Cry Wolf

My Review (May contain spoilers, fair warning upon reading this review, please be responsible)

Cry Wolf is the first book in the Alpha & Omega series. I am reading both of this authors series in order from her website. After reading the prequel novella of Charles and Anna, I just had to jump into this one next and I am so happy that I did because these two just delivered all the PNR feels that I was looking for and more. Even though it is UF, it still has strong PNR feels to it because the world building of the UF isn't as focused as we are delving into a remote wolf pack in Montana. Anna and Charles are really getting to know each other in this book. They are coming to accept their bond and discovering what that means for both of them. show more What impressed me the most was the heroine in this book. This author keeps blowing me away with NORMAL heroines. Like what is this magic? haha I am sorry but most UF I have read, the heroines are so crazy and out of this world kick ass that I can't relate to them on any level. But Anna....she is honestly just a normal heroine. Literally your next door neighbor type of heroine and I am having a blast with it. Charles and Anna make such a balanced couple. He isn't too alpha for Anna, especially when she has softer elements to her character with her being a omega. I am also loving the Native American aspect to him and the connection that we see between him and the alpha of the pack was quite superb. The plot of the story definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. The villain is so EVIL, but how the author develops the third act was PHNEOMENAL. Honestly I didn't know what I was expecting, but this author threw me in for a whirlwind of a story.

Overall if you are looking for a more softer UF with more romance focus in it, then I can't recommend this series enough, truly loving the beginning of Charles and Anna's story. show less

I love that we get a series where we get to see the inner workings of the Cornick family. And Charles, mysterious Charles, we get to see you unlocked at last!

The biggest thing I liked about this was seeing Anna's relationship develop with Charles and also see glimpses of Bran's relationship with Leah. I felt so sorry for Leah, after reading this. I thought it was really clear that Bran, while he has one face in front of Mercy and Anna that is sweet and endearing, is just as much dislikeable in many ways as Leah. And I say that as someone who appreciates the nuances in both characters. And dislikes them at times. Leah may be hard to like. She is cruel to Mercy. But she shows you her true face. Bran is an out and out manipulator. He is show more Alpha of all North America for a reason. Hard to blame Leah for feeling put out over being used to subdue the monster. It's so wonderfully clever how Patricia Briggs sets up all her characters to be so flawed... and how she has put them into interesting scenarios of their own making.

Anyway, I loved seeing Charles so protective of Anna. I loved seeing the beginnings of that relationship form, how instaneous it was, and I just love this series as a whole. show less

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, show more 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. show less

First off: no, you didn't miss anything. This book really does start a few days after Anna's and Charles' are mated, skipping to the end of what essentially makes up the Alpha and Omega short story. It's a bit of a rough start, especially since so much of Anna's character comes from those events that we never actually see, but I think it works.

That leads into the next interesting part / potential problem with these books. Anna was tortured and raped by her first pack. Even though you never actually directly read the scenes in question, they're an unrelenting part of Anna's characters through not only this book but the entire series. On top of that, the paranormal romance parts (read: sex scenes) of Alpha and Omega are far more direct show more than they ever were in Mercy Thompson. Putting the two together leads to some rather strange and questionable scenes, in particular between Anna and Charles that, at least in my opinion, feel like they were never dealt with as they should/could have been.

Worldbuilding-wise, this is a really interesting companion to the Mercy Thompson books. Rather than a single point of view character, Cry Wolf has chapters not only from Anna's point of view, but also Charles, Asil, and even Bran. It's really interesting to see some of the backstory of the really old wolves (Bran is apparently more than a thousand years old? Holy crap.). Interesting and terrifying.

On top of that, we get a much deeper look into how werewolves work in this world. The whole idea of the Omega wolves is a bit poorly defined and seems kind of bizarre, but it's dealwithable. On a far more interesting note, there's a good chunk more about witches than we've seen before. They're not particularly unique compared to other urban fantasy, but they're still interesting and nicely fleshed out.

Plotwise, Cry Wolf is an interesting counterpoint to the entire Mercy series. As mentioned, while the Mercy books are almost always from Mercy's point of view, Cry Wolf shifts between several different characters, each with their own biases and voice. While the Mercy series is primarily set in the same urban location, Cry Wolf is set far out in the snowy mountains. It's a dramatically different environment and really limits the number of characters involved. It's an interesting contrast.

Overall, I don't currently like Anna nearly as much as Mercy, but having multiple points of view characters offsets that quite a lot. Plus Charles is far more interesting than either Adam or Samuel. If you like either series though, I think you'll like both. show less

In a vast sea of mediocrity, it is a wonderful thing to have a rock like Patricia Briggs. Having just read the prequel story of Anna and Charles contained in On the Prowl, it was a natural progression to move on to the first book in their series (the only one I currently own). Cry Wolf picks up very shortly after "Alpha and Omega" leaves off, and rockets on from there, non-stop.

I've read so many complaints – between limyaael's rants, which I'm still making my way through, and Goodreads, not to mention my own criticisms – about what fantasy in general and urban fantasy in particular does wrong, it's fun to go through the checklist with Patricia Briggs.

- Of bad sex scenes there are none in Cry Wolf. There are no detailed sex show more scenes at all, in fact, which is in keeping with the tone of the book, and maintains its level well above PNR (paranormal romance). As I said with "Alpha and Omega", this could easily have been Hot Wolf Sex PNR. But that's not the point of this book. The avoidance of it makes me feel almost smug.
- Mary Sue? Not here. Anna is damaged, yes, and she's what under other circumstances I might call "Speshul": she is an Omega, a rare and valuable thing, and she is loved and hated for it. But that isn't the be-all and end-all of the character. Again, she could have easily Mary Sue'd all over the place, and didn't.
- Charles starts off badly wounded, and, werewolf or not, that is a problem throughout the book. The injuries are never conveniently forgotten – they remain a very real hindrance to him, healing in a manner in keeping with the rules established for such things.
- A complaint I've had lately is about flat main characters acting in front of a cast of pallid and flat background characters. Patricia Briggs doesn't do flat. The members of the pack, even characters only onstage for a few pages, all give every indication that they could carry their own book if it was required of them. It's something I've reveled in about her writing before: it's what Joss Whedon said about Jayne Cobb. Each person is the hero of their own storyline. If Ms. Briggs ever gets stuck or bored, she could write a book about Heather the park ranger and make it great.

These are great characters proceeding about their business in a well-built world. And they're characters I look forward to spending more time with. show less

Well, I read this because of so many raving reviews from people I usually share a taste in books with. But, I have same issues than with the Mercy Thompson books. I did like this one better, but the whole werewolf pack thing really annoys me and also the fact that the heroine doesn't have any friends. In this book it made more sense, but still. I don't like romances where the hero is/will be the heroine's whole life, because she really had none before.

The writing was good and there was a plot, but I actually was more interested in the lives of Bran and Asil than the main couple. Maybe that's not such a good thing either... It was decent, but I don't think I will be continuing with this series. Too many urban fantasy tropes I have show more issues with. show less

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads.

Before you say anything, I KNOW. Any werewolf nut worth their salt should be up to date on all things Patricia Briggs. Well, this is me fixing it, ok? The delay actually worked out in my favour because I tackled the SHIFTING SHADOWS anthology prior to this audiobook, and it contained this series’ prequel which really helped to put this story into context, and as a result I avoided the whole lost feeling that many readers experienced. That point aside, I’m still kicking myself for having postponed CRY WOLF for so long because as much as I adore MERCY THOMPSON, she can’t hold a candle to Charles & Anna! I loved the characters, learning more about what it means to be omega, and the author’s switch to the show more third person POV writing style. It was howling good!

I’ve always been drawn to Bran, Charles & Asil, so no arm twisting was necessary in order to convince me to spend more time with these alpha males. I enjoyed digging deeper into Cornick’s Native American half, and getting a closer look at the aspects that make him so unique among his kind including his ability to spawn clothing, and his Brother Wolf. Up until this point I hadn’t interacted much with The Moor, but I really liked him in the ROSES IN WINTER short, and was ecstatic when I discovered that this novel’s main plot line revolved around him. The reasons behind Asil wanting Bran to kill him are now crystal clear, and I loved that Anna was able to bring him some much needed peace. And, hanging with the Marrok is always a pleasure, even when he goes Beowulf.

Mercy went through some tough times in Briggs’ other series, however she’s got nothing on Anna—the poor girl! Who would have thought that she’d find solace in the arms of a hitman among a pack of psychotic werewolves, but that’s true love for ya. Exploring what makes her character tick was a real delight, and I enjoyed learning about her omega traits. She’s also a rarity among weres, and when combined with Charles’ oddities, the two satisfied my fur craving to the nth degree. I liked how the author took her time in developing their relationship, and transformed Anna’s unfortunate past into a healing balm for the Marrok’s misfits. Her confrontation with Leah was extremely gratifying, and this book’s ending made a big puddle of goo out of my heart.

I had some concerns about the male narrator because I’ve had problems with their female voices in the past; however Holter Graham quickly proved his worth as Anna and Charles. The former was soft without being breathy, and I adored his Native / Welsh lilt, it was very well-done. The third person POV certainly helped on both accounts, and he definitely added an extra layer of enjoyment to my listening experience. I always use the first installment to gauge a narrator’s performance, and Graham’s suitability for this series is uncanny. When I reached the midway point, I was already downloading HUNTING GROUND to my iPhone because I just couldn’t get enough of Briggs’ characters or his voice.

CRY WOLF left its mark on this audiobook buff! *muah* show less