LauraD’s review of Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega, Book 1) by Patricia Briggs
Urban fantasy/Contemporary paranormal romance released by Ace 29 Jul 08

I had been hearing the buzz about Patricia Briggs’ new novel, so I was thrilled to win a copy from Avidbookreader. I am one of the few readers who hasn’t yet read one of the Mercy Thompson books, so I went into my first Patricia Briggs experience with a completely open mind.

Anna Latham is a werewolf; as the book begins she is in the process of leaving her pack in Chicago where she has been the object of sexual abuse on a regular basis. The pack leader is dead, killed by Anna’s new mate Charles. Charles is an alpha by nature, but instead of leading a pack he works as an enforcer for his father who leads all werewolves as the Marrok. The Marrok had sent Charles to Chicago to solve problems within the Chicago pack; while there Charles recognized Anna as a rare Omega wolf, with the power to calm other wolves. He also claimed her as his mate and she is moving to Montana to be part of the Marrok’s pack.

The first couple of chapters of Cry Wolf are quite confusing if, like me, you didn’t know that these characters were previously introduced in a short story from an anthology called On the Prowl. If you don’t read it first, you will be doing some guesswork and making some assumptions, as this book starts immediately after that short story ends. It’s possible that more of Anna’s backstory was told there, but the very abrupt beginning to Cry Wolf made me put it down for several days.

Fortunately, I picked it back up again. Patricia Briggs does a nice job of building her werewolf society without dumping a lot of information on the reader at one time. Characters are introduced when it’s appropriate and when they have a purpose. Unlike most series, no one exists just to scream “sequel bait”. I especially hope to see more of Asil as the series continues, I found his character fascinating.

Anna and Charles are just lovely. She has been badly abused, and Charles understands that it’s not something that Anna is going to get over quickly or easily. He makes many small, caretaking gestures that show her he can be trusted; and at one point when he is badly injured he changes from wolf to human because Anna needs him to be human – even though it will slow his healing significantly. Forced to be judge, jury, and sometimes executioner for his father, Charles battles internal demons but keeps his morals and ethics intact.

On her part, Anna is brave and open minded; while she occasionally wants to obey her flight instinct she isn’t stupid. She understands the changes in her life are inevitable, and she approaches them head on.

Of course, there is a suspense plot. A rogue werewolf is in the Montana forests, and a human has seen it. Charles has to find the werewolf, and take care of the problem one way or another. Anna convinces him to take her with him into the woods, and they battle both the elements and genuine evil.

Cry Wolf is a great start to what is probably going to be a wonderful series. I wish the book itself had a better start; for me the abrupt beginning was what kept it from being an “A” read. I’m just hoping there’s not an anthology published between this Alpha and Omega book and the next one; I don’t want to start off behind again!

Grade: B+

Read other reviews by following the Cry Wolf tag.

Summary:

Anna never knew werewolves existed until the night she survived a violent attack…and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she’d learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. But Anna is that rarest kind of werewolf: an Omega. And one of the most powerful werewolves in the country will recognize her value as a pack member-and as his mate.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Gwen’s review of Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega, Book 1) by Patricia Briggs
Urban fantasy/Contemporary paranormal romance released by Ace 29 Jul 08

Patricia Briggs has been on my very short list of favorite writers ever since I read the first book in the Mercy Thompson series, Moon Called, in February 2006. I wait, very impatiently, for each new Mercy release. It looks like I’ll be waiting, equally impatient, for future releases in the “Anna and Charles” series. Yes, it was that good.

With the Mercy Thompson books, Briggs created a world where the paranormal is beginning to take hold in everyday life. “Normal” people are slowly being introduced to the not so normal – fae, vampires, etc. And, soon, werewolves will be part of the known universe. Unless those opposed to the revelation get their way. Cry Wolf is set in Mercy’s world and focuses on the leader of all the American werewolves – the Marrok – and his pack, of which Charles and Anna, our hero and heroine, are part.

(First – sincere apologies for the grammar in this paragraph, but I just can’t force myself to adhere to The Rules tonight.) One of the things I like the most about Briggs’s writing is how rich in detail it is. Her world has a smell and taste, and I can feel the characters’ environment on every page. The writing isn’t bogged down one bit by this attention to detail – in fact, it is all dovetailed with extraordinary emotional development. Briggs has an elegance to her pacing and phrasing that delivers a punch in every sentence. And, thankfully, Briggs has not written Cry Wolf in first person – unlike Mercy’s books.

The lead characters in Cry Wolf, Anna and Charles, share large portions of the stage with Charles’s father and other members of his pack. Even so, we get to know Anna and Charles very well, and they’re more than one dimensional characters in this book. The beginning of their relationship is in the short story “Alpha and Omega”, however, so be aware that if you pick this book up without reading it, you may feel a bit at sea with some details. I recommend reading it before read Cry Wolf, though I think someone familiar with Mercy’s world could skip it.

Where the Mercy books are strictly urban fantasy with really no HEA’s, this book definitely has one. The emotional development is very satisfying and the action is gripping. I can’t say enough good about this book without gushing very unbecomingly.

I highly recommend this book to any fans of paranormal romance. I highly recommend the Mercy books to anyone who loves urban fantasy, as well. I also highly recommend Briggs’s writing to anyone who simply likes an elegant turn of phrase.

Grade: A

Summary:

Anna never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack… and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. Then Charles Cornick, the enforcer – and son – of the leader of the North American werewolves, came into her life.

Charles insists that not only is Anna his mate, but she is also a rare and valued Omega wolf. And it is Anna’s inner strength and calming presence that will prove invaluable as she and Charles go on the hunt in search of a rogue werewolf – a creature bound in magic so dark that it could threaten all of the pack…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

• The prequel to the Alpha and Omega series is the short story “Alpha and Omega” in the anthology On the Prowl. Read my review here.

What’s next for Briggs:

• Briggs’s short story, “Star of David,” is in the Christmas anthology Wolfsbane & Mistletoe and is in Mercy’s world. Excerpt here. Releases in Dec 08.
• Book 4 in the Mercy Thompson series, Bone Crossed, releases 3 Feb 09. There’s an excerpt in the back of Cry Wolf. Squeee!