FAIR GAME by Patricia Briggs

Title: Fair Game
Series: Alpha & Omega #3
Author: Patricia Briggs

Summary

Anna is worried about Charles.  Since the unveiling of the werewolves, the Marrok's laws have become more strict, and that means harsher punishments.  And when some of the alphas refuse to kill a pack member for a crime that would have once received a warning, Charles is called in to take care of the situation.  Only Anna seems to notice that Charles' responsibilities are hurting him.

With Asil's help, the Marrok finally realizes the seriousness of Charles' condition, so when a serial killer seems to be targeting werewolves, he sends Anna to work as a consultant for the law enforcement investigating the situation.  Charles, unwilling to allow his mate to go unprotected, travels as her bodyguard.

But it isn't just the werewolves being targeted by this serial killer, and when a half-fae girl gets taken from her apartment, Anna and Charles have to hurry if they're going to save the girl and catch the serial killer before the next kill.

My Impression

I absolutely love Anna and Charles.  The two seem like such an unlikely pair just based on first glance, but they are great together.  My favorite thing about them together is that when people take one of them for granted or underestimate one of them, the other is perceptive enough to see the truth. This book proves that further, as Anna senses something is wrong with Charles and has to convince both the Marrok and Asil that she isn't imagining things.  As strong as both characters are, there are times when they need the other to save them, sometimes without even realizing it themselves.

Though there are a few wolves in this book, Charles and Anna are mostly interacting with humans.  My favorite books in this series (and in Briggs' Mercy Thompson series) are almost always the ones that focus on werewolves, so I was surprised that I liked this book as much as I did.  I think the main reason that I enjoyed this book so much (aside from Charles and Anna) is that the book had a clear mystery that needed to be solved; while Cry Wolf had a mystery plot to it, this was one where the wolves are the victims.  I also liked that I got to follow along as Anna and Charles worked to figure out who was kidnapping and killing magical creatures, and is strong enough to do so.  There was also a sense of urgency that caused me to be on the edge of my seat throughout most of the book.  This is also one of the first books where the readers are introduced to a lot of the public's reactions to the existence of werewolves, since most of the books in both series mainly involve interactions with other werewolves, fae, vampires, or witches.

The plot and result of this book (which I don't want to spoil) set some major events into motion, and I can't wait to see how it plays out in the next few books.

Why I Picked Up This Book

I absolutely love Anna and Charles, so I couldn't wait to read more.

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance
My Rating: Five Stars

Interested in other books by Patricia Briggs?  Check here to read my reviews of other books from this series.