Read from March 23 to 24, 2014
I should start of my review by saying I adore Patricia Briggs's Mercedes Thompson series and that this series is basically a spin off of that series with the same general feel, same world and many of the same characters.
I'm writing my reviews for Alpha & Omega, Cry Wolf, Hunting Grounds and this novel Fair Game together. I listened to all these books on
Audiobook, they all had the same narrator and I listened to them back to back with no breaks in between so the story to me at this point was a continuous one.
I have only read the Mercedes Thompson series and this series todate by Patricia Briggs and I love how she weaves the world she builds around the strength and background of her characters. There are so many elements of our world that it makes it easy to relate and yet keep the paranormal feel.
These novels are based on the stories of Charles and Anna. Charles is the youngest son of the Marroak who is the leader of all the werewolves..at least in North America. Charles is approx 200 years old and was born to an Native American woman who's family was steeped in shaman magic and his father was also of a magical background. He is also the only born Werewolf. Anna is a force turned werewolf who was horribly abused by her first pack until Charles rescued her and new her as his mate.
In Alpha & Omega we learn of Anna's story. This book like most in this series has very dark overtones dealing with rape and abuse. We also get our first glimpse of Charles and Brother Wolf in this novella which is truly the introduction to the entire series. It is a must read for any starting in as the background in this book will give you a better understanding of motivations in the rest of the series. I gave the book 4 stars which is my highest rating for a novella. PB does a great job of not getting too carried away with world building at the expense of the character building.
Cry Wolf gets us into the meat and potatoes of Charles and Anna's mating and introduces us to more of the pack in which they reside. This story also has dark elements of black magic and human/animal sacrifice. The story moves quickly and Anna begins to learn more about herself and about her status as an Omega wolf. We see inside Charles's head and find out what made him the man he is today and how he is changing because of his love of Anna. Again the story is woven around the characters and keeps you on the edge of your seat. You really don't know who is going to survive until right near the end of the novel. There is definitely an action/adventure feel to this book but with really raw edges. A 5 star read for me.
Hunting Ground is where the story line and the characters really take off for me and I made my connection with the main characters more deeply. I'm also a fan of suspense novels and this book had all the earmarkings of a wonderful who dunit. In this novel the Wolves are coming out of the closet (so to speak) and Charles must attend a conference with Alphas from North America and Europe. From there the mayhem begins with Vampires, attempted murder, actual murder, over protective alphas, white witches and more. I just couldn't put this one down for one minute it was a great read! I gave it 5 stars.
Fair Game is the book I just finished and again I loved it...it had a crime procedural feel to it..which again I just adore. In this outing Charles and Anna are helping the FBI solve across decades serial killer who is as we find out targeting Fae and now Werewolves. Anna truly comes of age in this novel ...she is manifesting self confidence and some major kickass abilities. Charles on the other hand is deal with Ghosts and self recrimination which has made him withdrawn and is injuring his relationship with Anna. We are also introduced to new characters..the Boston Alpha Isaac who is a hoot. FBI agents Leslie and Goldwaite as well as some other alphabet agencies. We also meet a powerful fae..some witches..black witches and other bad bad characters. This book is truly dark in some places as it does deal with a sado sexual predator and we do hear what has happened to some victims. The novel was exciting, pretty fast moving. With an interesting ending ...I can't wait for the next book in this series. Another 5 star read for me.
As you can tell I am really enjoying this series ..it feeds my love of the paranormal, suspense, police procedural and has the romantic elements that are a must in all my reads. If you have not started this series...I highly recommend you do. The narrator of the audiobooks is wonderful by the way...he does a great job and in no way takes away from but rather enhances the reading experience.
Looking for a UF series? You gots to try this out NOW!
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