Early Review: Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs

Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs

Alpha & Omega #5

Mated werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham face a threat like no other--one that lurks too close to home...

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...

I really look forward to every release from Patricia Briggs whether it's a Charles/Anna or a Mercy story. I've said it before, but every book is like coming home to old friends, and BURN BRIGHT was no exception. In fact in preparation for this release, I did an audio re-read of both of the entire Mercy and Alpha & Omega series. I just love these books that much. So after reading this newest installment, I'm happy to report I'm still just as enamored as ever with the series. 

BURN BRIGHT brought a whole lot more depth to the characters of Aspen Creek that really enriched the series. Sure we get plenty of Charles and Anna time, but there's a whole lot of other side characters that came to the forefront, like the Wildlings. Also, Leah in particular surprised me. In the previous books in both series she's portrayed as bitter and vindictive, overall a nasty person. And yet in BURN BRIGHT we got to see a whole lot more of her personality and who she really is. I definitely enjoyed seeing more into her character. 

There is one small twist regarding Bran and Mercy and the reasons why Leah despises Mercy so much. While I won't spoil things, I'm not sure how I feel about the revelations. Some things just didn't sit with me right and had me second guessing a lot of past things from previous books. I won't say that it ruined anything, just made me see things in a different light and I'm just not sure how I feel. I'll get over it, and I do commend Patricia for writing such multi-faceted characters. While the twist may not be my favorite, it made the characters all the more real for it.  

All in all, BURN BRIGHT was a very enjoyable installment in the Alpha & Omega series. Fans of Ms. Brigg's books will be more than pleased!

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
     Bad Bird Reads
     Tome Tender
     My Guilty Obsession

Previous Books:
     1. Cry Wolf
     2. Hunting Ground
     3. Fair Game
     4. Dead Heat

Early Review: Everlife by Gena Showalter

Everlife by Gena Showalter

Everlife #3

At seventeen years old, Tenley “Ten” Lockwood had to make the ultimate choice—where to live after she died. Loyalty to her selected realm has not wavered…until now. She is out of time. Sacrifices must be made, and a terrible price must be paid. But is she too late?

As the Everlife descends into darkness, a single truth becomes clear: Troika and Myriad must unite—or perish. In order to bring sworn enemies together, Ten must enter forbidden territory…and destroy the powerful Prince of Ravens. But there’s only one way inside—bonding with Killian Flynn, a deadly rival who sets her blood aflame.

When nothing goes as planned and betrayal leads to the edge of utter defeat, Ten and Killian will have to rebuild trust from the ashes of their hearts. Victory seems impossible, the odds stacked against them. In the end, how far will they be willing to go for the sake of their realms and the Everlife?

This series has been an interesting one for me. In the first two books I really couldn't stand Ten's character and her constant indecision but I kept holding out hope she would grow. I was granted my wish in EVERLIFE as she's to the other extreme and aside from a choice that has far reaching consequences at the start, she never once wavers in her devotion to Troika. It actually made me admire her a great deal. She finally made her real choice, and no matter how insurmountable the odds nor what was brutally done to her, she never budged. It was, refreshing to be honest. However, this came at a cost as Killian turned into the opposite and while I won't go into details to avoid spoilers, the events surrounding his changes more than frustrated me. It felt more like a plot ploy rather than a well executed twist which is a shame as it lessened the romance for me.

Romance woes aside, I actually enjoyed this whirlwind ending to the trilogy a great deal. The first two books showed potential, but were ultimately rocky. But this series ender definitely took things out on a bang. The world is truly fascinating and the light vs dark aspects old enriched the series more. EVERLIFE truly showed that everything isn't always as it seems and things are not black and white. Light isn't always good, and darkness isn't always evil. There's shades of grey and good and evil on both sides. And that the path to peace is finding balance not truly good/evil or right/wrong. I really enjoyed the way everything was built up, and that ending! Oh, my did I not see that coming! All I can say is very well done Ms. Showalter!

All in all EVERLIFE was a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. You won't be disappointed.  

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Previous Books:
     1. Firstlife
     2. Lifeblood