Seattle, Washington - Present Day

Coyote and his other furry friends live with his foster mother, Mooney, foster father, John, and a blind girl named Mouse, who uses Coyote as her seeing eye dog. Coyote is an actual coyote who has magical powers and can talk to others when the need arises. He is special because Coyote is the reincarnation of another special coyote called Old-Coyote who gave his own mangled spirit away to make the present Coyote. Coyote's mate, Lazytail, has given birth to their pups, and one of theirs pups is also part of the Old-Coyote spirit.

Coyote's mismatched family lives on a farm called Sunbow Farms that use to be a commune. They all live pretty much to themselves because Mooney and John are afraid that their neighbors could find out about Coyote, his other special friends: Fox, who is a fox, and Peter Burrey, a werewolf. All seems right until their new neighbors, Kylie and Lynn, move next door, and they seem a bit too friendly for Mooney's taste. Soon this couple is spying on Coyote and placing microphones and other listening devices around the farm. They also tempt Coyote with treats so they can try to get Coyote to talk. Kyle and Lynn actually work for the government, and Coyote's family has been watched for a very long time. Soon more government officials have overrun the area. Now Coyote has to keep from speaking too much and protect Lazytail and his new pups. But then Coyote is taken away and tested. But with the help of his other friends, they are able to come to the rescue.

COYOTE SEASON is one confusing story! I really did enjoy the character of Coyote and his voice as he explains about himself and those around him, but there is so much going on that I found myself having to re-read some of the pages over and over. Since everything is from Coyote's point of view, we really don't get a sense of what the other characters are thinking or why they act the way they do. But there are many interesting characters that come in and out, including Mouse; though she may be blind, she has great insight and feels she is the perfect mate for Coyote, even though she is human.

Ultimately, Michael Bergey writes about the importance of friendship and how far someone would go to help another in need. There is some nice magical elements and action that should appeal to fans of that storyline. COYOTE SEASON may not be the right read for me, but after reading it, I have a better respect for animals in general and would love to have my own personal Coyote to talk to.

Kate Garrabrant