dramastef's Full Review: Patricia Briggs - Cry Wolf
As a fan of Patricia Briggs's urban fantasy series starring shape-shifting tough girl Mercy Thompson, I was quick to pick up Cry Wolf when I read that it is the beginning of a new series set in the same world with many of the same characters. After a few chapters, I felt like I was missing a major part of the back story and did some research to find out that the series actually started in a novella called Alpha and Omega published with three other paranormal short stories by other notable authors in On the Prowl. It wasn't enough to ruin Cry Wolf, just enough to irk me a little bit.
Cry Wolf begins in Chicago as the Alpha of all U.S. Alpha Werewolves, Bran Cornick is helping his son Charles clean up the aftermath of a rescue of Anna Latham who'd been abused by her previous (and now messily deceased) Alpha. Throughout the first third of the book, we learn that Charles' and Anna's wolves have chosen each other as mates, but Anna is too timid and fragile to consummate their human relationship. As the two try and navigate the murky waters of new love in Bran's Montana pack, it comes out that Anna is actually an Omega werewolf which is much more rare than an Alpha and such an integral part of the plot twists that I can't fully explain it in good conscience.
As Charles is healing from the rescue, his father sends him to investigate a brutal killing that appears to be the work of a rogue werewolf in the Cabinet Mountains. And this is where the action finally begins to take off. Rather than the werewolf they were expecting to encounter, Anna and Charles come face to face with a much more formidable opponent.
Ms. Briggs knows how to write a well crafted story. Her greatest strength is in her characterizations. Anna is introduced as a broken woman and through her interactions with the world around her and the other characters, both good and bad, she finds inner strength and comes into her own without ever losing the qualities evident in the beginning. She never mopes or whines about her lot in life, being turned into a werewolf, being abused and held back because of powers she didn't know she possessed, being rescued and half committed to a man she doesn't know... she simply faces each conflict as it occurs, learns from it and moves past it.
Briggs's supporting characters are very well written here as well, as their interactions and stories help to shape Anna's own life. The main antagonist is a worthy foe, one I loved to hate.
Though the Mercy series sometimes feels like a great story with supernatural ‘stuff' thrown in, Cry Wolf is a werewolf story first and foremost. Briggs delves deep into pack law and hierarchy, werewolf mating rituals and werewolf mythos. Learning her take on all of these things helped to move the story forward and keep it interesting.
My final thoughts? Even though Cry Wolf didn't start out as strong as Moon Called did, it feels more like the slow beginning of a roller coaster, and I'm very much looking forward to the next installment, Hunting Ground due to be published sometime this year. Anna Latham may not be as tough or truly memorable and unique as Mercy, but like all of Briggs's characters, Anna is interesting and I have a feeling she'll surprise readers in future books.
The Mercy Thompson Series: Moon Called ~ Blood Bound ~ Iron Kissed ~ Bone Crossed
New York Times -bestselling author Briggs begins an extraordinary new series set in Mercy Thompson s world, featuring Anna from On the Prowl, who is t...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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