On the Prowl

Alpha & Omega #0.5 (Alpha & Omega)

by Patricia Briggs, Eileen Wilks, Karen Chance

Alpha and Omega 0.5 by Patricia Briggs
The werewolf Anna finds a new sense of self when the son of the werewolf king comes to town to quell unrest in the Chicago pack- and inspires a power in Anna that she's never felt before.

Inhuman by Eileen Wilks
Kai has a secret gift of sensing thoughts and desires. What she senses in her neighbor Nathan could be dangerous. Because he has a secret gift, too, and it's about to be let loose.

Buying Trouble by Karen Chance
In a New York auction house, a Lord of the Fey crosses paths with a fiery redheaded mage named Claire. But in this strange underground society, the rarity up for sale is Claire herself.

Mona Lisa Betwining by Sunny
Among the children of the moon, Mona Lisa is of Mixed Blood- part Monere, part human, and destined to be alone. Then she meets a man who could be her salvation- or her downfall.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Anthologies, Werewolves

341 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 7, 2007

About the author

Librarian 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.

Reviews

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review first posted on www.fantasyliterature.com:

On the Prowl is an anthology containing four urban fantasy novellas. So here's the deal: All four are part of longer urban fantasy series, and - other than Patricia Briggs’ Alpha and Omega, I can't really recommend any of them as stand-alone reads. I happen to be into Briggs' Mercy Thompson series, so I picked up this book at the library so I could read Alpha and Omega, but none of the other three stories had much appeal for me, and one of them (Mona Lisa Betwining) was positively off-putting. I give Alpha and Omega 3.75 stars; Mona Lisa is 1 star material; the other two get maybe 2 1/2 stars, based on the amount I read.

Alpha and Omega: Concurrently with her MERCY THOMPSON urban fantasy series about a coyote shapeshifter and her adventures with werewolves, vampires, fae and other supernatural beings, Patricia Briggs has been writing the ALPHA AND OMEGA series about an “Omega” werewolf, who has unique powers for a werewolf. This novella introduces Anna, a seemingly submissive, sexually and physically abused werewolf in an appalling mess of a pack in Chicago. Anna was unwillingly turned into a werewolf three years ago and her life has been miserable since. But when she reads an newspaper article about a missing teenager and realizes that this is the same boy she had seen in a werewolf cage in the pack leader’s home, she drums up her courage and finally telephones Bran, the Montana-based “Marrok” or leader of all the werewolf packs in North America, to let him know that she had seen the boy.

Kidnappings and turning unwilling people into werewolves being against the strict rules governing werewolf society, the Marrok immediately arranges for Charles, his half-Native American son and his enforcer/hit man, to meet Anna. Charles’ dual mission: protect Anna from her out-of-control pack and clean up the situation in Chicago. Love wasn’t supposed to be part of that mission ― and Anna’s history of abuse for the past three years has damaged her psyche and her trust in men.

Alpha & Omega is a solid, if not extraordinary, beginning to the ALPHA AND OMEGA series. It introduces you to Anna and Charles and gives some important insights into their pasts and their characters, as well as werewolf culture and its rules and restrictions generally, and it sets the stage for Cry Wolf, the novel that is next in the series, which picks up immediately after the events in this novella. In fact, if you plan to read the series, you’ll be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t read this novella first. Without it, the beginning of Cry Wolf is abrupt, and it’s much harder to immerse yourself in their world and their problems. Personally, I would have preferred this novella’s content being added to the start of Cry Wolf rather than being sold as a separate work. Although it’s a necessary piece to the puzzle, by itself the story of Alpha and Omega feels incomplete and its ending, while not a cliffhanger, will leave you scrambling for the next book.

Unfortunately, the other stories in On the Prowl - Inhuman by Eileen Wilks, Buying Trouble by Karen Chance, and Mona Lisa Betwining by someone using the exotic dancer-like moniker of Sunny - aren’t up to the level of Alpha and Omega. Like this story, the others are romance-oriented urban fantasies and are all parts of a series, but all three of them are set further into their respective series and are tough to get into without having read the authors’ previous works in the series. I didn’t find any of them absorbing enough to read more than a third of the way through, even with the shorter novella length, although Buying Trouble was the most readable and seems more likely to appeal to other fantasy romance readers. Also, the level of sexual explicitness rises with each story in the anthology, culminating with the fantasy erotica that is Mona Lisa Betwining. When the main character is having non-committal and highly explicit sex with more than one partner, that’s pretty much an automatic book-closer for me.

If On the Prowl is available at your local library, I recommend checking it out so you can read Alpha and Omega if you're interested in that series, but you may want to give the rest of this anthology a pass unless you're already into those other authors. If you’re thinking of buying the ebook for Alpha and Omega, I’d pay the $2.99 for just that ebook rather than $7.99 for this anthology. It’s not worth the extra $4.00.

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Q:
Civilization is vastly overrated. (c)
Q:
One of these days she was going to break down and buy boots - if only she didn't need to eat. (c)
Q:
Who wants to feel everything everyone else feels all the time? (c)
Q:
Which was how Anna ended up naked between a couple of parked cars in the middle of the night at O'Hare International Airport. (c)
Q:
This must be what it was like to be fully human. (c)
Q:
The wolf was more beautiful in the daylight than he had been at night, his fur really red, she saw, set off by black on his legs and paws. (c)

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs
I've actually read Alpha and Omega twice now. It's such a wonderful story. Very short, but that's okay, because we have two full-length stories with one of my supercouples now. I can't describe how much I love this story. I did write a long review which I added under Alpha and Omega separately. I'll just say that Ms. Briggs did an exemplarly job of writing this story that is full of underlying intensity, but written so simply. Charles and Anna are two characters that I found very fascinating. I could feel their chemistry in every interaction. It's romance at its best, wrapped up in a delicious urban fantasy package. Five stars.

Inhuman by Eileen Wilks
This was one of those stories that I find hard to review and to rate. It's a very good story, but the writing was hard to get into. I found there was a distance between me and Kai and Nathan that I had to work very hard to bridge. The remote writing style was the culprit. Having said that, I liked the world that Ms. Wilks built, ripe with magical creatures, and unfortunately, full of prejudice against those gifted with magical abilities. Nathan is a character that I found myself liking very much. He had a lot of integrity. He was a man of self-control, but also a man of intense emotions. Kai was a strong woman with an interesting ability, that she was trying very had to understand. I liked their romance. But, I must admit. The world was the selling point in this story. Rich with Faerie elements, which never fails to appeal to me as a reader. Four stars.

Buying Trouble by Karen Chance
This is my third story by Ms. Chance, I am definitely seeing why she has such a devoted fan base. Her stories are action-packed. The world-building is intricate and rich. Her characters are appealing and likeable. And she is a very funny writer. I was reading this while sitting with my sister in her hospital room, and I kept laughing out loud and gasping as I read it. Ms. Chance managed to pack quite a lot into this story, but it wasn't overloaded. Although I feel that she could use more dialogue in this story, it's hard to find fault with it, because it was so well done. Sexy, appealing, funny characters that I cared about, humorous moments, and no-holds-barred action, what else could I ask for? Oh, and a heavy dose of Faerie! Five stars.

I didn't read the Sunny story because erotic urban fantasy isn't my thing. And skimming made it clear this was very erotic. So, no rating for it.

I'd give this collection five stars just because of Alpha and Omega. But, the Wilks story was enjoyable, and I loved the Chance story, so it makes it a lot easier to give this book a five star rating. If you are urban fantasy fans, and you aren't reading Briggs and Chance, get to it. You're missing out!

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up solely for Patricia Briggs. I find it a little odd that a Briggs story is part of this collection; the other three contributors seem to be firmly in the sex-soaked PNR category, and Briggs … isn't. At least, the Mercy Thompson books aren't, despite what their covers look like; it's a hard sell when someone, particularly a male someone, has understandable difficulty looking past the tramp-stamped Mercy doppelgängers that scream "hot werewolf sex". Not, of course, as loudly as the cover of On the Prowl screams it (midriff-baring leopard skin) … But Mercy really is urban fantasy… a protestation that loses a little ground with an anthology like this. For example, I went into it dreading the novella by the single-named Sunny; the first book in her series has this line in its description: "A smoldering debut novel exploring the passion, hunger, and danger that can break loose in the moonlight". Oh. Fabulous. Ms. Briggs, what fresh hell is this? Are the Alpha & Omega novels, which I have not located all of yet, PNR? Say it ain't so …

Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs
It ain't so. This is solid Patricia Briggs. Anna has been a werewolf for three years, and it's been brutal; only now is she exposed to the idea that it might not always be so. This is a great introduction to the characters and the world – and strictly PG-rated, at that. It could easily have gone deep into PNR territory; it has a lot of the elements. But this is a well thought out world with rules the magic must follow, and the aspects of the story a lesser writer would have turned into mindless hot werewolf sex were treated seriously, mindful of the characters' personalities and histories and futures. Patricia Briggs writes with the mindset of "This is the character as she as been formed, warts and all, as three-dimensional and life-like as I can convey her. This happens to her, and then this. What is she thinking? What is she feeling? How does she react?" What some of these other authors set down on paper remind me of a little girl banging her dolls together to try to approximate what she think grown-ups do together. The bad PNR author has a little more comprehension than that little girl of the mechanics at least, but the level of relationship and character development conveyed is about on par, and while both processes might be fun for the perpetrator, neither is nearly as rewarding to an observer. And that, my children, is why Patricia Briggs writes urban fantasy, not PNR: her writing presents a realistic world into which fantasy elements are realistically introduced and through which her characters make their way in a believable manner. One fifty-cent word to cover it all: verisimilitude. Briggs achieves it. PNR, very very often, does not. Her work is not, I repeat not PNR. It is good urban fantasy. Very good.

Inhuman by Eileen Wilks
The version of Earth which Eileen Wilks has created has undergone a wee bit of a change. Power winds swept through a little while ago, and unleashed or emphasized or tore loose magical abilities in people who never suspected such things existed. Kai has an odd gift, not one she can explain easily, and not one she wants to try: she loses friends when she tells them she can see their thoughts. One person she doesn't have to worry about in that regard is her neighbor, Nathan; whatever he is, he's stranger than Kai. And their relationship is changed, accelerated, when they discover that whatever has been killing the Gifted in the neighborhood is using a human appearance – a very particular, dangerous human appearance. I like the writing, I like the characters and the use of mythology and the concept of the mage-winds. And the I-suppose-inevitable sex scene was comparatively tasteful, and the conclusion of it actually got a little snort of laughter out of me. On purpose, even. I'm interested. I do wonder why he says "Eh" all the time; it's an odd idiosyncrasy. It happens at the beginnings of sentences, so he's not trying to pass as Canadian….

Buying Trouble by Karen Chance
Haidar reigned in his horse. *sigh*

This was not what I expected. I liked it. I didn't love it, but all of the otherwise gag-worthy elements (glowy elves and much-put-upon heroines and such) are dealt with in such a way that my interest was held and I was entertained, and never tempted to actually retch. I liked the transition between mostly-ordinary here-and-now and a sort of D&D setting. I liked the system of magic. I didn't like the incompleteness of the story, though; yes, of course it's just the beginning of the tale and if I want more I'll just have to go get the books; but there's a major character who shows up, has one line, and vanishes again, never to be seen and only briefly to be heard of. This character deserved at least one solid scene with Claire; happy, or tense, or uncertain, or dismayed, or all of the above – whatever, it should have happened and did not. In all, it was enough fun that I'll take a … I can't say "take a chance", can I? I'll give further Karen Chance books a try.

One qualm I had about this for a while was the way the pair's clothing disappeared. Neither exactly started out dressed for being on the run, and then they both quickly ended up shoeless; a few pages later Claire is using his shirt for bandages, and other bits and pieces variously didn't survive. So I was kind of wondering what they were going to do when they left their shelter … Yay deus ex machina. (Dragon ex machina…) A smaller(ish) qualm was that Claire was torn up about having accidentally killed the horse, but not too fussed by the men (elves, she corrected in a non-pejorative manner) she'd hurt and probably killed. I'm a horse lover. I'd be bothered too. But I'd be just a bit more bothered by the people, even if they were trying to kill me. Claire seemed utterly unaffected. Question – Claire's other self, twin self, whatever, is … a baby. And has to grow up. But she's not going to let it out much. So … Will that stunt its/her growth? It's referred to as a second personality – how separate are they? (I know, I know: Read the other books.)

Mona Lisa Betwining by Sunny
Oh, now, this – this is what I was dreading. This is where That Cover comes from. I had low expectations for all but Patricia Briggs in this book, and was two-thirds pleasantly surprised. But this is … bloody awful. This hits on every dreadful cliché of PNR – from tight inner sheaths on down. The first chunk of the book has Mona *gag* Lisa (sorry – my gorge rises every time I read the name, and typing it is even worse) mooning and pining and moping because Her Beloved Is Dead and She Isn't Pregnant. Thing is, though, even though her lover is dead she's got at least a couple of spares, and uncounted other stunningly gorgeous males flocking from everywhere for a chance at bedding her. Literally. Of course, she's not THAT fickle. She'll stick to the two she's got left … until circumstances dictate otherwise, of course. Grief has little effect on libido in this world. Libido, in fact, rules all, as I can't imagine being pinned against a tree in one's scanties would be so very conducive to sex as it seems to have been for her. Bark, and all. Rough. Dirty. And rubbing up against the tree wouldn't be too comfortable either. (Ba-dum-tish.)

I thought (hoped), from reading this, that "Mona" was the Queen's title (related to "Monere"), and the … heroine's name was Lisa, creating a moniker that she and others would cringe over as much as I do. But then again, unless the title has followed her all her life, from what I care to read about it I guess it isn't. Ew. The names – all of them, not just … ML – are calculated to irritate me thoroughly. Gryphon and Amber and Halcyon – good grief, they're the sort of names you put in stories you write when you're sixteen and then burn a few years later in horror at how juvenile they were. They're purest OMG PRITTEEEE. Using one such? Maybe allowable; they are purty. All of them plus … ML? No. No no nonono. Uh uh.

Really. No.

The language … even besides the oh-come-on-really? "erotic" scenes, it's dreadful. The clichés extend well beyond those scenes, and there is an inconsistency between pseudo-high-fantasy and ML's present-day slanginess which is probably intended to emphasize how new she is to all of this but which makes no sense at all when some of the High Fantastic occurs in the first-person narration. Yes, that's a terrible sentence, but I blame the influence of what I've been reading. If you know what I mean. The tone seems to be deadly serious, but then the first person narrator gets snarky (when I'm depressed, I'm not snarky), then …well, then, sex. Lather, rinse, repeat, ad, literally, nauseam.

The other novellas in the collection did a nice job of serving as introductions to the worlds they take place in, and to the characters the writers want the reader to come spend more time with. "Betwining" (which – huh?) did not do such a nice job. I'd never heard of Sunny or this character-I-refuse-to-name-again, or the Monere (wait – Oh, of course there's an accent grave: Monère; is that just random because it's pritteee or does it actually follow any rule of spelling?), and I spent a fair amount of the story at least slightly baffled. It didn't take long to start skimming. And until I reached the line about the male lead's nipples standing up like little soldiers … Appalled, I flipped a few pages further, and what I read next was worse (no, I'm not writing it, I'm still queasy), and – there, done.

“Pardon me. I’ve got to go poke out my mind’s eye.”
--Frasier Crane

Sorry, Ms. Briggs. I love you, but … If the bad apple had been in the middle and I'd left the book with a better taste in my mouth, I might be able to be more generous with my rating. Not even "Alpha and Omega" could make up for the horrors of Monère. It's interesting, actually; the book starts off with a great novella, goes on to a very good one, to a good one, to a dreadful one. Also, and possibly related, in the first story there is very little sex; in the second, only a little more; more still in the third; and, finally … Cleanup on aisle four, please. *shudder*

[Schnaucl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Patricia Briggs' story was okay. It was nice to see something of the "other son." Though once again, the woman is extra special.

Eileen Wilks' story was interesting, though definitely more paranormal romance than urban fantasy. It's a good start for a series and I'm almost tempted to go out and find that series.

Karen Chance's story was all right. I liked the male protagonist, but I'm not really sure I care for the plot twist.

Sunny's story was not urban fantasy. I'm not sure I'd even qualify it as paranormal romance. It read more like softcore porn with paranormal elements tacked on. It was mostly sex with a little plot that seemed like it was excerpted from some larger work. Very much not my thing.

[Choco Con Churros · Rating 4 out of 5]

- Buying Trouble (Dorina Basarab) by Karen Chance
Cuando ví que no tenía ni idea de quién porras era la protagonista de esta historia (al principio pensé que podría ser la de los 2 relatos que inician la saga de Cassie Palmer, pero enseguida vi que no tenía nada que ver), me puse en modo refunfuñón: ¿Otro relato anodino de un personaje que ni conozco?¿De verdad?.
Luego resultó que la historia estaba interesantísima, así que mis gruñidos fueron bajando de intensidad hasta el murmullo inaudible y desaparición.
Luego ya, cuando el personaje hace "plof" y descubre a las malas quién es realmente... me encantooo!. Qué genial!. ¿Quién es este personaje? Y qué cosas le pasan😂. ¿Va a volver a salir pronto?. Quiero más. Autores en GL Bis

- Alfa & Omega (Alfa y Omega) by Patricia Briggs
Relato que inicia la serie en Crossover con la de Mercy Thompson: Alfa y Omega (que también es su Spin-Off). El relato tiende un puente que conecta ambas series, sobre un caso que se resolvió en 2 frentes y lugares. En la saga Mercy Thompson vimos su resolución en uno de los frentes (además, conocimos al Marrok y su hijo nativo americano, único en su nacimiento, como en sus poderes. Parece que este personaje, casi secundario en la saga anterior, será aquí el protagonista, junto a un nuevo personaje: la Omega del título) y aquí vemos la resolución de la otra vertiente del caso. GL Bis (Mercy Thompson World)

[Ashley Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In love with Anna and Charles, and learning about pack hierarchy according to werewolves is really interesting.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this from the library so that I could read Patricia Brigg's prequel novella to her "Alpha And Omega" series .
So glad that I did...not only was it a fun introduction to the series but it really gives a lot of context to the opening scenes of the first book "Cry Wolf".
****Highly recommend reading this prior to starting the series.
I did not read the other short stories contained in the collection...but maybe I will get to them at a later date.

[Tilly Slaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I have not read all of her books as of yet, Patricia Briggs is one of my favorite authors.

The Mercy Thompson series really appealed to me. I love shape-shifter romance books, and I was pleasantly surprised to find the series continue the relationship between Mercy and Adam.

The Alpha and Omega series is a spin-off of the Mercy Thompson series. This series is based on the relationship between Charles and Anna.

Charles is a very dominant werewolf. He was born a werewolf, the only of his kind. As son of the Marrok, Bran, he is the head hunter and wielder of justice for their kind.

Anna is an Omega werewolf. Changed without her consent and unknowing of what she is, she endured three years of abuse and rape from her pack. It took some time, but finally she gripped what little courage she had and contacted the Marrok to inform him of the death of the disappearance of one of the new werewolves in her pack.

As Charles was already sent to investigate the evil doings of Leo's pack, Bran added a new order .. to protect Anna from the pack's retaliation.

Charles' wolf claims Anna's wolf as his mate before either of them have time to adjust to one another. This makes things even more explosive as he is territorial and jealous of those around her. The knowledge of her abuse and pass around rape infuriates him.

This is a very short story that introduces this new relationship in the world of Briggs' werewolves. Although Anna's character progression is at light speed, I look forward to reading more of her.

I strongly advise you to read the Mercy Thompson series first. Without doing so, I doubt you would appreciate this book as much as I.

I recommend this book to mature adults. Although there is no descriptive sexual content, there is a semi mild discussion of rape and abuse. Mild to moderate violence.

If I had read this book without prior reading the Mercy Thompson series, I would have rated this with two stars. Knowing what is to come with Crywolf and Hunting Grounds, I rated it with four stars.

~Happy reading

[Ina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Re-read: April 2018
3.5 stars

On the Prowl is still my least favorite book written by Patricia Briggs. It's not really surprising considering her other books are usually novels which have huge advantage over the short stories. I don't have anything against short stories, but full length novels just let you understand the characters and the overall story better. Plus, I'm not the biggest fan of insta-love stories, so even though I really like Anna and Charles (and I absolutely adore this series as a whole), this story definitely wasn't a 5-star read for me.


Re-read: May 2017

I'm still f.cking pissed at Charles for not killing everyone who has ever hurt and raped Anna.


First read: March 2016
Alpha and Omega 0.5 by Patricia Briggs - 3.5 stars

I'm not really sure how I felt about this book. I liked learning more about werewolves and I liked Anna.

What I didn't like was very fast paced romance (I'm really not into this whole "we just met and you are love of my life" stuff), but I was warned this is more of a paranormal romance story. I also hated the fact that Charles didn't kill everyone who tortured/raped Anna. Seriously dude, what the hell? I know their Alpha made them do it, but WHO would let them live? They raped your mate over and over again!

However, I'm looking forward to reading other Alpha and Omega stories. Hopefully, Anna will grow some balls in time (I know that not every heroine can be kick-ass and Anna has good reasons to be cautious and scared, but I really hope she can learn to fight for herself).

[Alaina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, okay, let me just tell you that within this book there are about four novellas. Oh, and let me just point out that the first novella within this entire damn book is the only good one. It's 100% less cringe-worthy as well. The other three I just wish that I would've blacked out on. I really want to forget reading them. I was cringing the entire god damn time. I don't know if I'm ever going to get back the hours I spend reading this book. AND YES I SAID HOURS. Because of the constant cringing opportunities sprung upon me I had to walk away from this book and cheer myself up with another book. It honestly did not matter to me if the other book had a happy or terrible ending. IT JUST HAD TO BE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BOOK. That's all I asked and looked for.

So if anyone wants to read the Alpha and Omega Series by Patricia Briggs, just read the first novella of this book... or just completely forget this book and read the novella called Alpha and Omega 0.5. It's the same exact thing but just about that one novella. It would save you so much time. You wont be cringing at all. You will be happy - unlike me.

But don't worry. I'm not going to let the three other novellas steer me away from this series. Oh, hell no. I will stay strong and stick with my guns. I will read this series. I will make this series my bitch.

[Suzanne (Under the Covers Book blog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I have read the entire book and all the novella in it (and really enjoyed!) but I am reviewing this after having just had a little reread of Patricia Brigg's Alpha & Omega novella.

Alpha & Omega
by Patricia Briggs

This is where my love for Patricia Briggs started, with this short but powerful novella. This is the first in the series, of the same name as the novella: Alpha & Omega. It gives you such a great hint of the massive world the Briggs has created with werewolves, fae and vampires, although her books focus on the wolves. As well as this, she has weaved in the start of a romance, which I KNOW (as it has already happened!) means I will be reading the next book to keep up with the almost-couple.

I can't state clearly enough exactly what a fantastic author Patricia Briggs so, if you haven't already, I implore you to give this novella a try, it's short but with a satisfying ending and well worth the hour or so it takes to read.

[MelissaB · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is only for Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs.

I really enjoyed the first book in the Alpha and Omega series. The book is set in the same world as the Mercy Thompson series but follows Anna, an Omega wolf who has been abused by her Chicago pack for three years, and Charles, Bran's son who we met in Moon Called. I really enjoyed reading this story in third person because I knew what Charles was thinking (the Mercy Thompson series is in first-person, so it's harder to know what Adam really feels). Great beginning to the series, the action was non-stop plus I really enjoyed the two leads. This book feels more like a romance series, which I love. Great story!

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

* insert rant about terrible covers *

I've fallen pretty far down the Alpha & Omega rabbit hole so I was pretty excited to finally read the short story that started it all. And it was...okay.
Taken at face value, it pissed me off several times. It contains really fast insta-lust and Charles makes some comment to Anna about how she will 'enjoy' sex with him after she flat-out tells him she isn't interested. But I know where the story goes. I know Charles eventually loses that chip on his shoulder. And while I was a little puzzled by how things differed from the story as told here and the story we get in Cry Wolf, I was glad I took the time to read it.

The rest of the short stories in this collection on the other hand...
Less worth the time.

Inhuman by Eileen Wilks felt mildly interesting initially and then took an abrupt turn into weird. The beginning and end felt like two different stories. Light sex scene further drove the story down. By the end it just felt...meh.

Buying Trouble by Karen Chance didn't exactly start out interesting, but it also took an abrupt turn. In fact, I believe the words "what the h-e-double-toothpicks" escaped me I was so baffled. Heavy insta-lust and some bizarre storytelling but nothing horrendous.

Mona Lisa Betwining was horrendous. Full disclosure: I barely got five pages in. Pretty awful reverse-harem stuff. Not for me.

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

**only reading Patricia Brigg's Alpha and Omega**

This was a really sweet and short story on how Charles and Anna met. I am definitely looking forward to the courtship in the next book. I had been told that Anna had been abused ~ and she was but thankfully not as bad as my imagination lead me to think.

I enjoyed getting to know Anna and Charles especially since it's been awhile since I read the first Mercy book. I'm really liking Anna and I hope that continues. Charles is very interesting and I just like getting to know all the family much better. Why did I wait so long to read these?

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally caved in and got the precursor to the Alpha & Omega novels. My excuse is that I wanted to try out my new eReader. And as expected I really liked the first story, although I already roughly knew what to expect from it. I guess that is the nice thing about book series. You make freinds and it's familiar and nice to meet them again.

The second story by Eileen Wilks was pretty good as well. Interesting idea of the borders between realms breaking down and talents emerging. The heroine should appeal to fans of Patricia Briggs or Carrie Vaughn. There were some odd changes in tenses a few times that threw me. But the plot and characters made up for that.

I read two books in the Cassie Palmer series by Karen Chance, so the world in the third story was not new to me. The stroy was ok, but did not really captivate me. Until the ending, that was unexpected and fun. But all in all the story lacked a red thread. The ending didn't feel as if it belonged.

Stoy number four was supposed to be great for fans of Laurell K Hamilton, if the blurb is to be trusted. But believe me, Anita Blake this was not. Neither early nor late Anita. The style felt antiquated and stuffy, the sex was lacklustre, it felt like a summary of another book and you were fiercly hit over the head with an ad for the next book in the series. I skimmed this very quickly.

So, #1 was nice and comfortable, #2 might be a potential new author for me. #3 was ok, but nothing great. #4 did nothing for me.

[willaful · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of these things is not like the others...

I really enjoyed the first three stories in this anthology, all of which were on the paranormal romance side of urban fantasy, just where I like it. I was familiar with the worlds already established in Briggs' and Wilks' stories but think it would have been fine if I hadn't been; Chance's world was new to me, but stood alone perfectly well. Good characters, good conflicts; I actually feel inspired to continue with Wilks' Lupis series, which had previously bogged down for me.

Then Sunny's story went all Laurell K. Hamilton on my ass. The writing was a weird mix of mystic-poetic and feisty vernacular. The backstory was confusing as hell. And the frontstory seemed to be mostly the lead character having lots of sex with different people. I have no idea how erotica slunk its way into this particular anthology but it did not mesh well.

[Carolyn F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMENDED 02/12/11 I'm re-reading this because I'm going to listen to the Alpha & Omega series and the first story about them meeting is not in an audiobook. Note to publisher: Please make this an audiobook! This is one of my favorite anthologies.

2nd read. Loved the Patricia Briggs and Eileen Wilks stories. Karen Chance's Claire (2nd story I've read with this character) is okay. She's an okay character. Sunny's story is good, but you have to read the other stories in order to understand this story at all. Not a stand alone story at all. I really liked this anthology a lot.

[Bex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok i only got this book for Alpha and Omega so thats the only story im reviewing :D

In Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs, we meet Anna, a recently turned werewolf, whom everyone believes to be a true submissive wolf. But when Charles Cornick arrives, son of the Marrok werewolf (or king as we humans understand better), arrives to investigate some problems in the Chicago pack, he knows immediately that Anna is more than anyone thinks, and is one very special female he could easily fall for.

This was my first foray into Patricia Briggs's werewolf society and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fortunately, though I assume this takes place in the same society as in her two most recent werewolf books, I did not need to read them first. I had no problem following along with the rules of the werewolves and unfolding events. There are also some very interesting twists thrown into the story that explain just what did happen to the missing werewolves in the pack and why there are no females besides Anna and the pack leader's mate.

[Beanbag Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only bought this for the Briggs story which is a prequel to her Alpha and Omega series.

I'd give it five stars, but I've read reviews of the other stories and it seems the PB story is really the best and the others fall quite short. So I can't, in good conscience, give the whole book a five.

But, if you're into Patricia Briggs, this is a really great novella about what happened during Moon Called when Charles (the marrock's other son) went to Chicago to check things out.

I can't wait to get started on the series now. The only reason I'm not devouring it at this moment is because my Kindle won't connect to the wireless right now. But I'm on it asap.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the short story "Alpha & Omega" by Patricia Briggs, the precursor to the Alpha & Omega series that takes place in Mercy Thompson's world and runs concurrently with that series. So I guess I'll be switching back and forth according to the "best reading order" post that Sonia sent me. :)

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2020 Summer Clearance Special

I am almost embarrassed by how many books I have purchased during these days of self-quarantining. This was one of them. I've been enjoying Patricia Briggs' Alpha & Omega series for years now, but I had never read the very beginning story that is included in this collection. In fact, it annoyed me a fair bit that this origin story was not in the first novel. Now I know the bits that have been missing for some time and details in that first novel make more sense.

The stories by Eileen Wilks and Karen Chance appealed to me as well. I'm a big fan of urban fantasy and I'm always on the look-out for new possibilities. However, I'm fussy about it too, and I was glad to find that I'm willing to give these authors a try.

The fourth story by Sunny is less to my taste. My library has some of her writing, but certainly not complete runs of the series that she has written. I find I'm not motivated to search for the missing ones. I'll probably pass this author by.

Now I think that I'd like to reread the Charles & Anna books, with my new knowledge from their first novella in mind.

[Suz]

I mean to mark this as story 1.5 of the alpha & omega series. I liked it and don't remember having read it before. 0.5 I have read, twice.

I may just stop trying to keep track of stories that are in anthologies. It's too much trouble to keep it sorted.

[Tate ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Es super entretenido me habría gustado más si no ubiese sabido ya que pasa debido a que leí primero el libro 1 antes del 0.5 en finnn es super bueno!

[Shannon (Savhage Temptrest) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Alpha and Omega" by Patricia Briggs was the prequel for the Alpha & Omega series that focuses on the relationship of Charles and Anna. In this short, we see how Anna and Charles first met and really get a feel for what Anna's life had been like before she met Charles. Really an excellent short, definitely recommend reading it before Cry Wolf that way you won't miss anything. Action packed, emotional, and just a little darker than the Mercy Thompson series but overall just a great short-story to begin the series!

"Inhuman" by Eileen Wilks was really a great short story all around! It had action, intrigue, mystery, love, romance, magic, and alien-like sentient creatures to boot! After a magic revolution called The Turning, many people have either strengthened their magic abilities or sprouted them virtually overnight. Kai is considered an empath by most of society, but she is actually something for more complex and different. Her neighbor Nathan is considered a witch or Lupus(werwolf) because of his abilities, but he is also something much more than meets the eye: he's not human. Together they try to find and stop a killer who is targeting "Gifted" before they lose anyone else or each other to the murders. Very good and very descriptive read! Just really liked it, and can't to read more about the World of the Lupi series!

"Buying Trouble" by Karen Chance was a pretty interesting tale of Claire, a powerful null who is more than one she seems and works in a paranormal auction house in Manhattan. One night she meets Heidar, a powerful Light Fey who is out to make a purchase at this particular auction, and both of them get much more than he or she bargained for. I liked this little short story based in the universe of Dorina Basarab and Cassie Palmer. I thought the story was good, but I wished we had seen and learned more about the three different factions of Fey and Claire's family. Hopefully we will get more from these two in other books as the end suggests future writings.

"Mona Lisa Betwining" by Sunny was just a different type of story than I was expecting. I have never read any of her books before, so I felt like I was walking in blind a bit through the story. The story centered on the Queen of the Monere, shapeshifters, and her time shortly after taking control of her territory in Louisiana. She is just learning her land, but must travel to the Council to discuss how she won her throne. She encounters life changing events that she has no control of, and leans on the one man she has shown only disdain for. I admit, I was a bit perplexed, to say the least, but I liked the way the author wrote and she did peak my interest in reading her Demon Princess series. On the fence about going further into the Mona Lisa Monere series. The multiple lovers kind of threw me a bit, but I'm open-minded, and I'll probably venture into this series at some point!

Overall, I enjoyed the book as a whole although two of the authors were a bit different, but peaked my interest in their writings. I truly enjoyed the first and third stories more than the second and fourth probably because I am currently reading books set in those particular worlds. The fourth story was much more graphic and explicit with the sexual components, but all were not lacking in the romance department say the first story which was mostly Urban Fantasy. Unless you are a fan of two or more of the authors in this anthology, I don't think I'd recommend it to just any reader.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOTE: THIS RATING IS ONLY FOR THE PATRICIA BRIGGS NOVELLA FOR NOW.

"Alpha and Omega" by Patricia Briggs - 4 stars (read August 4, 2011)
I loved this short prequel to the "Alpha & Omega" series, which is also a spin-off of the "Mercy Thompson" series. A&O features Charles Cornick, son to Bran the Marrok and brother to Samuel, and Anna. It takes place around the time of Mercy book on, Moon Called, after Bran is made aware of the situation in Chicago.


I liked Charles a lot in the Mercy books, even though he wasn't a strong presence. There was a silent strength and inherent sexiness to him that just called to me. With this novella, I don't see how one couldn't fall absolutely head over heels in love with the guy. In just 72 pages, you see that he's not just the executioner for the Marrok, but a man who learned not to get close to anyone because he might have to kill them one day. He protects the innocent and those he cares for. Really, how could you not adore him?


Anna was pretty damn awesome, too. Despite her fears, she feels safe with Charles and isn't afraid to stand up to him when necessary. She thinks she's submissive when she's really an Omega, a wolf with the power to have a calming influence on the wolves around her. How cool is that! Also, even though she starts out pretty meek because of all that she's been through, Anna comes into herself and finds her strength, in part because Charles and his care of and for her inspires a confidence in here that she hadn't experienced since being Changed.


So, I think it's safe to say this novella rocked, and I'm greatly looking forward to the rest of the series. And I can see that I will come to love it just as much as I love Mercy Thompson.

[Glamdring · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella has a good length and is a very good beginning to this series.

[Marulett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super promising start :)

[Tani · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I got this book ages ago, just for the story by Patricia Briggs. And then I never read the rest of the stories in the book! Let's talk about failure. XD Anyway, I took this off the shelf the other night, when I was feeling the urge for some romance, and now I've finally managed to read all four stories in this book. Here's the breakdown:

Alpha & Omega is the lead-in to the series of the same name by Patricia Briggs. It's the story of how Anna and Charles meet, and I think it's great. Alpha & Omega is probably my favorite urban fantasy/paranormal romance series, and this story lays the groundwork for that. It's a strong hurt-comfort story, with great characters, and I love it. I didn't read it this time around, as I've read it multiple times in the past, but I definitely think it's great.

Inhuman by Eileen Wilks is the next story. I was a bit put off by the writing style at first, as it's kind of abrupt and no-frills, but I found myself swiftly enjoying the characters. I ended up really drawn into this story. I liked the world-building, which reminded me a bit of the Kate Daniels series, with its magical storms and whatnot. I had already put the first World of the Lupi books on my to-read list, just because it seems up my alley, but this story has me even more convinced that I will enjoy this series heartily.

Buying Trouble by Karen Chance is the third story. Again, this was pretty quick to draw me. I really liked the main characters. Claire was sassy and fun, and I immediately found myself rooting for her. Heidar ended up being fun as well, and I'm really interested in the world-building here, with all of the different realms and their differences. Again, Karen Chance is an author that was already on my radar, and this just reinforced my interest.

The final story was Mona Lisa Betwining by Sunny. I definitely thought that this was the weakest of the series. Part of this was that it was picking up in the middle of things. There was clearly a lot of story that came before this short story, and although the narrative explains things, the emotional connection to the characters just wasn't there for me. The comparisons to Anita Blake are also justified, I think. I would add that this also reminded me of Anne Bishop's Black Jewels books, with its talk of demon dead and with the gender politics as they are. There's definitely a place for stories like this, but I'm not sure that they're for me anymore. Still, it wasn't terrible, I didn't hate it. It just didn't quite pique my interest like the others did.

[Dark Faerie Tales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: This anthology delivers tantalizing views into well-loved worlds. Fun reads that can be enjoyed without prior knowledge of the series.

The Review:

I don’t normally read all of an anthology. I will go to the sections with my favorite authors and then call it good. On the Prowl is not your usual anthology. The novellas are long enough to satisfy my need for details yet short enough to wet my appetite for more. I had not previously read anything by Eileen Wilks and nothing about Karen Chance’s spin-off series, Dorina Basarab. Now, I can’t get a hold of their other books fast enough!

“Alpha and Omega” by Patricia Briggs (Alpha and Omega series #0.5)

Events in this story follow along with what’s happening during the Mercy Thompson novel, Moon Called. Charles Cornick, werewolf enforcer of the North American Werewolves and son of the Marrok, travels to Chicago to investigate the allegations of selling newly made werewolves for profit, misconduct of the Alpha, and murder. He goes to do his duty as he always has, alone. Charles is rare for his kind; he was born a werewolf, not made one. He is about to meet someone equally rare; Anna, an Omega. Anna Latham has been used and abused by her pack. It is her sense of ethics that prompt her to get their leader, the Marrok, involved. She doesn’t realize how her position as Omega really works. As an Omega, she has the ability to calm those werewolves around her; most packs would consider her a gift. All of the dominate leaders in the pack she’s currently in have tried to beat her into submission and it leaves her with a warped sense of how a true pack should work. Her skittishness around Charles is understandable after learning about her abuse. That doesn’t seem to stop Charles’s wolf from claiming her as his mate. This novella is the beginning of a beautiful relationship between two people who come together after their wolves have already committed them for life.

Rating: 5/5

“Inhuman” by Eileen Wilks (#3.5 of the World of the Lupi series)

This novella tells the story of Kai and Nathan. Nathan is an otherworldly being, working with local cops on magical cases. Kai is a telepath and the target of a serial killer who is hunting those with Gifts, or magical abilities. Nathan and Kai’s relationship to this point has been about friendship, no matter how much Kai would like more. As Nathan begins to hunt down the killer, he ends up falling into bed with Kai while “protecting” her. She finds out that Nathan used to be Nadrellian, a hell hound. In the end, they find love and discover the truth behind the killer’s true motivations; a need to belong. It is this ability, the voluntary binding of hearts, which prompts the Winter Queen into sending Kai, Nathan, and Dell on a quest to prove Kai’s resolve and fortitude.

Rating: 4/5

“Buying Trouble” by Karen Chance (#1.1 of Dorina Basarab series)

This novella follows what happens to Dory’s roommate, Claire, in Midnight’s Daughter. Claire is a projective null meaning that magic doesn’t work well around her. She is on the run from harvesters, people that will drain her magic and turn it into a bomb, and her family who wants to sell her to the fae for breeding purposes. She works for a magic auction house. Little did she know that tonight’s auction, containing objects like a mad djinn’s bottle and a rune that creates portals to Faerie, also includes her in the bidding. Heidar, half-human/half-Light Fey, helps Claire escape the auction; unfortunately they land in faerie enemy territory. Lots of fighting ensues and Claire gets to use her powers as a weapon. Run, run as fast as they can…nope, they get caught making whoopee and bringing out a part of Claire that has remained dormant until now. No, I’m not gonna spoil it for you. Read it and find out yourself; it’s more fun that way anyhow.

Rating: 5/5

“Mona Lisa Betwining” by Sunny (#4 of Monere series)

I like the Monere series, I really do. I can’t seem to get enough of it. Fair warning: this novella and the series as a whole, is considered to be erotic paranormal. Lots of lovin’ involved, if you catch my drift. With that out of the way…Mona Lisa is still reeling from the loss of her first love, Griffon. Dontaine, her new Master at Arms, keeps trying to get in her pants. Don’t worry folks, he gets there eventually. The circumstances surrounding his death and that of the former queen of Louisiana, Mona Louisa, must be explained to the High Council. During the inquiry, Mona Lisa realizes that she holds more than just the essence of the dead queen, but the bloodlust too. Her response to the High Lord of Hell’s demon daughter, Lucinda, is now cause for concern. In times past, those like Mona Lisa were hunted and killed by the demons. Only the High Prince of Hell’s mate claim keeps Lucinda from destroying our heroine. More lovin’ (go Dontaine!) and we end with another uniqueness, and reason to kill, added on to Mona Lisa’s repertoire. A little hard to follow? I’m not surprised. I recommend reading the full Monere series in order to truly understand what’s going on in this novella.

Rating: 3/5

My only beef overall for the book is with Sunny, the last author. I detest having to read novellas in order to follow an ongoing series. For the next book in the Monere series to make sense, you have to read “Mona Lisa Betwining”. Oh sure, you can read the novella and enjoy it for what it is but Mona Lisa Craving, the third book in the series, begins right at the end of the novella, and if you read just the book, it feels like you’re missing something. I am of the notion that novella’s are extra and not crucial. Extra points-of-view and side stories are a wonderful way to enhance a writer’s world. Sometimes when you love a series, you need those extra bits to get you through the waiting for the next book. Some of the extra stories are a way for authors to explain events without bogging down the main book and I can respect that. If it’s crucial to a storyline, it should be including in the original books. It feels like, as a consumer, I’m forced to buy extra books I don’t want in order to properly follow a series. I like to be given a choice, thank you very much.

FTC Advisory: No one provided me with a copy of On the Prowl, I bought it myself. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. The only things I receive for payment are hugs and kisses from my boys.