Customer Rating:  
Summary: Great world-building, good characters but disappointing plot
Comment: First, let me confess that it was the cover art by Daniel Dos Santos rather than the book's description that was the deciding factor in my buying Patricia Briggs' Moon Called. After reading the book, I'd have to divide my opinion into three categories. The best thing about Moon Called is the world-building. While it is obvious that Briggs was heavily influenced by White Wolf's World of Darkness, she has done an excellent job of making her own distinct world for her story to take place in, doing very interesting things with the various supernatural communities that exist in it. Her vampires, werewolves, fae and other denizens all have their own unique little twists in their natures, their social structures and even their politics that set her world a quantum level above the ones usually found in the dark fantasy genre, so I give her very high marks in this regard.
The character-building is almost as good. Mercy Thompson is engaging as a protagonist; there's just something about a smart, strong-minded shifter girl who's also a top-notch mechanic that just naturally appealing. Nearly all of the characters in Moon Called come across as flesh and blood while remaining a different flesh from our own. That said, though, one does get the feeling that you've seen them before in any number of well-written dark fantasy novels. It's a tough thing to accomplish, given how well-traveled the DF road is, and Briggs does do a good job of it -- you never get bored by them. But at the same time, you're rarely surprised by what they do because they are so familiar.
My more serious problem with Moon Called is the plot. Within the DF genre, Moon Called falls into the mystery-novel subgroup. Without giving anything away, the heart of the plot is this: one character gets killed, another is attacked, and yet another is kidnapped, and Mercy must find out by whom and why. My problem is that, in my opinion, Briggs uses what I consider a mystery plot cheat - concealing the identity of the perpetrators by using minor characters whom you almost never see until the end, and concealing their motives for why they did what they did by making the reasons so convoluted that not only could you not see them coming, when they are revealed you just don't believe them. In this regard, I found myself more than a little disappointed.
Overall, I found Moon Called a better-than-average dark fantasy/mystery novel, and if you like the genre it's worth reading. I may try reading the next novel in the series, but my hope is that Briggs will do a better job with the plot.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Wish I'd given in earlier and read this book!
Comment: So this book had been on my wish list for a while, then I finally gave in and bought it - and then it sat on my shelf for a while. I eventually had an urge to read it and am SO glad I did! :) It's a great story with strong, interesting, funny, likable characters. While I am an avid reader of the paranormal/paranormal-romance genre, I've never been a fan of stories featuring werewolves and that it what caused my original resistance to reading the book. I've got to agree with the reviewer who note4d these books are what L.K. Hamiltons should be. I am reminded of the early days in the Anita Blake series - Mercy has the same magnetism. I'm getting ready to order the other books in the series right now. Try this book out - you'll like it!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Favorite Series.
Comment: This series is so good. I've heard people compare it to the Anita Blake series, but that doesn't work really. They are seriously different books. Other than having female leads, thats about it. Anita Blake borderlines frightening with her serious attitude. Mercy is more on the level of normal emotions. Well minus that whole coyote thing. Seriously good series, would recommend it to anyone!
Customer Rating:
Summary: this series is awesome and ms patricia briggs is an excellent author.
Comment: this book is excellent you absolutely must read it i am waiting for the 4th book myself.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Better then I expected, a fun read
Comment: I bought the book based on all the good reviews. I still had low expectations. Too my surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was so caught up in Mercy Thompson's life, I put my own life on hold for a day until I finished the book.
Surprising twists and turns I didn't see coming, and, an interesting, likable heroine.
|
