot of our cast is indigenous. GRANTED: there are some problematic elements involving said indigenous aspects, with some questionable things being said. But I'm not an indigenous person so I can't really say one way or the other on how bad it is done.)

Patricia Briggs is ALWAYS wonderful!!

I have loved this series from this, the very first novel; I mean, truly loved it, start to finish. Those who pooh-pooh such paranormal adventures are missing out, big time. Yes, okay, shape-shifter stories have been done to death and most of them truly suck. This writer, this series, is different in that the writing is superb, the plot lines are well thought-out, the characters plausible and intriguing. Mercy Thompson is a great female lead. She's feisty, smart, courageous and, despite her (relatively) diminutive size, a worthy opponent. Best of all, she's really funny! I'm a fool for good dialogue and situational humor; Patricia Briggs does both extremely well. Lest you think the series is light-hearted fluff however, think again. Often terrifying, to-the-death conflicts abound. There is romance but it is credible romance, not the nasty bodice-ripping, bosom-heaving, drop-your-drawers lust appearing on page three. Suspend your disbelief in characters scary, strange, and utterly fantastic; you will be rewarded.

great book

amazing series. defiantly recommend.

Absolutely love this series!! Great for adults or older teens. Can't wait to finish this series and start the series that actually came in a time frame before this one alpha and omega. I heard the two series go together.

A gutsy, believable preternatural thriller!

Mercy Thompson is a new entry in the tough-chick, alternate universe, preternatural fantasy/thriller genre. In a world where vampires, the fae and werewolves co-exist with humans, Mercy straddles the line as one of the few remaining "walkers" from a Native American magical bloodline whose scions can shift at will into the shape of a coyote. As a child, Mercy was orphaned and was raised by a pack of werewolves. She ran away from the pack and an early marriage in her teens. Now she lives alone, the owner of her own car repair shop. When Mercy takes in a newly made teen werewolf she unwittingly takes on a whole world of hurt from those who are performing experiments on werewolves. She seeks refuge in her childhood pack and gets to the bottom of the evil cabal preying on young shapeshifters. Blood Bound is a tautly written action thriller in a believable alternate universe. Her characters are well written, sympathetic and entertaining. Briggs manages to convey the intricacies of this alternate universe without long detailed explanations. There is some romantic tension between Mercy and her old flame, but in mercifully small doses. Very enjoyable and looking forward to the next installment in the series!

It made me a Briggs fan

This is the least-crappy light/pop werewolf-based novel I have ever read. That is to say, it's GOOD. I've long been a fan of werewolf mythology -- they always seemed cleaner (morally if not physically; predators instead of sociopaths), wilder, more "natural," and less... well ... pretentious than their vampire counterparts. (Plus, there are far fewer writers doing werewolves, so they're fresher. Even though vamps will always have their Goth-y charm, for me.) But all too often, unless we're talking "literary," Samuel Delaney-esque sci-fi (or something by Dennis Danvers, try "Wilderness," it's BEAUTIFUL), what I've actually seen most often is thinly disguised, substandard romance, Harlequin-book-of-the-month style. I was expecting what the genre all too often presents, which is a scant excuse for forced, clunky, fanfiction-y erotica. This book was different -- it was engaging and charming, with just enough "sexy" thrown in to be a seasoning to the tale, instead of "trying too hard." What we have here is essentially a murder mystery -- a detective story. (It's what I love about fantasy/sci-fi/spec fic in general -- you can take any genre and hang it upon the supernatural framework: two for one.) Twists and turns and people who you think are going to live... I bought the book for the most flighty of reasons -- because of the cover. The woman depicted on the front struck me as extremely atypical. Not your normal hot, big-eyed, busty, bookcover material. She's rangy, and tough, and it takes you a long while to decide if she's pretty or not. But she looks like there might be some depth to her, something unexpected. She's obviously thinking, but you're not sure what. Funnily enough, this has wound up being the pretty much the same opinion I have of the book itself. It's pithy and spare, the prose is strong, and it has a couple of new ideas up its sleeves to boot. There is no sap here. I love the idea of Native American "walkers" (coyote-shifters) being as strong as, and standing in opposition to, the standard Euro-mythological werewolves. I'd love it if Briggs revisited the concept of these walkers in subsequent novels. After I bought this book I started looking up everything Briggs has written. Really, the woman has a gift. The best I can explain it is, she manages to write "light," fast-paced, easy and quick to get through books without them being dumb. I read this book (and then immediately after, "Dragon's Bones," which... oh, Oreg breaks my heart!!) and felt like they had actually tried to teach me a little something about humanity, something real about people and their psyche, rather than just diverting me for a couple of hours. (Or titillating me to distract me from the lack of plot and logic.) There's real soul here. I'd say this one's a four-star plot (it IS pop after all), with five-star characters and prose, and knowing more of Briggs now, I'll definitely call her a five-star author. Her characters give you something to hook your

A new, dark urban fantasy heroine

Authors the likes of Tanya Huff, Laurell K. Hamilton and Charlaine Harris have successfully peopled our modern world with vampires, lycanthropes and other supernatural beings who, to some extent, coexist politely among us mere mortals, living within complex hierarchies, bureaucracies and clan protocols. Add Patricia Briggs to the list. In Moon Called, she gives us a world where lesser fae beings such as brownies have "come out" to an incredulous public -- were forced out, more accurately, because of increasing advances in technology and forensic investigations -- while the greater fae and supernatural buildings -- werewolves, vampires and such -- remain hidden from popular view. Briggs, best known for high fantasy, makes a smooth transition to its dark, contemporary counterpart with this novel. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Moon Called focuses on an apparent clan war among werewolves, and Briggs outlines a creative, highly detailed society in which they live. The focal point, however, is Mercy Thompson, auto mechanic and shifter. Most of the fae population originated in Europe, emigrating to North America along with colonial settlers. Shifters, however, have their roots in Native American traditions, and their powers don't always work by the same rules. Mercy shifts at will to and from coyote form, and even in human form she has enhanced senses and speed. Mercy becomes involved in the story when a teenager walks into her garage looking for work. She gives him one -- warily, because her senses tell he's a werewolf, and he's not from the local clan. But all too soon, men and werewolves come looking for him, the local Alpha has been attacked in his own home, and a dead body has been left as a warning on Mercy's front porch. The action just heats up from there, as the local seethe of vampires and at least one local witch take an interest. Fortunately, Mercy is quick on her feet and has a keen, analytical mind when it comes to sorting out conspiracy theories.

Over The Moon Classic

If I could give this book ten stars, I would. This book was a smattering of 'Kitty and the Midnight Hour', a dollop of Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan books, a dash of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake novels and a sprinkle of 'Urban Shaman'. This book had everything I could possibly want and more: great characters, a wonderful story and enough intrigue to keep me wanting more. Moon Called is about a new breed of shapeshifter who has the ability to turn into a coyote. Her name is Mercedes 'Mercy' Thompson. She owns and runs her own garage in The Tri-Cities, Washington. Our story begins when a runaway werewolf, Mac, finds himself at Mercy's garage looking for work for a few bucks. When another werewolf accompanied by a human comes trailing after Mac, Mercy learns that Mac was drugged, encaged and sold to another Alpha Male of another area. That's when the trouble starts. Soon Mercy is involved in a scheme to have the Marrok (The Ulrfic or Werewolf King, for better terms) killed. Who also just happens to be her foster father. More is the fact that the night that Mac turns up dead on her porch, her sexy neighbor Adam, who is the local werewolf Alpha, is attacked by unknown visitors. Mercy, going with her gut instinct, takes Adam on a roadtrip bleeding and wounded to get help, traveling to her old hometown where she grew up and facing memories she would rather forget, namely a studmuffin werewolf by the name of Samuel. As the story winds along, Mercy ends up seeking the help of her old boss, Zee, who you learn is a metalworking goblin. (The fey make appearances in this book, just so you know, but only as a shadowing part of the story) Mercy also ends up seeking the help of her vampire friend Stefan. She then finds herself toe to toe with the Mistress of the local vampire sithen, and not in a good way when the mistress tries to take a bite out of Samuel. Wait, there's more. Just when you think Adam's pack is behind his attack, all the peices start to fall together and you learn the enemy is a little closer to home than you think. This was an awesome read, one that I know I will read over and over. If Patricia doesn't make a series for Mercy, I think alot of fans will be more than just a little disappointed. She has to! Mercy's character was everything I was hoping it to be: down to earth, couragous and powerful in her own right. Hands down, I can tell you this character is going to give Anita Blake a run for her money! (Much like C.E Murphy's Joanne Walker aka Siohban Walkingstick) Since I had never read any of Patrici's work before this, I was very impressed. Excellent job! I'm always on the look out for new authors and different perceptions on the whole werewolf/vampire world. Patricia's perception was refreshing and totally captivating. If you are looking for something new in this type of genre, I recommend picking up this book. You won't be disappointed. I promise.

Everything that LKH's books should be... but aren't.

Great mystery. Plenty of red herrings and twists to keep on interested. A great feel for werewolf, vampire, and fae politics - without being preachy. The heroine is very likeable. Tough without being a "Mary Sue". Smart without feeling a need to make the men around her feel stupid. Funny without being camp. All in all, a very good read. None of the so called "erotica" that Laurell K. Hamilton insists on brow beating us with, but lots of romantic interests and possible future romance. I particularly like that this heroine is a self confident business owner, who accepts what she is. She recognizes her limitations of size and strength (against both men and wolves), and accepts that it's okay to leave the fight to others every once in a while. I will definitely be reading this author again.