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dreamerfreak's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, and Blood
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The worldbuilding style is odd, as this book is kind of a sequel twice over, while still potentially being the first book a particular reader might find in this set of stories. It’s the direct sequel to the novella “Alpha and Omega” which is itself kind of a “meanwhile, elsewhere” story which is set during the events of MOON CALLED, the first book in the Mercedes Thompson series. It’s assumed that the reader at minimum knows what happened in the novella, though someone who had read MOON CALLED but not “Alpha and Omega” might be able to keep up enough to enjoy it. It shows a different side of Bran and Charles than the Mercy Thompson books do, while introducing Anna, a recently abused Omega werewolf who is now Charles’s mate, despite having known him for barely a day when their wolves bonded. CRY WOLF is about what happens immediately after Anna’s abusers were dealt with, starting with her accompanying Charles to his home in Montana. There they try to figure out their brand new relationship, navigating love (and maybe sex) in the wake of horrific abuse which Anna can scarcely believe is over. The main plot intertwines their relationship with a hunt for a werewolf in the mountains after a hiker and a parker ranger are attacked in separate incidents. There’s a strong focus on Anna learning to feel safe with Charles, and how coping mechanisms she used to get through the abuse might make things more complicated now.
When thought of as a sequel, it wraps up a bunch of things left hanging from A&O while giving a status update in the aftermath of MC. It has a new storyline (the mountain journey) which is distinct from both of them. It introduces and resolves Asil’s present issues as well as Walter’s storyline, neither of which were previewed elsewhere. It establishes a new status quo for the characters but doesn’t specifically leave something dangling for later (other than Anna and Charles’s continued relationship). Anna and Charles are returning narrators from A&O, and their voices are consistent with their previous appearances. Asil is a new narrator, along with brief sections from Walter. Despite being the first book of a series, this is best read after MOON CALLED and “Alpha and Omega” (in the interest of both chronology and clarity).
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and War
wrenniebird's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Blood
introvertisa's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
Minor: Sexism
bookfun's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I loved Charles, his kind of brokenness that he hides so well, his protectivness of Anna and his silent determination and I love most how he relaxes because of Anna and how she is able to see his soft and fun side, without him actually having to change himself. I love seing the relationship between him and Samuel and him and Bran, I loooooved seing so much more of Bran and getting insights into him and I love that Patricia Briggs made him a kind of ambivalent good character. We know he is a good guy and he means good, but he is also ruthless in a way a truly good guy wouldn't be. He has to decide some things and act in ways that are kind of morally grey, like his relationship with Lea, but he has very good reasons for it and you feel for him, even as you wish that he would find another solution. It's really interesting getting to know him more.
I didn't like Anna too muc hin this book, but that is mostly becaus she is so passive and insecure and honestly, I don't think she could have been written differently, seeing her past, her trauma and her abuse. It makes sense, it just didn't make me like her, but she did came out of her shell from time to time and that made me confident that I will like her in the future. I'm a sucker for the silent strong woman in books and she seems to be exactly that. Strong and badass but in a different way than the kickass fighters (don't get me wrong, I love them too, but this is just a bit rarer, so I love reading about it).
Oh, and I absolutely loved Asil and I hope to read much much more of him in the future.
I didn't really read the Mercy Thompson world books in order unfortunately, I started with the Mercy Thompson series and didn't realize this series exists in the same universe and time, so I have to catch up a bit before I can go back to Mercy, and I would highly encourage people to read all the books in this world in the correct order, even the novellas.
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, and Blood
vexbatch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, Self harm, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Gun violence, Incest, Medical content, and Kidnapping