5 Stars
Even though I live in the Tri-Cities (about half way between
the Seethe and Mercy's Garage, according to the map), and have met Patricia
Briggs a few times, I remained ignorant of the true genre of this series. I
thought it was about zombies. Imagine my surprise when I discovered it is about
weres. Oh, there are a few other folk mixed in, and mayhaps a zombie in a later
book, but for the most part, it's about werewolves, and our heroine, Mercy
Thompson who is not were but a skin walker, or shape changer. Most time human
mechanic, part time coyote, raised by a pack of werewolves, she knows the ins,
the outs, and the politics of the pack.
This is not a book where the wolf-pack control or terrorize
the locals. They actually blend in, and only a very few humans know of their
existence. Adam, the local pack Alpha, keeps a tight reign on his pack, and
considers Mercy his mate, thereby under his protection. Mercy may have other ideas. However, wolves and coyotes not
the best of friends and he doesn't want anyone to go after her. She has also
befriended a vampire or two from the seethe near my house, and some members of
the fae community. All this makes for some great story lines, and some serious
mysteries to be solved.
Because Mercy is NOT a member of Adam's pack, she does not
have to follow the rules of the pack, nor Adam's orders. She is not a
submissive to his dominance. That allows her to do things his pack cannot do.
It also allows her to get into trouble now and again.
Mercy is beautiful, though possibly more from the inside
than the outside. She is intelligent, and runs a garage that works on used VW and German cars
almost exclusively. Her coyote senses, especially that of smell, tell her more
than most people realize. She can smell her friend, the undercover cop, no
matter his disguise. She can smell a newly made wolf who has not been trained.
And when her old love, Samuel, arrives to rent a room at her home, there are
sparks between him and Adam, her neighbor. She can smell when it's time to
leave the room before they decide to turn and go at it in order to 'win' her.
Oh, those silly wolves. It will take more than that to win Mercy
Thompson.
This book has made me a fan of Ms. Briggs, of were wolves,
and of Mercy Thompson. Almost makes me want to buy a VW so Mercy can work on
it. This book is urban fantasy as well as preternatural thriller, there's humor, there's
pathos, and all these characters are believable. Who knew I lived in the midst
of such excitement? For a good time, read Moon Called.
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