Fair Game: An Alpha and Omega novel [Formato Kindle]

I freaking loved this book! I loved the mystery, I loved Charles and Anna! I loved the glimpses of Adam and the Mercy Thompson world. Bran was amazing and Briggs gave us a good amount of Bran.

Patricia Briggs has that special something that makes me feel so happy and contented to slip into her world and read any one of her books. The characters may be scary and the subject matter disturbing, but Briggs writes them in such a rich way that I wish I was there. The supernaturals in Briggs' world are scary, not just spooky but frightening. They are strong, not entirely in control of their strength and quite a few of her supernaturals operate around a completely different moral compass than humans do. I love this about her books. The vampires are scary, the Fae are an unknown and usually powerful and scream-worthy and the werewolves? They are strong, beautiful, loyal but definitely not human. The Fae are not my favorite characters in Briggs' books. Some of her past books have dwelt to heavily with Fae characters, in my opinion; Fair Game strikes the perfect balance. There is Fae intrigue but it takes place in the human world and involves human beings, werewolves and sociopaths. The focus of the story never strays from the werewolves and Anna and Charles are front in center.

Fair Game picks up a few years after Hunting Ground and starts right after River Marked. There are references to the resolution of River Marked, readers who have not yet read River Marked and plan to do so, be warned there are spoilers to the ending of River Marked in Fair Game. Based on the timing, Charles and Anna have been together a few years and Anna has been in Montana for awhile. Like any couple, there are issues and Charles and Anna are no exception. Unfortunately, their problems have more to do with Bran and the outside world.

Okay, so what about Charles and Anna? I have a strong preference for urban fantasy and fantasy with creative world building, intricate worlds and rich characters but if you throw in a romance, I will enjoy it. Well, Briggs does more than just throw in a romance, the story of Charles and Anna is not the driving force of these books - the characters, the world and the storyline are - -but Charles and Anna provide the structure and vehicle for telling the story. There would be no story without their relationship. Fans of Charles and Anna will not be disappointed, readers are treated with quite a few very sweet scenes and a few issues the couple has to work through. Maybe I say that too lightly - the issues facing the couple are dark, twisted and well, Briggs came up with a truly unique storyline of what was stressing Charles and Anna. Readers will not be left on a cliff wondering if Charles and Anna can resolve their problems though, Briggs wraps up these issues by the end of the novel.

The ending was fantastic. I loved it. Many writers in this genre put out installment after installment of books that do not push the story arc further or change the game at all. Fair Game is not like that nor is Briggs a writer like that. What Briggs does so well is to continue to develop her world, she doesn't ever rest on what she has already written - -she pushes her world building and her characters. Readers learn more about the Fae and their crazy world, more about the werewolves -- and the characters and the worlds come to a very dramatic ending that leaves off in a way that makes me beyond excited for the next book!

I have two complaints. First, I wish it was longer. Fair Game is a decent length novel, but I wanted more. Briggs definitely did not skimp on storyline or character development, I just am greedy and want more. Second, I fear it will be another 2 years or more until we get the next installment. Mercy Thompson #7 is due out Spring 2013, I guess I will have to be content with re-reading both Mercy and Alpha and hoping for some short stories from Briggs along the way.

Many urban fantasy writers include werewolves, fae and vampires revealing themselves to the world, but only a few actually look at how people would realistically react. Patricia Briggs' "Fair Game" gives us both a sobering portrait of how things might unfold AND a solid serial-killer thriller. The third Alpha and Omega novel has a suspenseful story at its core, but Briggs also provides quieter moments so her characters can breathe.

After having to kill several werewolves, Charles is beginning to crumble mentally; he's seeing ghosts and starting to give in to his bloodthirsty instincts. So he and Anna are sent to Boston on a special mission -- assist the FBI on a serial-killer case that has lasted decades. The killer initially had a straightforward pattern (Asian teenagers), but began including werewolves and fae. Each one was carved with witch symbols, raped, and finally murdered.

Now the human daughter of a high-ranking fae has been kidnapped, and the FBI/werewolf team has only hours to find her. But the case becomes particularly strange when they discover that a long-dead witch and a bizarre kind of fae may be involved in it. And unless they figure out who the killers are fast, Anna might be their next target.

"Fair Game" tries to tackle a lot of heavy topics -- prejudice, the cost of killing, and the way normal humans would see the "monsters." And honestly, Patricia Briggs does really well. She doesn't dip into any heavy-handed gay/racial symbolism, and she doesn't depict ALL humans as slavering racists or groupies either. Laurell K. Hamilton should take notes.

The plot is a heavy, fast-moving affair with a feeling of creepy, overhanging suspense, marred only by a few scenes where the characters seem to forget the crisis. It's heavy, dark stuff, made of blood, black magic and killers who are complete unknowns, winding up into a bloodsoaked, genuinely freaky finale. It also has a finale that is both satisfying and realistic, altering the dynamic of human/supernatural relations. Things won't be the same again.

But Briggs also inserts scenes that allow her characters moments of quiet and reflection. And occasionally, there's some gentle humor -- the chapters from Brother Wolf's POV ("No taxis for werewolves!"), or Charles and Alistair singing a Welsh folksong after the rescue.

This book also addresses something that perplexed me about the previous Alpha and Omega books: how can a guy like Charles be okay with being an enforcer/executioner, and how can Bran be okay with sending his son to kill? Turns out they aren't -- Charles is haunted by the ghosts of those he killed, and at times Brother Wolf has to take over to keep him from losing control. Fortunately, Brother Wolf is adorable.

Meanwhile, Anna has developed a lot from the frightened, timid creature she used to be -- she's now stronger and more assertive than before. She even faces off against the Marrok. And Briggs populates Boston with a solid cast of characters -- the strong, capable Leslie, the feisty local Alpha Isaac, and the elegant ancient fae Alistair.

"Fair Game" took a long time to arrive, but it was worth it -- this is the sort of urban fantasy that we need more of. And it leaves you wishing you knew what would happen next.

Oh Anna and Charles, I love you so much. From the very first Alpha and Omega novella, Patricia Briggs has given this hero and heroine such depth of character, that I feel like I know them. They are flawed, brave, loyal, insecure, and violent. But above and beyond all that, they always love one other.

This book may be my favorite yet in the series. I was surprised at the onset to see how much time had passed since the events of Hunting Ground. While it's not spelled out precisely, it's been a few years. (Events from River Marked are referenced and we know the first two books take place roughly around the same time as Moon Called.) But what's interesting is that Charles and Anna have changed very little with the passage of time. I would have expected that with a love like theirs, a few years would find these two in the happiest place they've ever been. But things are harder than ever.

Charles has always been his father's sword of justice. But now that the werewolves are "out" to human society, it's vital to keep a lid on werewolf violence. So Bran's sending Charles out to kill their misbehaving brethren in record numbers. It's wearing on Charles; breaking his spirit; and driving him to cut himself off from Anna. He's haunted by the ghosts of his prey. To give him a reprieve, Bran sends Charles and Anna to Boston to help human investigators solve a serial killer case.

Details of the killer's depravity were disturbing at times, but it was really a captivating case. The mystery introduces us to new characters, like Leslie, a tough human FBI agent; Isaac, the Alpha of the Boston pack; and Beauclaire, a fascinating Fae whose daughter was among the abducted. I won't spoil all the amazing twists and turns, but I can say that it was unpredictable and kept me on the edge of my seat.

The world-building is flawless and merges seamlessly with the Mercy Thompson series. I love the effortless way I can sink back into these books. But most of all, I love unfailing way that Charles and Anna love each other. It baffles me that either one can still manage to question their worth to the other, when it's so obvious how deep their love runs. But it's gratifying to see them prove that love over and over again.

I give the book extra points for giving me a little peek inside Bran's head. And double bonus points for a spectacular ending, guaranteed to bring repercussions into future books in this series and the Mercy Thompson one. I can't wait to see what happens next. 4 1/2 stars.