DEAD HEAT by the amazing Patricia Briggs is book four in
the
fabulous Alpha and Omega series. Dead Heat can be read as
a standalone book, but readers will gain a fuller
appreciation for the story by reading in order. And if
you
haven't read the first three books and the prior novella,
I
guarantee that you will immediately snap them up after
reading Dead Heat. I think I adore the Alpha and Omega
series even more than I love Briggs' Mercy Thompson
series,
and that's really saying something!
I absolutely love Charles and Anna. Both werewolves,
Charles and Anna are polar opposites, and despite being
mated for three years, are still learning about each
other.
Anna is an Omega, a very rare werewolf who can calm the
wolves around her. She was forcibly changed to a
werewolf,
and tortured and degraded by her then-Alpha to keep her
cowed and under control. Anna is slowly coming out of her
shell and becoming more confident, and I am loving
watching
her become the beautiful being that she is meant to be.
After finishing Dead Heat, I had to go back and reread all
the prior Alpha and Omega books to relive the yumminess
that is Anna and Charles' tale.
For both Charles and Anna, their prime focus is how to
make
their mate's life better. How can one not fall into a
gooey pile of happiness at that?! Charles is his father
the Marrok's enforcer, the boogeyman that the Marrok, the
ruler of all North American werewolves, turns loose to
punish or kill the errant werewolves under his control.
This has taken a huge toll on Charles, who in addition to
being a werewolf has Shaman powers through his mother's
Native American heritage. Anna has to fight both Charles
and the Marrok in order to take care of Charles in the
face
of the work he is forced to do- go Anna! I relish Anna's
spirited defense of the hurting she finds surrounding her;
her empathy in the face of her past is so lovely.
Dead Heat starts with a personal trip where Charles
intends
to buy a new horse for Anna. They travel to Arizona to
see
one of Charles' only friends, an elderly Arabian horse
breeder who is dying after refusing to become a wolf.
While there, they discover that a dangerous Fae is on the
loose, replacing human children with simulacrums.
Charles
and Anna step in to rescue a kidnapped child, and find
themselves in the cross-hairs of the Fae's worsening war
on
humanity.
There is a lovely mix of poignancy and action
in DEAD HEAT, with heartbreak and suspense keeping me on
edge throughout the whole book. I devoured this book as I
did not want to set it down for mundane things like
sleeping or eating, but DEAD HEAT is a book that I will go
back
to savor again and again. Briggs has once again brought
an
absolute winner in DEAD HEAT, showing why she is the
darling of urban fantasy and PNR readers everywhere.
For once, mated werewolves Charles and Anna are not
traveling because of Charles’s role as his father’s
enforcer. This time, their trip to Arizona is purely
personal—or at least it starts out that way...
Charles and Anna soon discover that a dangerous Fae being
is
on the loose, replacing human children with simulacrums.
The
Fae’s cold war with humanity is about to heat up—and
Charles
and Anna are in the cross fire.
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