Staff Recommendation - Moon Called

Moon Called

by Patricia Briggs

This is the first volume in a relatively new "urban fantasy" series focusing on Mercedes Thompson. Mercedes, or "Mercy" for short, is a "walker," or skinwalker -- a shapeshifter from Native American folklore. She was raised by a clan of werewolves, and despite a desire to live a normal life as a VW mechanic in the Tri-Cities in Washington State, she can't quite escape the paranormal world. Her next-door neighbor is the local Alpha (leader of the werewolve pack), she does repair work on a vampire friend's van, and she bought her garage from a member of the fae (a gremlin). This first volume is action-packed, but its greatest strength is the well-drawn characters. Mercy and her associates all feel "real", in spite of the fantastical nature of her world. The dialog also shines in this series -- very snappy. The only drawback for me, and it is for Mercy's character too, is the strong emphasis on the werewolves' dominance/submissiveness relationships, that place females in a very submissive role. However, despite laboring under this weakness, Mercy manages to be an extremely strong character. I recommend this series as a good example of contemporary urban fantasy, and for fans of paranormal novels who are tired of the vampires getting all the glory. -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ official Patricia Briggs web site ]

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