Sheep Review: Fair Game by Patricia Briggs + Giveaway

By: Sharon Stogner
Co-Founder & Media Relations
*I received this ARC copy from Penguin Group USA


“Leslie learned two valuable things about the fae that day. They were powerful and charming-and they ate children and puppies.” Pg. 7 Fair Game

After reading this sentence I knew I was going to love this book, as well as Briggs. Fair Game is the third book in Patricia Briggs's Alpha and Omega series, and the first Briggs' book I have read. I am a big dark Urban Fantasy fan and people have been telling me for years to try her books, and let me just say I was not disappointed. Even though I jumped into this series at book three, I had no problem immersing myself into the impressive world Briggs has created and her unique characters. She is a master storyteller, creating a cast of characters I quickly connected to, as well as a story which was fast-paced, riveting and written particularly damn well.

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 favorite paranormal creatures are the Fae and shifters, and guess what this story is about? Needless to say, I was thrilled. The plot of this book focuses on two major story arcs carried over from the first two books of the series, as well as a new mystery that must be solved in this one. Anna and Charles are mated in this book, but his job as the Pack enforcer and executioner is having a negative impact on his mental health and by extension his relationship with Anna. I absolutely love Charles, he's an old school alpha male, which means he doesn’t apologize for or try to hide what he is. Others around him submit without even realizing what they are doing. Charles carries the world on his shoulders and feels the need to always be strong, only he has finally met his match and instead of protecting his mate he has put her in danger. I also love Briggs’s werewolf mythology, in which the wolf is a distinct and separate personality from the human. The wolf and man take care of each other and consult to decide the best way to handle things. Sometimes one will take control without asking, especially if it's to protect themselves or their mate. Anna is an Omega, a rare type of werewolf, she has a calming effect on those around her and alphas can’t force her into submission, making her the perfect match for Charles. I like her strong will and gentle touch and I find their romance passionate and swoon worthy.

Not only do Charles and Anna have to work on their relationship, they must jump through political hoops while containing a P.R. nightmare with the human world. The werewolves and other supernatural creatures like the Fae and witches are trying to co-exist with humans, but it isn’t going very well. It appears that someone is trying to sabotage the delicate peace. In this book, Anna and Charles are working with the FBI to track a serial killer who is preying upon Weres and Fae. Anna and Charles hope that by working with the FBI they can prove that humans and shifters can work together. In this particular case, someone or something has kidnapped the human daughter of a very old Fae Lord who will stop at nothing to get her back. Alistair Beauclaire is everything I love about the Fae; old, confident, powerful, and indifferent except when it comes to the ones he loves. Alistair said it best when talking to Charles about what he is willing to do to save his child.

“It is not wise to give something old and powerful something they care about. And I am very old.” pg. 126 Fair Game

Briggs has created a complex and captivating world that I can’t wait to visit again. The story, characters and quality of writing make this a must read.

5 "smitten with Briggs" sheep

Berkley Publishing Group (Ace) is offering a signed copy of On the Prowl to one lucky reader. US ONLY
and I Smell Sheep will be giving away a signed copy of Fair Game US ONLY
*signed copy will be mailed after March 15

To enter:

1. Leave a way to contact you in the comments

2. Tell us how you follow (FB, Twitter etc.)

3. Tell me, do you like your alpha males hard and crunchy or soft and chewy?

Contest ends: March 6th