Alpha & Omega, Book 4

Synopsis: For once, mated werewolves Charles and Anna are not traveling because of Charles’s role as his father’s enforcer. This time, their trip to Arizona is purely personal, as Charles plans to buy Anna a horse for her birthday. Or at least it starts out that way…  Charles and Anna soon discover that a dangerous Fae being is on the loose, replacing human children with simulacrums. The Fae’s cold war with humanity is about to heat up—and Charles and Anna are in the crossfire.

Review: With this fourth installment, Patricia Briggs builds on the backdrop initiated in book 3 and developped in Mercy’s seventh and eighth adventures. It becomes more and more necessary to read both series in parallel if you don’t want to miss anything. War is now declared between Faes and humans and wolfs are in danger of being caught in the crossfire. At some point, they will have to choose their camp.

But for the time beeing, Charles would prefer to spend some quality time with his wife. He takes her on vacation to see an old friend of his and get Anna a horse for her birthday. But where Charles and Anna go, trouble follows.

Not only is Charles’s friend, Joseph, old and sick, but his family is also attacked by a dangerous creature. It becomes obvious that there is some supernatural mystery going on and our werewolf couple will work to resolve it, even if danger is brewing.

Without too much details, I will just stay that Patricia Briggs has created a great suspense story. It is not as fast paced as Mercy’s adventures, but it is engaging nevertheless. Some parts were perhaps a bit too slow for my taste (and with way too many references about horses), but the whole kept me interested. Sadly, with Anna and Charles on holidays, I kept missing some characters from Montana like Bran or Asil.

The good part about the story, though, is that you get to know more of Charles. This werewolf has live a long life before Anna, parts of it you discover through very interesting flashbacks. And as I am a big fan of Charles, I was thrilled about it. He is a grumpy and sometimes scarry guy, a very dangerous alpha with magical powers, but he never goes all caveman on people. No, Charles is calm, rational but still human. Here particularly, he shows some more fragile and tormented sides of himself.

Anna, on the opposite, is still too tame for my taste. On one side, her soft and calm personality is a nice change from all these badass and impulsive UF heroines. She is also no pushover and knows how to pick her fights. On the other side, I’m under the impression that everything around her revolves around Charles and her ambitions as a wife, which is sometimes a bit boring.

Their relationship however is adorable. It is one based on mutual understanding and respect, with a healthy dose of passionate love. One of two peoples so in tune with each other that they are able to read even the slightest nuances. I had trouble to believe in it at the beginning of their adventures but, book after book, I saw it flourish and become more grounded. I just love that.

3-5

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32 thoughts on “Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs

  1. blodeuedd

    I am waiting for the PB, sigh

    1. Gilwen

      Scheduled for February, right ? Only 6 months left !

  2. kindlemom1

    I’m so glad you read this even if it wasn’t a favorite. I adore Anna and Charles!
    Have a wonderful weekend Melliane!

    1. Gilwen

      Book afte book, I’m really starting to appreciate their relationship.

  3. Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum

    I really should be reading this series, since I love her Mercy Thompson books. I just haven’t been able to find the time to start. I think it would be great to know more about the other characters that are only mentioned in passing in the Mercy series, and learn more about the world.

    1. Gilwen

      Thats why I started it in the beginning, to know more about Charles and Bran.

  4. Kim @ BookSwoon

    I’ve heard so many great things about these series and of course the adorable Charles and Anna!! I’m glad you enjoyed discovering new aspects to Charles in this one. Ann sounds like a nice mix of toughness and rational as a heroine.
    Thanks for the lovely review 🙂

    1. Gilwen

      She does. I think that my biggest issue with her is that I keep comparing her with Mercy (which is one of my favourite heroine). But Charles is a gem.

  5. Jenny @ Supernatural Snark

    Glad you enjoyed this for the most part! This is one of my favorite UF series and I absolutely adore Charles as you do. I think Anna is growing with each book too, and like you said she’s no pushover, she’s just quiet, but that seems to be slowly changing with each book. Lovely review!!!!

    1. Gilwen

      Thanks 😀 Yeah, even if i keep bitching about Anna, she has really evolved since book one. I’m sure if I stoped comparing her with Mercy, I would much more appreciate her.

  6. Keionda@Keionda Hearts Books

    I’m glad you liked this one! It does seem like a good one with the romance, the chemistry between the two characters, and how well paced it was even though slow in some parts. 🙂 great review!♡

    1. Gilwen

      Thanks 😀 Yes, their relationshiph is really adorable, and a nice change from some more “dramatic” one that you can find in other UF series.

  7. LilyElement

    That kind of sucks that you have to read both series to understand fully. I’ll keep that in mind if I want to read the rest of the series, I think I only read book one lol Glad you were able to enjoy the book though!

    1. Gilwen

      Well, I think you really have to if your are kind of obsessed with details like I am and you don’t want to miss anything 😉 If not, I guess the small reminders here and there should be enough.

  8. Suzi Q, The Book Dame

    I have this series on my TBR. I hope to get to it eventually. It is a bit out of my norm, but I often find the best reads by jumping out of my element.

    1. Gilwen

      Oh, yes, some time you can have really nice surprises. Besides, when you discover something new, you are note as “picky” as you are with a genre you are more used to.

  9. Ramona

    Ah, a werewolf in a healthy relationship – only we, readers of all things fantasy, can take in this information with a straight face, lol 🙂 It’s like we’re part of a secret society! :))) Have a great weekend <3

    1. Gilwen

      We even have our own language and recognition signals 😀

  10. Lorna

    I have read the prequel and the first book fairly recently. I need to get the next one soon! Great well thought out review.

    1. Gilwen

      Thanks 😀 Enjoy the second book then ! I remember the story beeing quite fast-paced and there was some really interesting informations about the werewolfes organization.

  11. Melissa (Books and Things)

    I can see you having problems like that with Anna. I’ve been worried that she would become too dependent on him. Still, glad you enjoyed it and I need to catch up to you in this series.

    1. Gilwen

      Yeah exactly. And it’s not as if she has a lot of hobbys outside beeing with Charles. Mercy Thompson at least has her garage.

  12. kimbacaffeinate

    I really enjoyed this one Mellliane, sorry it didn’t excel for you. I may even like this series more then Mercy.

  13. Joy // Joyousreads

    I really want to start reading Briggs books in the future (this series, especially). I just don’t know if all her books are interrelated. Anyway, sorry this was not up to par for you. Hopefully, the next instalment will make up for it.

    1. Gilwen

      Not all the books are interrelated. The 1st Mercy Thompson and the 1st Alpha (the novella), and then the last ones too. But they are some quick summaries of what has been going on in each book.

  14. Jennifer Bielman @ Bad Bird Reads

    I loved the first two books I just never went further. Don’t know why. Happy it’s still going strong.

    1. Gilwen

      The third one is nice too, and is also about the Fae.

  15. anna (herding cats & burning soup)

    One day really need to pick these up again. I’m more of a Mercy girl but I did enjoy the first one in this series too.

    1. Gilwen

      Well, if you enjoyed the first one (my least favorite) you should like the other one as well, aven if you are a Mercy girl too.

  16. Keertana @ Ivy Book Bindings

    Like you, I really enjoyed this but found it wasn’t as strong of an installment as I would have liked or anticipated, especially considering the long wait prior to its release. I’m hoping the next Mercy book makes up for it, though! *fingers crossed*

    1. Gilwen

      Oh yeah, same here. Can’t wait to read it !

  17. Carole Rae

    Didn’t B read this?
    But I have heard endless good things about this series. Sighs. Someday

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