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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
I am a fan of Patricia Briggs, in general. I particularly like this series (it is an off-shoot of her Mercy Thompson series) because the heroine is... trying to figure out how to be her own person, one that she doesn't mind the look of in the mirror, after an extended period where she was --thankfully-- beaten but not broken. There is a kind of romance to everything, but that seems more the backdrop, rather than the point. Patricia Briggs has complex, well-thought out characters and the Mercy Thompson/Alpha & Omega world is good Urban Fantasy, but it can get a little darker than other authors in the genre are willing to go. She doesn't really pull any punches in that regard. Note: It is best to read this AFTER reading the "Alpha and Omega" short story in the On The Prowl Anthology, as it will feel like you are missing some important background if you don't.
Added with reread, years later (2024): The mention of rape in these books count continues, but in this book it is only to discuss what Anna has already been through, to try and figure out what kind of help she needs. So I don't think it is bad enough to count for anything more than recognition of the topic. Thankfully.
I will also add that I think Asil is a great character, with a filled in history, and you get a lot of him in this book. I don't recall if he has much to do with later entries or not, but I liked him.
Added with reread, years later (2024): The mention of rape in these books count continues, but in this book it is only to discuss what Anna has already been through, to try and figure out what kind of help she needs. So I don't think it is bad enough to count for anything more than recognition of the topic. Thankfully.
I will also add that I think Asil is a great character, with a filled in history, and you get a lot of him in this book. I don't recall if he has much to do with later entries or not, but I liked him.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this so much! It totally satisfied my paranormal romance craving in the best way possible. It was sweet, action-packed, romantic, suspenseful, and it expanded the world. I'm reading Patricia Briggs' books in chronological order (within the books) so I took a break from Mercy to read about Charles and Anna. Who are adorable. I loved their relationship and how it developed. I can't wait to see how it develops more. I loved how much we learned about wolves, Bran, and the magical world. So cool.
Highly recommend these for urban fantasy/paranormal romance fans. Hands down a treat to read.
Highly recommend these for urban fantasy/paranormal romance fans. Hands down a treat to read.
I have been a Mercy fan for awhile, but never picked up this series. Not until I read the prequel short story. Once I finished that story I immediately bought this book. I really enjoyed the story, although, I do wish the prequel was part of it. I feel like the book alone without the prequel just feels like it's missing something. And many readers may not be aware that there is a short story before this story.
On another note, while I enjoyed this book, there is one thing that I found really irritating. The use of the phrase "Indian time." This is an offensive term and not one that a Native American would use (like in the book). The author has Charles say it in a way that means relaxing or something. But that's not what it means. In anthropology class, we learned that white Europeans thought up the phrase "Indian time" because they thought the Natives were rude and lazy. For example, a European would ask a Native to meet them at noon. The Native American wouldn't show up until 3 or 4. This made the Europeans think that they were lazy and disrespectful. But the truth is that Native Americans they didn't calculate time the way the Europeans did. They didn't have hours or minutes, they just didn't have those concepts. All in all, "Indian time" doesn't mean relaxing, it's an offensive phrase thought up by white dudes who thought they were superior.
On another note, while I enjoyed this book, there is one thing that I found really irritating. The use of the phrase "Indian time." This is an offensive term and not one that a Native American would use (like in the book). The author has Charles say it in a way that means relaxing or something. But that's not what it means. In anthropology class, we learned that white Europeans thought up the phrase "Indian time" because they thought the Natives were rude and lazy. For example, a European would ask a Native to meet them at noon. The Native American wouldn't show up until 3 or 4. This made the Europeans think that they were lazy and disrespectful. But the truth is that Native Americans they didn't calculate time the way the Europeans did. They didn't have hours or minutes, they just didn't have those concepts. All in all, "Indian time" doesn't mean relaxing, it's an offensive phrase thought up by white dudes who thought they were superior.
In some ways I enjoyed this more than I have the Mercy Thompson series, which is to say I loved Mercy Thompson but something about Anna really appealed to me more. Mercy's a great heroine, and very kick-ass at what she does, but I really liked Anna's more human, natural way of kicking ass. While I enjoy feisty heroines as much as the next person, sometimes it's a nice change for once to have a heroine that's more level.
One thing I loved about this novel was getting some good backstory on other characters like Bran, who up until this point was basically a mysterious, all-powerful werewolf figure that little is known about. It was great getting more of his story and the history of his sons, and Asil was a pretty fascinating addition.
Like always, Briggs is great with characters and I love her for it!
It seems a lot of readers of the Mercy Thompson series were disappointed with this, but I imagine if I had gone in expected Mercy Thompson 2.0 I would have been disappointed--this is completely its own series with only some overlap with characters and setting. I thought it was an incredibly satisfying beginning to a spin-off series and I'll definitely be looking forward to the follow-up (and, of course, to Bone Crossed in spring)!
One thing I loved about this novel was getting some good backstory on other characters like Bran, who up until this point was basically a mysterious, all-powerful werewolf figure that little is known about. It was great getting more of his story and the history of his sons, and Asil was a pretty fascinating addition.
Like always, Briggs is great with characters and I love her for it!
It seems a lot of readers of the Mercy Thompson series were disappointed with this, but I imagine if I had gone in expected Mercy Thompson 2.0 I would have been disappointed--this is completely its own series with only some overlap with characters and setting. I thought it was an incredibly satisfying beginning to a spin-off series and I'll definitely be looking forward to the follow-up (and, of course, to Bone Crossed in spring)!
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Sexual content, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture
Need to read Mercy Thompson series to understand world and relationships between characters
Of all the spin-offs that had been created, this is one that is just as good as the original story. I love this world that Patricia Briggs has created and I will continue to buy/read everything she releases.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes