Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega, Book 1)

I loved this book couldn't put it down finished it in one day loved it.
cant wait for more.

I am a big fan of this genre and wildly enthusiastic about Briggs as an author. I was prepared to LOVE this book as I already considered myself an afficianado of the Mercyverse and was elated by this paralell addition. This is where the "however" is usually inserted, where I list my disillusions, etc. But my objections don't quite rate a "however" nor are they minor enough for the "niggles" pile.

It was...fine. But failed to excite my passion. But better than many offerings in this genre. But not what I've come to expect from this author. But sill entertaining. But missing that extra something. Alpah and Omega felt more commercial and less passionate than the excellent Mercy series, as if it were written for the deadline instead of for the joy of the story. But maybe it caught me wrong, or on a bad day, so I give it 3.75 stars plus .25 starts becasue I think Briggs rocks and I love the integrity she's added to paranormal fiction, which took a big hit when LKH went south.

Specific comments: I felt the action and devices to advance the plot were too pat, that everyone got where they were supposed to be and knew what they were supposed to know without sufficient story-line to support it. The concept of the Omega was vague to me and needed fleshing out IMO. However (a good however), I was floored by the suggestion that Bran was the impetus behind the Grendle in the Beowulf epic, and I'd love to hear more....like a book or 3.

The bottom line: good but not great, be SURE you don't miss any of the Mercy Thompson books as they are fantastic, and the teaser for the 4th Mercy book at the end of A&O definiately whetted my appetite.

I just found this series and the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. I liked them so much, I read all four books in less than a month. The rules of the world she created are facinating and the way her characters interact with each other within those rules are endlessly interesting. Cry Wolf is interesting because the "hero" of the story is actually so beat down and then so unsure of herself that she's not really a hero at all, but she still has an impact on everyone around her just by being what she is.

This is the continuation of the Anna and Charles short story that is located in On the Prowl. I would read this short story before reading Cry Wolf. The story is strong enough that it isn't absolutely required, but you will love the story so much you will end of getting the short story book just to read more about the Alpha and Omega. This is an exciting fast read, I hated to put it down once I started it. This is as good as the Mercy Thompson series which I also love!

This book is really good. Let me start with that. It's not even just good for the paranormal romance genre, it's just a good book. The writing is great and very solid, there are none of those weird quirks that lesser writers are cursed with. Things like repeating certain adjectives too often or "making up" heretofore unmentioned things to move the plot along (like someone is stuck in a cave and then - oh, great, the author inserts a magical cave sprite or something willing to show our hero the way out, even though cave sprites never existed in that imagined world until the character was in a bind and needed help). And cliches were, blessedly, kept at a minimum. For that reason alone this book is worth reading. In a phrase, the writing never detracts from the story. It's polished until it shines.

The thing that's missing is the humor. Don't get me wrong, it's not a dry book. There are funny moments and amusing phrases and it's fun to read. But Patricia Briggs has taken a different approach with this series than she did with the Mercedes Thomson series. Instead of a first person POV, this book utilizes the perspective of almost all the major characters (at least four). This is nice, because we learn back stories on many of the characters and begin to understand the impressively conceived intricacies of werewolf society. But my favorite part of the Mercy Thomson series is Mercy Thomson. She's just an interesting character; fragile and strong and warmly expressed. Her individual narration lends so much to the story, including a great deal of the humor. It's a little kitsch at times, but she's charming as well. None of the characters in Cry Wolf are unlikable, but it seems the multiple points of view work better to add tension and interest to the plot than depth to the characters.

Now just a few things I would like to comment on briefly. First, the covers of all her books are ridiculous and misleading. That woman on the cover is the antithesis of the character of Anna in the book. Just read it and you'll see what I mean. I realize authors have no control over the cover art, don't judge a book by its cover, etc, etc. It just bothers me. So don't let that woman's dubiously plump bosom dissuade you. Second, the book seems to start in the middle following Brigg's contribution to an anthology (On the Prowl). I haven't read it and it did take me a while to catch up. But it's certainly doable. Lastly, I wanted to say how much I enjoyed Briggs' characterization of the landscape. Much of the book takes place in the snowy Cabinet Mountains in Montana, and they were so eerie and forbidding even in daylight that there was a constant whiff of menace. The sense of unease never let up. It was great, and unusual to find such a deft touch with nature in a book featuring marauding werewolves.

*(Mild Spoiler Alert) I am worried about future books in the series. This was more a romance than Mercy Thompson, and by the conclusion of this novel, the romance part is neatly concluded. If the two main leads are the stars of the next novels, are they just going to go around solving crimes? Or what? Because that would be a little boring. I hope there will be a book about Bran. This book left me wishing there was some hope for him, as he's obviously unhappy with his mate. Plus, he worked as a distant, enigmatic leader, so why reveal his inner thoughts if he wasn't going to play a major role in later books?

It was a great read, my personal criticisms aside.