Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - Moon Called

I’m not into werewolves, but the dedicated world building in this book made me respect them a little more. This book is probably not what you expect it to be based on the sexy cover: this is not some Omegaverse paranormal romance. There is essentially no romance in this whatsoever, it’s like a murder mystery with werewolves, vampires, and other miscellaneous creatures.

The funnest part of this for me is that this takes place where I live: the Tri-Cities in Washington state! I recognized all of the places and other descriptions of the setting. There are a lot of coyotes in this area, so the fact that Mercy can shift into a coyote is so appropriate.

Even though I can’t help but think that any book that uses the term “Alpha” seriously is automatically, at least partially, cringe, the world building around werewolves and other creatures is so good, and there is a LOT of it. This is probably the least cringy it could be when so much “dominance” and “submissiveness” is involved, and it’s because this isn’t focused on romance. This is an adult novel that has a very serious tone which helped me accept all the werewolf stuff. Mercy is like 31 years old, my current age, which was also cool! She’s tough and resourceful, but not a snarky or super strong Mary Sue.

I just… Flew through this, and it shocked me how invested I became. And honestly the world building is fantastic. I will definitely be continuing the series!

I have just one request:

Mercy, DO NOT pick Samuel. If it comes to that, DO NOT pick the centuries-old werewolf that tried to marry you when you were sixteen so that you could successfully bear his werewolf children. Please and thank you!

Content Warnings

lportilla's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Content Warnings

knockonwood03's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Nice quick start to a phenomenal series. Mercy is a unique and interesting main character.

Content Warnings

styxx's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Content Warnings

thesigilwitch's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Moon Called is the first book in the Mercedes "Mercy" Thompson series. Mercedes is a Volkswagen mechanic but we learn quickly that's far from the most interesting thing about her, she's a Walker, a coyote shapeshifter, maybe even the only one left. She isn't the only preternatural creature running around the tri-cities though and the reader is introduced to Werewolves, Vampires and the Fae, living in various states of 'outness' with the humans. In book 1 we're introduced to Mercy's neighbor, the local werewolf packs Alpha, Adam Hauptman, he's handsome if not meddlesome and when he and his daughter are kidnapped Mercy is prepared to do anything to bring them home safely.

This is not the most unique or exciting Urban Fantasy but it's good, really good. I love this series and am always excited to come back and re-read it. I've read (well listened) twice this year so far and immediately started book 2 Blood Bound. What I like about Mercy is that she feels like someone you could meet in real life, out and about during your normal routine. She's strong and independent but she also knows when she's in over her head and when to call on the great support system she has. Adam is domineering but also caring, he epitomizes the stereotype of "touch her and die". The other supporting characters; Warren, Ben, Zee, Mac, Kyle all bring their own quirks to the story and each becomes an important part of Mercys life/story. This book is a bit slower paced than what I would consider the average for the series and does fall into the trap of giving a lot of details on a lot of things because it's setting you up for the rest of the unfolding story. There's occasional on page spice but it's not graphic and not a main part of the plot, the author is definitely focused on the emotional relationships of the characters. Personally I would recommend this series as a whole to anyone that enjoys Urban Fantasy and/or Paranormal Romance, especially if you're looking for a large universe to discover with multiple series and supporting short stories.

Content Warnings

tonton2612's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous hopeful mysterious relaxing tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This a great series by Patricia Briggs. I love the character and the plots!

Content Warnings

polter6eist's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark funny tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Content Warnings

More...