Bran is MIA after helping rescue Mercy in Europe. This leaves his son Charles in charge of the Aspen Creek Pack. Instead of Anna and him being on the outer fringes of the pack and living in their home that is more a haven than anything else they are ensconced in Bran's house, Pack HQ, and Bran's wife Leah isn't taking too well to having house guests. She's used to having the pack in and out of her house at all hours, but not her step-son and daughter-in-law underfoot. It's almost a relief when a crisis arises. The hills behind their small Montana town are filled with wolves that are under Bran's protection but can not live amongst the pack. A danger to themselves and others, they live off the radar. These wildings are often left to their own devices but can call on the pack in times of crisis. One such crisis has arisen. Men have shown up in the woods. Well armed and prepared men. They have abducted Hester, a member of the pack, and her Fae mate Jonesy has called for help. Due to the remoteness of their location it's a miracle that Anna and Charles arrive before Hester is gone. The ensuing fight leaves many dead but even more questions that need answering. These militant attackers came into the Marrock's territory and attempted to take a pack member under his protection when they knew Bran was gone. They were too well prepared and well informed, indicating an enemy that is well funded and a possible mole within the pack. Yet there is a surprise in store. One of the attackers is known to Anna. He was there when she was abused in her old pack. Charles would kill him if the man wasn't already dead. Hopefully there will be no more death. With that goal in mind the strongest wolves set out to visit the wildings and when Anna meets the werewolf artist Wellesley and connects with him everything starts to make sense. The puzzle pieces are falling into place. But will they be able to accept what is revealed?

An ongoing perk of being a blogger is access to NetGalley where you can request digital advance reader copies of books. Yet NetGalley is a double edged sword, not just because you might end up requesting so many books there's no chance you'll ever finish them, of which I am guilty, but because sometimes instead of allowing you to request a book, in it's place, taunting you, is the "I Wish" button. Of course sometimes they do grant wishes, they tell you right there as you're desperately clicking the button hoping it will transform into a request one. Of all the authors I've read through NetGalley over the years I have never gotten such a thrill at seeing a book listed as with Patricia Briggs. Those gorgeous covers by Dan dos Santos though are always followed by nothing more than a wish. Yet in these instances my wishes have all been granted, thankfully without some nefarious deal with a fairy on the back end; just a request for my honest opinion, and my honest opinion is that I love Patricia Briggs and all her books set in the world of Mercy Thompson. Yet it's hard to review these books if just for the simple reason that after fifteen installments it's hard to find something new to say... except this time there is something new to say, and that's my realization that I love the Alpha and Omega series more. As long as there aren't any more horses. Yes, I entered this world through Mercy's adventures, but I relate more to Charles and Anna. At first I was wondering if it's because with only five books under their belt they had less baggage, but as seen here this series carries Mercy's baggage as well as it's own. Therefore I thought, perhaps it's the more focused narrative with less characters, but here we dealt with a pack bigger than the Columbia Basin Pack. In the end it comes down to the fact I relate more to Charles and Anna. They are more introspective, more removed. They are a part of their pack yet cherish their alone time, and that's something I can relate to.

As for the Aspen Creek Pack, they really take center stage in Burn Bright. Aside from their first adventure, Charles and Anna have been traipsing all over the continental United States and rarely have time to take in the Montana air. This time isn't downtime either, with Charles's farther Bran MIA after helping rescue Mercy in her previous adventure, but Charles being placed in charge of the pack means he's stuck on his home turf. Therefore, for what I feel is the first time, we're really getting a firsthand look at the pack. It's not filtered through Mercy's memories or passed down gossip that eventually gets to Charles and Anna, it's on the ground and immediate. We get to not only see the pack, but see what they are like without Bran present, who is such a dominate force he can overpower any plot line. And while each and every revelation of how the pack structure works was interesting to me, what I was most drawn to was the insight into Leah. Leah is Bran's mate, a mate who no one likes. Sometimes it seems that Bran doesn't much care for her either. In each and every one of her appearances, be it Mercy's stories or Charles's, she comes across as a really self-centered and bitchy stepmother. I won't say wicked, because she's never done anything altogether malicious, but she's always appeared to be cut from the same cloth. Burn Bright started out in this same vein and yet, while Leah never changed we readers finally got insight into how she became the way she is and the benefits of that. It's often the case that being able to put yourself in someone else's shoes lets you empathize with them and so it is here. We got to the bottom of her rage and came out seeing her with new eyes. She has even earned the respect of Charles, and that's saying something.

We also learned about "secret" pack members. Enter the wildings! Oh, how I love that Patricia Briggs has taken a word that is so heavily associated with Game of Thrones and George R. R. Martin and made it her own. The wildings, instead of being people just living behind a really big wall are werewolves, occasionally with their mates, who can no longer live in a pack setting. They are either too damaged or too dangerous, or a combination of both, to be allowed entrance to the town of Aspen Creek. Some of them occasionally can join the pack hunts, but most of the time they are secreted away on their own large parcels of land under Bran's supervision. Why this resonated with me so strongly is that I've felt for awhile that the black and white nature of who deserves to live and who deserves to die due to their behavior in this fictional universe was needing some grey. Having Charles as executioner to Bran's judgment was harsh. Bran seemed to make Aspen Creek a haven for the damaged, but only up to a point. Yet now we find out that he's actually been hiding his people out in the woods to protect them instead of giving them a fatal punishment. It makes Bran more human to me. He's no longer this untouchable, this unknowable force, he has a heart, and not just for Mercy. This is also seen in the expanding of Leah's past. The superhumans are coming down to our level and that just makes this a more relevant series. Briggs has always explored the all too human side of suffering with her series, and this is another great entry into seeing ourselves more clearly through something that is "other."

All the wildings could be considered crazy, to an extent. It's almost as if Briggs is creating her own spectrum, from unable to take human form to will kill you rather than look at you, we see a wide range of problems. Yet all this boils down to the notion of what makes us crazy and who cares for crazy. I was drawn to the first problem, what makes us crazy. Due to things that have been happening in my own life I felt the importance, the weight of this question. Is it environmental factors? A genetic disposition? An outside factor like drugs? Or, as we are in a supernatural world here, magic? With each different wilding we see a different presentation of madness, and yet, Anna shows that by approaching the situation with compassion these issues can be dealt with. With how Anna carefully deals with Wellesley we see what it is to be an Omega. She is the carer. She has had so much pain inflicted on herself that she knows what others who are injured need. So much of the book ties back into Anna's past traumas, in other words perhaps a re-read of her introductory short story from On the Prowl is needed, that we see there is no instant cure. Anna is still recovering. Her marriage and mystical connection to Charles didn't automatically heal all wounds. In fact, through dealing with her problems and then helping the Wildings, Anna is finding her place in the pack. Your damage, your illness, your problems, whatever they may be, they don't make up who you are, they inform who you become, and Anna is becoming an amazing heroine. My heroine.

Briggs has another fantastic Alpha & Omega story. Bran has not returned from leaving the country to help Mercy, so Charles is in charge of the pack. Someone is targeting the wolves that live outside of the pack and one was able to get a message that they have been betrayed Charles and Anna need to find and stop it. Lots of minor tension building to the main situation . Outstanding book!

A great addition to the Alpha/Omega series. I've wanted a book that puts Anna and Charles back in Montana and this does it. When werewolves that live on the fringe of the Marrok's pack are killed and the Marrok nowhere to be found, Anna and Charles are thrust into pack dynamics neither were expecting. Briggs does a great job at world building and exploring relationships and politics of the werewolf community in Montana. This book is a great and suspenseful adventure.

When pack Alpha Bran goes out of town and Charles and Anna receive a strange call from one of the pack-affiliated Wildlings, they have to take charge of the situation quickly before things get way out of hand.

What they find out in the wilderness, however, speaks of old witch-born problems come back to haunt them, and a vulnerability no one saw coming.

I've always liked Briggs' Alpha and Omega series (and the companion Mercy Thompson series), and this book is a really solid addition to the story. The characters are still the solid, well rounded and interesting characters they've always been, and you'll probably stay up all night just to find out what happens next. I certainly did.

Patricia Briggs never disappoints. She is the brightest voice in the Urban Fantasy genre and once again, set her readers out on a whirlwind of an adventure. Charles and Anna continue to be a dynamic, relatable couple that captures the heart of the reader, through their humanity, compassion, and faults that make them truly unique yet realistic.

I loved Burn Bright because I love Anna and Charles. The chemistry between these two is electric and the way they balance one another out makes you want that in your own relationship. Briggs kept me on the edge of my seat and when the book took a turn, I realized that I didn't even see the betrayal coming.

Burn Bright is Urban Fantasy with the perfect blend of Paranormal Romance.

Patricia Briggs is one of the best urban fantasy authors out there. Her books are captivating, and engrossing from beginning to end. Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega #1), was actually the first book I ever read by Patricia Briggs, and I loved it immediately. So getting back into the Alpha and Omega series after three years left me giddy and excited.

The relationship between a pack enforcer and an omega has always been fascinating to me. On top of that I love Charles’s Native American heritage. As the son of a witch and the packs Alpha, plus being the pack’s enforcer he is quite alluring. Anna, a truly appealing and endearing character, is a pure delight. Her backstory is heart-breaking, but her spine of still is evident in everything she does. She is tough when needed, and seeing her interact with Charles has been pleasure ever since the first book was published in 2008.

The author usually writes an Alpha & Omega book every two years with two Mercy Thompson novels in between. Since both of her series play in the same world, and are connected, it feels to me like I’m reading one long entire series, from two different angles. Which is FABULOUS!!!

Burn Bright continued almost exactly where Silence Fallen ended. Bran Cornick, the alpha of all North American werwolf packs, and Charles’s father, was absent when Charles and Anna received a distress call about one of the wildlings, and from there on the story took off.

Charles and Anna were as strong and steady as ever, their relationship was an unadulterated joy. I loved that Anna was front and centre, using her Omega power, with noticeable effect. It was even better when Anna and Charles worked hand in hand. Their compatibility was wonderful and heart-warming.

It’s always interesting when a natural alpha, but not necessarily the leader is pushed into a leading roll. The sudden change of status quo, the careful handling of pack hierarchy, and the importance of not stepping on too many toes – was a source of delightful tension.

Even though the big story arc seems to continue, with many new questions to be answered, it’s exciting to see how far the enemy will take it. It all points towards a longer story arc, a nemesis that will persist, and maybe even give Mercy a headache or two.

To sum it up, this book was very much a HIT. I enjoyed it from beginning to end, and was able to spend an entire day on the sofa, bundled up, watching the rain outside and reading a Patricia Briggs novel. That pretty much sums up an awesome day if you ask me.

Review will be published closer to release date - I'll update link at that point

Burn Bright is the next in the Alpha and Omega series, as part of the Mercy Thompson urban fantasy universe. Anna and Charles face new challenges in the Aspen Creek pack and old pack favorites like Asil feature in this adventure in addition to new members not previously met by the reader. Patricia Briggs is excellent at creating distinctive and well-developed characters and I love meeting each and every one. The 'wildlings' were a new element in her werewolf world and their introduction fit in nicely with the culmination of a long term plot thread.

Once I start one of these books, I never want them to end and Burn Bright was no exception. As usual. there is always some romance and some violence but nothing out of tune or gratuitous. It was well-plotted, balanced in tone, and had a few twists and turns but it is my deep investment in the characters that trapped me in the story. I would recommend this for fans of the series and general urban fantasy fans, although this is not a good place just jump in. Finally, this installment did have a less romance and more action than usual for Alpha and Omega.

Fantastic entry to the series. It really opened up a new direction for future adventures in both the Alpha and Omega series and in the Mercy Thompson series. I'm very glad Briggs continues to write about these characters and that she does such a lovely job. I was up turning pages well past the point my eyes wanted to stop reading and go to sleep.

I was over the moon when I saw the email that #netgalley approved my request to read #burnbright by #patriciabriggs .

In this installment Anna and Charles are watching over the pack during Brans absence. They receive a call from the fae mate of one of the wildling that there is trouble and Anna and Charles must hunt down the perpetrators.

I love Patrica Biggs and her writing. The storyline was ok but what made the book were the characters. Though the plot focuses on finding the villain I think the stories focus was also about the relationships involved(the mated pairs) as the story touches and focuses a lot of attention on them.

I love how we get a glimpse of Mercy and fill in some of her backstory while also getting to some of my fav Aspen Creek Wolves... Asil in particular.

If you haven’t started Briggs Mercy Thompson or Alpha Omega series do it now. I promise they do not disappoint. Check out this installment on its March 6th release date.

#Foodie #chicken #read #the_reading_foodie #laeats #fatty #yummy #alwayseating #bookish #alwaysreading #book #birdiesdtla #breakfast #bibliophile #bookworm #bookslut #bookstagram #booknerd #foodstagram #bookgeek #bookporn #foodporn #reader #breakfastsandwich

Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs is the newest installment in her Alpha Omega series featuring Charles and Anna Cornick. Let's just say that witches are awful, and traitors, well, betrayal hurts. The most interesting thread in the story was the insight Briggs gives us into Leah, Bran's wife. I'd spent previous novels disliking her intensely and waiting for her to die, or something. I'd actually been wondering about her and thinking I'd like to know more about her and Bran. I mean, no one likes her, right? Having her take a more active role in this story was like having a wish granted. Now I can honestly say, she's not that bad. I'm not sure I 'like' her, but I like her.

Burn Bright was a great addition to the Alpha and Omega series. The tension between humans and the werewolves is really ramping up, and Charles and Anna are becoming more and more involved in Pack business. I was surprised by a number of moments, and as always, am eagerly awaiting the next one!

Title: Burn Bright
Series: Alpha & Omega Book #5
Stand Alone Title: recommended in order
Author: Patricia Briggs
Genre: Paranormal, Romance
Blurb: They are the wild and the broken. The werewolves too damaged to live safely among their own kind. For their own good, they have been exiled to the outskirts of Aspen Creek, Montana. Close enough to the Marrok’s pack to have its support; far enough away to not cause any harm.

With their Alpha out of the country, Charles and Anna are on call when an SOS comes in from the fae mate of one such wildling. Heading into the mountainous wilderness, they interrupt the abduction of the wolf–but can’t stop blood from being shed. Now Charles and Anna must use their skills–his as enforcer, hers as peacemaker–to track down the attackers, reopening a painful chapter in the past that springs from the darkest magic of the witchborn…
Thoughts: Patricia Briggs is my absolute favorite author and is in absolute one-click buy on release day. While the Alpha & Omega series is tied to her Mercy Thompson series, it does stand on its own, though I dare to say Mercy is still my favorite of the two. When Burn Bright came out, I went back and re-read the previous books in this series – which in turn has me wanting to re-read the Mercy series again! It’s a vicious cycle and I just love this whole world – period. With Burn Bright, we have the witches once again causing mischief – this time in wildling territory. From there, it is nothing but an adventure – with some new characters thrown into the mix and a little more insight into some old ones.
What else can I say, but OMG you have to read this one!!
Rating: A
Other books in this series: Alpha & Omega (book .5), Cry Wolf (book one), Hunting Ground (book two), Fair Game (book three), and Dead Heat (book four).

The Alpha and the Omega are back! Action packed discovery! Burn Bright spellbinds with a mystery that will have you on the edge of your seat. Magical fae objects and buried secrets add an extra edge to a prepossessing story. Charles and Anna's shrewd understanding of their enemies unearth the strange and deadly. There's a new shimmer to Briggs' writing, forging an intense story. Revealing new nexuses between Charles and Anna, takes the story to new heights. The love and care they have for each other are beautifully composed. The Alpha and Omega series has become a fluid and fascinating foray into the magical world of werewolves and the occult. I can't wait for the next story!

Do you ever want to know more about The Marrok? I do! With each book, Briggs allows glimpses of the inner workings of Bran. BUT it's never enough! I am obsessing a bit about him and Asil. Bran is MIA and the pack is a bit worried in Burn Bright and he... well you will just have to read it to find out. As much as I love all the characters in the series, Bran and Asil keep me up at night wondering of the possibilities. Burn Bright is a must read!

I enjoyed the additional world building in this book, and am now biting my tongue about the end.

I really enjoyed this addition to the Alpha & Omega series.

This book follows right after Silence Fallen so things will be spoiled if you read this one without reading it even though it is an Alpha and Omega book. Charles is in charge of the pack and is temporally staying at Bran’s house to make it easier for everyone to work with the change Anna and Leah are politely not getting along. There is a call from one of the wildlings saying there has been an incident. The incident turns out to be someone is hunting them down and trapping them for an unknow reason. Anna, Charles, Leah and a few other wolves are off to the area where the wildlings live secluded from the rest of the pack to try and find out who else might be in danger or worse working with these people.
Some plot points from previous books do come up in this one so fans that have done a recent reread will come fresh and read to this story. Overall a good story and does open up new avenues for the story arcs to develop.

Excellent continuation of the Alpha & Omega series. Interesting character development of Anna. This book ends with a perfect setup for more in the series to come. Cannot wait to read more of my two favourite wolves!

Patricia Briggs has taken a number of interesting twists and turns in developing the World of the Marrok. In her latest title in the Alpha and Omega series, with Bran away Charles and Anna are forced to deal with an incursion on the most deadly of the pack—the old outsiders who can’t handle living among humans or even fellow werewolves anymore. But worse, for that to have happened a traitor has to be part of the mix. It has all the action, mystery, humor I expect form Briggs and pushed my understanding of some of the secondary characters in the large cast of the series.

Loved the book! The plot was well developed and progressed nicely. the characters are well developed and engaging. Emotion was strong in this book!

What a great way to spend my holiday vacation escaping into the amazing Urban Fantasy world Patricia Briggs has created in the latest title in the Alpha and Omega series. In this title, the Marrok has disappeared and Charles is in charge of the Aspen Creek pack, including the "Wildlings," werewolves who are too anti-social, and probably too dangerous, to live among the rest of the community. When Charles gets a call from a fae mate of one of the Wildlings, he and Anna embark on a perilous adventure that involves rogue werewolves, shady government enemies, witches and, worst of all, a traitor in their midst. Not a great time for Charles' father, Bran, to be out of touch. Lots of action, paranormal elements and new characters. A very enjoyable addition to the Urban Fantasy canon.