Fair Game

Alpha and Omega

By: Patricia Briggs

Narrated by: Holter Graham

Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Patricia Briggs' Alpha and Omega series - set in a world of shifting shapes, loyalty, and passion - brings werewolves out of the darkness and into a society in which fear and prejudice could make the hunters prey....

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....

©2012 Patricia Briggs (P)2012 Penguin

Critic reviews

"The Alpha and Omega series gets its next transfixing installment as Anna and Charles undertake a critical assignment. This procedural hunt for a serial killer is mesmerizing and breathtakingly intense. Briggs never disappoints!” (RT Book Reviews)

“Once again Patricia Briggs nails it - the perfect blend of action, romance, suspense and paranormal. Fair Game has it all.” (Rex Robot Reviews)

Best of the Best

Would you listen to Fair Game again? Why?

I normally don't write reviews but I have been waiting patiently for this book and I must say it does NOT disappoint! Without a doubt this is the best of the Mercy Thompson world novels. I will be certainly listening to this one over and over right along with Moon Called, Silver Borne and River Marked. The story keeps you engaged from start to finish. The interaction between Anna and Charles is great showing the vulnerability of Charles and the strength of Anna better than any of the previous books. The plot is a great detective story complete with good cops, bad cops and questionable government agencies. The Fae are shown in a different light and WOW what a cliff hanger ending!! The only negative thing I can say is now we have to wait a year until the next book. :-(

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite characters are always Anna and Charles, but I think Issac is certainly a standout supporting character. I really hope to be able to see more of him in the future. He's young and flamboyant on the outside, but when the Sh$$ hits the fan he is stable, strong and loyal. Very cool dude.

Have you listened to any of Holter Graham’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Holter Graham's narrative is superb. As always he does a great job of giving each character a voice of their own and uses inflections to convey the emotions and excitement perfectly throughout the entire book. One of the most important part with the narrative is that there are NO swallowing, breathing or gulping sounds during the reading like i have found on other audio-books.

Any additional comments?

Patricia Briggs please write faster! Another year before the next Mercy Thompson is going to drive me nutty.

Sorry Mercy, but I have a new fav Briggs series!

I’m used to the events in series installments taking place a few weeks, if not days apart, so I was a little disconcerted by the fact that FAIR GAME jumped two full years into the future. In HUNTING GROUND Bran was still contemplating bringing the werewolves out to the public, but in this audiobook it was a done deal, and Anna & Charles are now dealing with the fallout. As a result, I experienced some mild growing pains while getting up to speed; luckily I had Briggs’ MERCY THOMSON series to help make the drastic shift in gears less jolting. I was chagrined to learn that one of my favourite werewolf couples were no longer in a happy place, however the decade’s long murder spree, and smoothly crafted fae mythology proved to be satisfying distractions.

Up until this point, Charles & Anna have been flying solo with regards to their investigations, so it was a hoot watching them join their efforts with various federal organizations in order to stop a killer. Latham was Cornick’s designated handler, and the outcome was quite comedic as you can probably imagine. I especially liked Anna’s list of do’s & don’ts around her mate, and the PR tangent was good for a few laughs too. As previously mentioned, these two have hit a rocky point in their relationship, mostly because Charles’ enforcer role is beginning to wear on him thanks to stricter penalties towards misbehaving werewolves. I love how even when this couple is at their lowest they still continue to communicate, and resolve their problems angst free.

The fae have always played an active role in Briggs’ universe, and I was excited to finally learn the real reason why they retreated to their reservations in her MT books. I never realized that such an important segment was missing until this newsflash roared to life, and forced me to revisit everything that I’ve learned to date in both worlds. This author sure knows how to give her protagonists a deserving foe while also ensuring that all of the secondary characters have a big impact on the overall story. I liked how Leslie’s plot thread popped up throughout the novel when you least expected it to, and I really hope that she makes an encore appearance in this series.

The moment I hear Holter Graham’s voice, I immediately slip back into the ALPHA & OMEGA frame of mind. He’s brought something extra to every installment, and in this latest one it was his Boston accents. His attention to detail never ceases to amaze, from the consistency of the protagonists, to the slight differences between Charles and Brother Wolf’s tones. Several new characters were added, and he made it easy to identify each and every one of them. Graham’s delivery has improved a great deal when compared to the first audiobook which I still adored, and as a result, he’s now among my top three male narrators.

FAIR GAME was an experience that bears repeating; I don’t do re-reads very often, but this series is worthy!

The best book in this series to date

I've read and loved the Mercy Thompson books from the beginning. So I was glad when she started a new series with many of the same characters. But I didn't actually like the first couple of books all that well. However, in this book, the story was every bit as good as any in Mercy's series. I particularly liked the ending.

Big Fan

Any additional comments?

I love anything that Patricia Briggs writes and she delivered again, you also can't go wrong with Holter Graham's narration. If you have read/listened to any of the other Alpha and Omega books, you will not be disappointed.

Finally, The Wait is Over!

Where does Fair Game rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is one of the BEST! Holter Graham's performance was wonderful.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Charles. Anyone that has read this series will know why.

Which scene was your favorite?

I have a few. I was surprised that Charles and Anna were having such a tough time with their marriage. But, I loved they way the handled it.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

I don't want to even try.

Any additional comments?

The Alpha and Omega series is one of the best.

I highly recommend buying all the books. They are just that good.

✫✫ 5 Stars ✫✫

Charles and Anna are on the hunt again! This time they are working with the FBI and other agencies to try to catch a serial killer! I loved how this book starts off, Bran and Anna arguing! She is the only person who argues with him and it makes him crazy but the best part isn't eventually he always figures out that she might just be right. Anna and Charles are having some issues in this book, well mainly Charles is but it's affecting their relationship. Loved listening while Charles fights off his demons. In this book it's almost like Anna and Brother Wolf are on the same team and trying to get Charles to see things the way they do. The "case" they are working on in this book has many twist and turn and sad situations and the ending might effect life as they know it now!

This book made me wanna read Mercy again since it has a tiny bit of Adam in it ❤

WOW! What a great book!

This is a wonderful addition to the Alpha & Omega series! It's a great book so wonderfully written and... there is a great shocker at the end! I can't wait for the next book!

I hate the wait, but so worth it!

Where does Fair Game rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book is definitely one that was worth my time and money. I have enjoyed all of Patricia Briggs books and so wish there were more. I will reread this one again - and I don't do that very often unless it is something I really, really enjoy.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Fair Game?

Picking my favorite part is hard because the book is so good, but I have to say I think one of my favorites was the discussions Anna and Asil had with Brand in the beginning. Got to love someone who can respectfully disagree with their leader and help him see a different point of view. (And knowing that other than Mercy, no one else will stand up to him makes this part fun to listen to.)

What does Holter Graham bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Holter Graham does a great job. Listening to a book means that you listen to every single word written, with some that is a little bit of a struggle, but not with the books narrated by Holter. His reading not only helps bring the books to life on a different dimension, but the characters as well. Since listening to him read, I tend to hear his voice and intonation while reading other books in the same series (this series as well as others he has read). I didn't have but maybe one or two times I had to think about who said what and usually that was pretty clear just by what was being said. Sometimes narrators struggle with the quick switching back and forth and loose the voice needed for each character. (I don't complain because I know just how hard it is to do.) Holter is so good at it that it isn't a problem for him. I have enjoyed his work on other books as well. As others commented, there are no other sounds that can distract from the listening. I am not sure if that is the narrator or studio recording differences, but it was a pleasure to listen to and I will search for other books he has done because of it.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I usually listen during my drive time or at lunch while I am working. With this book, I listened every spare moment I could find, even when husband was home (Thank God for March Madness). :)

Any additional comments?

I couldn't wait for this book to come out. I started the series with Alpha and Omega and was hooked. Unlike many authors, Briggs doesn't rewrite the same story over and over with each new book. She writes a fresh story and makes the characters real in ways that others can sometimes struggle with. At no time do you wish that they would just get on with the story; she keeps the relationships real, never fake and dumb. With this book, she gives you a really good insight into Brand, Anna and Charles. You know that at the end of this story, the results are going to impact Mercy Thompson's series too. I like that while they are two separate series, they do flow so well together. I so wish that we could get more than one book a year, but I will admit that the wait is definitely worth it. I will just have to do what others have said and reread the two series again.

It's a testament to Briggs writing that

It's a testament to Briggs writing that I loved this book as much or more than any of her Mercy books and that I love Anna and Charles just as much or more than Mercy and Adam. What a great book. I enjoyed every minute of it.The story is very good. The narrator did a wonderful job and I'll be looking forward to hearing him again. I bought it when it came out this morning and thankfully didn't have to work today so I pretty much listened to it straight through. The only terrible thing is having to wait until 2014 for the next one.

Awesome Story and Performance!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely, I love this series! Briggs has done an outstanding job creating such a captivating and unique world of werewolves, fae and other supernaturals. Each story adds another layer to this world.

Have you listened to any of Holter Graham’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes! Holter Graham does an awesome job narrating this series. He really knows how to deliver on the gruff alpha/dominate voice.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No extreme reaction; however, I really enjoyed this plot. It was intense and had me clued to my headphones.

Any additional comments?

This was another awesome addition to the series and compliments the Mercy Thompson series nicely.