Audiobook Review: Fair Game by Patricia Briggs

  
TITLE: Fair Game

SERIES: Alpha & Omega, Book #3
AUTHOR: Patricia Briggs 

NARRATOR: Holter Graham
PUBLISHER: Penguin Audiobooks
PUBLICATION DATE: March 6, 2012

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook, 9 hrs and 57 mins
GENRE: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy

ISBN: 9781101538579

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...

MY REVIEW:

I received this audiobook for review from the publisher. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and the views expressed herein are my own.  

Fair Game takes place close to a year after Hunting Ground ends. Not just the wolves have been “outed” to the public, but also fae. As a result, CNTRP (pronounced can-trip) has been created, which is a new agency formed to deal with preternaturals. The acronym stands for Combined Nonhuman and Transhuman Relations Provisors.

A serial killer has been on the loose in Boston, and the FBI has invited CNTRP and the spokesperson for the wolves, Adam Hauptman, to consult with them to see whether they can aid in the investigation. Adam is the Alpha of the Tri-Cities pack and, because his mate has been injured, Bran decides to send Anna as a replacement to act as their spokesperson. Anna is very perceptive and highly skilled at reading people, and she also gives off a non-threatening presence. From the forensic photographs, Charles recognizes not just wolves as some of the victims but also fae. Charles and Anna must work with the local Boston Alpha, Isaac, who was Changed about the same time as Anna. When another fae is kidnapped, it is a race against the clock as Charles and Anna try to uncover who is responsible for these hideous crimes.

Fair Game is quite a bit darker than the rest of the books in the Alpha & Omega series. The violence is more graphic, and the book just has an overall darker feel to it. It matched the change in Anna’s and Charles’ relationship, which has also become riddled with problems. Because the wolves are no longer a secret, Bran has put tighter reins on the packs and cannot allow any wolves to behave in a manner that is out of control. Problematic wolves are dealt with much more severely, which means that Charles is sent out more and more often to carry out the Marrok’s sentences. Where before newly-Changed wolves may have been let off with a warning, they are now being eliminated by Charles. With so many kills, his guilt is getting the better of him and he is plagued by the souls of those he has punished. To keep Anna safe, he shuts down his bond to her so that they troubled souls cannot harm her. However, by doing so, he has severed the part of him that gives him peace. Anna and Charles are both suffering from his withdrawal, and she even is at odds with Bran because she blames him for his part in making Charles the way that he is now. When her pleas fall on deaf ears, she turns to Asil to see if he can intervene.

Despite the increased tension between Anna and Charles, there are some tender moments like this one:

“"I need to go," she said to his chest. "I need – " His mouth closed over hers, hot and hungry, warming her mouth as his body warmed her body. "Me," Charles said, his voice dark and gravelly as if it had traveled up from the bottom of the earth, his eyes a bright gold. "You need me."”

This book ends with what promises to be excitement in the next chapter of the Alpha & Omega series! Briggs is going to really shake things up!

With each book, I feel as though I am getting to know all of the key players on a deeper level. I love that. Briggs doesn’t create one-dimensional characters; they are multifaceted. I also like how she changed up the relationship a bit between Anna and Charles. Until now, their relationship has evolved in a healthy way. Because of the nature of Charles’ responsibilities, his change was unavoidable. And his reaction was so...Charles – sacrificing his own mental health because of his love for Anna. I like how Anna is not afraid to give Bran a piece of her mind! She is the only one that can get away with that.

I’m so sad that I am caught up now in the series! I now have to go and read Briggs’ sister series, Mercy Thompson. That will have to satisfy me until the next installment in the Alpha & Omega series comes out.

I was so pleased that Narrator Holter Graham reverted back to his original vocalizations for Bran and Charles as first portrayed in Cry Wolf! Graham’s narration is the right blend of emotion and intensity, and he really is a delight to listen to!

MY RATING:

5 stars!! It was superb! I loved it, and I will likely re-read it again in the future! You should definitely read it! Thanks to Penguin Audio for the review copy!

This book qualifies as: 

#37 for my 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 
#4 for my 2012 Patricia Briggs Werewolf Challenge
#13 for my 2012 Audio Book Challenge  
#5 of Category 4 for my 2012 Immortal Reading Challenge 
#14 for my 2012 ARC Reading Challenge   
#24 for my Speculative Fiction Challenge 2012
#1 for my 2012 Serial Killers Reading Challenge
#10 for my What an Animal Reading Challenge V

   

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