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142 of 147 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Start to a New Series, August 4, 2008
Though it is not absolutely necessary, readers should definitely start with Briggs' short story in the On the Prowl anthology. She introduces Anna and Charles, and the events in "Cry Wolf" begin immediately following that story. Patricia Briggs really hit her stride with the Mercy Thompson series. Great urban fantasy with a smart, resilient heroine. So, I was surprised to find I enjoy her new "Alpha and Omega" series just as much. It is set in the same world as Mercy; she is mentioned and characters from her books make an appearance. Mercy is a great heroine, but she is somewhat an outsider looking in on (and getting dragged into) paranormal affairs. Anna is a were, and knee deep in werewolf society.
In the short story, Anna was changed against her will and has been beaten down and brutalized by her pack ever since. When a local young man turns up dead, Anna recognizes him as one killed by her pack. She drums up the courage to call Bran, the Marrok and leader of all alpha werewolves. I was intrigued by this character when he was introduced in the Mercy books and was happy to see more of him. Bran sends his son and enforcer, Charles. When Charles meets Anna, he recognizes what she is - a rare and precious Omega wolf with the ability to calm wolves and keep their violence in check. Anna returns to Montana with Charles to join The Marrock's pack. Charles is needed almost immediately to investigate a possible rogue were killing people in the mountains. But, the problem is much more than a rogue - dark magic is targeting the pack. And only Anna and Charles stand in the way.
I think I enjoyed this book so much because we got a deeper look into how Briggs' has formed her werewolf society. Every paranormal series has its own "rules" for weres and vampires, and this is no different. Here the author expands on pack hierarchy, the role of the Marrock, Anna's Omega status and more. Yet, this book also leans far more toward paranormal romance than urban fantasy. Though Mercy has some great sexual tension with Adam and Samuel, she doesn't have a romantic relationship with either. So, the opportunity for witty repartee with someone she loves is missing (though the first chapter of book 4 included here indicates this will change). Anna and Charles make a great couple. Briggs' takes time to build the relationship, while simultaneously weaving her plot around them. Obviously, Anna's abilities as Omega will make her vital to the story's resolution, but the author makes it more than a plot device. Though they are mates, Anna was raped by members of her old pack and is uncertain of herself and Charles. Charles has never let himself have a long term relationship because a human mate would grow old and die. They have issues to overcome. Another big bonus for me was the direct inclusion of Bran in the story. Though he has a history with Mercy, his role in those books is very minor and in the background. Here, he takes center stage for a time and we learn more about him and his family. Though this is more romance than Mercy's series, I think that will change in subsequent books. Now that Anna and Charles are committed, and resolved many of their issues, a more straightforward adventure/mystery is possible without losing their closeness.
The book is well-paced, with great dialog and likeable characters. I could not put it down. The ending was so good, I re-read it twice after I actually finished! Highly recommended.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Move over Mercy, make room for Charles and Anna. Miss the short in On the Prowl? No biggie, the important stuff is all here too., July 29, 2008
In Cry Wolf we finally get to see more of the members of the werewolf pack who fostered coyote-shifting Mercy Thompson during her youth. I had been intrigued by several of the characters from the brief glimpses in the early Mercy books and I've been eagerly awaiting more of Charles and Anna since I read their short story in the On the Prowl anthology.
If like me you've read these too, you'll have a head start reading Cry Wolf because we've already had glimpses of Bran the Merrick (alpha to the alpha's) of North America, and his sons, Samuel, who only has a bit part here since he's headed off to invade Mercy's home, and Charles, who is a werewolf but also has magic from his shaman mother. And you'll have already met Anna and know that, while she is not another Mercy incarnation, she is an extremely interesting combination of vulnerability and strength and has a rare power coveted by wolf packs everywhere. But if you're unfamiliar with the Mercy books or the short don't despair, Briggs does a perfectly fine job of bringing in all the significant bits into this story so you won't be totally lost and confused if you just start here, just be patient -it's all here if you keep reading.
The story starts out with Bran retrieving Anna and a wounded Charles from Chicago and give us a brief glimpse of Anna's former pack just to let us know what she's escaping. But when she reaches Charles' Montana home everything is not all hearts and flowers, though their wolves have already bonded its going to take a bit for Anna's human side to catch up, especially when communication is not a strong point for either of the leads - Anna because hiding has been the only way she's survived and Charles because even though he's hundreds of year old, as his father's executioner/enforcer he's been solitary, feared by all of the other werewolves. And the `honeymoon' is going to be an odd one because Charles' father needs the still healing Charles to investigate a human death and subsequent attack on another human that appears to be the work of a werewolf and Bran decides that Anna is to accompany Charles on the hunt to find the rogue. But there is a reason why Bran is Merrick, besides being older than dirt, he is pretty savvy and this physical journey into the wilderness for Charles and Anna may be just what is needed to build Anna's strength and confidence and to cement her bond with Charles, that is if they survive the unexpected danger that is waiting for them in the snowy wilderness.
Though it has some romantic elements, Cry Wolf doesn't just focus on Anna and Charles and their relationship. Briggs has several great characters making significant contributions to this story and she has shifted from the first person voice of her Mercy books into a third person narrative which works very effectively to keep us in the loop so that we get to know the nuances and inner thoughts of all these important players. Along with Charles and Anna and Bran, a damaged old wolf Asil has a fascinating back story that is the catalyst for much of the action and a rogue Walter, with his own tormented past, also has a key part to play. And though we only get to see a small part of Bran's pack in this book, we've been told that Anna's powers are sorely needed by many of the members who walk the edge of sanity and wildness, so I am sure that Anna has her work cut out for her as her story continues in the next books.
I thoroughly enjoyed Cry Wolf, I just loved this journey into another part of Briggs' Mercy-universe. So you can bet that the rest of the Alpha and Omega books are going to be on my must buy list as soon as the links come up. I think that Briggs' website said that she was going to be doing one Mercy and one Charles and Anna story a year. Can't wait! But until then I'll be checking out Briggs' backlist, I'm starting to see them being rereleased with new beautiful covers, but I already have most of them in my TBR pile.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cry Wolf, July 29, 2008
This is a continuation of the novella involving Anna and Charles. Anna is not kick a** like Mercy so the mood of the story is quite different then the Mercy Thompson stories. Having said that it is still a wonderful new series starter. I honestly hope that Briggs will continue this story-line as well as she has with Mercy's.
Anna is moving in with Charles and learning what having a real pack is like. The mating bond just isn't connecting between her and Charles though because of what her old pack leader did to her. (rape and abuse) Since she's an Omega (basically a werewolf who transcends the dominant/submissive code as well as having the ability to soothe the inner wolf on others) the abuse hit her harder. There's also a rouge wolf on the loose and a sinister witch from a pack member's past.
The plot is a little slower in the beginning but picks up right away after that. The tone of the book is more subdued and nervous but that's perfect for Anna's story. This is definitely not a knock off of Mercy's books. Anna is strong in her own right and readers everywhere are wondering when her next adventure will be taking place.
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