Book: "Moon Called" by Patricia Briggs

Over the weekend, I've finished reading Patricia Briggs' "Moon Called" and let me tell you, that I've tremendously enjoyed that one. After the disappointment that was Anita Blake, this book was like a breeze of a fresh air. There was action, there was humor, there were very much likable characters and... WEREWOLVES! *bounces* Yeah, yeah, as I've mentioned earlier, paint me weird but werewolves and wolves as such fascinate me like few other things. Must be the whole Pack thing, dominant and submissive stuff etc. And this book is filled with it to the brim.

And what is it about? Mercy owns a car repair shop and lives a happy life with her Manx cat Medea (yup, yami_tai, a Manx cat :D). Her old boss is a gremlin, she repairs cars for the local vampire circle among other things, her neighbour is the local werewolf Alpha and her best friends is a cute gay couple, where one of the guys is a were and the other a divorce lawyer. Oh, and she can turn into a coyote. But otherwise, she is a completely normal young woman. She is spunky, she has guts but she doesn't have to be sarcastic or spiteful to prove her worth to others. She knows what she wants and she doesn't allow anybody, not even the Marrok to put her down. And so, Mercy, a walker, gets mixed up in the power struggle in the werewolf society when the werewolf that was helping her in the garage gets killed, her Alpha neighbour is almost killed and his daughter kidnapped. For once it's she, a mere coyote who has to save the life of a werewolf Alpha and figure out what the hell is going on!

What fascinated me the most was the hierarchy in the werewolf Packs. Especially the Marrok. It was so original and refreshing. I loved Bran and his sons, Samuel and Charles. And I loved Adam and Jesse. Even the character of the "rapist" Ben was interesting. But my most favorite among the weres was Warren. His relationship with Kyle and with the other werewolves was so complicated but so interesting at the same time!

I was happy to see another supporting gay character in Briggs' books, just like there was one in "Dragon Bones" and "Dragon Blood". I love it how complicated the gay characters usually are in her books. But this couple was much happier than the one in the Dragon books where it wasn't about love but about blackmail.

I think that one of the best things about this book are the relationships between the characters. Bran and Dr. Carson... Samuel and Mercy... Warren and Adam... It's about love and about friendship and in this book, these two feelings are actually inseparable.

Another great thing is that the book wasn't black and white. The good ones weren't just good and the bad ones just bad. Actually, at the end of the book, I've cried for the baddies! When you find out there reasons, how ever misguided they might have been, you just have to cry.

I would give "Moon Called" 4,5 stars. Why? Because I wish it was longer! XD I really do hope that Briggs will write a sequel.