Review and Giveaway: Fair Game

Fair Game (Alpha and Omega - Book 3) by Patricia Briggs

Publication Date: March 6, 2012
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: Hardcover, 304pp
ISBN-13: 978-0441020034
ISBN: 0441020038

(Received for an honest review from Ace Hardcover)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound

Patricia Briggs on the WEB: website, blog, facebook, twitter

Books in the series: Cry Wolf (2008), Hunting Ground (2009), Fair Game (2012)

CoverArt: Click the picture for a larger, clearer image of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from Fair Game

Synopsis:

Patricia Briggs, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson novels, "always enchants her readers." (Lynn Viehl, New York Times bestselling author) Now her Alpha and Omega series-set in a world of shifting shapes, loyalty, and passion- brings werewolves out of the darkness and into a society where fear and prejudice could make the hunters prey...

They say opposites attract. And in the case of werewolves Anna Latham and Charles Cornick, they mate. The son-and enforcer-of the leader of the North American werewolves, Charles is a dominant alpha. While Anna, an omega, has the rare ability to calm others of her kind.

Now that the werewolves have revealed themselves to humans, they can't afford any bad publicity. Infractions that could have been overlooked in the past must now be punished, and the strain of doing his father's dirty work is taking a toll on Charles.

Nevertheless, Charles and Anna are sent to Boston, when the FBI requests the pack's help on a local serial killer case. They quickly realize that not only the last two victims were werewolves-all of them were. Someone is targeting their kind. And now Anna and Charles have put themselves right in the killer's sights...

Thoughts:

Fair Game is the third book in the Alpha and Omega series, an offshoot of the Mercy Thompson series, by Patricia Briggs. Briggs brings a lot to the table with this book, including a great crime based plot and characters that leap off the page. Fans have had to wait a very long time for this addition to the series and they won't be disappointed. Briggs turns out an excellent Urban Fantasy title and proves yet again why her writing is so popular. A can't miss for Urban Fantasy fans and supernatural enthusiasts.  

Patricia Briggs has a way with characters. I think my favorite part of her writing is her character development and that's saying a lot because I really, really like this entire series, as well as, the Mercy Thompson series. Anna has been through a lot, she was once a victim but proves she never will be again. In book three of this series, readers will see the growth that Anna has made and how Charles's love has really transformed her. She has a very strong voice, but it's kind and gentle. The way she truly cares for Charles is both sensual and honest.

Charles is the epitome of the big bag wolf. He is alpha through and through. He is the family enforcer and he has had to do a lot of things that have changed him. He is haunted by the fact that he has had to destroy other werewolves who have come against them. He has a few ghosts and he is having a hard time dealing with them. The large part of this book deals with his journey to freeing himself from guilt. It was nice to see him as vulnerable. He needed to lean on Anna a little more in this one and let her strength boost his own. I liked the depth of their caring for each other, it feel real and authentic.

The plot for this one is crime based. There is a serial killer on the loose in Boston and Bran sends Anna and Charles to help shed some light on the investigation. What they end up finding out is that the serial killer isn't targeting humans. He's targeting werewolves and Fae. The plot is very engaging and it's nice to see Charles and Anna out of their element a little bit. Briggs really does some exceptional characterization with her Fae characters. Being of Scottish descent where the Fae are often a part of legend and folklore, I always find it interesting to see how authors approach these majestic characters and I think Briggs really has done her homework. Her Fae characters are engaging, enchanting and different from the normal characterizations found in most Urban Fantasy titles.

If you are an Urban Fantasy fan, this is a series you can't afford to miss. It's very entertaining. The pace is smooth and fast. The characters are exceptional and Briggs is so good at writing atmospheric books that really resonate with readers. She knows how to set a scene, when to let it go and what the reader wants to hear. I loved this one!

Fair Game is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

Patty is a prevarication professional. She lies for a living, telling whoppers and fibs so outrageous that people pay her to fib some more. Her only concession to honesty is that she tells people she's lying to them. And that is what separates a fiction author from a politician.

Patty was born in Butte, Montana, back in 1965. If you're good at math, you'll have deduced that she's currently twenty-nine. In fact, she's been twenty-nine for a while and has no intention of getting any older. Fiction authors don't obey the laws of space and time, they invent them. Don't argue, or she'll make up a dragon right behind you . . .

Patty writes writes traditional and urban fantasy, mostly novels. In her stories, there really ARE things that go bump in the night, magic is real, and sometimes the good guys actually win.
Her first book, Masques, was published back in 1993, and she's produced roughly one book each year since then. She loves to play with her imaginary friends, and meeting with readers who know her imaginary friends is a treat. Her biggest complaint with writing is that she has far more ideas for stories than time to write them.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Fair Game by Patricia Briggs.

~ You must be a GFC follower or an E-mail subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST April 14th.

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