Wild Sign by Patricia Briggs Series: Alpha & Omega #6
Published by Ace on Marcy 16, 2021
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Format: eBook
Source: Amazon
Pages: 364
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Mated werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham must discover what could make an entire community disappear — before it's too late — in this thrilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Alpha and Omega series.
In the wilds of the Northern California mountains, all the inhabitants of a small town have gone missing. It's as if the people picked up and left everything they owned behind. Fearing something supernatural might be going on, the FBI taps a source they've consulted in the past: the werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham. But Charles and Anna soon find a deserted town is the least of the mysteries they face.
Death sings in the forest, and when it calls, Charles and Anna must answer. Something has awakened in the heart of the California mountains, something old and dangerous — and it has met werewolves before.
Wild Sign is the sixth installment in Patricia Briggs‘ captivating Alpha and Omega series, a spin-off from her best-selling Mercy Thompson series. The series follows the story of Charles and Anna.
This story starts with a whole community vanishing up in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The Marrok – Charle’s father and the leader of the North American wolves – orders Charles and Anna to investigate. As the couple digs deeper, they uncover ties to an ancient being and horrible acts of dark magic – some of which appear to be linked to a piece of land owned by the Marrok’s mate, Leah.
Charles and Anna’s relationship remains central to this series. One of the most appealing aspects of Charles and Anna’s relationship is the lack of angst and a higher level of maturity. It’s a pleasant departure from the classic angst-causing dominant, overprotective alpha werewolf trope.
“He pulled her tight against him. “I will defend your heart and your soul with everything in me.” -Charles
In addition, Anna’s growth as an individual was a joy to see. She’s also learning more about her omega abilities as she continues bringing peace to the pack’s damaged wolves.
“The pack was better with Anna in it, in ways far more subtle than he or his da had expected. They had hoped for calm—they had not expected happy.” -Charles
The supporting characters were interesting and provided depth to the story – particularly Leah. Throughout the Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series, she is characterized as self-centered, cold, and cruel to those around her. This book partly explores Leah’s and the Marrok’s backstory, offering insights into her complex personality. I was eager to see if Briggs could successfully redeem Leah, and I think that, in part, she at least smoothed some of her sharper edges.
Existing fans will be excited to know that our much-loved berserker werewolf Tag will play a more prominent role in this book!
The epilogue was the only downside to giving it a full five stars. It came out of nowhere and was over so quickly that I couldn’t follow. It felt like the author only remembered to connect this book to the seventh installment at the last minute. Note that I haven’t read the entire Mercy Thompson series yet, so that could be why I was left confused.
Wild Sign is probably the darkest book in the Alpha and Omega series. Briggs doesn’t shy away from themes of trauma, survival, and healing, which are critical to the overarching story. Briggs again proves why she remains a powerhouse within the urban fantasy genre. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves urban fantasy.