[A quick note: It’s not often that I review a whole series or ongoing series. However, I began devouring these books so quickly that I couldn’t keep up with writing individual reviews. Since the books have a similar flavor, it made sense to just review the series as a whole, even though I haven’t gotten fully through it. My review is based thus far on: Moon Called, Blood Bound, Iron Kissed, and Bone Crossed. The covers are pretty cheesy, so don’t be turned away by that. I’d love to see them get a face lift.]
“𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞.” —Patricia Briggs
Werewolfs, vampires, and fae, oh my! All that, mixed with murder mystery makes for the perfect binge-worthy series. And let me tell you, I’ve been binging this series hard core. Each book has a definite ending (no cliff hangers, thank-you-very-much) while the background storyline continues from book to book. There’s enough romance to keep my heart happy, and enough mystery to keep me guessing at every corner. One of my favorite aspects of this series is the diversity and strong female lead.
Mercy Thompson is a VW mechanic who owns her own garage. She’s got a secret: she’s a walker, someone who can change shape. That shape happens to be in the form of a coyote, known for its survival instincts. This makes her a perfect candidate for solving a number of mysteries and murders that begin cropping up in the Tri-Cities, Washington. Each book focuses on a different supernatural murder, be it vampires, fae, ghosts, and beyond.
I love the world building. It’s our world, but a version where there’s supernatural creatures (It almost has Shadowhunter vibes). Some of the creatures have announced themselves and “gone public”, like the fae. The creature dynamics, like the werewolf pack dynamics, aren’t unfamiliar. Yet, there’s a fresh spin to suit the needs of this book. I appreciated how the author handled things and built out each of the creature cultures.
The romance relationship between Mercy and the pack alpha feels much healthier than most werewolf books. It’s addictive, with plenty of suspense and angst. However, for those who love on-page smut, it’s pretty G rated. For someone who prefers smut like me, you’ll still enjoy it. The lack thereof didn’t take away from the story. On the flip-side, for readers who don’t appreciate smut, that makes this series a great candidate for you. Especially if you’re looking for werewolf, since most are filled with it.
Also, regarding the relationships and characters, It’s clear that there’s a level of respect between Mercy and Adam (the pack alpha) that you don’t see as often in some werewolf relationships depicted in books today. I appreciate that the dominant/alpha male characters aren’t total assholes. They have their moments, but they’re never glorified. Mercy always has a way of putting them in their place.
Mercy’s character is amazing. It’s not often that you see a Native American MC. And she’s got tattoos, shifter abilities, and knows her way around a garage. Basically she’s a badass. She’s in her early thirties (it’s an adult series, after all, though YA would certainly enjoy it too). I love her strength and the way she fights for herself. She certainly faces a few internal struggles here and there because of what she is (a shifter), and she’s not perfect. But overall, she’s a character you can place your trust in.
Each of these books can be read in a couple of sittings. There’s twelve books out so far and I’m about 1/3 through the series. It’s pretty unputdownable. I’ve abandoned most of my TBR because I can’t stop jumping to the next ones. And if you love werewolf enough, there’s a spin off series that is a bit more pack-based called Alpha and Omega. I’m going to go ahead and rate it before finishing the series. 𝐌𝐘 𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆: 𝟓/𝟓⭐️