Caffeinated Reviewer | Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs

13^th Feb

Hunting Ground
by Patricia Briggs
Series: Alpha & Omega #2
Narrator: Holter Graham
Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchase
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate

Rating:
Narration: 4 cups

Mated to werewolf Charles Cornick, the son—and enforcer—of the leader of the North American werewolves, Anna Latham now knows how dangerous being a werewolf is, especially when a werewolf who opposes Charles and his father is struck down. Charles’s reputation makes him the prime suspect, and the penalty for the crime is execution. Now Anna and Charles must combine their talents to hunt down the real killer—or Charles will take the fall.

Hunting Ground is the second novel in Patricia Brigg’s Alpha and Omega series. After the delightful narration from Holter Graham in Cry Wolf, I decided to continue this series on audio. Charles and his mate Anna travel for a liaison with the European Wolves as Bran moves closer to exposing their community. Engaging and suspenseful we see their relationship strengthen as they face danger.

“Women are the bloodthirsty sex,” said Ric sadly. “We get the reputation, but it is only because the women stand behind us, and say, ‘Kill it. Squish it.”

Hunting Ground had a little of everything from relationship growth to a crime in which Charles ends up the prime suspect. Witches, Fae, Vampires and plots abound. While Briggs’ gave us several suspects, I will admit to piecing things together before the reveal.

“Charles looked at her thoughtfully.” People talk to you,” he said. “That could be useful.”

Anna continues to grow even as she struggles around so many dominant alphas. Being Omega and its impact on the others wolves is always fascinating. Anna is dubbed the “rabbit” and rightly so, but we see her inner strength and she can be formidable.

The relationship between them continues to strength and we get moments of tension, humor and heat. Charles is not a hallmark kind of person, and his tenderness and patience had me swooning. It does not come naturally to him, but for Anna he tries and what more could a woman ask for. Anna has issues, but she knows it and tries to correct it unlike other female leads who take full advantage of the “woe is me card. “ I appreciated this, admire her and cannot friggin wait to see her reach her full potential as an Omega.

“She was his and he hers.”

I loved how Briggs’ weaved in the Fae, Vampires, witches and King Arthur’s story. Heck even Bran ends up involved. While the summit ends up in the background, it was interesting to see the different personalities and negotiations. As for the murders, and chaos I loved it all but I am not sure I wholly bought the perpetrators’ reasons. Perhaps because I am not cray-cray.

“My grandfather would have loved to have met you,” Charles told her huskily. “He would have called you ‘She Moves Trees Out of His Path.’”
She looked lost, but his da laughed. He’d know the old man, too. “He called me ‘He Who Must Run into Trees,’” Charles explained.”

While Cry Wolf held me captive more than Hunting Ground, I downloaded Fair Game and fully intend to continue this series on audio. Graham is brilliant for this series and does a wonderful job of giving voice to these characters.