REVIEW & GIVEAWAY
FAIR GAME
Alpha and Omega Book Three
Penguin/ACE
March 6, 2012
March 6, 2012
SEE Below Review for Entry Form
Patricia Briggs, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson novels, "always enchants her readers." (Lynn Viehl, New York Times bestselling author) Now her Alpha and Omega series-set in a world of shifting shapes, loyalty, and passion- brings werewolves out of the darkness and into a society where fear and prejudice could make the hunters prey...
They say opposites attract. And in the case of werewolves Anna Latham and Charles Cornick, they mate. The son-and enforcer-of the leader of the North American werewolves, Charles is a dominant alpha. While Anna, an omega, has the rare ability to calm others of her kind.
Now that the werewolves have revealed themselves to humans, they can't afford any bad publicity. Infractions that could have been overlooked in the past must now be punished, and the strain of doing his father's dirty work is taking a toll on Charles.
Nevertheless, Charles and Anna are sent to Boston, when the FBI requests the pack's help on a local serial killer case. They quickly realize that not only the last two victims were werewolves-all of them were. Someone is targeting their kind. And now Anna and Charles have put themselves right in the killer's sights...Penguin.com
This series is set in the same world as the Mercy Thompson Series, but on a slightly earlier time line. It begins with a novella titled Alpha and Omega published in the On the Prowl anthology. The decision to continue the story was made after the anthology had already been published, which has caused some confusion, since "book 1" is a actually a continuation of the short story. The series has plenty of action, but there's more emphasis on the romantic attraction between the hero and heroine. On a romance-readers scale, this series is sweet rather than steamy.
http://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/
In some information that arrived with the book, I learned this is the third book in the series and the fist in hardcover. Anna Latham and Charles Cornick are both Werewolves. Charles is the son of the leader of the werewolves (Bran, the Marroc). When readers are introduced to Anna in the beginning of the series, she is struggling with her sense of self as a young werewolf in a Chicago run by a crazy alpha who is mistreating her. Charles, as the Marroc's "enforcer," is sent to resolve the issues. Through Charles Anna learns she is an Omega. one who can calm wolves around her.
So, now the couple find themselves in Boston, trying to learn who has been murdering the fae and were alike for many years. The FBI didn't know what to make of it before but now they have task forces and entirely separate homeland security-esque bureaus whose agents carry silver bullets.
Patricia always creates a compelling world. The Alpha and Omega story here is more of a police procedural/mystery thriller than the steamier Mercedes Thompson series. But the book refers to Adam and Mercy several times, as Pat refers to this series in the other. In this way she provides the reader with a larger world view and a more stable and continuous fictional world to write. Once you plow through either series there are more books to read!
I love Patricia's writing style. She and a few other writers in the Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Genres truly do raise the bar for the rest. I loved the complexity of Anna's place in the were world and in her relationship with her mate Charles. She is about the only person who can bluntly tell the Marroc, Bran, he's wrong and, well, live. Again communication between partners is an issue to be resolved. When it finally is things work better.
I think the book would have been even better had I read the first two as well as the short story that appeared in an anthology, ON THE PROWL. But, it can stand alone, though it took me a bit of figuring out what an Omega is. After all in other series the "Omega" is something completely different.
The cover art is great. This is the third book but the fourth story in the series and you might notice that the earring on the cover model make a Roman numeral IX . Intentional? What do you think?
So, as usual, Patricia Brigg's newest book, FAIR GAME gets my highest rating!
Wouldn't you love to read it! Well the wonderful folks at Penguin/ACE have one copy for me to give away. THANK YOU!!!
I am going to make it easy. Your name and email is all that is required. Make it the name I can use if you win. If you twitter the info get another entry and if you follow me in any way get one more. I do need the proof if your go for the extra entries. And each person can only have one of each entry.
- You must be 18 or older and have an address in the USA. Entry constitutes verification of age.
- You must enter via the Rafflecopter form.
- Contest begins when the post goes up and ends Saturday, March 3, 2012 at 6PM EST. EVEN THOUGH RAFFLECOPTER says this ends at 12:01 on the fourth it ends at six PM on the third. Entries will not count after 6 PM.
- I reserve the right to make changes of any kind to the giveaway if necessary.
- I am the sole arbiter of any dispute in the giveaway.
- I cannot be held responsible for the shipment or condition of the book to the winner.
- After the contest the winner will have 24 hours from when I send out the email to them.
- Any entry with an incorrect email will be void immediately.
GIVEAWAY CONCLUDED 3/3! WINNER = DANI HARPER!
DISCLOSURE: I received a copy of the book from the publisher so that I could read and review it fairly before release. No remuneration was exchanged, and unless noted other wise all opinions are my own.
