A review by laurenjodi
Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs
4.0
Cry Wolf
4 Stars
Series note: It is necessary to read the prequel novella, Alpha & Omega, to understand the events at the beginning of the book. Moreover, I recommend reading the first three Mercy Thompson books in order to get a feel for the world Briggs is creating.
The plot is intriguing and assists in fleshing out the world building initially established in the Mercy Thompson series. The witches, for instance, are mentioned in Mercy's books, however, it is only after reading Cry Wolf that the full impact of their natures and powers becomes apparent.
Unlike Mercy's series, there is greater focus on the romance than the action of the urban fantasy plot. Anna and Charles are a likable couple and it is easy to root for them, but their relationship lacks chemistry. While Anna is slowly coming into her own as a werewolf and an Omega, she is not nearly as independent or confident as I would like. Nevertheless, she has her kick-ass moments and will hopefully develop in this regard as the series progresses. Charles is hard and uncompromising, which is completely understandable given his role as the pack's assassin, but Anna manages to bring out the love and compassion that he has aways tried so hard to conceal.
The secondary characters, particularly Walter and Asil, are the highlight of the book. Asil's backstory is riveting and Walter's basic humanity and dignity is only highlighted by the internal conflict that he struggles with both before and after his change. For this reason, Walter's. The villain is suitably malevolent and creepy, and the revelations about Bran's past provides some fascinating insight into his role as the Marrok and his relationship with his sons.
In sum, Briggs is very skilled at creating a complex world with characters that come to life on the pages. Unfortunately, the writing style is somewhat problematic as there is the occasional disjointed sentence with ill placed commas and appositions, which interrupts the flow of the narrative. Nevertheless, the Alpha & Omega series is shaping into an entertaining spin-off and I am eager to see what happens next with Anna and Charles.
4 Stars
Series note: It is necessary to read the prequel novella, Alpha & Omega, to understand the events at the beginning of the book. Moreover, I recommend reading the first three Mercy Thompson books in order to get a feel for the world Briggs is creating.
The plot is intriguing and assists in fleshing out the world building initially established in the Mercy Thompson series. The witches, for instance, are mentioned in Mercy's books, however, it is only after reading Cry Wolf that the full impact of their natures and powers becomes apparent.
Unlike Mercy's series, there is greater focus on the romance than the action of the urban fantasy plot. Anna and Charles are a likable couple and it is easy to root for them, but their relationship lacks chemistry. While Anna is slowly coming into her own as a werewolf and an Omega, she is not nearly as independent or confident as I would like. Nevertheless, she has her kick-ass moments and will hopefully develop in this regard as the series progresses. Charles is hard and uncompromising, which is completely understandable given his role as the pack's assassin, but Anna manages to bring out the love and compassion that he has aways tried so hard to conceal.
The secondary characters, particularly Walter and Asil, are the highlight of the book. Asil's backstory is riveting and Walter's basic humanity and dignity is only highlighted by the internal conflict that he struggles with both before and after his change. For this reason, Walter's
Spoiler
death hit me hard as I really wanted him to find a home with the packIn sum, Briggs is very skilled at creating a complex world with characters that come to life on the pages. Unfortunately, the writing style is somewhat problematic as there is the occasional disjointed sentence with ill placed commas and appositions, which interrupts the flow of the narrative. Nevertheless, the Alpha & Omega series is shaping into an entertaining spin-off and I am eager to see what happens next with Anna and Charles.