Fair Game: Alpha and Omega

A serial killer who has evaded capture for decades has now turned an eye to werewolves and Fae. In Boston there has been a slew of murders; women and children abducted, raped and tortured before being killed. The suspected killer continues to run circles around the FBI, but when a number of werewolves fall victim the Marrok steps in and sends his best to aid the authorities.Normally Charles Cornick would be the last person to help the FBI in their investigations. The werewolf `boogeyman', Charles is less than hospitable at the best of times ... but he has grown worse in recent months, with the ghosts of vengeful werewolves haunting him. Charles is not the best man to finesse this job with the FBI, but his wife is.Anna Cornick, a precious Omega werewolf, knows a thing or two about being a victim. It is her intention to make sure she and Charles aid the FBI in catching this deranged killer, and ensure no more people (werewolf, Fae and human alike) are never again made to be victims of a madman.`Fair Game' is the third book in Patricia Brigg's `Alpha & Omega' urban fantasy series, a spin-off of her original `Mercedes Thompson' series.`Fair Game' is one of the most anticipated paranormal novels of 2012, but I can safely assume that fans of Patricia Briggs have been counting down to the book's release for quite a few years. Fans have not read a Charles & Anna book since the 2009 instalment, `Hunting Ground'. A new contract for Briggs negotiated that she would have alternate release years between `Alpha & Omega' and `Mercedes Thompson' - so while 2011 gave us `River Marked', we will have to wait until 2013 for a new Mercy instalment. Alternatively, we won't be revisiting Charles & Anna again until 2014 (if at all?). That makes `Fair Game' about as precious as hen's teeth, and places a high level of expectation on a novel that has been so long in coming, and will be a while in returning ... so it's lucky then that Briggs delivers, ten-fold!Readers pick up the story when times for North American werewolves are tough. Since being `outed' to the public, the wolves have had to partake of some serious PR campaigns, to convince humans (and more importantly; law-makers and the media) that they are not the monsters of comic books and horror films. To this end a tough love initiative has been enforced by Bran Cornick, Marrok of the wolves. Any misbehaving wolves that step out of line are not given three strikes or warnings - instead they are dealt with harshly and swiftly, and the deathblow comes from Bran's son and executioner, Charles Cornick.Charles has always been the North American werewolf law enforcement - but this public awareness and PR campaign has seen his job increase exponentially. He no longer has his mate, Anna, accompany him on interstate missions that see him enter pack territories and kill misbehaving werewolves (whose actions could lead to explosive news stories on the violence of the species). As a result of an increased kill-load and strict `show no mercy' hard line approach, Charles's mind is slowly buckling under the pressure. He sees ghosts when he looks in the mirror and has turned away from Anna's comfort, silencing their mate bond for fearing of infecting her with his darkness.When the Boston killing spree (which includes the murder of innocent werewolves) is bought to Bran's attention, he sends Charles along with Anna on her advice - to give Charles a chance to be the `good guy', and remind him who the bad guys really are.When `Fair Game' begins, a few months have passed since the events of `Hunting Ground'. In that second book Anna was only just starting to come into her own, to stand up for herself, learn to fight and move on from the horrors of her past. When `Fair Game' begins Anna is a whole new person, and Charles is the emotionally weaker of the two. The altered dynamics are instantly recognized, and alarming for their switch.From the moment we met him in Mercy's first book, `Moon Called', Charles has been the stoic warrior. He has always done what needs to be done, his father's right-hand-man. Charles is executioner to Bran's judge and jury. So to read his altered mind-set in `Fair Game' is disarming, and illustrates just how far the fracture goes. He has locked down his mate bond with Anna, he doesn't sing anymore and is seriously thinking that his time as a sane werewolf is at an end. And, really, his love for Anna is all that is keeping Charles afloat in his dark days... he sees it as a selfish love, knowing that his soul is deteriorating, but he holds on to Anna because she is the only peace he has ever known, and he loves her too much to let her go.Anna, meanwhile, has transformed into a fierce and feisty young woman. She does not bend before Bran's stubbornness, and while Charles's dark outlook has been sending other people scurrying, Anna meets his despair with unwavering loyalty and the steadfast belief in her ability to help him. Anna is such a wonderful character - and with `Fair Game' Briggs is illustrating her character arc and transformation. From Anna's beaten and terrified introduction in `On the Prowl', to this sweet and tough mate in `Fair Game'. I have always thought that Anna and her character path was sort of running in the opposite direction to Mercedes. Anna started out beaten and downtrodden, and over the course of her series she is learning to rebuild and not be fearful... Mercedes, meanwhile, was bought up a coyote amongst wolves and learned to hold her own against bigger predators. For a long time, Mercedes was a little cocky ... until the events of `Iron Kissed' saw her confidence shattered and her soul wounded. It's only now, with Anna in `Fair Game' and Mercedes in `River Marked', that both women are feeling whole again; ready to face down the demons of their past and rebuild. I'm interested to know what happens next - when the internal conflicts are (mostly) overcome, what will be the next hurdle that these characters have to overcome...And, on that note, there is a hint, in `Fair Game', of a possible direction that Anna & Charles's story could go in the near future... Anna is thinking about the werewolf cause, now that her kind is out in the open, and what benefits werewolves will reap from being in the public domain. No werewolf female can reproduce - the change is too harsh on the foetus and remaining wolf for nine months is too risky on one's psyche. So what about adoption rights for werewolves? Surrogacy? These are all very interesting topics that Briggs is bringing up, and I do hope that even though it's a passing thought in `Fair Game', that it's a hint of things to come...I will warn that a lot of `Fair Game' is police procedural. Charles and Anna are involved in an FBI investigation, so a lot of `Fair Game' is concentrated on catching the killer, looking for clues. Each Briggs book is a `whodunit' in some sense, but `Fair Game' more than most feels crime-heavy, with Charles's emotional state the real focus of the book. That being said, `Alpha & Omega' is very much a romance, and there is plenty of Charles & Anna sweetness in `Fair Game', reminding me why these two are one of my all-time favourite couples in urban fantasy!The end of `Fair Game' is a game-changer for the series... which will also impact the `Mercedes Thompson' world. I refuse to give anything away because the shocking finale is too draw-droppingly good to spoil. The end also has me salivating for the next Mercy book (hurry up 2013!) and crossing my fingers for at least one more Charles & Anna book (2014? Pretty please?).Patricia Briggs is one of the best urban fantasy writers around at the moment. Both her `Mercedes Thompson' and `Alpha & Omega' series are sublimely sensational spins on the old werewolf folklore, and `Fair Game' is a highly anticipated instalment in a much-missed spin-off series. Charles & Anna's relationship is as complex and epically romantic as always, and the character transformations in this novel are incredible and unsettling. There is upheaval in Briggs's werewolf world, and I can't wait to read what happens next.

I have never read a book of Patty's I didn't like - and I've read them all! Despite the heavy competition she faces in the urban fantasy/paranormal romance genres, her Mercy and Alpha & Omega series truly stand out. Her personable and flowing writing style weaves the stories of werewolves, fae, vampires, various Native American mythologies, and the humans who live - mostly unknowing - among them into the fabric of a world much like our own. Patty does this so seamlessly that I not only believe every word but get so drawn in, I only briefly resurface for urgent bathroom breaks and hunger pains until the story ends.If you haven't read any of the previous books in the A&O series you should stop reading this review and start with the novella, Alpha and Omega, or the novel, Cry Wolf. But be warned, you may want to cancel any appointments for the rest of the day because you won't want to stop once you've started.Like the previous books in her A&O series, Patty (via Bran) sends Anna and Charles to a new location. Having never been to Boston, I couldn't say how accurately she painted it but it seemed real enough to me. But if you think Fair Game will be like Hunting Ground on the East coast, you can put your fears to rest. There have been some big changes since we last saw Anna and Charles (And, oh boy, they will not be last in this book!), mainly, the werewolves have come out to the public like the fae did before them.If you've been reading Patty's parallel Mercy Thompson series (you really should), you've already seen how this has effected the Tri-City wolves. Now we get to see how this decision changes how the Marrok operates, namely in how he metes out discipline. With the wolves now under public scrutiny, the standards of control must be more strictly and harshly enforced. We know that Charles (the enforcer for the North American packs) is not a natural killer despite that scary, cold exterior and the executions are worse for him than ever. Now that Anna seems more recovered from her trauma in the years since the last novel, we get to see Charles go to pieces instead - a nice change.The story keeps you in suspense as Anna and Charles help the FBI track down a serial killer who has been in operation on the East coast for decades. I won't give anything away but I will say it was interesting to see them working through official channels for once. And since Patty always pays close attention to dominance plays, I think you can imagine how fun it is to watch Charles go head-to-head with government officials while Anna tries desperately to keep as few people from getting maimed as possible. Patty also brings up a few very concerning political developments for the werewolf community that I'm sure we'll see in the next Mercy novel. Their world is a-changing and I can't wait to see what happens next!I also want to give Patty major props for the prologue. Not only does it artfully introduce a major character and explain some of her motivations but it establishes the background for the fae community. My favorite line: "Leslie learned two valuable things about the fae that day. They were powerful and charming - and they ate children and puppies." The fae in Patty's books have been both heroes and villains but they have always been consistently scary and alien. I liked that she established this as part of the story rather than having to make Charles explain it to a police officer or something. Kudos!Now that I've given my glowing review I'm gonna just mention a few critiques (no hatin' - I really do love this book).Spoiler alert!1) Patty has always created strong female characters - strong enough that she's not afraid to put them through some terrible stuff and show us how traumatized and damaged they are as a result. Mercy is still haunted from the events of Iron Kissed and Anna, as we know, went through far more for far longer by the time we meet her in Alpha & Omega. Patty has carefully developed Anna's character so the reader can believe her transformation from a terrified abuse victim to a much more confident and empowered woman/werewolf ("I'm one of the monsters, damn it!"). So maybe I'm not the only one who was a little disappointed that Anna gets kidnapped again.Patty said that she was nervous about telling Charles' story because he's so powerful and it's difficult to create problems big enough to put him in peril (especially when the ripples of those problems reach Mercy's stories). I agree and I'm a bit worried that Charles could start to look a lot like Superman, always having to rescue his Lois Lane. Anna's kidnapping in Hunting Ground made sense because the plot had a crazy villain who thought she was his soul mate. And she gets her own back by being the one to save Charles in the end. But in Fair Game she just gets snatched when Charles isn't there to keep her safe (and who didn't see that coming, really?) and while she does her best, she's stuck in a cage so there's not really much she can do. I think this is the first time Anna hasn't killed one of the main villains - maybe Patty was trying to change things up. Or maybe since Charles is the one with the most emotional baggage in FG he needs to be the sole hero. His need to do whatever it takes to rescue Anna helps him put his ghosts to rest so maybe that's all there is to it. But, man, it still bothers me a bit.2) I've always been impressed with how Patty handles sex in her novels. Her stories are romantic but aren't erotica so while she's not portraying her characters as celibate, she doesn't just create set pieces for long, involved sex scenes - magical rules aren't invented just to force characters to into carnal acts and situations aren't created to launch a huge orgy. Her characters have never just stopped what they're doing, forgotten the potential danger they're in, and started humping in the bushes. Until Fair Game, that is. Did anyone else wonder why Patty dropped the plot for a not-quite-gratuitous sex scene in the woods? Sure, their relationship is on the rocks with Charles' ghost problem messing with their mating bond and, yes, it would seem contrived if it happened when they were alone with nothing important to do in the privacy of their bedroom... But the scene still felt random and jarring. I found myself coming out of the story (not a normal thing in Patty's books) and wondering where the rest of the search party, the villains, or the *raped, tortured, and soon-to-be-executed victim they were looking for* were. Remember them? And when they're done there's a little embarrassment and awkwardness and the plot resumes.Again, the reason I'm disappointed with these things is because Patty has been so consistently amazing in the past. She sets the standard and if she occasionally dips below it, well, her books are still the best (in my opinion) in the genre.

Once again I found myself pulled into a fascinating world. I can say with complete honestly, Patricia Briggs is an incredible story teller.

This book continues the series some time after the last one. Anna and Charles have been married for some time, but over the last year their relationship has started to suffer. The wolves have come out of the closet and in order to keep all the PR positive Bran has come down really hard on all transgressors. The penalty of death is applied much sooner for misdeeds and Charles is the one having to carry out the sentences the Alphas refuse to do, leaving him haunted by the ghosts of his ‘victims’.In order to help Charles focus on being something other than an executioner Bran decides to send Anna to Boston to work as a consultant for the FBI on a serial killer case, after the death of three werewolves. Charles is to be her guard.I really enjoyed this book, as Anna and Charles worked together as equals. Since they met Anna has been trained by Charles in self defence and she much less scared of everything. She has more confidence in her own ability to get herself out of danger than to rely totally on Charles to save her.This was almost like a murder mystery, as Anna and Charles worked with the FBI to investigate the serial killers activities. Both Charles and Anna are bright and observant people who understand the supernatural world. Anna is easy to talk to, with her Omega magic at work and Charles is terrifying to those who would threaten him and his mate. It’s a great pairing.I can’t wait to read the next in the series, because I’ve forgotten what happens next as it’s been a couple of years since I’ve read this series last. I’m really enjoying this re-read, which I believe is the mark of a good book.

Charles and Anna are asked to help the FBI hunt a serial killer. When they travel to Boston, they find that the latest victim is the daughter of one of the Grey Lords. Can what they know help to find her or is this something they cannot be of help with? If they do find the serial killer, will they get justice or will the Grey Lords declare war? This book had so many twists and turns that the killer when revealed was a bit of a shock! Can't wait to read the next in the series

I've enjoyed all the Alpha & Omega and Mercy Thompson books to date and this is a fine development of Patricia Briggs' themes.In a gripping, well-paced adventure the action takes place in a world in which fae and werewolves have gone public up to a point. This being a reflection of the "real"world, PR and managing the image the wolves present to the mundane population is hugely important. This has consequences for Charles Cornick and Anna, leading them neatly into the main story.The "whodunnit" side of things is intriguing and suitably ugly. One of Ms Briggs' strengths is the way she brings all senses into play in describing scenes. I could feel my skin crawl as she described how the residue of black magic felt to the wolves, and my nose almost twitch at some of the descriptions of a "smellscape" at a crime scene.Underneath the adventure layer is the continuing tension between Charles and Anna as they adjust to mate-hood and Anna develops both in confidence (with oh-so-many setbacks, poor thing!) and use of her Omega ability. This is no magic wand solving all situations, and it's a mark of the quality of the writing that Ms Briggs has thought about how the peace of the Omega could have different effects on the man/wolf aspects of those affected.Overall, a really good read, rich in background but without sacrificing pace. And joy of joys, a great set-up for more books at the end! I am more than happy to wait for the next if it means it will be as good as this one.

Charles Cornick has been his father, the Marrok's hitman for over a hundred years. It's not a task he enjoys, but since his father is the head of all the werewolves in America, he knows it's necessary. Since the werewolves have come out to the public, however, he's been forced to kill more often and the strain is taking a supernatural toll. So when his wife, Anna, takes up his cause, the Marrok sets them a new task.Three werewolves have been murdered in Boston, but they're just the latest in a long line of serial killings, going back decades. With Anna by his side, and a search for justice for his own kind for once, perhaps this time Charles might be able to put his ghosts to rest.It's been a bit of a wait since the last Alpha and Omega novel ( Cry Wolf , Hunting Ground ), but this was definitely worth it. Several years have passed since Hunting Ground, putting this series on the same timeline as the Mercy Thompson books, which means Anna is quite a different character. No longer quite so fragile, she's plenty capable of facing down Bran, new alphas and government agents alike. It's just her husband she has problems with.Because Charles is the one in trouble this time, racked with guilt and insecurities. Thankfully Brother Wolf is on hand to help out when things get too tortured. I love that wolf - he's predatory and pragmatic, with a wicked sense of humour. He and Anna make a brilliant team as they race to solve the dark crime that sent them to Boston.Less romantic than the other books, this one definitely has more of a Mercy feel. It was great seeing more of Bran and Asil again, however briefly, and there's even a hint of Adam. The Boston Alpha, Isaac, threatened to steal the show at times (I'd love to see more of him), and Beauclaire was a fascinating fae, adding yet more depth to this incredible world. We even have a sprinkling of intriguing humans here for once, causing more secrets than usual to be shared.I loved it, from start to finish, but now I desperately want more! A&O or Mercy, after an ending like this I don't mind which, I just want to know what happens next. In the meantime, Bambi pancakes anyone? Cry WolfHunting Ground

Fair Game is the third book in Patricia Briggs's Alpha and Omega series, which is a spin-off from her Mercy Thompson series. This means that there is some crossing over of characters, but the two series don't converge - they are very definitely separate stories.I have been waiting for this book since I finished Hunting Ground. I cannot say that I am in any way disappointed. This book more than lived up to my expectations. Once I started reading I just could not put it down, and finished the book within hours of starting. I had to know what happened next.One of the major plus signs, at least as far as I am concerned, with the Alpha and Omega series is that Charles and Anna are an established couple when we meet them - we don't get to watch them dance around each other, or see the moment when they first fell lin love. What we do get to see is them working out how to be a couple; how to be husband and wife. I really like that about this series, and Fair Game just adds to this dynamic.Fair Game is set some time after the events of River Marked, when werewolves are well and truly out of the closet. I really liked that this book clearly illustrated the cost of this, it's kind of glossed over in the Mercy Thompson series. Anna is a brilliant character in this - she knows her own mind, and doesn't back down.The plot of the book is pretty simple - hunt down the serial killer - but there are plenty of twists on the way. I didn't see any of them coming, and I really enjoyed that. Thinking back there were some hints, but I just didn't pick up on them until the reveal - which I think is a sign of brilliant writing.If you like werewolves then this, and its companion, series is definitely one to give a go. The wolves have teeth in this, and have, I think, quite realistic wolf-ish behaviour. There is a definite sense that Briggs knows her wolves, and it shows. They and their pack dynamic feel real. I am really looking to the next book in both the Alpha and Omega series and the Mercy Thompson series.Originally posted on TheFlutterbyRoom.com