I’m a bit late to the game, but I finally read Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs. I loved it. It probably helps to have read the novella “Alpha and Omega” in On the Prowl first, though I’m not sure it’s necessary.
This picks up directly after “Alpha and Omega”. Anna has had three very difficult years as a new werewolf who has been abused. Charles is a very dominant, much older werewolf. He is also the Marrock’s assassin and enforcer, as well as his son. They’ve discovered they’re mates and they’re very attracted to each other, but they don’t have an easy time building a relationship. I very much enjoyed how Briggs explored their fledgeling love and attraction, especially given how damaged Anna is. (One of the nice things about paranormals is that there can be aspects of the paranormal that allow for a type of healing not available in contemporaries. Here Anna’s wolf has protected her from the worst of the damage in an interesting way.)
While the developing relationship between Charles and Anna is important, the mystery to be solved surrounding a rogue wolf is also well executed. The two aspects of the story are nicely interwoven and in fact Charles and Anna’s relationship is integral to it.
We also learn more about Bran (the Marrock and Charles’s father) and Samuel (Charles’s brother who plays a large role in Mercy’s stories) and their backstories. In fact, I did find that the last quarter of the story was rather busy with information, both about them and another important character. I sometimes wished those backstories could be explored further. But perhaps they will be in the future. Bran’s personal situation is especially ripe for further exploration, although in what direction that would go, I don’t know.
In any event, I’m very much looking forward to more of Briggs’s world of werewolves and other paranormal creatures. I think there’s a lot of room here to develop Anna and Charles’s relationship.
Reviews:
- Avid Reader B+
- Janine of Dear Author A
