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Alpha & Omega #2
Hunting Ground
Anna Latham didn’t know how complicated life could be until she became a werewolf. And until she was mated to Charles Cornick, the son — and enforcer — of Bran, the leader of the North American werewolves, she didn’t know how dangerous it could be either...
Anna and Charles have just been enlisted to attend a summit to present Bran’s controversial proposition: that the wolves should finally reveal themselves to humans. But the most feared Alpha in Europe is dead set against the plan — and it seems like someone else might be too. When Anna is attacked by vampires using pack magic, the kind of power only werewolves should be able to draw on, Charles and Anna must combine their talents to hunt down whoever is behind it all — or risk losing everything...
Anna and Charles have just been enlisted to attend a summit to present Bran’s controversial proposition: that the wolves should finally reveal themselves to humans. But the most feared Alpha in Europe is dead set against the plan — and it seems like someone else might be too. When Anna is attacked by vampires using pack magic, the kind of power only werewolves should be able to draw on, Charles and Anna must combine their talents to hunt down whoever is behind it all — or risk losing everything...
286 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 25, 2009
About the author
Patricia Briggs
132 books29.1k 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 2,657 reviews
May 7, 2018
Re reading books that you love and have been with for years is the best. Charles has been one of my loves and always will be.
Mel 🖤🐾🐺
Mel 🖤🐾🐺
June 9, 2021
Hunting Ground (Alpha & Omega, #2), Patricia Briggs
Hunting Ground (2009) When Anna is attacked by vampires using pack magic, the kind of power only werewolves should be able to draw on, Charles and Anna must combine their talents to hunt down whoever is behind it all or risk losing everything.
"Anna Latham didn't know how complicated life could be until she became a werewolf. And until she was mated to Charles Cornick, the son--and enforcer--of Bran, the leader of the North American werewolves, she didn't know how dangerous it could be, either ... Anna and Charles have just been enlisted to attend a summit to present Bran's controversial proposition: that the wolves should finally reveal themselves to humans. But the most feared Alpha in Europe is dead set against the plan--and it seems like someone else might be, too. When Anna is attacked by vampires using pack magic, the kind of power only werewolves should be able to draw on, Charles and Anna must combine their talents to hunt down whoever is behind it all--or risk losing everything ..." - Page 4 of cover.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز دوازدهم ماه دسامبر سال 2016میلادی
عنوان: شکارگاه - کتاب دوم از سری آلفا و امگا؛ نویسنده: پاتریشیا بریگز؛ مترجم: آیدین کبیری؛ تهران، آذرباد، 1395؛ در 380ص؛ شابک دوره 9786006225579؛ شابک جلد یک 9786008537014؛ موضوع داستانهای خیال انگیز از نویسندگان امریکایی - سده 21م
در این داستان «آنا لاتام» نمی‌داند زندگی تا چه اندازه می‌تواند پیچیده باشد، تا اینکه تبدیل به یک گرگینه میشود؛ او نمی‌دانست زندگی تا چه حد می‌تواند خطرناک باشد، تا اینکه با «چارلز کورنیک»، پسر «برن»، سردسته ی گرگ نماهای آمریکای شمالی جفت شد...؛ «آنا» و «چارلز» داوطلب شده اند، تا در نشست رهبران، پیشنهاد جنجالی «برن» را ارائه کنند، پیشنهادی که براساس آن، باید در نهایت، هویت اصلی خویش را، برای انسان‌ها فاش کنند؛ اما رخدادهایی عملی شدن پیشنهاد «برن» را، دشوار می‌سازد؛ آنگاه که دسته ای از خون آشام‌ها با سودجویی از جادویی که تنها گرگ‌نماها مجاز به استفاده از آن هستند، به «آنا» یورش می‌کنند؛ «چارلز» و «آنا»، باید استعدادها‌شان را روی هم بگذارند، و هر کسی را که پشت همگی این ماجراها هست، پیدا کنند؛ جز از این همه چیز را از دست می‌دهند...؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 18/03/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Hunting Ground (2009) When Anna is attacked by vampires using pack magic, the kind of power only werewolves should be able to draw on, Charles and Anna must combine their talents to hunt down whoever is behind it all or risk losing everything.
"Anna Latham didn't know how complicated life could be until she became a werewolf. And until she was mated to Charles Cornick, the son--and enforcer--of Bran, the leader of the North American werewolves, she didn't know how dangerous it could be, either ... Anna and Charles have just been enlisted to attend a summit to present Bran's controversial proposition: that the wolves should finally reveal themselves to humans. But the most feared Alpha in Europe is dead set against the plan--and it seems like someone else might be, too. When Anna is attacked by vampires using pack magic, the kind of power only werewolves should be able to draw on, Charles and Anna must combine their talents to hunt down whoever is behind it all--or risk losing everything ..." - Page 4 of cover.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز دوازدهم ماه دسامبر سال 2016میلادی
عنوان: شکارگاه - کتاب دوم از سری آلفا و امگا؛ نویسنده: پاتریشیا بریگز؛ مترجم: آیدین کبیری؛ تهران، آذرباد، 1395؛ در 380ص؛ شابک دوره 9786006225579؛ شابک جلد یک 9786008537014؛ موضوع داستانهای خیال انگیز از نویسندگان امریکایی - سده 21م
در این داستان «آنا لاتام» نمی‌داند زندگی تا چه اندازه می‌تواند پیچیده باشد، تا اینکه تبدیل به یک گرگینه میشود؛ او نمی‌دانست زندگی تا چه حد می‌تواند خطرناک باشد، تا اینکه با «چارلز کورنیک»، پسر «برن»، سردسته ی گرگ نماهای آمریکای شمالی جفت شد...؛ «آنا» و «چارلز» داوطلب شده اند، تا در نشست رهبران، پیشنهاد جنجالی «برن» را ارائه کنند، پیشنهادی که براساس آن، باید در نهایت، هویت اصلی خویش را، برای انسان‌ها فاش کنند؛ اما رخدادهایی عملی شدن پیشنهاد «برن» را، دشوار می‌سازد؛ آنگاه که دسته ای از خون آشام‌ها با سودجویی از جادویی که تنها گرگ‌نماها مجاز به استفاده از آن هستند، به «آنا» یورش می‌کنند؛ «چارلز» و «آنا»، باید استعدادها‌شان را روی هم بگذارند، و هر کسی را که پشت همگی این ماجراها هست، پیدا کنند؛ جز از این همه چیز را از دست می‌دهند...؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 18/03/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
May 28, 2015
Every once in a while, it feels so good to jump out of the romance genre and jump back into some Urban Fantasy/PNR. Patricia Briggs is one of my go to authors when it comes to these types of books. After listening to the first book in this series (Cry Wolf), I decided to do book 2 in audio as well. I’m happy I did. It was fast listening and the narrator did a great job voicing Anna and Charles.
Hunting Ground takes place in Seattle. If you’ve read the Mercy Thompson series, you remember that book where the were’s are considering ‘coming out’ to the world- well, the time line is lined up with this book. Charles is there in the place of his father, the Marrok. And of course, he brings his mate and Omega, Anna. Anna is very useful in situations like this and she proves that time and time again.
There is a lot going on with the story. Quite a few new characters, and some of the regulars. I like that, but at times it can feel a little overwhelming. I didn’t love that. And the fact that I listened may have made it a little more difficult to keep track of everything. I liked some of the new characters, but I did miss Asil from book one. I’m really hoping he’s in the next book.
There was some action and even some mystery, but what I loved most about this story was seeing the growth in Anna and Charles relationship. He’s learning the can’s and can’ts when it comes to his damaged wolf. Anna is able to open up more to Charles and trust him more. Not just her wolf doing this, but her as a person. It’s taken a lot of time for her to start to overcome her past and I love that she’s doing it and moving forward.
I’m really enjoying this series. I can’t tell if I like it as much as the Mercy Thompson books- I really love those. With each and every book I’m liking it more and more. My husband tells me the next book is the best so far in the series so I’m sure I’ll be listening to it sooner rather than later!
April 4, 2019
There's just something addictive about these books ... It just popped up in my Kindle last night and I opened it and the rest is history.
Hunting Ground is a solid story in the ALPHA AND OMEGA series. Charles (an Alpha werewolf who acts as his father Bran's enforcer rather than being the head of a pack) and his mate Anna, an Omega werewolf, are sent on a mission to Seattle, to a meeting of Alpha werewolves from England, Spain, France and elsewhere. Bran is planning to go public with the fact that there are werewolves among humans; others strenuously oppose this move.
Charles convinces Bran to let him represent Bran at this gathering, due to a premonition that Bran's going would result in his death. But now death is stalking Charles, Anna and others, and - other than the fact that a secretive and unusual gang of vampires is involved - no one knows who is behind the attacks and why. Meanwhile the werewolf meetings are going off the rails, primarily because of one French werewolf with a long and bloody history.
Patricia Briggs slowly builds the tension in this story, intertwining the mystery with the development of her characters. Charles and Anna are still working out their relationship, and both are troubled by their respective pasts in different ways. It's a bit slow-paced, but still interesting, and with a great ending. The Beast of Gévaudan plays a key role. I love how Patricia Briggs pulls in monsters from actual folklore and weaves them into her plots!
Hunting Ground is a solid story in the ALPHA AND OMEGA series. Charles (an Alpha werewolf who acts as his father Bran's enforcer rather than being the head of a pack) and his mate Anna, an Omega werewolf, are sent on a mission to Seattle, to a meeting of Alpha werewolves from England, Spain, France and elsewhere. Bran is planning to go public with the fact that there are werewolves among humans; others strenuously oppose this move.
Charles convinces Bran to let him represent Bran at this gathering, due to a premonition that Bran's going would result in his death. But now death is stalking Charles, Anna and others, and - other than the fact that a secretive and unusual gang of vampires is involved - no one knows who is behind the attacks and why. Meanwhile the werewolf meetings are going off the rails, primarily because of one French werewolf with a long and bloody history.
Patricia Briggs slowly builds the tension in this story, intertwining the mystery with the development of her characters. Charles and Anna are still working out their relationship, and both are troubled by their respective pasts in different ways. It's a bit slow-paced, but still interesting, and with a great ending. The Beast of Gévaudan plays a key role. I love how Patricia Briggs pulls in monsters from actual folklore and weaves them into her plots!
August 28, 2020
💀 Boring Outdated UF is Boring and Outdated Buddy Read (BOUFiBaOBR™) with Ashley and Angela 💀
Actual rating: 2.2 stars. Damn, I can be so generous sometimes, it's making me all teary-eyed and stuff.
This is such a delightful little series. I loved book 1 so much that I just could NOT wait to read this instalment. And if someone tells you that this is total BS, that I hated book 1 and swore a blood oath to stay the fish away from this series for the rest of the entirety of my entire life, well that someone is completely full of crappity crap. The truthful truth is, I thought book 1 was nothing short of amazing, and was more looking forward to reading Hunting Ground than to having the Scourge of Mexico go all TACTILE on me. That should tell you something right there. And to be completely clear: no, the Corruptor of Young Naïve Innocent Souls (CoYNIS™) named Angela did NOT put a gun to my lovely little head to force me to read this book. Absolutely not. I did it of my own free will. Do you seriously think a nefarious breeder of murderous crustaceans such as I would let herself be disgustingly manipulated in such a despicable manner? Please don't be ridiculous, my Little Barnacles.
Soooooo, after splendidly enrapturing me with Cry Wolf, Patricia Briggs positively enchanted me with this little book here. So much captivating stuff to be had in this instalment, I don't really know where to start. Will you give me a minute to think about it? So lovely of you, my Tiny Arthropods. Here, put some headphones on and listen to some soothing elevator music while I try and figure out how to do this.
What? You've never seen snailphones before? They're all the rage in my subaquatic kingdom! You really should go out more often, my Lovely Decapods.
Okay, I'm ready to do the slightly vindictive thing now! Yay! You're welcome!
① This book is a teensy little bit boring, flat, uninteresting and dull.
But hey, it's not ALL bad, the book is lackluster, too. It kind of makes Nightlife feel extremely exciting, actually. Which is quite an achievement, when you think about it, and means Hunting Ground here qualifies as a Superiorly Efficient Cure for Insomnia (SECfI™). See? Told you it was not ALL bad! There are some fantastic, positive side effects to reading this book! And you know what else? This is such an emotional flatland that the story comes with a No Heart Attack Low Blood Pressure Guarantee (NHLBPG™). Yep, that's just how exhilaratingly stimulating Hunting Ground is. Add to that the fascinatingly fascinating relationship crap that graces every single shrimping page of this wondrous little story, and you get one of the most spellbinding experiences ever. This really is Gloriously Glorious Decaf Diet Non-Fat UF (GGDDNFUF™) at its best!
② This book is kinda sorta outdated.
I do love vintage UF. Because it never makes you feel like you've read the story hundreds of times. Oh no, absolutely not. Good old tales about werewolf/vamp/silly fae/whatever wars are always sooooo refreshing. And quite original, too. And decidedly creative. What? You think I'm being a bit too harsh here? Because the book was written just 8 years ago? You couldn't be more wrong. Because 1/I'm not like that, oh no, not me. I am kindness and understanding personified. Obviously. And because 2/2009 in UF Wonderland equates to anciently ancient prehistory in Not-UF Wonderland. So there. Besides, I never said that this story being slightly outdated was a bad thing. Nope nope nope. To be honest, I think this beautifully antiquated touch gives the book a certain, irresistible je ne sais quoi. Which is pretty scrumptious, if you ask me. And partly explains why I loved the book so shrimping much.
③ Our lovely female MC, Anna, is, you know, lovely and stuff.
Some weird, twisted people like their heroines to be ruthless, cunning, devious, possibly backstabbish, slightly cutthroatishbitches chicks who slice slice slice cut cut cut their way through life. EW EW EW. Some people are seriously disturbed, if you ask me. I personally love my heroines to be understanding, compassionate, peace-loving, soft-hearted, calming creatures whose mission in life is to soothe and appease and tranquilize and stuff. Which is why I love Anna Dear soooooo much. I mean, not only does the girl sing Brahms lullabies, she also de-stresses the restless masses by playing happy tunes from Sesame Street on battered old pianos (don't ask). She very graciously plays along with darling grandpapas who sing Mr Bojangles in restaurants, too! How delightfully delightful and overwhelmingly charming! My Anna here is probably one of the mostest perfectest heroines ever: naturally talented, and a breathing, walking Xanax pill. A dream come true. I think I'm in love.
You know, I have done a lot of thinking about the average rating for this book. I mean, 4.26 stars? Seriously? I knew you Little Barnacles had despicable book taste and stuff, but this is taking it a bit too far. So I have come to the following indisputable conclusion: either youraving lunatics read it wrong , I read it wrong or I got my hunting grounds all mixed up and read this instead of Briggs' most glorious piece of UF lethargy excitement. Yeah, that must be it.
➽ And the moral of this Bloody Shrimping Hell this Really is the Last Time I Read a Bloody Shrimping Book in this Bloody Shrimping Series Crappy Non Review (BSHtRitLTIRaBSBitBSSCNR™) is: Angela, you made me read this thing. I love you. You are SO dead.
✉ Very private, confidential message to Patricia Briggs and her wondrously bilingual editorial team: next time you want to use "de nada" in a sentence, do your little selves a huge favor and ask a 5-year-old kid for help. I'm pretty sure that he/she will do a better job of it than you did in this book. You're welcome.
· Book 0.5: Alpha & Omega ★★★★
· Book 1: Cry Wolf ★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
The good news is, I did not hate it. The bad news is, I did not hate it. I mean, come on, a 2-star book that isn't rant-worthy? Who's ever heard of such a ridiculous thing?! What a complete, total rip-off! This is outrageous! This cannot be, Patricia Briggs! This will not do!
►► Full I Had Given Up on this Most Delightful Series but Ange is a Corruptor of Naïve Innocent Souls like Me So I Had no Choice but to Read this One Crappy Non Review (IHGUotMDSbAiaCoNISlMSIHnCbtRtOCNR™) to come.
Actual rating: 2.2 stars. Damn, I can be so generous sometimes, it's making me all teary-eyed and stuff.
This is such a delightful little series. I loved book 1 so much that I just could NOT wait to read this instalment. And if someone tells you that this is total BS, that I hated book 1 and swore a blood oath to stay the fish away from this series for the rest of the entirety of my entire life, well that someone is completely full of crappity crap. The truthful truth is, I thought book 1 was nothing short of amazing, and was more looking forward to reading Hunting Ground than to having the Scourge of Mexico go all TACTILE on me. That should tell you something right there. And to be completely clear: no, the Corruptor of Young Naïve Innocent Souls (CoYNIS™) named Angela did NOT put a gun to my lovely little head to force me to read this book. Absolutely not. I did it of my own free will. Do you seriously think a nefarious breeder of murderous crustaceans such as I would let herself be disgustingly manipulated in such a despicable manner? Please don't be ridiculous, my Little Barnacles.
Soooooo, after splendidly enrapturing me with Cry Wolf, Patricia Briggs positively enchanted me with this little book here. So much captivating stuff to be had in this instalment, I don't really know where to start. Will you give me a minute to think about it? So lovely of you, my Tiny Arthropods. Here, put some headphones on and listen to some soothing elevator music while I try and figure out how to do this.
What? You've never seen snailphones before? They're all the rage in my subaquatic kingdom! You really should go out more often, my Lovely Decapods.
Okay, I'm ready to do the slightly vindictive thing now! Yay! You're welcome!
① This book is a teensy little bit boring, flat, uninteresting and dull.
But hey, it's not ALL bad, the book is lackluster, too. It kind of makes Nightlife feel extremely exciting, actually. Which is quite an achievement, when you think about it, and means Hunting Ground here qualifies as a Superiorly Efficient Cure for Insomnia (SECfI™). See? Told you it was not ALL bad! There are some fantastic, positive side effects to reading this book! And you know what else? This is such an emotional flatland that the story comes with a No Heart Attack Low Blood Pressure Guarantee (NHLBPG™). Yep, that's just how exhilaratingly stimulating Hunting Ground is. Add to that the fascinatingly fascinating relationship crap that graces every single shrimping page of this wondrous little story, and you get one of the most spellbinding experiences ever. This really is Gloriously Glorious Decaf Diet Non-Fat UF (GGDDNFUF™) at its best!
② This book is kinda sorta outdated.
I do love vintage UF. Because it never makes you feel like you've read the story hundreds of times. Oh no, absolutely not. Good old tales about werewolf/vamp/silly fae/whatever wars are always sooooo refreshing. And quite original, too. And decidedly creative. What? You think I'm being a bit too harsh here? Because the book was written just 8 years ago? You couldn't be more wrong. Because 1/I'm not like that, oh no, not me. I am kindness and understanding personified. Obviously. And because 2/2009 in UF Wonderland equates to anciently ancient prehistory in Not-UF Wonderland. So there. Besides, I never said that this story being slightly outdated was a bad thing. Nope nope nope. To be honest, I think this beautifully antiquated touch gives the book a certain, irresistible je ne sais quoi. Which is pretty scrumptious, if you ask me. And partly explains why I loved the book so shrimping much.
③ Our lovely female MC, Anna, is, you know, lovely and stuff.
Some weird, twisted people like their heroines to be ruthless, cunning, devious, possibly backstabbish, slightly cutthroatish
You know, I have done a lot of thinking about the average rating for this book. I mean, 4.26 stars? Seriously? I knew you Little Barnacles had despicable book taste and stuff, but this is taking it a bit too far. So I have come to the following indisputable conclusion: either you
➽ And the moral of this Bloody Shrimping Hell this Really is the Last Time I Read a Bloody Shrimping Book in this Bloody Shrimping Series Crappy Non Review (BSHtRitLTIRaBSBitBSSCNR™) is: Angela, you made me read this thing. I love you. You are SO dead.
✉ Very private, confidential message to Patricia Briggs and her wondrously bilingual editorial team: next time you want to use "de nada" in a sentence, do your little selves a huge favor and ask a 5-year-old kid for help. I'm pretty sure that he/she will do a better job of it than you did in this book. You're welcome.
· Book 0.5: Alpha & Omega ★★★★
· Book 1: Cry Wolf ★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
The good news is, I did not hate it. The bad news is, I did not hate it. I mean, come on, a 2-star book that isn't rant-worthy? Who's ever heard of such a ridiculous thing?! What a complete, total rip-off! This is outrageous! This cannot be, Patricia Briggs! This will not do!
►► Full I Had Given Up on this Most Delightful Series but Ange is a Corruptor of Naïve Innocent Souls like Me So I Had no Choice but to Read this One Crappy Non Review (IHGUotMDSbAiaCoNISlMSIHnCbtRtOCNR™) to come.
July 12, 2019
Audio book reread
Upgraded from 3 stars to 3.75 stars
I agree with everything I said the first time around, but I enjoyed this one much more the second time.
--------------------------------------
“She was his and he hers.”
“Women are the bloodthirsty sex. We get the reputation, but it is only because the women stand behind us, and say, 'Kill it. Squish it.”
One month after they are mated and married, werewolves Anna and Charles must travel to Seattle to oversee a conference where the wolves discuss the issue of becoming open to the public. While they are there, hired vampire assassins begin attacking the Omega's, human and wolf.
This one took me a while to get through. I'm normally a huge Patricia Briggs fan, but for some reason this series isn't hitting it for me like the Mercy Thompson series did.
What I loved:
-Anna and Charles: I think the development of the relationship between these two characters is the only reason I will continue to read this series. Together and separately, Anna and Charles are some of the more interesting and unique characters I've read in a long time. But Briggs has a way of doing that.
“I would slay dragons for you. I suspect that finding an unoccupied bedroom will be easier.”
-The world-building: I am constantly wowed at the incredible job this author has done in creating this unique urban fantasy setting. Very few authors have done this for me. I want to go and visit! (Hopefully without becoming prey).
-The setting: It was Washington State, enough said. That place is awesome!
What didn't work:
-The pacing: OMG the pacing was so off with this book! It would go really slow, and then really fast, but then mostly slow and I had a hard time getting through this book.
-The constant reminders of pack hierarchy: We get it already, when dominant werewolves are around each other shit is about to go down. Stop using 50 pages to reiterate something that happened, but you can't tell at once because all of the wolves have to pull their dicks out and measure them. UGH.
So overall, I liked this book, but I didn't love it.
“To make great art, you had to expose your soul, and some things should be left safely in the dark.”
Lastly (and Gilmore Girls fans will understand) when they introduced a foreign wolf called Michel Girard, I immediately saw this:
Upgraded from 3 stars to 3.75 stars
I agree with everything I said the first time around, but I enjoyed this one much more the second time.
--------------------------------------
“She was his and he hers.”
“Women are the bloodthirsty sex. We get the reputation, but it is only because the women stand behind us, and say, 'Kill it. Squish it.”
One month after they are mated and married, werewolves Anna and Charles must travel to Seattle to oversee a conference where the wolves discuss the issue of becoming open to the public. While they are there, hired vampire assassins begin attacking the Omega's, human and wolf.
This one took me a while to get through. I'm normally a huge Patricia Briggs fan, but for some reason this series isn't hitting it for me like the Mercy Thompson series did.
What I loved:
-Anna and Charles: I think the development of the relationship between these two characters is the only reason I will continue to read this series. Together and separately, Anna and Charles are some of the more interesting and unique characters I've read in a long time. But Briggs has a way of doing that.
“I would slay dragons for you. I suspect that finding an unoccupied bedroom will be easier.”
-The world-building: I am constantly wowed at the incredible job this author has done in creating this unique urban fantasy setting. Very few authors have done this for me. I want to go and visit! (Hopefully without becoming prey).
-The setting: It was Washington State, enough said. That place is awesome!
What didn't work:
-The pacing: OMG the pacing was so off with this book! It would go really slow, and then really fast, but then mostly slow and I had a hard time getting through this book.
-The constant reminders of pack hierarchy: We get it already, when dominant werewolves are around each other shit is about to go down. Stop using 50 pages to reiterate something that happened, but you can't tell at once because all of the wolves have to pull their dicks out and measure them. UGH.
So overall, I liked this book, but I didn't love it.
“To make great art, you had to expose your soul, and some things should be left safely in the dark.”
Lastly (and Gilmore Girls fans will understand) when they introduced a foreign wolf called Michel Girard, I immediately saw this:
February 22, 2021
4.5 Stars
Re-read (by audio) February 21st 2021 for the 3rd time. Loved it all over again!
Re-read February 16th 2018.
Didn't leave much of a review the first time I read Hunting Ground (see below) so I'll add a bit more now.
Events pick up about four weeks after Cry Wolf, with Anna and Charles being sent off to Seattle for a conference/discussion about the Wolves coming out to the public. As Charles says, there are no negotiations, Bran has already decided that this will happen, because too many of the wrong people know of their existence and have used it as blackmail with the wolves. When they come out, that can't happen anymore, and they can try and control how the world sees them. So this gathering of Packs from all over the world is a chance to hear concerns and for Bran, the Marrok, to offer aide to Packs who request it to ease the transition.
Lots of posturing from other Alphas is expected and much attention is focused on Anna, being a rare Omega and the Mate of Charles. Charles' reputation as the ruthless enforcer of his father, the Marrok, makes him taking a Mate all the more interesting. But they encounter more than just harmless curiosity. Vampires attack Anna, using what appears to be Pack magic, and they have to wonder is this a plot to foil Bran's plan to reveal the Wolves existence or is there more going on here?
I LOVE this series so much! Anna and Charles go through some bumpy times early in their relationship, since their wolf-half decided their mating before they really got to know each other. Each have insecurities and vulnerabilities, and sometimes because they don't want to look like a needy fool to the other so they kept their concerns to themselves causing some unnecessary misinterpretations. They make progress, bit by bit, making my heart melt for them a little more with every chapter. They are so very in love, and their new relationship will take some time to sort out, but that's okay, because they have time. Lots of time!
I love that Anna is gaining more confidence and ends up being a fierce protector of Charles in many ways. Charles understands some of Anna's insecurities, thanks to the brutalization she suffered at the hands of her previous Pack, and he's so protective and supportive of her overcoming her fears and replenishing her self-confidence. What she accomplishes in this installment really shows Anna's an intelligent, powerful, instinctively protective force.
Holter Graham is an excellent narrator! He brings both Anna and Charles to life. I've already starting listening to the next installment.
Review first time through:
I'm loving Charles and Anna a little more with each book.
Re-read (by audio) February 21st 2021 for the 3rd time. Loved it all over again!
Re-read February 16th 2018.
Didn't leave much of a review the first time I read Hunting Ground (see below) so I'll add a bit more now.
Events pick up about four weeks after Cry Wolf, with Anna and Charles being sent off to Seattle for a conference/discussion about the Wolves coming out to the public. As Charles says, there are no negotiations, Bran has already decided that this will happen, because too many of the wrong people know of their existence and have used it as blackmail with the wolves. When they come out, that can't happen anymore, and they can try and control how the world sees them. So this gathering of Packs from all over the world is a chance to hear concerns and for Bran, the Marrok, to offer aide to Packs who request it to ease the transition.
Lots of posturing from other Alphas is expected and much attention is focused on Anna, being a rare Omega and the Mate of Charles. Charles' reputation as the ruthless enforcer of his father, the Marrok, makes him taking a Mate all the more interesting. But they encounter more than just harmless curiosity. Vampires attack Anna, using what appears to be Pack magic, and they have to wonder is this a plot to foil Bran's plan to reveal the Wolves existence or is there more going on here?
I LOVE this series so much! Anna and Charles go through some bumpy times early in their relationship, since their wolf-half decided their mating before they really got to know each other. Each have insecurities and vulnerabilities, and sometimes because they don't want to look like a needy fool to the other so they kept their concerns to themselves causing some unnecessary misinterpretations. They make progress, bit by bit, making my heart melt for them a little more with every chapter. They are so very in love, and their new relationship will take some time to sort out, but that's okay, because they have time. Lots of time!
I love that Anna is gaining more confidence and ends up being a fierce protector of Charles in many ways. Charles understands some of Anna's insecurities, thanks to the brutalization she suffered at the hands of her previous Pack, and he's so protective and supportive of her overcoming her fears and replenishing her self-confidence. What she accomplishes in this installment really shows Anna's an intelligent, powerful, instinctively protective force.
Holter Graham is an excellent narrator! He brings both Anna and Charles to life. I've already starting listening to the next installment.
Review first time through:
I'm loving Charles and Anna a little more with each book.
December 12, 2022
Jak to mówią, after all this time, always.
April 5, 2010
First I'd like to comment that the description on Goodreads is not a good description of the contents of the book (you'll see what I mean after you've read it) and does not match the description on the book jacket, which is a much better summary:
“Anna Latham didn’t know how complicated life could be until she became a werewolf. And until she was mated to Charles Cornick, the son- and enforcer- of Bran, the leader of the North American werewolves, she didn’t know how dangerous it could be either.
Anna and Charles have just been enlisted to attend a summit to present Bran’s controversial proposition: that the wolves should finally reveal themselves to humans. But the most feared Alpha in Europe is dead set against the plan- and it seems like someone else might be too. When Anna is attacked by vampires using pack magic, the kind of power only werewolves should be able to draw on, Charles and Anna must combine their talents to hunt down whoever is behind it all- or risk losing everything. “
I read Cry Wolf (the first book in the Alpha & Omega series) a couple of days ago and rated it three stars (which still seems a bit too harsh but 3,5 isn’t available; I need to start a petition or something).
Cry Wolf was a decent read. Plotwise I wasn’t so in love with the action because it was too simple and too much based on a string of coincidences. But what I loved about the book was the romance, which pretty much centered around Anna and Charles getting to know each other and learning to trust each other, after their wolves had decided to mate.
In Hunting Ground we’re a month later in time. Charles and Anna are now married as also their human sides have accepted to be mated. Their mating bond though, still has to be developed and this depends on both Anna’s ability to fully trust Charles as well as Charles’ ability to open himself up to her.
The deepening of their relationship is an ongoing process in the book and is beautifully worked out. Like last time, we get to be in both Anna’s and Charles’ heads and experience their doubts, fears and deep need for one another.
I love Anna and Charles together and I especially like reading Charles’ point of view about it.
Being his father’s assassin has made Charles block out deep feelings and emotions and he’s often overwhelmed by Anna. She in her turn doesn’t always know how to deal with Charles, who she (rightfully I think) calls a force of nature. Their ability to see one another for what they truly are, is the strength in their relationship.
The way Briggs describes the mating bond -the intimacy of knowing and feeling what your mate is going through- is so great it almost makes you sad that us humans aren’t capable of such a thing on such a level. Which is a great accomplishment by Briggs considering the fact that she absolutely does not glorify the supernatural creatures she writes about. Quite the opposite: I sure wouldn’t want to be a werewolf. (Well... maybe if they add a Charles to the package I’d consider…)
Unlike Cry Wolf, I wasn’t put off by the action plot this time. There were a few minor things though I wasn’t too happy with.
First: Charles is supposed to be his father’s enforcer for over a 150 years and is supposedly ‘very very good at his job’ as it keeps getting mentioned. But suddenly it seems like Anna is the key figure in everything he does, and it makes you wonder how he was able to pull off the job all by himself so very smoothly the 149 years before.
Second: the villain to me was clear from the beginning. This is the third book of Briggs that I’ve read so far and till now she keeps using the same ways to introduce certain characters. It's soon clear which characters are ‘bad’ and which are there to distract the attention.
Still, the plot was very entertaining and nicely worked out.
So again, a very decent read by Patricia Briggs. Will round it up to a full 4 stars this time. I’m anxiously awaiting the third novel.
“Anna Latham didn’t know how complicated life could be until she became a werewolf. And until she was mated to Charles Cornick, the son- and enforcer- of Bran, the leader of the North American werewolves, she didn’t know how dangerous it could be either.
Anna and Charles have just been enlisted to attend a summit to present Bran’s controversial proposition: that the wolves should finally reveal themselves to humans. But the most feared Alpha in Europe is dead set against the plan- and it seems like someone else might be too. When Anna is attacked by vampires using pack magic, the kind of power only werewolves should be able to draw on, Charles and Anna must combine their talents to hunt down whoever is behind it all- or risk losing everything. “
I read Cry Wolf (the first book in the Alpha & Omega series) a couple of days ago and rated it three stars (which still seems a bit too harsh but 3,5 isn’t available; I need to start a petition or something).
Cry Wolf was a decent read. Plotwise I wasn’t so in love with the action because it was too simple and too much based on a string of coincidences. But what I loved about the book was the romance, which pretty much centered around Anna and Charles getting to know each other and learning to trust each other, after their wolves had decided to mate.
In Hunting Ground we’re a month later in time. Charles and Anna are now married as also their human sides have accepted to be mated. Their mating bond though, still has to be developed and this depends on both Anna’s ability to fully trust Charles as well as Charles’ ability to open himself up to her.
The deepening of their relationship is an ongoing process in the book and is beautifully worked out. Like last time, we get to be in both Anna’s and Charles’ heads and experience their doubts, fears and deep need for one another.
I love Anna and Charles together and I especially like reading Charles’ point of view about it.
Being his father’s assassin has made Charles block out deep feelings and emotions and he’s often overwhelmed by Anna. She in her turn doesn’t always know how to deal with Charles, who she (rightfully I think) calls a force of nature. Their ability to see one another for what they truly are, is the strength in their relationship.
The way Briggs describes the mating bond -the intimacy of knowing and feeling what your mate is going through- is so great it almost makes you sad that us humans aren’t capable of such a thing on such a level. Which is a great accomplishment by Briggs considering the fact that she absolutely does not glorify the supernatural creatures she writes about. Quite the opposite: I sure wouldn’t want to be a werewolf. (Well... maybe if they add a Charles to the package I’d consider…)
Unlike Cry Wolf, I wasn’t put off by the action plot this time. There were a few minor things though I wasn’t too happy with.
First: Charles is supposed to be his father’s enforcer for over a 150 years and is supposedly ‘very very good at his job’ as it keeps getting mentioned. But suddenly it seems like Anna is the key figure in everything he does, and it makes you wonder how he was able to pull off the job all by himself so very smoothly the 149 years before.
Second: the villain to me was clear from the beginning. This is the third book of Briggs that I’ve read so far and till now she keeps using the same ways to introduce certain characters. It's soon clear which characters are ‘bad’ and which are there to distract the attention.
Still, the plot was very entertaining and nicely worked out.
So again, a very decent read by Patricia Briggs. Will round it up to a full 4 stars this time. I’m anxiously awaiting the third novel.
July 25, 2015
Hunting Ground continues with Charles and Anna, newly mated and working on their relationship.
I love seeing this mystical and magical world that the author has created evolving with the introduction of new and interesting and total believable characters…the wolf packs from countries outside America and their dynamics and of course we get to see the regulars as well.
This is a fast paced, action paced story filled with some unexpected twists and revelations – I was certainly kept guessing!!!!!!
It’s lovely to see Anna coming into her own and her developing relationship with Charles’s pack. Their bond is amazing and beautiful to see…
They are sent by the Marok to attend a meeting in Seattle with werewolves around the world. Bran, the Marok and Charles father has decided to publicly announce to the world the existence of wolves. The gathering is to discuss the idea and persuade the packs that this is a good idea.
I love seeing this mystical and magical world that the author has created evolving with the introduction of new and interesting and total believable characters…the wolf packs from countries outside America and their dynamics and of course we get to see the regulars as well.
This is a fast paced, action paced story filled with some unexpected twists and revelations – I was certainly kept guessing!!!!!!
It’s lovely to see Anna coming into her own and her developing relationship with Charles’s pack. Their bond is amazing and beautiful to see…
And it’s lovely to see how they bring something good to each other……
This is turning out to be a series as good as the Mercy Thompson one. Can’t wait to read the next installment!!
January 3, 2012
I am glad I took my time reading this. I think there are so many levels to this novel that I could miss if I breezed through. I like how simple Briggs writes. Not a lot of nonsense, extraneous prose that bogs down the story. Despite her concise narrative, she conveys so much, filling the novel with an emotional power. Her characters have a distinct feel to them from other writers. I like that she puts their flaws out there unashamedly, and it makes you love the characters even more.
I will freely admit I like the scary hero that everyone fears, but the one woman who looked into his heart and feels safe with him, and is not afraid to love him. I think that Anna and Charles have that sort of bond that is symbiotic. It doesn't really apply to call it yin and yang, but there are elements of softness and strength coming together. Truly though, their strengths complement each other. And they aren't trying to modify each other to make a more comfortable fit for the other. It's more a matter of growing in their knowledge of each other, and growing together. I find their relationship very fascinating and fulfilling, and that's another reason why I read this book slowly.
The storyline was very good as well. A lot of intrigue here, to see who was trying to destroy the Marrok's plan for an alliance when the werewolves reveal themselves to the world. The suspense was done cleverly, because you look at the key players, think someone looks likely, but look away to focus on someone else, and then you realize that things aren't the way they seem. I liked how she kept me guessing.
The werewolf parts are fantastic as usual. Just utterly fascinating. Another thing to appreciate from all angles as I read. And throw some faerie and King Arthur stuff in there, and I start thinking this story is tailor made for me. This is my kind of urban fantasy. Naturalistic characters with identifiable motivations, enough grit to keep my heart beating fast, a heroine whose strength comes from within, and who grows right in front of my eyes, for Anna is a phoenix who rose from the ashes. A to-die-for hero who makes me sigh even as he makes others shudder with fear. But then you see his soft spot is his Anna. How can I resist that? Just the right dose of romance that fits into the story so well, it neither distracts or detracts from the fantasy elements. Everything my heart desires, except the book was over, and I still wanted more.
I love you, Patricia Briggs.
I will freely admit I like the scary hero that everyone fears, but the one woman who looked into his heart and feels safe with him, and is not afraid to love him. I think that Anna and Charles have that sort of bond that is symbiotic. It doesn't really apply to call it yin and yang, but there are elements of softness and strength coming together. Truly though, their strengths complement each other. And they aren't trying to modify each other to make a more comfortable fit for the other. It's more a matter of growing in their knowledge of each other, and growing together. I find their relationship very fascinating and fulfilling, and that's another reason why I read this book slowly.
The storyline was very good as well. A lot of intrigue here, to see who was trying to destroy the Marrok's plan for an alliance when the werewolves reveal themselves to the world. The suspense was done cleverly, because you look at the key players, think someone looks likely, but look away to focus on someone else, and then you realize that things aren't the way they seem. I liked how she kept me guessing.
The werewolf parts are fantastic as usual. Just utterly fascinating. Another thing to appreciate from all angles as I read. And throw some faerie and King Arthur stuff in there, and I start thinking this story is tailor made for me. This is my kind of urban fantasy. Naturalistic characters with identifiable motivations, enough grit to keep my heart beating fast, a heroine whose strength comes from within, and who grows right in front of my eyes, for Anna is a phoenix who rose from the ashes. A to-die-for hero who makes me sigh even as he makes others shudder with fear. But then you see his soft spot is his Anna. How can I resist that? Just the right dose of romance that fits into the story so well, it neither distracts or detracts from the fantasy elements. Everything my heart desires, except the book was over, and I still wanted more.
I love you, Patricia Briggs.
November 11, 2023
I liked HUNTING GROUND, book two in the Alpha and Omega series. One thing that's so great about this series is that it's kind of the opposite of the Mercy Thompson series, where Mercy and Adam have known each other forever before getting married. Here, Anna and Charles knew each other for about 10 minutes before getting married, so they are doing most of the work of figuring each other and their mating out after being married. We got to see more of Anna and Charles growing close in their marriage and also got to see more of the inner workings of werewolf politics. Anna is an abuse survivor and that is one piece of it. Charles is his father Bran's enforcer, and is under constant pressure to travel around the country taking care of Bran's problems. The balance and character growth is exquisite and lovely to read from book to book.
December 24, 2015
*** 4.25 ***
Read with the MacHalo Freaks buddies!
The best book of the Mercy Thompson series yet. We are back with Charles and Anna, newly matted and trying to learn each other's ways, when a conference of the strongest leaders of the Wolf packs around the world meets in Seattle and our newlyweds go to it as hosts. From the first moment they step onto Seattle soil their lives are in danger. Anyone could be a traitor or an assassin. They can trust no one! Things are tense, people die, lines are crossed... What will happen with the plan to bring the existence of werewolfs out to everyone? Well , read it, you guys, it is worth it!
Recommend it to all who love shapeshifters and vampires, a bit of internal pack politics, and compelling main characters. Have fun reading! :-)
Read with the MacHalo Freaks buddies!
The best book of the Mercy Thompson series yet. We are back with Charles and Anna, newly matted and trying to learn each other's ways, when a conference of the strongest leaders of the Wolf packs around the world meets in Seattle and our newlyweds go to it as hosts. From the first moment they step onto Seattle soil their lives are in danger. Anyone could be a traitor or an assassin. They can trust no one! Things are tense, people die, lines are crossed... What will happen with the plan to bring the existence of werewolfs out to everyone? Well , read it, you guys, it is worth it!
Recommend it to all who love shapeshifters and vampires, a bit of internal pack politics, and compelling main characters. Have fun reading! :-)
May 27, 2023
***100 Days of Summer Reading 2023***
Prompt: Book set in a place you have visited on summer vacation (Seattle)
Virtual 12 sided dice roll: 8
2020 Re-read
Urban fantasy is such a great pleasure! I love these tales of werewolves, vampires, fae, and witches, all located in contemporary cities. I'm particularly partial to stories of the fae and vampires. They make such great main characters or wonderful villains. This story gives us both of my favourites as the bad guys, making Charles and Anna work hard to keep this summit meeting on an even keel.
Anna gets to show her resilience more than once. Everyone thinks she is a weak creature, but now she has back-up in Charles. More importantly, he is also hers to protect and she'll do whatever is necessary to accomplish that goal. The advantage to being an Omega is that she has all of the dominance without the need for violence. No need, but not prevented from violence. She is coming into her strength.
Daniel Dos Santos has redeemed himself with this cover. Someone who didn't know better might mistake it for a Lassie story, but at least Anna is dressed like a real woman and that makes her far sexier than the image on the cover of the first volume. Well done.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I think I like this splinter series of Patricia Briggs more than her original Mercy Thompson series. The first Alpha & Omega book annoyed me because it assumed that I knew things that I didn’t. I hadn’t read the short story that kicked things off. But with that in the past, I can appreciate this second book for exactly what it is.
I always love urban fantasy that includes the Fae. They are far superior to vampires & werewolves in my reading experience. I’m not sure what it is about the fairy tale aspects that grabs me—maybe it’s my Scandinavian background that makes me love a good troll. And this story contains just enough Fae elements to keep me happy.
Then there is Charles and Anna’s relationship. It’s a done deal and it’s working well. There’s none of the “will s/he or won’t s/he” questions that occupied so much time and energy in the first several books of the MT series. This seems to me to be much more interesting—how do two people work out their differences and make a relationship work?
A very satisfying urban fantasy and I will definitely be moving on to the third installment soon.
Prompt: Book set in a place you have visited on summer vacation (Seattle)
Virtual 12 sided dice roll: 8
2020 Re-read
Urban fantasy is such a great pleasure! I love these tales of werewolves, vampires, fae, and witches, all located in contemporary cities. I'm particularly partial to stories of the fae and vampires. They make such great main characters or wonderful villains. This story gives us both of my favourites as the bad guys, making Charles and Anna work hard to keep this summit meeting on an even keel.
Anna gets to show her resilience more than once. Everyone thinks she is a weak creature, but now she has back-up in Charles. More importantly, he is also hers to protect and she'll do whatever is necessary to accomplish that goal. The advantage to being an Omega is that she has all of the dominance without the need for violence. No need, but not prevented from violence. She is coming into her strength.
Daniel Dos Santos has redeemed himself with this cover. Someone who didn't know better might mistake it for a Lassie story, but at least Anna is dressed like a real woman and that makes her far sexier than the image on the cover of the first volume. Well done.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I think I like this splinter series of Patricia Briggs more than her original Mercy Thompson series. The first Alpha & Omega book annoyed me because it assumed that I knew things that I didn’t. I hadn’t read the short story that kicked things off. But with that in the past, I can appreciate this second book for exactly what it is.
I always love urban fantasy that includes the Fae. They are far superior to vampires & werewolves in my reading experience. I’m not sure what it is about the fairy tale aspects that grabs me—maybe it’s my Scandinavian background that makes me love a good troll. And this story contains just enough Fae elements to keep me happy.
Then there is Charles and Anna’s relationship. It’s a done deal and it’s working well. There’s none of the “will s/he or won’t s/he” questions that occupied so much time and energy in the first several books of the MT series. This seems to me to be much more interesting—how do two people work out their differences and make a relationship work?
A very satisfying urban fantasy and I will definitely be moving on to the third installment soon.
May 1, 2020
Fantastic...my favorite guilty pleasure...
Briggs has two series out that I both adore. The first is the Mercy Thompson series which I have been reading with my son for years. The Alpha + Omega series is a prequel and very well done. I am such a big fan of both.
Such marvelous escapism. Do read if you like werewolves with a bit of romance thrown in.
5 out of 5 stars
Briggs has two series out that I both adore. The first is the Mercy Thompson series which I have been reading with my son for years. The Alpha + Omega series is a prequel and very well done. I am such a big fan of both.
Such marvelous escapism. Do read if you like werewolves with a bit of romance thrown in.
5 out of 5 stars
February 9, 2015
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads.
HUNTING GROUND had a lot of interesting morsels in it from both a mythology and a story standpoint; readers get to learn about fae, vampires and dragons (!!!), witness firsthand how Bran’s decision to bring the werewolves out to the public came to be, and observe the continuing evolution of Anna & Charles’ relationship. No author does light/dark quite like Patricia Briggs, and this audiobook really emblazoned that fact by putting these preternaturals’ best and worst qualities on display. Holter Graham’s narration continues to leave me in thrall, and the murder mystery plot line made hours of listening time feel like mere minutes. Now I understand why this series trumps MERCY THOMPSON for many.
I enjoyed being a fly on the wall at the werewolf conference; pack dynamics have always fascinated me, and the political aspects that Briggs brought to the fore were so well executed that it was impossible not to get caught-up in the discussions. This novel really showcased the best and worst of shifter society from The Beast who likes to feast on human flesh, to Arthur who obviously wasn’t playing with a full deck of cards, to Anna who’s slowly coming back from the dead. I hadn’t expected to meet another Omega already what with them being extremely rare and all, but it seems like Ric was as clueless about his nature as Latham, so it was amusing watching them attempt to fill-in the blanks together.
In spite of all of the mad goings-on in this tale, Anna & Charles still remain the driving force behind this series. I love how flawed their characters are, and how they continually adapt to each other in an effort to strengthen their mate bond. The open communication that exists between them is a breath of fresh air when compared to other couples in this genre where relationship drama has become the norm. I liked how the author added a historical element to HUNTING GROUND by putting her own werewolf spin on King Arthur, although I do wish that Latham hadn’t been coveted by yet another certifiable shifter so soon after leaving her first pack. Her kill count is staggeringly high after only two installments.
Holter Graham’s narration made an impression on me in CRY WOLF, and in this audio he went above and beyond his original performance. He demonstrated great flexibility and flair by bringing the foreign wolves to life with various accents while still staying true to the original voices of Anna & Charles, although the latter was admittedly somewhat modified. His delivery was both emotionally poignant and intense which were contributing factors to this story’s believably and further increased the purity of the characters. Graham’s inflections made the changes in POVs obvious, and I can’t wait to see what he does with FAIR GAME.
HUNTING GROUND should be on every audiobook listener’s playlist.
HUNTING GROUND had a lot of interesting morsels in it from both a mythology and a story standpoint; readers get to learn about fae, vampires and dragons (!!!), witness firsthand how Bran’s decision to bring the werewolves out to the public came to be, and observe the continuing evolution of Anna & Charles’ relationship. No author does light/dark quite like Patricia Briggs, and this audiobook really emblazoned that fact by putting these preternaturals’ best and worst qualities on display. Holter Graham’s narration continues to leave me in thrall, and the murder mystery plot line made hours of listening time feel like mere minutes. Now I understand why this series trumps MERCY THOMPSON for many.
I enjoyed being a fly on the wall at the werewolf conference; pack dynamics have always fascinated me, and the political aspects that Briggs brought to the fore were so well executed that it was impossible not to get caught-up in the discussions. This novel really showcased the best and worst of shifter society from The Beast who likes to feast on human flesh, to Arthur who obviously wasn’t playing with a full deck of cards, to Anna who’s slowly coming back from the dead. I hadn’t expected to meet another Omega already what with them being extremely rare and all, but it seems like Ric was as clueless about his nature as Latham, so it was amusing watching them attempt to fill-in the blanks together.
In spite of all of the mad goings-on in this tale, Anna & Charles still remain the driving force behind this series. I love how flawed their characters are, and how they continually adapt to each other in an effort to strengthen their mate bond. The open communication that exists between them is a breath of fresh air when compared to other couples in this genre where relationship drama has become the norm. I liked how the author added a historical element to HUNTING GROUND by putting her own werewolf spin on King Arthur, although I do wish that Latham hadn’t been coveted by yet another certifiable shifter so soon after leaving her first pack. Her kill count is staggeringly high after only two installments.
Holter Graham’s narration made an impression on me in CRY WOLF, and in this audio he went above and beyond his original performance. He demonstrated great flexibility and flair by bringing the foreign wolves to life with various accents while still staying true to the original voices of Anna & Charles, although the latter was admittedly somewhat modified. His delivery was both emotionally poignant and intense which were contributing factors to this story’s believably and further increased the purity of the characters. Graham’s inflections made the changes in POVs obvious, and I can’t wait to see what he does with FAIR GAME.
HUNTING GROUND should be on every audiobook listener’s playlist.
September 16, 2019
[4.5 Stars] Really loved this one. I think my favorite part was seeing Anna and Charles really work as a team and then seeing Anna come into her own a bit. I really like her character growth so far, and seeing her and Charles work on their relationship really made me enjoy this one. I think Patricia Briggs is seriously such a fantastic author, and I cannot wait to see what is in store next in both this series and Mercy Thompson. Also in case your curious, I think I prefer Mercy Thompson as a main character out of Briggs' books, but I love the side characters in this series like Bran! Good stuff guys!
January 29, 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
This is such a romantic story. Charles and Anna are still really new in their relationship here, so we get a lot of time with them figuring it out. And unlike a lot of romantic stories - it's not all figured out between the sheets. Sex is an important part of (any) relationship, and definitely one thing that they're figuring out here, but it's not the only thing - they talk, and they get to know each other a lot better in this novel. I appreciate all the time we spend with both of them as they become even closer. And seeing Anna grow and become even more comfortable in her skin is incredibly satisfying.
The plot moves quickly, and is just the right amount of intricate. I liked all the further information we get as a result of what Charles and Anna are up to, and involved in. It's also unexpectedly funny. Much like Charles. I love how no one expects him to have a sense of humor, and he works to keep it that way, but he's constantly kidding and joking with and for Anna.
Next we go back to Mercy's POV, in Blood Bound. I'm loving this series re-read.
Previous review:
Of the first three stories (Alpha & Omega, Cry Wolf, and Hunting Ground) this is definitely the most romantic. The pacing of the story is tight and moves along quickly, and we really get a chance to delve into the politics of the werewolves - around the world. At the same time we get to know Charles and Anna even better, and watch their relationship grow, which is my favorite part.
Anna still has some issues with the abuse she suffered at the hands of her old pack. I love how Patricia Briggs handles this, it's not a constant fear, but it comes through at random moments and overwhelms her. She struggles against it, and talks herself past it frequently, but that's not always possible. It's shown beautifully at the beginning, Charles is drawing deeper and deeper into himself and his frustrations, and Anna has plans to bring him out of it by ambush. There's still that ingrained moment of hesitation about making him mad, what a much larger, more dominant wolf could do to her. Logically she knows he would never hurt her, and she knows that in her heart too, but it's hard to overcome what years of abuse will drill into a person. Even worried about that, Anna does it anyway - because she loves Charles.
Seeing their relationship grow, and deepen, is a true joy. The comfort, and easiness between them continues to grow. That she can tease him, tickle him, and have fun with him shows just how far Anna's come. That Charles plays with her, shares private jokes, and can generally be a "lovebird" is perfect.
I also really love how they're both adjusting to each other. They talk about it at one point and Anna asks if Charles is as confused as she is, and he says that he's not, but that he's differently confused because he'd had so long to settle into himself and being alone that the transition is different for him. Charles isn't a big talker, doesn't always trust his words to be what he wants them to be, but I love that he makes a real effort for Anna when she needs it.
The mystery part of it is interesting, though I don't think it's hard to figure out who the ultimate "bad-guy" is - I can't recall if I did my first time reading it.
I think I'll just add some favorite quotes here, nothing too spoilery, but be warned if you don't like to read anything like that :)
***
***
***
***
January 2017 Re-read: Buddy read with Sarah
December 2015 re-read: Buddy read with Sarah
This is such a romantic story. Charles and Anna are still really new in their relationship here, so we get a lot of time with them figuring it out. And unlike a lot of romantic stories - it's not all figured out between the sheets. Sex is an important part of (any) relationship, and definitely one thing that they're figuring out here, but it's not the only thing - they talk, and they get to know each other a lot better in this novel. I appreciate all the time we spend with both of them as they become even closer. And seeing Anna grow and become even more comfortable in her skin is incredibly satisfying.
The plot moves quickly, and is just the right amount of intricate. I liked all the further information we get as a result of what Charles and Anna are up to, and involved in. It's also unexpectedly funny. Much like Charles. I love how no one expects him to have a sense of humor, and he works to keep it that way, but he's constantly kidding and joking with and for Anna.
Next we go back to Mercy's POV, in Blood Bound. I'm loving this series re-read.
Previous review:
Of the first three stories (Alpha & Omega, Cry Wolf, and Hunting Ground) this is definitely the most romantic. The pacing of the story is tight and moves along quickly, and we really get a chance to delve into the politics of the werewolves - around the world. At the same time we get to know Charles and Anna even better, and watch their relationship grow, which is my favorite part.
Anna still has some issues with the abuse she suffered at the hands of her old pack. I love how Patricia Briggs handles this, it's not a constant fear, but it comes through at random moments and overwhelms her. She struggles against it, and talks herself past it frequently, but that's not always possible. It's shown beautifully at the beginning, Charles is drawing deeper and deeper into himself and his frustrations, and Anna has plans to bring him out of it by ambush. There's still that ingrained moment of hesitation about making him mad, what a much larger, more dominant wolf could do to her. Logically she knows he would never hurt her, and she knows that in her heart too, but it's hard to overcome what years of abuse will drill into a person. Even worried about that, Anna does it anyway - because she loves Charles.
Seeing their relationship grow, and deepen, is a true joy. The comfort, and easiness between them continues to grow. That she can tease him, tickle him, and have fun with him shows just how far Anna's come. That Charles plays with her, shares private jokes, and can generally be a "lovebird" is perfect.
I also really love how they're both adjusting to each other. They talk about it at one point and Anna asks if Charles is as confused as she is, and he says that he's not, but that he's differently confused because he'd had so long to settle into himself and being alone that the transition is different for him. Charles isn't a big talker, doesn't always trust his words to be what he wants them to be, but I love that he makes a real effort for Anna when she needs it.
The mystery part of it is interesting, though I don't think it's hard to figure out who the ultimate "bad-guy" is - I can't recall if I did my first time reading it.
I think I'll just add some favorite quotes here, nothing too spoilery, but be warned if you don't like to read anything like that :)
She gave him a happy look as he followed her out on the water-soaked wooden walk. "This could be fun," she said, then turned, took a running step, and did a couple of back flips - like a middle-school kid at recess. He stopped where he was, lust and love and fear rising up in a surge of emotion he did not, for all his years, have any idea how to deal with.
"What?" she asked, a little breathless from her gymnastics. She brushed her wavy heair out of her face and gave him a serious look. "Is there something wrong?"
He could hardly tell her that he was afraid because he didn't know what he'd do if something happened to her. That his sudden, unexpected reaction had brought Brother Wolf to the fore. She threw his balance off; his control - which had become almost effortless over the years - was erratic at best.
***
"You are a remarkable man, Charles Cornick."
He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and put his chin on the top of her head. "I know," he confided lightly. "And often under-appreciated by those who don't know any better."
She poked him with a finger and looked up at him. "And funny - though I expect that is another facet of your character that goes unappreciated even more often than your remarkableness."
"Some people don't even notice," he said in a mock-mournful voice.
***
"Do you remember when I told you that you were my mate - and you responded by telling me you didn't like sex?"
She giggled at his smug tone. "I thought it only fair to warn you."
***
She was on the far side, leaving two cold feet of mattress between them. He knew that she'd fall asleep like that...and then gradually move over until she was plastered against him. Then he could go to sleep, too.
***
"...I love your touch. Touch me anytime. Any place. Anywhere." It was heartfelt, and honest... <<*snip*>> "Pet me," he told her. "I like it."
February 1, 2014
Hunting Ground is the third entry into the Alpha and Omega series. The first story was "Alpha and Omega" in the On the Prowl anthology and the second was a stand alone book, Cry Wolf. The series follows Anna and Charles after they meet in the first book and find out they are mates, then they must work their way through learning to accept the mating bond and work out their life together.
Anna was abused by her first pack which features heavily in the story as she tries to overcome her emotional scars. She is an Omega wolf, which means that she makes the pack feel happy and is outside the typical pack structure. She struggles with figuring out exactly where she stands in the pack because she was told she was the most submissive in the pack by her abusive former pack, which is not true at all but she needs to refind her strength.
Charles is the son of Bran, The Marrok aka leader of all the wolves. By necessity, Charles has become his father's killer for wolves who break pack law. Charles keeps himself separate from all the wolves because he knows it will be easier to execute casual acquaintances than close friends. He doesn't quite know what to do with Anna because he loves her but has trouble opening himself up totally to the mating bond because he is afraid Anna will see him as a killer and not be able to love him. Charles knows that Anna is still afraid of him sometimes, especially in bed because of the abuse she suffered. He does everything he can to help her heal, he even allows her more freedom when she needs it because he knows she needs to stand on her own despite his wolf's need to keep her as safe as possible. They both love each other and are slowly opening up enough to show it.
In this story, Charles and Anna travel to Seattle to meet with wolves from all over the world to discuss terms for the unveiling of wolves to the human population. Bran was supposed to go but Charles argued with him until he let Charles go in his place. Charles's grandfather was a Native American shaman and his father is witch-born, so he sees things that most people don't and the spirits told him that his father could die if he went to Seattle. So Charles and Anna go in his place to relay The Marrok's terms to the wolf alphas.
Once in Seattle, Charles and Anna meet up with the local wolf pack and Dana, a Fae who is helping keep the peace with the wolves for a price. Soon after the negotiations begin, Anna is attacked and almost kidnapped by vampires. Before they have a chance to investigate, murders start to occur and more attacks come. Charles and Anna need to determine who is behind the attacks before they end up dead or the talks are ruined.
I really enjoyed this book, Anna and Charles are great main characters who grow and learn more about each other with each book. I love seeing Anna regain her strength and courage. Charles is a great hero who has a lot of compassion and love for Anna but sees himself as a cold-blooded killer. Poor guy! The mystery in Patricia Briggs books is always very interesting. Her mythology of wolves who are very complex, vampires who are pretty vicious and the Fae who can be downright scary make up a very interesting world. I am really enjoying this story and learning more about Bran and Charles who we originally meet in the Mercy Thompson series. I think Patricia Briggs is a very talented author, I recommend checking out this series and the Mercy Thompson series which I love because the heroine is wonderful. I think the Alpha and Omega series is a very good werewolf series that has a romance and mystery.
Anna was abused by her first pack which features heavily in the story as she tries to overcome her emotional scars. She is an Omega wolf, which means that she makes the pack feel happy and is outside the typical pack structure. She struggles with figuring out exactly where she stands in the pack because she was told she was the most submissive in the pack by her abusive former pack, which is not true at all but she needs to refind her strength.
Charles is the son of Bran, The Marrok aka leader of all the wolves. By necessity, Charles has become his father's killer for wolves who break pack law. Charles keeps himself separate from all the wolves because he knows it will be easier to execute casual acquaintances than close friends. He doesn't quite know what to do with Anna because he loves her but has trouble opening himself up totally to the mating bond because he is afraid Anna will see him as a killer and not be able to love him. Charles knows that Anna is still afraid of him sometimes, especially in bed because of the abuse she suffered. He does everything he can to help her heal, he even allows her more freedom when she needs it because he knows she needs to stand on her own despite his wolf's need to keep her as safe as possible. They both love each other and are slowly opening up enough to show it.
In this story, Charles and Anna travel to Seattle to meet with wolves from all over the world to discuss terms for the unveiling of wolves to the human population. Bran was supposed to go but Charles argued with him until he let Charles go in his place. Charles's grandfather was a Native American shaman and his father is witch-born, so he sees things that most people don't and the spirits told him that his father could die if he went to Seattle. So Charles and Anna go in his place to relay The Marrok's terms to the wolf alphas.
Once in Seattle, Charles and Anna meet up with the local wolf pack and Dana, a Fae who is helping keep the peace with the wolves for a price. Soon after the negotiations begin, Anna is attacked and almost kidnapped by vampires. Before they have a chance to investigate, murders start to occur and more attacks come. Charles and Anna need to determine who is behind the attacks before they end up dead or the talks are ruined.
I really enjoyed this book, Anna and Charles are great main characters who grow and learn more about each other with each book. I love seeing Anna regain her strength and courage. Charles is a great hero who has a lot of compassion and love for Anna but sees himself as a cold-blooded killer. Poor guy! The mystery in Patricia Briggs books is always very interesting. Her mythology of wolves who are very complex, vampires who are pretty vicious and the Fae who can be downright scary make up a very interesting world. I am really enjoying this story and learning more about Bran and Charles who we originally meet in the Mercy Thompson series. I think Patricia Briggs is a very talented author, I recommend checking out this series and the Mercy Thompson series which I love because the heroine is wonderful. I think the Alpha and Omega series is a very good werewolf series that has a romance and mystery.
September 13, 2009
I enjoyed Anna and Charles' story in this book.
Anna may have a long way to go, but she has recovered quite a bit of her spunk. It's nice to see her gain some confidence in herself and in her ability to stand up on her own two feet. I should have known that Briggs wouldn't leave her as a frightened shaking mess. I really like the way that she deals with characters who have been traumatized. She doesn't give them a miracle recovery, they have to slowly work the problems out for themselves over time.
Charles is such a suprise to me. I expected him to be a little more gruff and bullheaded since he has been a bachlor for basically 200 years. It's nice to see a strong male character who is secure enough to catch an air kiss! He's whipped, he likes it, and he doesn't care who knows. Then again, I don't think anyone is going to give him a hard time for it.
Anna may have a long way to go, but she has recovered quite a bit of her spunk. It's nice to see her gain some confidence in herself and in her ability to stand up on her own two feet. I should have known that Briggs wouldn't leave her as a frightened shaking mess. I really like the way that she deals with characters who have been traumatized. She doesn't give them a miracle recovery, they have to slowly work the problems out for themselves over time.
Charles is such a suprise to me. I expected him to be a little more gruff and bullheaded since he has been a bachlor for basically 200 years. It's nice to see a strong male character who is secure enough to catch an air kiss! He's whipped, he likes it, and he doesn't care who knows. Then again, I don't think anyone is going to give him a hard time for it.
September 8, 2018
Junk food for the brain.
May 29, 2018
4.5 stars.
I like the slow built of their relationship. Not sudden nor perfect, tripping and stumbling along the way trying to find the right step and balance to their relationship.
Anna turned Charles’s world up side down, and he doesn’t know how to cope with everything that he feels for her. He somehow locked away his human side with feelings, so he can be the hitman his father wants.
Now, Anna is his world and nothing is more important than her safety. He sucks at communication and many times they both fail at explanations, but there is trust and love, and a bond that no one can break. But that doesn’t mean their relationship is perfect, but you can see that they are trying.
"I keep feeling like we're doing it wrong," she said. "That this bond between us is meant to be much more than we're allowing it to be."
"There is no wrong between us," he told her.
Charles doesn’t just love her, he treasures her.
Anna was abused and she’s traumatised but that doesn’t make her weak, just afraid. But when she needs to, she faces down her fears and becomes stronger. I have a feeling that in time she will overcome her fears and become even stronger, like Charles said, Rome wasn’t built in a day and I can’t wait to see who Anna becomes.
It had felt good to defend herself against Chastel, even if it was only with words. She was tired of being afraid of her own shadow-and for a little while she hadn't been afraid at all. She liked it.
Charles doesn’t enforce his straight upon her so he can protect and feel good about it. Many times he wants to hide her somewhere away so she can be safe, but he knows that’s not right.
"If it would benefit you, I would kill every wolf here. But there are things that you need to do - and interfering with that is not protecting, not in my book. The best way for me to protect you is to encourage you to be able to protect yourself."
Love it!
I like the slow built of their relationship. Not sudden nor perfect, tripping and stumbling along the way trying to find the right step and balance to their relationship.
Anna turned Charles’s world up side down, and he doesn’t know how to cope with everything that he feels for her. He somehow locked away his human side with feelings, so he can be the hitman his father wants.
Now, Anna is his world and nothing is more important than her safety. He sucks at communication and many times they both fail at explanations, but there is trust and love, and a bond that no one can break. But that doesn’t mean their relationship is perfect, but you can see that they are trying.
"I keep feeling like we're doing it wrong," she said. "That this bond between us is meant to be much more than we're allowing it to be."
"There is no wrong between us," he told her.
Charles doesn’t just love her, he treasures her.
Anna was abused and she’s traumatised but that doesn’t make her weak, just afraid. But when she needs to, she faces down her fears and becomes stronger. I have a feeling that in time she will overcome her fears and become even stronger, like Charles said, Rome wasn’t built in a day and I can’t wait to see who Anna becomes.
It had felt good to defend herself against Chastel, even if it was only with words. She was tired of being afraid of her own shadow-and for a little while she hadn't been afraid at all. She liked it.
Charles doesn’t enforce his straight upon her so he can protect and feel good about it. Many times he wants to hide her somewhere away so she can be safe, but he knows that’s not right.
"If it would benefit you, I would kill every wolf here. But there are things that you need to do - and interfering with that is not protecting, not in my book. The best way for me to protect you is to encourage you to be able to protect yourself."
Love it!
September 1, 2016
Awesome. Just awesome.
This was just perfection in an audiobook. The reader, Holter Graham, again slammed-dunked it with a spot on narration. The way he does each voice so distinctly and uniquely and manages to give each sentence the right tone... I just love it. I only want to listen to this series in audiobook.
This is the rare breed of UF with a heroine who is not the least bit annoying. She is strong and drama-free and I could read about her all day long. I liked that the focus of the story was on the action and the mystery instead of silly relationship drama (ahem, The Shadow Reader). And the mystery was executed to a T. You know the type, the kind where you have no idea who the bad guy is but when you find out, it all makes perfect sense. Excellent work, Patricia Briggs.
I'm going to pause here and move on to the Mercy Thompson series because I hear that the next Alpha Omega book takes place farther down the timeline in the Mercy world, and I don't want that series spoiled for me. However, it is going to be hard to leave these characters behind.
February 26, 2018
Patricia Briggs has once again ensnared me, I LOVED this book!
Huntung Ground is set just before the werewolves come out to the public and Charles and Anna go to a meeting with all the European werewolves to soothe some fears...not that it works out that way of course. I thought it was a little better then Cry Wolf, mainly because I found the story a bit more interesting there was more to get into as it was slightly more complex.
It also shows Charles and Anna's developing relationship. Part of what I like about this series is that the relationships are more real, Anna has been through 3 years of trauma an just because she has found a mate doesn't mean her psyche is immediately fixed and she is shiny and new again. I like that she is still wary as it seems more realistic but it also gives you an idea of how tough she is. As for Charles *dreamy sigh* I am sooo in love with Charles it is always the silent and deadly ones that get to me!
Oh and Moira (the blind witch) and Tom from one of the PB's novella's are in this as well!
Huntung Ground is set just before the werewolves come out to the public and Charles and Anna go to a meeting with all the European werewolves to soothe some fears...not that it works out that way of course. I thought it was a little better then Cry Wolf, mainly because I found the story a bit more interesting there was more to get into as it was slightly more complex.
It also shows Charles and Anna's developing relationship. Part of what I like about this series is that the relationships are more real, Anna has been through 3 years of trauma an just because she has found a mate doesn't mean her psyche is immediately fixed and she is shiny and new again. I like that she is still wary as it seems more realistic but it also gives you an idea of how tough she is. As for Charles *dreamy sigh* I am sooo in love with Charles it is always the silent and deadly ones that get to me!
Oh and Moira (the blind witch) and Tom from one of the PB's novella's are in this as well!
August 10, 2014
I'm too bored to write a full review right now so...
1) Loved the story. The relationship keeps developing between Charles and Anna and I think that it's the first time I've been able to actually see so clearly how a relationship progresses in a series.
2) In this book we have fairies, vamps, trolls, wolves. All the nice nasties I love in my books.
3) I wanted more Bran!:(
4) For some reason I didn't like Ric at all.
5) I loved Moira and Arthur.
6) The book was fast paced and well-written. I wasn't bored for a second.
7) Liked the mythology twist.
1 re-read
BR with Aly!!
1) Loved the story. The relationship keeps developing between Charles and Anna and I think that it's the first time I've been able to actually see so clearly how a relationship progresses in a series.
2) In this book we have fairies, vamps, trolls, wolves. All the nice nasties I love in my books.
3) I wanted more Bran!:(
4) For some reason I didn't like Ric at all.
5) I loved Moira and Arthur.
6) The book was fast paced and well-written. I wasn't bored for a second.
7) Liked the mythology twist.
1 re-read
BR with Aly!!
January 29, 2018
1st Read March 2014
2nd Read December 2015
3rd Read January 2017
4th Read January 2018
Original Review
I have been absolutely devouring the both the Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series recently so it's no surprise that I enjoyed Hunting Ground. I think I'm just going to love everything that Patricia Briggs writes because she certainly hasn't steered me wrong so far! The world building in these two series is phenomenal, you have the werewolves with their dominance issues, the fae who are very good at keeping secrets plus of course the vampires have their own agendas and I can't get enough of it all. The Alpha and Omega series gives us a change to discover much more about Pack politics and to see how issues are resolved in the world of the werewolves.
Bran has decided that it is time for the werewolves to make their presence known to the general public, he knows that they aren't going to be able to remain hidden for much longer with all this modern technology and he knows it is better to come out on their own terms before they are discovered. As the Alpha who has control of the whole of America Bran doesn't need to ask anyone's permission to carry out his plans but he has agreed to speak to the European werewolves and answer any questions they may have. Charles is the one who gets to be in charge at the conference of Alpha's who have gathered from all over Europe to discuss the issue. It's never easy to have so many Alpha wolves in one place where they're all fighting to prove their dominance but things get even more complicated when some of their visitors come under attack from an unknown enemy. It is up to Charles and Anna to get to the bottom of what is happening before one of them pays the ultimate price.
The best thing about the Alpha & Omega books is the relationship development between Anna and Charles. When we met Anna she had been abused and beaten down for years so it is taking time for her to build her confidence. Deep down she knows that Charles would never hurt her but she still scares easily, especially when they are surrounded by Alpha wolves. I have loved seeing them work through things together, neither of them is experienced when it comes to relationships so even though Charles is so much older than Anna is these feelings are new to him too and it is so sweet watching him try to figure things out. What I love most about Charles is the way he protects Anna without being overprotective, he actually encourages her to stand on her own two feet and is there to provide extra support when she needs it. My favourite Charles quote shows exactly what I mean:
"If it would benefit you, I would kill every wolf here. But there are things that you need to do - and interfering with that is not protecting, not in my book, the best way for me to protect you is to encourage you to be able to protect yourself."
Both Anna and Charles are completely out of their comfort zone here which helps them bond with each other on a deeper level than before and grow as a couple. We get to see Anna learn more about her role as Omega and how she fits into the Pack hierarchy. “An Omega wolf is an Alpha wolf who is extremely zen.” That has to be the best description I've ever seen of an Omega and it explains Anna's role perfectly, she has all the protective instincts of an Alpha but is missing the violent tendencies they usually display. That doesn't mean she won't fight to protect her Pack but it does mean violence isn't going to be the first thing she resorts to.
The romance may be an important part of this series but Hunting Ground is also an action packed story that has so much going on it will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. I did manage to figure out who was behind the attacks eventually but not until very near the end of the book and only just before Anna and Charles did. I just couldn't read this book fast enough and it's left me desperate to carry on with the series!
________________________________
2nd 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.
I love this series so much! The characters, the world building just everything about these books makes them a comfort read for me. Along with Ilona Andrews's Kate Daniels series this is probably my most reread series & I never get tired of it.
________________________________
3rd Read
I'm running out of words of praise for this series. The fact that I'm on my 4th reread of most of the books in this series should give you an idea how much I love it though. Anna and Charles <3<3<3
2nd Read December 2015
3rd Read January 2017
4th Read January 2018
Original Review
I have been absolutely devouring the both the Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series recently so it's no surprise that I enjoyed Hunting Ground. I think I'm just going to love everything that Patricia Briggs writes because she certainly hasn't steered me wrong so far! The world building in these two series is phenomenal, you have the werewolves with their dominance issues, the fae who are very good at keeping secrets plus of course the vampires have their own agendas and I can't get enough of it all. The Alpha and Omega series gives us a change to discover much more about Pack politics and to see how issues are resolved in the world of the werewolves.
Bran has decided that it is time for the werewolves to make their presence known to the general public, he knows that they aren't going to be able to remain hidden for much longer with all this modern technology and he knows it is better to come out on their own terms before they are discovered. As the Alpha who has control of the whole of America Bran doesn't need to ask anyone's permission to carry out his plans but he has agreed to speak to the European werewolves and answer any questions they may have. Charles is the one who gets to be in charge at the conference of Alpha's who have gathered from all over Europe to discuss the issue. It's never easy to have so many Alpha wolves in one place where they're all fighting to prove their dominance but things get even more complicated when some of their visitors come under attack from an unknown enemy. It is up to Charles and Anna to get to the bottom of what is happening before one of them pays the ultimate price.
The best thing about the Alpha & Omega books is the relationship development between Anna and Charles. When we met Anna she had been abused and beaten down for years so it is taking time for her to build her confidence. Deep down she knows that Charles would never hurt her but she still scares easily, especially when they are surrounded by Alpha wolves. I have loved seeing them work through things together, neither of them is experienced when it comes to relationships so even though Charles is so much older than Anna is these feelings are new to him too and it is so sweet watching him try to figure things out. What I love most about Charles is the way he protects Anna without being overprotective, he actually encourages her to stand on her own two feet and is there to provide extra support when she needs it. My favourite Charles quote shows exactly what I mean:
"If it would benefit you, I would kill every wolf here. But there are things that you need to do - and interfering with that is not protecting, not in my book, the best way for me to protect you is to encourage you to be able to protect yourself."
Both Anna and Charles are completely out of their comfort zone here which helps them bond with each other on a deeper level than before and grow as a couple. We get to see Anna learn more about her role as Omega and how she fits into the Pack hierarchy. “An Omega wolf is an Alpha wolf who is extremely zen.” That has to be the best description I've ever seen of an Omega and it explains Anna's role perfectly, she has all the protective instincts of an Alpha but is missing the violent tendencies they usually display. That doesn't mean she won't fight to protect her Pack but it does mean violence isn't going to be the first thing she resorts to.
The romance may be an important part of this series but Hunting Ground is also an action packed story that has so much going on it will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. I did manage to figure out who was behind the attacks eventually but not until very near the end of the book and only just before Anna and Charles did. I just couldn't read this book fast enough and it's left me desperate to carry on with the series!
________________________________
2nd 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.
I love this series so much! The characters, the world building just everything about these books makes them a comfort read for me. Along with Ilona Andrews's Kate Daniels series this is probably my most reread series & I never get tired of it.
________________________________
3rd Read
I'm running out of words of praise for this series. The fact that I'm on my 4th reread of most of the books in this series should give you an idea how much I love it though. Anna and Charles <3<3<3
May 11, 2015
Two words - Charles Cornick.
March 27, 2011
Werewolf politics and intrigue are the highlight of this novel. Charles and Anna are sent to Seattle on behalf of Bran to negotiate the “coming out” of the werewolf population. The wolves of North America and Europe are represented in this negotiation. Not all the wolves are happy with this situation, and a lot of Alpha wolves in one place is a recipe for trouble. The talks are to be mediated by a fae Gray Lord, Dana.
There was a huge cast of characters in this book and it was interesting to learn about the wolf packs from different countries. It was a real eye opener to see just how powerful Bran was without him actually being in the story. The interactions between pack Alphas was intriguing, if not on the precipice of violence. I loved how they all seemed to walk on eggshells. I was amused at how a simple Omega wolf could cause a bunch of Alphas to want to rush and rescue her and how she could easily calm them down.
This is the book where Anna shines as a character. Still skittish, Anna relies on her wolf nature in order to adjust to situations. Anna is learning how to be an Omega wolf and what it entails. The wolves are also learning the power of an Omega. I loved watching Anna transform from a “scared rabbit” to an assertive, protective wolf.
I loved the stolen moments that Anna and Charles shared. Theirs is a strange and unusual relationship: their wolves chose each other as mates. I found it fascinating that Anna allowed her wolf nature to take over during their moments together. It was as if her wolf was protecting her from her past, painful memories. It was also nice to see the tender side of Charles. He was so sweet and patient with Anna.
The author has a talent of creating an urban fantasy world that feels so believable. I love to be immersed in this world. I’m just sad that there will be a long wait for the next book
There was a huge cast of characters in this book and it was interesting to learn about the wolf packs from different countries. It was a real eye opener to see just how powerful Bran was without him actually being in the story. The interactions between pack Alphas was intriguing, if not on the precipice of violence. I loved how they all seemed to walk on eggshells. I was amused at how a simple Omega wolf could cause a bunch of Alphas to want to rush and rescue her and how she could easily calm them down.
This is the book where Anna shines as a character. Still skittish, Anna relies on her wolf nature in order to adjust to situations. Anna is learning how to be an Omega wolf and what it entails. The wolves are also learning the power of an Omega. I loved watching Anna transform from a “scared rabbit” to an assertive, protective wolf.
I loved the stolen moments that Anna and Charles shared. Theirs is a strange and unusual relationship: their wolves chose each other as mates. I found it fascinating that Anna allowed her wolf nature to take over during their moments together. It was as if her wolf was protecting her from her past, painful memories. It was also nice to see the tender side of Charles. He was so sweet and patient with Anna.
The author has a talent of creating an urban fantasy world that feels so believable. I love to be immersed in this world. I’m just sad that there will be a long wait for the next book
April 4, 2011
Wow. I didn’t think this series could get any better, but it just did. Hunting Ground was amazing!! I love the way Briggs writes. There’s this ease to it and it’s always just a natural progression of the storyline. It’s never pulling or straining. All the characters continue to grow in a way that is gradual, but still very evident.
And Anna is the perfect example of that. I remember complaining back in the Alpha &Omega novella that she was too skittish and broken. But she has come so far in such a short time and yet it doesn’t seem like she suddenly grew a pair and is capable of manhandling all the Alpha werewolves at once. She’s grown in a gradual way that makes her success at getting over her past a personal accomplishment and one that opens opportunities for her to love someone....someone like Charles.
What I love about this series is the romance. It’s not perfect where Anna and Charles find each other and fall desperately in love with each other and they love happily ever after. THE END. No, not here. Both of them are unsure and probably a little scared and that makes the romance between these two all the more interesting. A light touch in human form or a slight nudge in wolf form makes the relationship fascinating because they are learning each other slowly. It’s just great to read.
And then there’s all the wolf politics! Wow, I wasn’t expecting half of the twists that Briggs pulled in this one! I was completely taken aback and it was definitely one I’d like to pick up again soon. With all the fae, vampires, and werewolves in this one, I’m sure there’s something there for everyone!
And Anna is the perfect example of that. I remember complaining back in the Alpha &Omega novella that she was too skittish and broken. But she has come so far in such a short time and yet it doesn’t seem like she suddenly grew a pair and is capable of manhandling all the Alpha werewolves at once. She’s grown in a gradual way that makes her success at getting over her past a personal accomplishment and one that opens opportunities for her to love someone....someone like Charles.
What I love about this series is the romance. It’s not perfect where Anna and Charles find each other and fall desperately in love with each other and they love happily ever after. THE END. No, not here. Both of them are unsure and probably a little scared and that makes the romance between these two all the more interesting. A light touch in human form or a slight nudge in wolf form makes the relationship fascinating because they are learning each other slowly. It’s just great to read.
And then there’s all the wolf politics! Wow, I wasn’t expecting half of the twists that Briggs pulled in this one! I was completely taken aback and it was definitely one I’d like to pick up again soon. With all the fae, vampires, and werewolves in this one, I’m sure there’s something there for everyone!
June 11, 2019
★★★★★ Wow! All I can say is this book is cool. I just love “Anna Latham Cornick, mate of Charles Cornick, Omega of the Aspen Creek Pack. Wolf. Sister. Daughter. Lover. Beloved.” Remember, knowing a person’s name is powerful magic. And that is all the hint of this plot you are going to get out of me! This one is delicious. Just enough clues sprinkled throughout for me to guess some of them and still leave enough mystery to unfold. Plus, enough realism in the human relationship between two lonely, insecure souls verses their newly established mate-bond to be fascinating. Not to mention, the cover actually looks like Anna and Brother Wolf. Finally.
Don’t miss the fun. Start this one with the novella to get the full effect. I can’t wait for Fair Game, coming out February, 2012.
Don’t miss the fun. Start this one with the novella to get the full effect. I can’t wait for Fair Game, coming out February, 2012.
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