Moon Called

That cover is terrible, isn't it? I mean, you'd think this was erotica or something. And there's actually no sex in the book at all. Also Mercedes is half Native American and I'm pretty sure that cover is going for sexy white girl.

Terrible cover aside, I actually found this book enjoyable. How many urban fantasies feature "strong" female characters with a tough look and tough jobs who become useless the moment trouble starts, throw themselves at the new guy they know nothing about, and make unintelligent decisions that endanger their lives and contradict whatever mission their on? Mercedes isn't like that. Sure, she's tough, but she isn't perfect. And yes, she makes some questionable decisions, but she usually has a good reason.

I also enjoyed the story's mythology. The book has shapeshifters, werewolves, vampires, and fae, and they all have their own behaviors, magic, histories, and family groups.

What made the story fall flat for me was how everything ended. For one, it was too easy for Adam to take control of the opposing wolves. They were moon called and under the power of the alpha male, neither of which were explained, so they just laid down in front of him. And it was all very anti-climatic.

Then there's the main antagonist who turns out to be doing all these terrible things just to save his father's life. This guy we only met at the story's resolution, and he only gets about a paragraph or two of dialogue before he's killed. And we only meet his father for one short section of a chapter, and later only a paragraph describing his death. The whole situation is very tragic, and it is treated very casually, like a simple plot element. I don't feel the story delivered the emotional connection that the situation demanded.

Finally, I wasn't buying the date. Throughout the book, Merci never gives any indication that she is interested in Adam. While it is a bit of a set up in that Jesse tells Merci it's a group date and then flakes out so her father and Merci can have time together, that doesn't warrant a passionate kiss on Merci's front porch or Merci's decision to give it time to see what is going on between them. It all just comes out of nowhere.

So, I came out of this one with mixed feelings. I had been enjoying it, but all ended too weirdly. I could chalk it up to first-book syndrome and give the next book a try, but I'm not feeling very enthusiastic about it.