Wild Sign (Alpha and Omega #6)

By: Patricia Briggs

Blurb:

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.

Review:

At book six in the Alpha and Omega series, we know the characters pretty well. And that’s kind of the problem with Wild Sign. I liked the story, but it conflicts with information learned in previous books in the series as well as in the Mercy Thompson series.

The government approaches Anna and Charlies to aid in the locating of a small commune that has disappeared. Since it’s on pack land, they agree to help and sidestep the request to join an alliance. The idea of an alliance is cool, and much like in Fair Game with its whole legal side of the story, nothing comes of that. The characters and what they do are the focus and not what’s going on in the world. This is perfectly okay, but I wish the characters had a larger role in the big issues.

Anyway, we end up finding a lot out about Lead, the Marroks wife. Her character in this Wild Sign doesn’t mesh with how she’s acted before. Neither does how the Marrok seems to feel about her. I went back and re-read Cry Wolf, and those changes really stand out. Leah is a bitch. She’s mean and openly hates everyone. We find out why she’s angry and filled with hate, but I didn’t feel like it explained all she’d done in the past. She’s described as a genuinely horrible person in other books. She’s tried to kill Mercy, and she’s said awful things to Anna. We’re supposed to believe it’s all because of memories she didn’t have until this book and because Bran doesn’t love her. Yet she’s also this super strong person that doesn’t care about anyone. It’s a bit of a stretch for me.

Wild Sign makes you question everything you’ve ever thought about Leah and her relationship with Bran. Revelations are made about how they became a couple, and it makes her even more sympathetic. Honestly, Bran does not come off well in this story. I hope there is some character repair in future books because my opinion of him has dropped.

All that being said, I enjoyed Wild Sign, which was a relief because I wasn’t a fan of the previous Patricia Briggs book. I prefer the Mercy Thompson series, and I wish the Alpha and Omega series tackled bigger world issues, but the characters are still entertaining and the stories fun.

3.5/5