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Alpha & Omega #0.5
Alpha & Omega
In Cry Wolf, New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs started a new urban fantasy series set in the world of Mercy Thompson — but with rules of its own. Now, read "Alpha and Omega," the novella that inspired the new series, and see how it all began...
Anna Latham never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack... and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the Chicago pack, she's learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. But when she discovers wrongdoing in her pack, she has to go above her Alpha's head to ask for help.
Charles Cornick is the son — and enforcer — of the leader of the North American werewolves. Now his father has sent him to Chicago to clean up a problem there. Charles never expected to find Anna, a rare Omega wolf — and he certainly never expected to recognize her as his mate...
This novella was originally published in the anthology, On the Prowl.
Anna Latham never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack... and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the Chicago pack, she's learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. But when she discovers wrongdoing in her pack, she has to go above her Alpha's head to ask for help.
Charles Cornick is the son — and enforcer — of the leader of the North American werewolves. Now his father has sent him to Chicago to clean up a problem there. Charles never expected to find Anna, a rare Omega wolf — and he certainly never expected to recognize her as his mate...
This novella was originally published in the anthology, On the Prowl.
81 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 7, 2007
495 people are currently reading
8554 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Briggs
115 books29.8k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Patricia Briggs was born in Butte, Montana, to a children’s librarian who passed on to her kids a love of reading and books. Patricia grew up reading fairy tales and books about horses, and later developed an interest in folklore and history. When she decided to write a book of her own, a fantasy book seemed a natural choice. Patricia graduated from Montana State University with degrees in history and German and she worked for a while as a substitute teacher. Currently, she lives in Montana with her husband, children, and six horses and writes full time, much to the delight of her fans.
Patricia Briggs was born in Butte, Montana, to a children’s librarian who passed on to her kids a love of reading and books. Patricia grew up reading fairy tales and books about horses, and later developed an interest in folklore and history. When she decided to write a book of her own, a fantasy book seemed a natural choice. Patricia graduated from Montana State University with degrees in history and German and she worked for a while as a substitute teacher. Currently, she lives in Montana with her husband, children, and six horses and writes full time, much to the delight of her fans.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,620 reviews
February 18, 2021
This 70 page novella about a Chicago werewolf pack gone bad, and particularly its impact on one innocent woman, is a solid start to Patricia Briggs' Alpha and Omega urban fantasy series, which interlocks closely with her MERCY THOMPSON series. In fact, if you're going to read this series, you really should start here rather than with Cry Wolf, which picks up right where this novella breaks off.*
Anna is a seemingly submissive, sexually and physically abused werewolf in an appalling mess of a werewolf pack in Chicago, which has secretly been breaking all of the strictest rules of werewolf society, including those about coexisting peacefully with humans and not, you know, killing them or turning them into werewolves involuntarily. After three years of abuse, one day Anna finally drums up her courage and telephones the Marrok, leader of all the packs in North America ... not to complain about her own troubles, but to report someone's disappearance and murder at the hands of her pack leaders.
The Marrok immediately sends his son Charles, his half-Native American son and his enforcer/hit man, to meet her and clean things up. Sparks fly! Bodies fly! EVERYTHING hits the fan!
Alpha and Omega isn't terrifically deep, but it was interesting and enjoyable reading if you like urban fantasies, and it's a good introduction to this great UF series (some 15 books now and counting, if you include the related Mercy Thompson books). Plus, it's necessary reading for Mercy fans, because the plots are so interlocked.
Trigger warning for lots of discussion of past rapes and abuse of the heroine. It might help knowing .
*I really wish this novella's content had just been added to the start of Cry Wolf, making that book 380 pages instead of 310, which is still well within the norm. But you can either buy this novella as a $2.99 ebook or as part of On the Prowl collection, which is an anthology containing four urban fantasy novellas by four different authors. Seriously, DON'T buy the collection; I checked it out from the library, luckily, and it was mostly a waste of time. Just cough up the $2.99 for the ebook.
Anna is a seemingly submissive, sexually and physically abused werewolf in an appalling mess of a werewolf pack in Chicago, which has secretly been breaking all of the strictest rules of werewolf society, including those about coexisting peacefully with humans and not, you know, killing them or turning them into werewolves involuntarily. After three years of abuse, one day Anna finally drums up her courage and telephones the Marrok, leader of all the packs in North America ... not to complain about her own troubles, but to report someone's disappearance and murder at the hands of her pack leaders.
The Marrok immediately sends his son Charles, his half-Native American son and his enforcer/hit man, to meet her and clean things up. Sparks fly! Bodies fly! EVERYTHING hits the fan!
Alpha and Omega isn't terrifically deep, but it was interesting and enjoyable reading if you like urban fantasies, and it's a good introduction to this great UF series (some 15 books now and counting, if you include the related Mercy Thompson books). Plus, it's necessary reading for Mercy fans, because the plots are so interlocked.
Trigger warning for lots of discussion of past rapes and abuse of the heroine. It might help knowing .
*I really wish this novella's content had just been added to the start of Cry Wolf, making that book 380 pages instead of 310, which is still well within the norm. But you can either buy this novella as a $2.99 ebook or as part of On the Prowl collection, which is an anthology containing four urban fantasy novellas by four different authors. Seriously, DON'T buy the collection; I checked it out from the library, luckily, and it was mostly a waste of time. Just cough up the $2.99 for the ebook.
June 2, 2020
Reread on Audible in May 2020.
I will keep it short and sweet. I still love this book. The narrator Holter Graham does a great job with all the characters. I did find the language about Chicago being a violent place full of predators a little grating in light of our ongoing situation. Otherwise, enjoyed this immensely, and I am hoping to listen/read the following books again.
I'm still Team Adam but I do like Charles a lot. And of course The Marrok Bran Cornick. Anna is a wonderful woman. Such a survivor and so courageous, even though she doesn't believe herself to be.
*************************************************************************
I read this out of the On the Prowl anthology. I am so glad that many of my GR friends encouraged me to read this one sooner. Charles is an unforgettable character. It's hard to put into words how I feel about him. If could clearly elucidate all the traits that I like in a hero, then it's like Ms. Briggs took many of those qualities and created Charles. I am crazy about a quiet, yet deadly hero. That's Charles! He's really sigh-worthy. I know I will have to read this story again, so I can define my reaction to him.
Anna is another one of those characters I like to read about. Not every woman of value is kickass all the time and full of sarcastic, pithy phrases. I think that's an insult to womankind to neglect to tell the story of women who have suffered terribly, often due to things beyond their control. Are they not worthy because they have been victims in life? Absolutely! She's a very observant, intelligent, and deep person. She's a survivor to me. I can't help loving her. She proved that she will be a formidable mate to Charles.
Briggs has really impressed me with her conception of werewolves. I am very picky about them, and she fires well on all cylinders. I wish that female weres could have children, and that's the only thing I don't like about her world-building. But from a physiological standput, I conceded it makes sense. Although I know that Anna and Charles will never have children together, I still think they are going to be a great pair. They just click together in a way that makes sense. I loved Charles's sense of knowing that she was his mate, his possessiveness and protectiveness towards her. And he was so resolute about it, so carefully calm about it. I loved his banked passion for Anna (sigh). He is seriously an alpha guy, but he smashes the perception of alphas as brash brutes full of posturing and throwing their weight around with punches and outrageous and obnoxious shows of strength. He exudes power, and he is powerful. Yes, I love Charles. I still love Adam, but I have room for both of them in my heart.
I got the feeling that this story wasn't long enough. Because I wanted more of Charles and Anna, and more of this world. Fortunately, I have two more books in this series to read. Thanks so much to Patricia Briggs for bringing this series to life.
I will keep it short and sweet. I still love this book. The narrator Holter Graham does a great job with all the characters. I did find the language about Chicago being a violent place full of predators a little grating in light of our ongoing situation. Otherwise, enjoyed this immensely, and I am hoping to listen/read the following books again.
I'm still Team Adam but I do like Charles a lot. And of course The Marrok Bran Cornick. Anna is a wonderful woman. Such a survivor and so courageous, even though she doesn't believe herself to be.
*************************************************************************
I read this out of the On the Prowl anthology. I am so glad that many of my GR friends encouraged me to read this one sooner. Charles is an unforgettable character. It's hard to put into words how I feel about him. If could clearly elucidate all the traits that I like in a hero, then it's like Ms. Briggs took many of those qualities and created Charles. I am crazy about a quiet, yet deadly hero. That's Charles! He's really sigh-worthy. I know I will have to read this story again, so I can define my reaction to him.
Anna is another one of those characters I like to read about. Not every woman of value is kickass all the time and full of sarcastic, pithy phrases. I think that's an insult to womankind to neglect to tell the story of women who have suffered terribly, often due to things beyond their control. Are they not worthy because they have been victims in life? Absolutely! She's a very observant, intelligent, and deep person. She's a survivor to me. I can't help loving her. She proved that she will be a formidable mate to Charles.
Briggs has really impressed me with her conception of werewolves. I am very picky about them, and she fires well on all cylinders. I wish that female weres could have children, and that's the only thing I don't like about her world-building. But from a physiological standput, I conceded it makes sense. Although I know that Anna and Charles will never have children together, I still think they are going to be a great pair. They just click together in a way that makes sense. I loved Charles's sense of knowing that she was his mate, his possessiveness and protectiveness towards her. And he was so resolute about it, so carefully calm about it. I loved his banked passion for Anna (sigh). He is seriously an alpha guy, but he smashes the perception of alphas as brash brutes full of posturing and throwing their weight around with punches and outrageous and obnoxious shows of strength. He exudes power, and he is powerful. Yes, I love Charles. I still love Adam, but I have room for both of them in my heart.
I got the feeling that this story wasn't long enough. Because I wanted more of Charles and Anna, and more of this world. Fortunately, I have two more books in this series to read. Thanks so much to Patricia Briggs for bringing this series to life.
May 28, 2019
4 stars
Um............... I wish I had read this book before I started the Alpha and Omega series. Seriously, every edition of book 1 should have this at the beginning so we know what the fuck is going on. I got the backstory of these characters after the fact. Aside from that, this was a really great beginning short story and it shows how Anna and Charles meet. I was very interested in the romance and the mystery, and I think for a short story it packed a lot of punch.
I listened to the audio of this book and liked the narrator for the most part, but I cringe in general when men try to talk in "girl voice" and vice versa. So that took away a bit for me because the inflections he used for Anna were not how I read her when I read the book instead of listening. Now, onto re-reading the next book via audio!
Love Patricia Briggs, I wish she would publish 5 books a year.
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Um............... I wish I had read this book before I started the Alpha and Omega series. Seriously, every edition of book 1 should have this at the beginning so we know what the fuck is going on. I got the backstory of these characters after the fact. Aside from that, this was a really great beginning short story and it shows how Anna and Charles meet. I was very interested in the romance and the mystery, and I think for a short story it packed a lot of punch.
I listened to the audio of this book and liked the narrator for the most part, but I cringe in general when men try to talk in "girl voice" and vice versa. So that took away a bit for me because the inflections he used for Anna were not how I read her when I read the book instead of listening. Now, onto re-reading the next book via audio!
Love Patricia Briggs, I wish she would publish 5 books a year.
Follow me on ♥ Facebook ♥ Blog ♥ Instagram ♥ Twitter ♥
February 13, 2021
Re-read February 12, 2021 by audio & just like my re-read in 2018 I've already started Cry Wolf again. Didn't notice I finished Alpha & Omega the same date three years ago!
Re-Read February 12, 2018-Loved it all over again! Already started my re-read of Cry Wolf!
Anna, a relatively new werewolf, is barely getting by since the Change. She didn't chose this life and the Pack with Leo as the Alpha and Justin as his second, is pretty horrible. She calls Bran, the Marrok, when she sees that a new wolf (seen in a cage at the Pack home) is thought to be responsible for deaths under investigation. She doesn't know if Leo sanctioned the kills, but wouldn't be surprised if he did. As luck would have it, Bran has already sent out his son Charles to investigate problems with Leo's Pack that have come to his attention.
Charles is Bran's son, but he's the Marrok's lethal enforcer, as well. He's enraged over Anna's treatment, and realizes the situation with Leo's Pack is worse that they thought. No worries, Charles is supremely dominant, powerful and more than willing to clean house. Charles also realizes The Pack hasn't been level with Anna, and she thinks she's just a submissive wolf, but in reality Anna's a special and rare type. His wolf immediately sits up to take notice, and Charles can't fight the attraction and possessiveness he feels for Anna.
Great intro! I'm excited to get into another Patricia Briggs series since I'm all caught up with Mercy Thompson now.
Re-Read February 12, 2018-Loved it all over again! Already started my re-read of Cry Wolf!
Anna, a relatively new werewolf, is barely getting by since the Change. She didn't chose this life and the Pack with Leo as the Alpha and Justin as his second, is pretty horrible. She calls Bran, the Marrok, when she sees that a new wolf (seen in a cage at the Pack home) is thought to be responsible for deaths under investigation. She doesn't know if Leo sanctioned the kills, but wouldn't be surprised if he did. As luck would have it, Bran has already sent out his son Charles to investigate problems with Leo's Pack that have come to his attention.
Charles is Bran's son, but he's the Marrok's lethal enforcer, as well. He's enraged over Anna's treatment, and realizes the situation with Leo's Pack is worse that they thought. No worries, Charles is supremely dominant, powerful and more than willing to clean house. Charles also realizes The Pack hasn't been level with Anna, and she thinks she's just a submissive wolf, but in reality Anna's a special and rare type. His wolf immediately sits up to take notice, and Charles can't fight the attraction and possessiveness he feels for Anna.
Great intro! I'm excited to get into another Patricia Briggs series since I'm all caught up with Mercy Thompson now.
August 28, 2020
This was my first time reading a book by Patricia Briggs and I absolutely loved it! I have been wanting to read her Mercy Thompson series for ages but I came across this short story the other day and thought it would be a good opportunity to find out if I liked her writing.
Well, I have to say that Alpha & Omega was an excellent introduction to her work. Don’t let yourself be fooled by the fact that this is a novella. It is very well structured, draws you in from the very first pages and is highly entertaining. It bodes *very* well for the rest of the series!
The story is deceptively short as the author does a fantastic job of introducing the series’ main characters and the world they live in. In less than 60 pages, Briggs manages to get the reader acquainted with the werewolves’ world and its rules, which is no small feat.
I love Anna and Charles, the series main characters. Anna seems deceptively weak at first but I think she has all it takes to become quite the butt-kicking heroine. After all she’s been through and despite her apparent submissive attitude she is (and will be) a force to be reckoned with. Charles is quite an intriguing character, probably one of the most interesting UF characters I have come across in a long time. I also like the fact that he is part Native American, which I find *very* refreshing!
I am officially hooked and can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
· Book 1: Cry Wolf ★★
· Book 2: Hunting Ground ★★
Well, I have to say that Alpha & Omega was an excellent introduction to her work. Don’t let yourself be fooled by the fact that this is a novella. It is very well structured, draws you in from the very first pages and is highly entertaining. It bodes *very* well for the rest of the series!
The story is deceptively short as the author does a fantastic job of introducing the series’ main characters and the world they live in. In less than 60 pages, Briggs manages to get the reader acquainted with the werewolves’ world and its rules, which is no small feat.
I love Anna and Charles, the series main characters. Anna seems deceptively weak at first but I think she has all it takes to become quite the butt-kicking heroine. After all she’s been through and despite her apparent submissive attitude she is (and will be) a force to be reckoned with. Charles is quite an intriguing character, probably one of the most interesting UF characters I have come across in a long time. I also like the fact that he is part Native American, which I find *very* refreshing!
I am officially hooked and can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
· Book 1: Cry Wolf ★★
· Book 2: Hunting Ground ★★
September 14, 2020
This was surprisingly fun. A must read novella if you want to start this series. I already like the characters more than those in Mercy Thompson. Although the romance was too fast, I kind of understand because of the sequel and the fact that this is a short story.
September 26, 2014
5 short, tiny stars.
Why hadn't I read this sooner? Oh, I know...I like Alpha heroines. That'll show me to make hasty judgements. This book was soooo good. It was beyond good. And it was just a short story. I can't wait to start with the next ones.
Anna
Charles
The book was too short for me to tell you whether I liked them or not so I'll leave it for later.
The story was nice and I won't describe it either, there is the blurb so... I will however tell you that I loved and if the next books are as good I'm in for a wild ride!;)
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2/7/2014
BR with Aly!!
Why hadn't I read this sooner? Oh, I know...I like Alpha heroines. That'll show me to make hasty judgements. This book was soooo good. It was beyond good. And it was just a short story. I can't wait to start with the next ones.
Anna
Charles
The book was too short for me to tell you whether I liked them or not so I'll leave it for later.
The story was nice and I won't describe it either, there is the blurb so... I will however tell you that I loved and if the next books are as good I'm in for a wild ride!;)
**************************************************************
2/7/2014
BR with Aly!!
February 20, 2025
KABLAM!!! This book totally blew me away! It's 61 Pages! How can a book 61 pages long be this good?
January 27, 2018
January 2018 Re-read. Buddy read with Sarah
January 2017 Re-read: Buddy read with Sarah
December 2015 re-read: Buddy read with Sarah.
I love this series. We're doing an entire (world) series re-read in preparation for Fire Touched, which comes out in March 2016. I had read a lot of the Mercy Thompson series before I'd ever gathered the courage to start the A&O series. I'm not sure why, exactly, I delayed so long, but I think I thought that there was no way it could be as good as Mercy. Turns out, I actually like this series a little bit better. Anna and Charles are amazing, and I like the wider view of the world that we get.
Anna's a character that I'm a little surprised I love so much. She's been severely abused for the last several years, making her fairly meek and incredibly submissive. She's easily frightened, and - in fact - is scared most of the time. But she's strong. Emotionally, she's so strong. Despite all the horrible things done to her, she's not given up yet. She's not given in. She's been beat down, but she's still herself. This isn't to say that she doesn't have a lot of healing left to do - she does - but she refuses to let herself continue to be a victim. And that's something I can get behind, solidly.
Charles, again, another character that I wasn't sure I was going to like. What is wrong with me? I should trust Patricia Briggs. Charles was a character that I'd previously only ever seen through the biased lens of Mercy's perception. It's not that she doesn't like Charles, but that Charles is so reserved it's hard for her to really know him. So we didn't really know him. Here, though, we get his point-of-view (as an aside - this is a nice change from the Mercy series where we only get Mercy's POV), and we get to know him MUCH better. I love Charles. He's got a subtle sense of humor, he's protective, honorable, kind, and powerful. He's the Marrok's second, which means that he carries out his father's punishments and executions - fights to the death, that he always wins - but he also kind of hates it. He hates that he can't really let anyone in, except his father and his brother (which also explains why Mercy, and we (previously) didn't really know him).
Seeing his wolf choose so quickly for him, and then - despite the 'fated mate' aspect - Charles taking the time to decide he'd like to "court" her, made me incredibly happy. Charles and Anna are exactly what each other needs.
This is a very short story. It's only the beginning. But don't be fooled, you have to read this prior to Cry Wolf. Otherwise, you're going to feel like you've been thrust in the middle of a story ... because you will be. This is really the beginning of the story that picks up immediately in Cry Wolf...which I need to, now, go dive into. Because I can't get enough.
Previous Review:
I really love this start to the Alpha & Omega series. It's a quick story, told over the space of a couple of days, but does a fantastic job of introducing Charles and Anna - who are the main protagonists of this entire series, which is a spin-off of Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series.
I admit that I was leary to start it, and didn't dive in until a couple of months before Fair Game was released, because I didn't think it could be as good as her Mercy Thompson series. I didn't want to be disappointed.
Happily, I wasn't. I was so pleasantly surprised.
If you've read the Mercy Thompson series, you met Charles briefly in the first book and heard mentions of him in subsequent books. He's one of Bran's sons, brother to Samuel, and the Marrok's enforcer/executioner. He heads out to Chicago to investigate some problems occurring there - events in Moon Called lead to this - and when he gets there he has a message from his father to meet Anna.
Anna had just finally worked up the nerve to call the Marrok after reading of the death of a high school student, and the suspected death of another. The problem being? She saw the missing child in a holding cell at her Pack house. Her Alpha, Leo, was elated that he'd been brought in and Changed, and then, nearly as suddenly, the boy disappeared again.
When the Marrok asks her to pick up his 'investigator' at the airport, she's incredibly nervous. Years of abuse at the hands of the dominants in her pack have left her with a severe distrust of them all. And Charles is as dominant-alpha as it gets.
I don't want to say too much more, and risk ruining the story. Anna ended up being one of my favorite heroines, ever. She's so incredibly strong, in a much different way than I think we're used to seeing in our UF heroines. She's perfect for Charles. Someone to loosen him up a bit, give him life outside of his position for his father, and most importantly, give him joy. He's also perfect for her.
By the end of this novella I knew that Charles and Anna could do anything together, and couldn't wait to dive into Cry Wolf.
January 2017 Re-read: Buddy read with Sarah
December 2015 re-read: Buddy read with Sarah.
I love this series. We're doing an entire (world) series re-read in preparation for Fire Touched, which comes out in March 2016. I had read a lot of the Mercy Thompson series before I'd ever gathered the courage to start the A&O series. I'm not sure why, exactly, I delayed so long, but I think I thought that there was no way it could be as good as Mercy. Turns out, I actually like this series a little bit better. Anna and Charles are amazing, and I like the wider view of the world that we get.
Anna's a character that I'm a little surprised I love so much. She's been severely abused for the last several years, making her fairly meek and incredibly submissive. She's easily frightened, and - in fact - is scared most of the time. But she's strong. Emotionally, she's so strong. Despite all the horrible things done to her, she's not given up yet. She's not given in. She's been beat down, but she's still herself. This isn't to say that she doesn't have a lot of healing left to do - she does - but she refuses to let herself continue to be a victim. And that's something I can get behind, solidly.
Charles, again, another character that I wasn't sure I was going to like. What is wrong with me? I should trust Patricia Briggs. Charles was a character that I'd previously only ever seen through the biased lens of Mercy's perception. It's not that she doesn't like Charles, but that Charles is so reserved it's hard for her to really know him. So we didn't really know him. Here, though, we get his point-of-view (as an aside - this is a nice change from the Mercy series where we only get Mercy's POV), and we get to know him MUCH better. I love Charles. He's got a subtle sense of humor, he's protective, honorable, kind, and powerful. He's the Marrok's second, which means that he carries out his father's punishments and executions - fights to the death, that he always wins - but he also kind of hates it. He hates that he can't really let anyone in, except his father and his brother (which also explains why Mercy, and we (previously) didn't really know him).
Seeing his wolf choose so quickly for him, and then - despite the 'fated mate' aspect - Charles taking the time to decide he'd like to "court" her, made me incredibly happy. Charles and Anna are exactly what each other needs.
This is a very short story. It's only the beginning. But don't be fooled, you have to read this prior to Cry Wolf. Otherwise, you're going to feel like you've been thrust in the middle of a story ... because you will be. This is really the beginning of the story that picks up immediately in Cry Wolf...which I need to, now, go dive into. Because I can't get enough.
Previous Review:
I really love this start to the Alpha & Omega series. It's a quick story, told over the space of a couple of days, but does a fantastic job of introducing Charles and Anna - who are the main protagonists of this entire series, which is a spin-off of Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series.
I admit that I was leary to start it, and didn't dive in until a couple of months before Fair Game was released, because I didn't think it could be as good as her Mercy Thompson series. I didn't want to be disappointed.
Happily, I wasn't. I was so pleasantly surprised.
If you've read the Mercy Thompson series, you met Charles briefly in the first book and heard mentions of him in subsequent books. He's one of Bran's sons, brother to Samuel, and the Marrok's enforcer/executioner. He heads out to Chicago to investigate some problems occurring there - events in Moon Called lead to this - and when he gets there he has a message from his father to meet Anna.
Anna had just finally worked up the nerve to call the Marrok after reading of the death of a high school student, and the suspected death of another. The problem being? She saw the missing child in a holding cell at her Pack house. Her Alpha, Leo, was elated that he'd been brought in and Changed, and then, nearly as suddenly, the boy disappeared again.
When the Marrok asks her to pick up his 'investigator' at the airport, she's incredibly nervous. Years of abuse at the hands of the dominants in her pack have left her with a severe distrust of them all. And Charles is as dominant-alpha as it gets.
I don't want to say too much more, and risk ruining the story. Anna ended up being one of my favorite heroines, ever. She's so incredibly strong, in a much different way than I think we're used to seeing in our UF heroines. She's perfect for Charles. Someone to loosen him up a bit, give him life outside of his position for his father, and most importantly, give him joy. He's also perfect for her.
By the end of this novella I knew that Charles and Anna could do anything together, and couldn't wait to dive into Cry Wolf.
January 16, 2015
Originally posted on The Book Nympho
I wish I hadn't waited so long to start this series. This is one of the best novellas I've read as it accomplishes the goal of effectively introducing the characters and provides an exciting story.
Anna Latham is a seemingly submissive wolf who has suffered abuse from her pack in Chicago. After recognizing a werewolf in the news as one from her pack, she bravely contacts The Marrok (werewolf king) who dispatches his son Charles, an Alpha who serves as his enforcer, to investigate what's going on in the pack.
The story was exciting and Charles is absolutely intriguing as the ultimate über Alpha. Anna emerges as a much more interesting character than she was at the beginning and I'm looking forward to following the development of their relationship.
I've read the Mercy Thompson series through River Marked and this fills in some gaps. I liked Holter Graham's depiction of Charles as well as the rest of his performance. I'm committed to listening to the rest of the series.
I wish I hadn't waited so long to start this series. This is one of the best novellas I've read as it accomplishes the goal of effectively introducing the characters and provides an exciting story.
Anna Latham is a seemingly submissive wolf who has suffered abuse from her pack in Chicago. After recognizing a werewolf in the news as one from her pack, she bravely contacts The Marrok (werewolf king) who dispatches his son Charles, an Alpha who serves as his enforcer, to investigate what's going on in the pack.
The story was exciting and Charles is absolutely intriguing as the ultimate über Alpha. Anna emerges as a much more interesting character than she was at the beginning and I'm looking forward to following the development of their relationship.
I've read the Mercy Thompson series through River Marked and this fills in some gaps. I liked Holter Graham's depiction of Charles as well as the rest of his performance. I'm committed to listening to the rest of the series.
January 6, 2020
I started a werewolf anthology yesterday and it immediately made me want to read this again. I like this story very much, although reading this for a third time I have some issues with the initial dynamic between Anna and Charles and if I really approve of the way Briggs has written this. But it‘s a small niggle. I still like this a lot. And maybe this time around I will manage a chronological re-read of the Merceyverse.
Time-line for the "Mercyverse"
http://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/t...
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Who’d have thought that turning into a werewolf would turn her into a coward? But now she knew the monsters were real.
Getting to know Anna and Charles. The prequel to the Alpha & Omega series. And a good one, too. The insta-whatever is not my favourite trope, but done well enough.
Re-read in 2017. Six years since the first time, wow, how time flies!
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Read this in 2011, as part of On the Prowl.
It's the precursor to the Alpha & Omega novels. I really liked it, although I already knew roughly, what to expect from it. I guess that is the nice thing about book series. You make friends and it's familiar and nice to meet them again.
Time-line for the "Mercyverse"
http://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/t...
————
Who’d have thought that turning into a werewolf would turn her into a coward? But now she knew the monsters were real.
Getting to know Anna and Charles. The prequel to the Alpha & Omega series. And a good one, too. The insta-whatever is not my favourite trope, but done well enough.
Re-read in 2017. Six years since the first time, wow, how time flies!
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Read this in 2011, as part of On the Prowl.
It's the precursor to the Alpha & Omega novels. I really liked it, although I already knew roughly, what to expect from it. I guess that is the nice thing about book series. You make friends and it's familiar and nice to meet them again.
April 12, 2020
MercyVerse — Author's Order (MT, A&O, novellas, etc.):
novellas: in progress
GN — Homecoming: ★★★☆☆
MT — #1 Moon Called: ★★★★☆
AO — #0.5 Alpha & Omega: ★★★★☆
AO — #1 Cry Wolf:
AO — #2 Hunting Ground:
MT — #2 Blood Bound:
MT — #3 Iron Kissed:
MT — #4 Bone Crossed:
MT — #5 Silver Borne:
MT — #6 River Marked:
AO — #3 Fair Game:
MT — #7 Frost Burned:
AO — #4 Dead Heat:
MT — #8 Night Broken:
MT — #9 Fire Touched:
MT — #10 Silence Fallen:
AO — #5 Burn Bright:
After how much I've enjoyed what I've experienced of the more Mercy-based Mercyverse titles so far, I was a little apprehensive about kicking off the A&O series because I was worried I'd miss Mercy and the rest, but luckily, Patricia Briggs' narrative voice is so distinctly hers that it's impossible not to feel like you're in the same exact world. Plus, we get to see a few familiar faces (most notably the Marrok, Bran Cornick) and it was really neat meeting Bran's younger son after having spent so much time with Samuel in Moon Called.
This is a really short novella and it does fly by, but I was impressed by how much world-building is packed into so few pages. Patricia immediately builds up a lot of depth surrounding the Chicago werewolves and even gives us more back story on the Cornick family, plus we get to meet Anna, who is instantly such a likable character. She's been through a lot (major trigger warnings here for mentions of rape and abuse), but she's got a fighting spirit left in her and she really develops it quickly in these 61 pages.
The only reason this is getting 4 stars instead of 5 from me is probably more of a "me" thing than this book, because it's something I know is common with werewolf fantasy books: Charles' level of dominance was fine, but the way he acts regarding the whole "finding his mate" arc was frustrating and overly pushy at times. Here's a woman who's just been through hell at the hands of a ton of terrible men, and Charles comes in to "save" her, but is still kinda pushy and intrusive. It wasn't awful, but it made it harder to enjoy watching their relationship form.
All of that aside, it made me much more excited to dive into the A&O section of the Mercyverse and I can't wait to start Cry Wolf next!
REREAD UPDATE:
The "dominance" stuff didn't bother me the second time around — probably because I've read so much more UF and PNR since first picking this up, that while Charles felt "too alpha male" to me the first time, his alpha tendencies actually feel very subdued this time around. Go figure.
March 3, 2017
5 Alpha & Omega Stars
This really cleared up a lot for me. I have heard the terms Alpha and Omega but I never really understood what and Omega was.
Breaks my heart what was done to Anna, but I think I love that she doesn't let it stop her. She is still a strong force to be reckoned with. She knows now what she doesn't want and she stands up for herself even if she is scared.
I like the whole chill vibe you get from Charles. But don’t let that fool you he is a very take charge kind of fellow. I liked how he doesn't belittle anything Anna has been through. He doesn't make her feel weak because of it.
This is really going to be an interesting series I think. I am looking forwarded to diving right in.
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
This really cleared up a lot for me. I have heard the terms Alpha and Omega but I never really understood what and Omega was.
Breaks my heart what was done to Anna, but I think I love that she doesn't let it stop her. She is still a strong force to be reckoned with. She knows now what she doesn't want and she stands up for herself even if she is scared.
I like the whole chill vibe you get from Charles. But don’t let that fool you he is a very take charge kind of fellow. I liked how he doesn't belittle anything Anna has been through. He doesn't make her feel weak because of it.
This is really going to be an interesting series I think. I am looking forwarded to diving right in.
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
January 24, 2018
1st Read July 2010 - Rating 4 * (In the On The Prowl anthology)
2nd Read August 2012
3rd Read February 2014 - Rating increased to 5 *
4th Read December 2015
5th Read January 2017
6th Read January 2018
Full Review
Anna has been at the bottom of her pack ever since she was turned into a werewolf during a brutal attack. She knows all about the horrors that can and are inflicted by alpha males and has learnt to be wary around them. She finally plucks up courage to ask for help when she sees a newspaper article about a missing boy - a boy she has seen being held prisoner by members of her pack. She contacts the Marrock Bran (leader of the North American werewolves) but she isn't sure she can trust him to help her - he must be a powerful male after all. Bran sends his son and the pack enforcer Charles to investigate the Chicago pack, Charles hates the city and would much rather remain at home in the mountains but he has a job to do. He wasn't expecting to find himself attracted to Anna and is even more shocked when his wolf recognises her as his mate. He quickly realises that Anna is a rare omega wolf and becomes determined to understand why she has been so badly abused by her pack.
I first read the On the Prowl anthology a couple of years ago but never got around to continuing with the Alpha and Omega series. I decided it would probably be best to re-read the Alpha and Omega novella before picking up Cry Wolf and I'm really glad I did. I think you're much better off reading this before the first novel or you'll be missing out on Charles and Anna's first meeting. This novella also gives us better insight into Anna's change into a werewolf and the things she suffered at the hands of other pack members and her previous Alpha. If you're familiar with the Mercy Thompson series then you'll probably recognise the missing boy as the one in Moon Called but although I highly recommend those books (it's one of my favourite UF series) you don't need to have read them to enjoy Alpha and Omega.
I had forgotten how much I love Anna and Charles, they make such a great couple which is something you really start to see in the next book but this story focuses more on Charles gaining Anna's trust than any kind of romance. The mystery surrounding what is happening within Anna's pack was engaging and I didn't want to put the book down for any reason. If you're a fan of the Mercy Thompson series then you'll love Alpha and Omega as much if not more and if you've not read anything by Patricia Briggs before then this wouldn't be a bad place to start. She really is one of my favourite urban fantasy authors and I can't recommend her books highly enough!
______________________
3rd Read
Buddy read with Ange, we're working our way through the whole series.
I loved it even more during this reread and had to increase my rating from 4 stars to 5.
______________________
4th Read
Buddy read with Ange
Since it's been nearly 2 years since Ange & I buddy read this series last we decided we're well overdue another read in the run up to the release of Fire Touched next March.
2nd Read August 2012
3rd Read February 2014 - Rating increased to 5 *
4th Read December 2015
5th Read January 2017
6th Read January 2018
Full Review
Anna has been at the bottom of her pack ever since she was turned into a werewolf during a brutal attack. She knows all about the horrors that can and are inflicted by alpha males and has learnt to be wary around them. She finally plucks up courage to ask for help when she sees a newspaper article about a missing boy - a boy she has seen being held prisoner by members of her pack. She contacts the Marrock Bran (leader of the North American werewolves) but she isn't sure she can trust him to help her - he must be a powerful male after all. Bran sends his son and the pack enforcer Charles to investigate the Chicago pack, Charles hates the city and would much rather remain at home in the mountains but he has a job to do. He wasn't expecting to find himself attracted to Anna and is even more shocked when his wolf recognises her as his mate. He quickly realises that Anna is a rare omega wolf and becomes determined to understand why she has been so badly abused by her pack.
I first read the On the Prowl anthology a couple of years ago but never got around to continuing with the Alpha and Omega series. I decided it would probably be best to re-read the Alpha and Omega novella before picking up Cry Wolf and I'm really glad I did. I think you're much better off reading this before the first novel or you'll be missing out on Charles and Anna's first meeting. This novella also gives us better insight into Anna's change into a werewolf and the things she suffered at the hands of other pack members and her previous Alpha. If you're familiar with the Mercy Thompson series then you'll probably recognise the missing boy as the one in Moon Called but although I highly recommend those books (it's one of my favourite UF series) you don't need to have read them to enjoy Alpha and Omega.
I had forgotten how much I love Anna and Charles, they make such a great couple which is something you really start to see in the next book but this story focuses more on Charles gaining Anna's trust than any kind of romance. The mystery surrounding what is happening within Anna's pack was engaging and I didn't want to put the book down for any reason. If you're a fan of the Mercy Thompson series then you'll love Alpha and Omega as much if not more and if you've not read anything by Patricia Briggs before then this wouldn't be a bad place to start. She really is one of my favourite urban fantasy authors and I can't recommend her books highly enough!
______________________
3rd Read
Buddy read with Ange, we're working our way through the whole series.
I loved it even more during this reread and had to increase my rating from 4 stars to 5.
______________________
4th Read
Buddy read with Ange
Since it's been nearly 2 years since Ange & I buddy read this series last we decided we're well overdue another read in the run up to the release of Fire Touched next March.
June 30, 2015
I started to read the first book in this series, and was like, "What the hell's going on?!"
Yeah, it was important to read this prequel first.
So, we've got Anna, a werewolf, who is being treated very badly by her pack. She finds them doing something illegal and turns them in to the head honcho of werewolves. Yes, that's a thing. The main man, Bran, sends his son, Charles, to investigate her pack.
And, lo and behold, insta-love ensues!
no, no I don't...
Charles is Anna's knight-in-shining-armor and solves all of her problems, along with basically proposing to her within hours of knowing her.
Do you mean, "Cool story, bro"?
Yeah, it was important to read this prequel first.
So, we've got Anna, a werewolf, who is being treated very badly by her pack. She finds them doing something illegal and turns them in to the head honcho of werewolves. Yes, that's a thing. The main man, Bran, sends his son, Charles, to investigate her pack.
And, lo and behold, insta-love ensues!
no, no I don't...
Charles is Anna's knight-in-shining-armor and solves all of her problems, along with basically proposing to her within hours of knowing her.
Do you mean, "Cool story, bro"?
August 16, 2021
I wasn't planning on reading this novella, but apparently it was important I read this before "Cry Wolf". It was alright. This feels like an appetizer before the main course. I'll be sure to reflect upon whether this read was really necessary.
October 26, 2010
I was about to read Cry Wolf when I was reminded that there was a prequel - Alpha and Omega. My wonderful OCD friends at Goodreads (you know who you are) keep telling me that I need to read series in order, so I did.
I loved Charles. What a perfect werewolf! Dangerous and deadly, incredibly handsome and muscular, protective and loyal. I can't wait to read more about him. Did I say I was in love?
Anna puzzled me at first. To me, she seemed meek and scared, like damaged goods. But that was only on the outside. Her inner strength and survival instincts were extraordinary.
I can't wait to immerse myself in Patricia Briggs' world of werewolves.
I loved Charles. What a perfect werewolf! Dangerous and deadly, incredibly handsome and muscular, protective and loyal. I can't wait to read more about him. Did I say I was in love?
Anna puzzled me at first. To me, she seemed meek and scared, like damaged goods. But that was only on the outside. Her inner strength and survival instincts were extraordinary.
I can't wait to immerse myself in Patricia Briggs' world of werewolves.
August 28, 2024
This is a perfect way to start this series if you are a new reader to this somewhat newer series, and if you aren't new to it then it is a great and inexpensive way to see the stoic and utterly blank-faced Charles meet his match. Literally!
Charles meets newly-ish made werewolf Anna when he needs a ride in from the airport while going to investigate one of the packs. Anna is seemingly subservient to all the other wolves around her and is picked on mercilessly. But what nobody realizes except of course Charles, is that Anna is an Omega wolf and that is as important to a pack as an Alpha. sometimes more important.
Now poor Charles learns one more important thing--Anna is his mate! And he is in for an interesting time of it with Anna.
This novella will be a good way of learning all about the Omega wolf from the authors' standpoint. This book will give you enough background and descriptions of these characters' complicated backgrounds, and give you a chance to learn the story right along with them. This is some wonderful writing that packs a lot of storytelling into a very small package.
Charles meets newly-ish made werewolf Anna when he needs a ride in from the airport while going to investigate one of the packs. Anna is seemingly subservient to all the other wolves around her and is picked on mercilessly. But what nobody realizes except of course Charles, is that Anna is an Omega wolf and that is as important to a pack as an Alpha. sometimes more important.
Now poor Charles learns one more important thing--Anna is his mate! And he is in for an interesting time of it with Anna.
This novella will be a good way of learning all about the Omega wolf from the authors' standpoint. This book will give you enough background and descriptions of these characters' complicated backgrounds, and give you a chance to learn the story right along with them. This is some wonderful writing that packs a lot of storytelling into a very small package.
August 15, 2025
I keep coming back to this one. A mesmerizing romance, with character development aplenty. It's told from two perspectives, and all the more richer for it.
Every time I read it, I notice new fun details. Like how Charles processes most emotions thru thinking what his father and brother would think about it. Or how every decision that Anna makes is informed by her current abusive situation, and yet she is still strong and trying to make the best of it and making active decisions.
Every time I read it, I notice new fun details. Like how Charles processes most emotions thru thinking what his father and brother would think about it. Or how every decision that Anna makes is informed by her current abusive situation, and yet she is still strong and trying to make the best of it and making active decisions.
February 25, 2011
I haven’t read anything by Patricia Briggs in a long time so it was nice to go back to her writing. I forgot how well she writes. Alpha & Omega was a very quick and easy read!
I read this novella out of the On the Prowl anthology and I thought it was a great start to a new series for Briggs! Anna is a werewolf, an Omega to be exact and under desperate circumstances she finds herself calling the Marrok behind her Alpha’s back.
In comes Charles Cornick, Bran’s son. I found myself liking Charles in the short time it took me to read this. He’s protective, but not overly and he’s got some charm too. There was a good bit of action that I was surprised to read about in such a short read, but of course, I’m not complaining.
The only thing that bothered me a little bit was Anna. She’s so shy and submissive, but towards the end, I was already feeling like she was developing as a character already.
I’m excited to read the rest of the series! I can’t wait!
I read this novella out of the On the Prowl anthology and I thought it was a great start to a new series for Briggs! Anna is a werewolf, an Omega to be exact and under desperate circumstances she finds herself calling the Marrok behind her Alpha’s back.
In comes Charles Cornick, Bran’s son. I found myself liking Charles in the short time it took me to read this. He’s protective, but not overly and he’s got some charm too. There was a good bit of action that I was surprised to read about in such a short read, but of course, I’m not complaining.
The only thing that bothered me a little bit was Anna. She’s so shy and submissive, but towards the end, I was already feeling like she was developing as a character already.
I’m excited to read the rest of the series! I can’t wait!
March 4, 2016
Absolutely love this series just as much as Mercy!
October 9, 2017
I ended up not reading all of the stories in "On the Prowl". I did back in the day, but since I wanted to read this for the "Werewolves" square for my second bingo card for Halloween Bingo 2017, I didn't feel the need to read all of the stories. From what I recall the first time, I was not that impressed with all of the stories, but ended up falling in love with the characters of Anna and Charles.
If you read the "Alpha & Omega" series, make sure you start with this one first otherwise you may be confused about Anna's background.
This story has Charles (the Marrok's son) coming to Chicago to investigate what is going on with a local wolf pack. A werewolf named Anna calls him and right away when Charles meets her, he feels a pull towards her. Charles's wolf decides that it will have Anna as his mate (in like five seconds by the way) and Charles's tells Anna how special she is among werewolves. We find out that Anna is an omega werewolf. When Charles meets with the local leaders, a few things come out about the local pack and Anna is left to decide to stay with them or follow Charles.
I really loved this book. There is some info-dump since in none of the Mercy Thompson books was anything ever spoken about omega werewolves to this point. We get to find out that Anna being an omega means she does not have to obey the alpha werewolf in her Pack. She also has an effect on other werewolves and can calm them down and push away any lingering mental sickness they may have.
I remember feeling awful for Anna when you read about how she was changed, what was done to her by members of her Pack after the change and it just left a bad taste in my mouth about werewolves in general. To this point I was more familiar with Adam and his Pack in the Mercy Thompson series.
Charles was a great hero to root for though I wanted to know more about his upbringing. We know that he is Bran's enforcer, but it seemed to me that he was a little lost until he met Anna. In later books we get to see how being Bran's enforcer affects Charles though so I was glad that Patricia Briggs brings that up in the later series.
The writing was typical Briggs though I will say that there was some repetitiveness in some places that I think show up again in the later story, "Cry Wolf." I was never so happy in my life when Briggs stopped writing about how Omega did not mean weak and she didn't have to listen to others. We got it. Please stop saying it in every story.
The flow was good though I thought the book ended on a weird note. I know when I read "Cry Wolf" after this though, that the action picks up right after the ending of this book though.
A great little story that you should read before reading the full length novels.
If you read the "Alpha & Omega" series, make sure you start with this one first otherwise you may be confused about Anna's background.
This story has Charles (the Marrok's son) coming to Chicago to investigate what is going on with a local wolf pack. A werewolf named Anna calls him and right away when Charles meets her, he feels a pull towards her. Charles's wolf decides that it will have Anna as his mate (in like five seconds by the way) and Charles's tells Anna how special she is among werewolves. We find out that Anna is an omega werewolf. When Charles meets with the local leaders, a few things come out about the local pack and Anna is left to decide to stay with them or follow Charles.
I really loved this book. There is some info-dump since in none of the Mercy Thompson books was anything ever spoken about omega werewolves to this point. We get to find out that Anna being an omega means she does not have to obey the alpha werewolf in her Pack. She also has an effect on other werewolves and can calm them down and push away any lingering mental sickness they may have.
I remember feeling awful for Anna when you read about how she was changed, what was done to her by members of her Pack after the change and it just left a bad taste in my mouth about werewolves in general. To this point I was more familiar with Adam and his Pack in the Mercy Thompson series.
Charles was a great hero to root for though I wanted to know more about his upbringing. We know that he is Bran's enforcer, but it seemed to me that he was a little lost until he met Anna. In later books we get to see how being Bran's enforcer affects Charles though so I was glad that Patricia Briggs brings that up in the later series.
The writing was typical Briggs though I will say that there was some repetitiveness in some places that I think show up again in the later story, "Cry Wolf." I was never so happy in my life when Briggs stopped writing about how Omega did not mean weak and she didn't have to listen to others. We got it. Please stop saying it in every story.
The flow was good though I thought the book ended on a weird note. I know when I read "Cry Wolf" after this though, that the action picks up right after the ending of this book though.
A great little story that you should read before reading the full length novels.
May 18, 2013
Without a doubt, Alpha & Omega surprised me. For one, I wasn't expecting this prequel novella to be so integral to the plot line of this series. I actually only picked it up before Cry Wolf because I was in the mood for something shorter at first, but very quickly, I realized that Alpha & Omega is, in fact, a must-read before beginning this series. And what a beginning it is.
Alpha & Omega begins with Anna, a submissive in her Chicago pack, phoning Bran to report that she saw a local missing boy being tortured by her pack alpha, Leo. For those of us who have read Moon Called, the torture of the missing boy in question is no surprise and the story line quickly begins to fall into place. Charles, the enforcer/assassin and son of Bran flies into Chicago, intent on investigating the strange doings of the Chicago pack. What he doesn't count on, however, is being instantly attracted to Anna when she greets him at the airport. Even more surprising, though, is that his wolf quickly claims Anna as his mate, but Anna's past may be darker than Charles anticipated and their mating not quite as easy as he plans.
What I loved about Alpha & Omega, right off the bat, was Anna. Mercy and Anna are as different as heroines can come, but that doesn't make Anna any less fierce, strong, or brave. If anything, she is more. Anna, unlike most wolves, was changed into a werewolf without her consent and then told that she was a submissive in the pack. Just to add insult to injury, Leo, the alpha, passed Anna around like a whore to be brutalized by dominant wolves. As we soon find out, there is a reason for this disgusting behavior, but that doesn't change the fact that Anna is fearful of men, and dominant wolves in particular.
Charles, as we all know by now, is as dominant as they come. Yet, being the only werewolf to be born in his wolf form, he is different from most. Although it is his wolf that first recognizes Anna as his mate - and his protective instincts kick in almost immediately - he slowly begins to care for Anna as a person too. Underneath her rigid and fearful exterior, he sees the inner strength that has kept Anna alive for three years as a wolf and he appreciates what she is. Moreover, he recognizes that she is no submissive, but an Omega, or one who obeys no dominant wolf and instead brings peace to those around her.
Despite the fact that Alpha & Omega is a short novel, we are able to become thoroughly invested in the sweet romance at play here. Of course, it reads much like love-at-first-sight, but the undercurrents of deeper affection are easily felt. Even more so, our two leads, Anna and Charles, come into their own and become just as important and interesting as Mercy or Adam are as well. Furthermore, I loved the mystery of unraveling what had happened to the Chicago pack. It was different from the usual cases that Briggs has written and had much darker undertones, but perhaps I enjoyed it all the more because of that. Or maybe it was just the length - intriguing, short, and a quick conclusion without long and drawn-out details. Either way, Alpha & Omega is the perfect hook to what promises to be an excellent spin-off series and if you go into this expecting a quick read, you'll likely surprise yourself by scrambling to get your hands on Cry Wolf very quickly after.
You can read this review" and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.
Alpha & Omega begins with Anna, a submissive in her Chicago pack, phoning Bran to report that she saw a local missing boy being tortured by her pack alpha, Leo. For those of us who have read Moon Called, the torture of the missing boy in question is no surprise and the story line quickly begins to fall into place. Charles, the enforcer/assassin and son of Bran flies into Chicago, intent on investigating the strange doings of the Chicago pack. What he doesn't count on, however, is being instantly attracted to Anna when she greets him at the airport. Even more surprising, though, is that his wolf quickly claims Anna as his mate, but Anna's past may be darker than Charles anticipated and their mating not quite as easy as he plans.
What I loved about Alpha & Omega, right off the bat, was Anna. Mercy and Anna are as different as heroines can come, but that doesn't make Anna any less fierce, strong, or brave. If anything, she is more. Anna, unlike most wolves, was changed into a werewolf without her consent and then told that she was a submissive in the pack. Just to add insult to injury, Leo, the alpha, passed Anna around like a whore to be brutalized by dominant wolves. As we soon find out, there is a reason for this disgusting behavior, but that doesn't change the fact that Anna is fearful of men, and dominant wolves in particular.
Charles, as we all know by now, is as dominant as they come. Yet, being the only werewolf to be born in his wolf form, he is different from most. Although it is his wolf that first recognizes Anna as his mate - and his protective instincts kick in almost immediately - he slowly begins to care for Anna as a person too. Underneath her rigid and fearful exterior, he sees the inner strength that has kept Anna alive for three years as a wolf and he appreciates what she is. Moreover, he recognizes that she is no submissive, but an Omega, or one who obeys no dominant wolf and instead brings peace to those around her.
Despite the fact that Alpha & Omega is a short novel, we are able to become thoroughly invested in the sweet romance at play here. Of course, it reads much like love-at-first-sight, but the undercurrents of deeper affection are easily felt. Even more so, our two leads, Anna and Charles, come into their own and become just as important and interesting as Mercy or Adam are as well. Furthermore, I loved the mystery of unraveling what had happened to the Chicago pack. It was different from the usual cases that Briggs has written and had much darker undertones, but perhaps I enjoyed it all the more because of that. Or maybe it was just the length - intriguing, short, and a quick conclusion without long and drawn-out details. Either way, Alpha & Omega is the perfect hook to what promises to be an excellent spin-off series and if you go into this expecting a quick read, you'll likely surprise yourself by scrambling to get your hands on Cry Wolf very quickly after.
You can read this review" and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.
February 27, 2021
2/26/21 -I am midway through Wild Sign, the upcoming book six in this series, and I had to stop midway to read this novella again. I can’t read about these characters without wanting to revisit the way they met. This is my twelfth or thirteenth time reading Alpha & Omega. You can find my mini-review below.
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This novella can be found in the anthologies On the Prowl and Shifting Shadows, as well as on its own digitally (with a terrible cover). I own it in two formats — it has been on my keeper shelf for years and I had read it about ten or eleven times, including, most recently, in early February of this year. Reading it again a month and half later would not have been my choice if it weren’t for my husband’s not having read it before. But I still enjoyed it a lot even so, which is impressive.
The story begins when Anna, an abused werewolf / rape survivor who mistakenly believes herself to be submissive when she is in fact something far more rare, gathers the courage to call Bran and report criminal activities in her pack. Anna has known nothing but abuse from dominant wolves, so when Bran dispatches Charles, his son and the second most dominant wolf on the continent, to come to Anna’s aid, she has a hard time overcoming her fear. This in turns angers Charles because his wolf has instantly decided that she is his mate, and he doesn’t like that she has been abused.
If you haven’t read this novella you might be groaning over what sounds like instalove. But it isn’t that—while their wolves have a connection and feel safe with each other, Charles and Anna’s human halves really struggle with this, and with their need to control their impulses around each other, both to work together in order to figure out how and why things went so wrong in Anna’s pack, and to forge a relationship.
There is something deceptively simple about this story—in a way, it’s like a marriage of convenience historical, except that it has an urban fantasy setting—and yet it is so satisfying to see Charles and Anna wrestle with their feelings and come to each other’s aid. That I still appreciated this even on my eleventh or twelfth reading means it is, to me, an A.
You can find my original, full-length 2008 review of it and of the novel that follows it here:
http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/ov...
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This novella can be found in the anthologies On the Prowl and Shifting Shadows, as well as on its own digitally (with a terrible cover). I own it in two formats — it has been on my keeper shelf for years and I had read it about ten or eleven times, including, most recently, in early February of this year. Reading it again a month and half later would not have been my choice if it weren’t for my husband’s not having read it before. But I still enjoyed it a lot even so, which is impressive.
The story begins when Anna, an abused werewolf / rape survivor who mistakenly believes herself to be submissive when she is in fact something far more rare, gathers the courage to call Bran and report criminal activities in her pack. Anna has known nothing but abuse from dominant wolves, so when Bran dispatches Charles, his son and the second most dominant wolf on the continent, to come to Anna’s aid, she has a hard time overcoming her fear. This in turns angers Charles because his wolf has instantly decided that she is his mate, and he doesn’t like that she has been abused.
If you haven’t read this novella you might be groaning over what sounds like instalove. But it isn’t that—while their wolves have a connection and feel safe with each other, Charles and Anna’s human halves really struggle with this, and with their need to control their impulses around each other, both to work together in order to figure out how and why things went so wrong in Anna’s pack, and to forge a relationship.
There is something deceptively simple about this story—in a way, it’s like a marriage of convenience historical, except that it has an urban fantasy setting—and yet it is so satisfying to see Charles and Anna wrestle with their feelings and come to each other’s aid. That I still appreciated this even on my eleventh or twelfth reading means it is, to me, an A.
You can find my original, full-length 2008 review of it and of the novel that follows it here:
http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/ov...
April 6, 2018
Six years ago, I bounced off this series and gave Cry Wolf two stars. I don't remember it and that was before I was active with writing reviews. So I've had a bad emotional reaction to the series ever since and have no idea why.
Recent friend reviews have bemoaned that this story is hard to find on its own and that you have to read this story for Cry Wolf to have the impact it should. Well there’s some new information that has bearing! So I'm taking a chance on it because I love Briggs' Mercy Thompson stories so very much. Since my library had a copy of On the Prowl, I gave it a shot. And I don't regret it even a little.
I enjoyed the story immensely, though I can tell that it's a bit spare. I don't think it would hold together nearly as well if you don't know a bit about the Marrok and this universe's werewolf lore from other sources. Seeing Charles breeze in on what, for him, should be a routine (though probably bloody) look-around and watching him pulled-up short by Anna was a delight. I've always adored the capable man in full-on protective mode and Charles is an exemplar of the type. And I also loved Anna finding her strength and beginning a road to healing from the ordeal she has endured.
My initial instinct was to give this five stars because I was so satisfied by the end. But then it occurred to me how very much had to come from outside the story itself and how thin this is, really, so I'm backing down to four. I'm not including the frustration for the marketing idiocy of having the true start of an important series be so obscure or I'd probably drop it another full star.
A note about Romance and Chaste: The romance between Charles and Anna is spare, but still touchingly written. It's very much an insta-love/mate thing and extremely fast, but I still liked the hints of their budding relationship enough to tag it as romance even though that's a stretch. Which is probably also why this is chaste—they just don't have time to do anything more.
Recent friend reviews have bemoaned that this story is hard to find on its own and that you have to read this story for Cry Wolf to have the impact it should. Well there’s some new information that has bearing! So I'm taking a chance on it because I love Briggs' Mercy Thompson stories so very much. Since my library had a copy of On the Prowl, I gave it a shot. And I don't regret it even a little.
I enjoyed the story immensely, though I can tell that it's a bit spare. I don't think it would hold together nearly as well if you don't know a bit about the Marrok and this universe's werewolf lore from other sources. Seeing Charles breeze in on what, for him, should be a routine (though probably bloody) look-around and watching him pulled-up short by Anna was a delight. I've always adored the capable man in full-on protective mode and Charles is an exemplar of the type. And I also loved Anna finding her strength and beginning a road to healing from the ordeal she has endured.
My initial instinct was to give this five stars because I was so satisfied by the end. But then it occurred to me how very much had to come from outside the story itself and how thin this is, really, so I'm backing down to four. I'm not including the frustration for the marketing idiocy of having the true start of an important series be so obscure or I'd probably drop it another full star.
A note about Romance and Chaste: The romance between Charles and Anna is spare, but still touchingly written. It's very much an insta-love/mate thing and extremely fast, but I still liked the hints of their budding relationship enough to tag it as romance even though that's a stretch. Which is probably also why this is chaste—they just don't have time to do anything more.
March 24, 2019
5 This should have been part of the first book Stars
I started to read Wolf Cry and I was VERY confused. I reread a few page a few times to see if I missed something. After a little researching, I realized you really need to read the prequel and so I did and wow a lot of it makes sense now.
So my advice, before you start reading Cry Wolf, you really need to read Alpha and Omega.
Anna is the total Heroine I love to read in books. She’s battered and damsel. She’s been abused and used and she submits easily. She’s also part of an abusive wolf pack.
Charles is not like any other wolf. He’s part witch and part wolf. He’s also alpha and good and kind.
What I love about Patricia Briggs writing is the world building I get in a new series. I’m not a big wolf fan, but I’m slowly getting sucked in her series. I’ve been trying to read her books in order (meaning two series at once) and it’s working in my benefit. I might also have to read the novella now to get a better picture.
The best part of the book is Charles’ need to protect Anna. He’s the definition of alpha.
Now, back to Wolf Cry which will make a lot more sense.
I started to read Wolf Cry and I was VERY confused. I reread a few page a few times to see if I missed something. After a little researching, I realized you really need to read the prequel and so I did and wow a lot of it makes sense now.
So my advice, before you start reading Cry Wolf, you really need to read Alpha and Omega.
Anna is the total Heroine I love to read in books. She’s battered and damsel. She’s been abused and used and she submits easily. She’s also part of an abusive wolf pack.
Charles is not like any other wolf. He’s part witch and part wolf. He’s also alpha and good and kind.
What I love about Patricia Briggs writing is the world building I get in a new series. I’m not a big wolf fan, but I’m slowly getting sucked in her series. I’ve been trying to read her books in order (meaning two series at once) and it’s working in my benefit. I might also have to read the novella now to get a better picture.
The best part of the book is Charles’ need to protect Anna. He’s the definition of alpha.
Now, back to Wolf Cry which will make a lot more sense.
February 24, 2020
This novella is essentially Chapter 1 of Cry Wolf, Book 1 of the Alpha and Omega series featuring Charles and Anna. So, if you are diving into that series, definitely read this first!
January 23, 2023
[4 Stars] Fun start to the Alpha and Omega series! I'm excited to learn more about these characters, particularly Charles.
[08/19/2019 Re-Read - 3.5 Stars] For some reason I just want to re-read this entire series? How odd...
[08/19/2019 Re-Read - 3.5 Stars] For some reason I just want to re-read this entire series? How odd...
June 11, 2019
★★★★★ (This is a review of the audiobook.) Man-oh-man! I loved Holter Graham’s narration of this novella, the prequel to the Alpha & Omega series by Patricia Briggs. He is so good at doing Charles Cornick’s voice; with his discipline, intelligence, protectiveness, and possessiveness all accented in an American Indian intonation. **sigh**
I’ve heard his narration for the other books in this wonderful series, but the prequel had never been recorded before. While the others are good, Mr. Graham’s reading has improved dramatically on this one, especially with his female voices.
I love this story, and I think I’ve read it about three times before this. In fact, this was my first introduction to Ms. Brigg’s world, so I prefer it over the Mercy Thompson series, though the two series intertwine and overlap. I love Charles and Anna together and their story isn’t complete without starting with this introduction before going on to the read of the series; there is magic here. I've seen too many people who have not started with this one and not enjoyed the series as much without it.
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