Owing a vampire a favor can be a dangerous proposition, as mechanic and Skinwalker Mercy Thompson finds out in this sequel to Moon Called. When vampire Stephan calls in his marker for helping Mercy in rescuing the Alpha pack leader’s daughter from kidnappers, it’s not about fixing the transmission on his VW van. A rogue vampire has wandered into his mistress’s territory without permission, and Mercy must accompany him in coyote form as an “impartial” witness to the delivery of a message. Seems innocuous, but this is not the usual vampire. Cory Littleton is possessed by a demon, and the initial meeting almost gets Mercy killed and Stephan taking the heat for a mass slaughter.
Killing the bad guy and saving Stephan’s neck seems simple on the surface, but no. It’s never that easy. No one – not even Mercy -- even believes in the existence of demons, much less how to kill one.
The vampires aren’t exactly forthcoming. The usually helpful witch has left town, and the fae are ordered by their council to sit on the sidelines. The local wolf pack has no choice but to involve themselves in the hunt to protect their now-public image. Led by Mercy’s love interests, Adam and Sam, brute force won’t work when one pack member ends up dead and the other near death. The one person who is more or less immune to vampire magic is Mercy herself and being a Skinwalker, vampires fear her. It becomes very personal when everyone suddenly disappears, and she’s left to her own devices to find and destroy this monster.
This series is shaping up to be far more complex than any I’ve found in this genre. Although lighthearted in places with banter and bickering in the love triangle, the theme is much darker than its predecessor. Vampire politics and an unexplainable attraction to Stephan add a new edge to the storyline. As the resident evil bastard, Cory Littleton is the most heinous monster I’ve encountered in a very long time.
Mercy’s development into a heroine with a take-no-prisoners attitude is believable given these particular circumstances. Even though Adam and Sam are the same Alpha males with their controlling, dominant personalities, there are subtle shifts with their claims on Mercy. Love is indeed in the air, but it’s almost pure testosterone and only enhances the story instead of getting in the way.
It’s fascinating how the author can weave such a tale of love, vengeance, and evil into a single shot and not crowd the pages. This is definitely another winner from this author, and I can’t wait for the next in the series.
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Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Ace (January 30, 2007)
ISBN-10: 0441014739
ISBN-13: 978-0441014736
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