Moon Called by Patricia Briggs is the August ALT pick for the Vaginal Fantasy book club. I decided to read the alt book this month because the main book had a waiting list from the library a mile long, and I didn’t want to bet that I’d like it enough to buy it in hardback.
This is an urban fantasy. Werewolves, fae, vampires, and witches all really exist. I really like this concept, and Briggs’ world building was detailed enough to make me believe it, but vague enough to keep me wondering.
Mercy Thompson, the main character, is wonderful. She’s bad ass without being Mary Sue. She doesn’t really develop as a character through this book, although it makes me wonder if she changes through the series. (There are currently 8 books in this series.)
The other characters in this book seemed really interesting. They really came alive on page. I’m glad Briggs decided to make these characters more than just background for Mercy to prance through.
The real problem I had with this book was the story. It was trying to be a mystery adventure type thing, but just fell short to me. Not enough intrigue to make it a mystery (aka no surprises) and not enough action to make it really epic.
One of the main things that this book circles around is dominance. Which isn’t too surprising considering most of this book is about werewolves, but it got old… quickly. I’m sure some people would love Briggs’ descriptions of the tension between the characters, but other people, like myself, would find it not emotionally stirring enough to really become wrapped within.
Overall I gave this book a 3/5. It kept my interest, but most of it wasn’t too memorable. I’d suggest this book to anyone looking for a quick read, or someone wanting to find a wonderful world with a simple story.
Brews and Ewes 