Tag Archives: Mercy Thompson

Blog, Books, Discussion

Most Anticipated Books for 2023

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Now that we’re a month into 2023, the thought of books being released this year is something that’s been on my mind. Like every year, there are plenty of new releases for anyone and everyone to enjoy. For me, I have a few, ranging from fantasy to fiction to romance. And while I am sure there will be a few surprise releases that I may want to read, these are the books I am currently anticipating the most this year.

Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley and Harry Whittaker

What will most likely be the last book in Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sisters series, Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt will tell the story about the enigmatic Pa Salt. The man who adopted and raised the six main sisters, and is the father to the “missing sister”. From what I can guess, this will cover questions about Pa Salt that were left unanswered. Who was Pa Salt? What inspired him to do what he did. And get a deep dive into his character while he was alive.

With Lucinda Riley passing not long after the release of The Missing Sister, her son Harry Whittaker took it upon himself to finish his mother’s book. She already had a bit of a start and an outline, so he already had a general idea for what to do.

I’ve been following this series since Moon Sister (book five) was released. And while part of me will miss it when it’s over, I’m glad that I found this series.

Mercy Thompson Book 14 by Patricia Briggs

According to Patricia Briggs’ website and Goodreads, the fourteenth book in the Mercy Thompson series is set to be released some point this year. And though I may be feeling some reading fatigued for the Mercy Thompson series, I will probably read it anyways. I’m already caught up, so I might as well.

Not much is known about this book at this time other than it is set to release this year. It doesn’t currently have a title or synopsis yet.

Sins of Sinister by Kieron Gillen

As for comics/graphic novels series I am looking forward to three runs. Sins of Sinister is one of them. Much like Back in a Spell Sins of Sinister has already started. However, Sins of Sinister is currently an on going series.

This series looks into High Council member and known X-Man antagonist Mister Sinister (Nathaniel Essex). Sinister has been scheming from the beginning and is putting his plans into action. This also includes a series of Nightcrawler hybrid chimeras, which I think is what I’m most interested in. Especially given Nightcrawler’s current state. It looks to be an eleven issue series including three, three part series (Storm and the Brotherhood of Evil, Immoral X-Men, and The Nightcrawlers).

It looks to be a wild and interesting ride and will end before the Fall of X event.

Sons of X by Simon Spurrier

There is going to be four ,four-shot stories set before the Fall of X event. Under the moniker Before the Fall one of those stories is Sons of X. Appearing to pick up from where Legion of X will leave off, Sons of X will focus on David Haller (Legion) and Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler) dealing with Mother Righteous and Margali Szardos. I’ve been enjoying Spurrier’s Krakoa stuff and I really enjoy the dynamic between Legion and Nightcrawler that has been building since Way of X.

Sons of X will probably answer whatever questions Legion of X will leave off on. Which will most likely include: Kurt’s monstrous condition, fighting Margali, a fight against Mother Righteous, and Nightcrawler regaining the Hopesword (read Legion of X #10). I hope this won’t be the last run with Legion and Nightcrawler since I love their dynamic so much. However, I also can’t wait for Sons of X to be released.

Fall of X

This event starts in summer of 2023. There isn’t much on what this event will be about, but current theories include Krakoa falling, the system on Krakoa falling, and this possibly implying Charles Xavier (Professor X) will fall, be it death or morally. Whatever the case, something big will be happening.

The Battle Drum by Saara El-Arifi

I’m making my way through the first book of this trilogy, The Final Strife, and I’m hooked. I’m always looking to expand my fantasy reads and this was one that I stumbled upon at my library and ended up buying. Since this will be a trilogy, I think I’m going to have a really good time with it.

With The Battle Drum coming out May 23rd of this year, that gives me time to finish The Final Strife. I’ve just been taking my time with it since it is a longer book, the hardcover totaling at 644 pages, and I didn’t want to brush through it like I can with smaller books. I’ll probably end up purchasing The Battle Drum when it is released since I am enjoying it and would like to have it in my collection.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty

Similar to The Final Strife, S.A. Chakraborty’s Daevabad Trilogy was a trilogy that I came across while looking for new fantasy. Said trilogy utilized Middle Eastern tales and creatures and spun an interesting and engaging stroy.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi kicks off Chakraborty’s next trilogy, which has been described as the tale of Sinbad with a twist. It’ll have pirates, magic, artifacts, and a female lead, and sounds like a fun new trilogy. This first book is set to be released on February 23rd, so it won’t be long before this book hits shelves.

Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring

I had started the Bright Fall series by Ashley Herring around the same time I started Lana Harper’s The Witches of Thistle Grove series. I am currently working on the second book of the Bright Fall series, Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail, which was released towards the end of last year and the third book, Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date appears to have a November 2023 release date. That will give me plenty of time to finish Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail.

I’ll admit, I am a bit mixed about this series, or at the very least the first book, Dalilah Green Doesn’t Care. The story itself was fine enough, if a little formulaic/cliché. Essentially about Delilah coming back to her hometown and getting involved with her estranged step-sister’s wedding. Delilah ends up stringing a plan to break things off between Astrid and her fiancé upon realizing Astrid’s fiancé isn’t a great guy. She also makes a bet with Astrid that she can get Claire to like her.

I’ve seen critiques for the breaking up Astrid and her fiancé plot being not as good as it could be and over the top where a simple conversation could have helped. I can see how people may have that criticism, though mine is more so with the approach to Delilah and Claire getting together. I do think they could make a good couple, but the whole bet concept Delilah had with Astrid, to me, felt akin to a Hallmark movie plot. Especially with how it concluded.

Now, I am still willing to give this series a try seeing as each book seems to focus on a different character. So I may enjoy Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail and Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date. Wish I could say the same with The Witches of Thistle Grove series, where I enjoyed the first book, the second was okay, and I’m not sure what I’ll think of the third (I just want to finish the series out at this point).

Bewitched by Laura Thalassa

I’m not someone who consciously looks into BookTok books. I may pick a book or two up that are talked on BookTok and periodically check into what BookTok is talking about, but I usually look for books that I think I’ll enjoy. It’s just sometimes that overlaps into what BookTok is discussing/recommending unintentionally. This author happens to be one that has been talked about on BookTok apparently.

Note: BookTok, for those of you who may not know, is a side of the app TikTok that’s dedicated to talking about books. This can include recommendations, ratings, what their reading, and so on. It seems to be a popular side of the app, though, I only really follow one person who’s a BookToker and willo.

Now, I came across this author when looking for something new while at Barnes and Noble. I spotted the first books for her Bargainer and The Four Horsemen series (Rhapsodic and Pestilence respectively) and thought I might check them out. I didn’t end up getting to either series, though mostly due to life, motivation, and other books. I may try to give them a try later, especially since they are on my to read list and Goodreads let me know they were holding a giveaway for the entire Bargainer series. It’s because of that giveaway notification that I ended up checking into what else the author has written and I ended up finding this book.

It comes out on April 18th so I may give it a try.

When You Wish Upon a Star by Elizabeth Lim

On series I have been keeping up with, but not reading every book, is the Twisted Tales series. This is a YA series that takes Disney properties and twists the tale with a simple what if question. An example would be in Reflection another book in the series Elizabeth Lim worked on. This book takes Mulan and asks, “what if Mulan had to go to the underworld?” It’s set up after the fight with the Huns, and after Shang takes a fatal blow, it’s up to Mulan, or Ping as the troops know her, going to the underworld to bring Shang back.

Though a series, each book is a standalone book. So the only ones you have to read are the ones that interest you.

When You Wish Upon a Star is the newest book. This one focusing on (the movie) Pinocchio and asks, “What if the Blue Fairy Wasn’t Supposed to Help Pinocchio?” With that in mind, it looks like this book will focus on the Blue Fairy or Chiara as she will also be known as in the book. It would appear there will be a few Twisted Tales books released this year, including an anthology, and When You Wish Upon a Star appears to be the first of these, set to release in April.

Conclusion

So far, these are the books I am looking forward to reading this year. Some fiction, some fantasy, even a few graphic novels. And though not the only books I plan to read this year, I can’t wait to get started on them.

Discussion

Release Dates, Dragging, and Repetition: Why I Have Some Reading Fatigue With the Mercy Thompson Series

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I’ve talked a few times now about Patricia Briggs’ two major series, Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega. I’m also slowly, but surely, working on reviewing the main books of the latter (Outside of Alpha and Omega, I don’t really want to review the other short stories. They’re nice, but not stories I want to review at this time), which may lead me to a third read through of the series (second read through for Wild Sign and probably the fourth for Cry Wolf) since, outside of Cry Wolf, which I’ve read the most, my memory is a little foggy in regards to the others.

Anyways, this isn’t about reviews and rereads. This is about the Mercy Thompson series. I’ve previously gone on record, a.k.a. blogged about, how I prefer the Alpha and Omega series over the Mercy Thompson. However, I haven’t really gone in depth into why. I know I’ve stated how I like Anna as a female lead more than Mercy in terms of personality, how I prefer Charles and Anna’s relationship more than Mercy and Adam’s, and that the length of Alpha and Omega (as it currently stands) doesn’t bother me as much as Mercy Thompson’s. Some of those are more of a preference type thing, but there are a few thing that stop me form enjoying Mercy Thompson more. Nowadays especially, which is unfortunate since I do enjoy Mercy Thompson.

In an attempt to discuss the series, I thought I would take the time to breakdown some of the criticisms I have with the series. As well as why I may feel a bit more fatigued with the series. These will include how the series at times feels like it drags, some repetition, and the release dates.

What I Enjoy About the Mercy Thompson

Before I jump in to my criticisms, I thought I would take a moment to discuss what I consider positives of the series. Because, despite the criticisms I have, and the preference for the other series, I do enjoy this series. Maybe not to the same level as Alpha and Omega, but enough to say that I do genuinely enjoy the series.

One thing I enjoy is the relationship between Mercy, Adam, and Jesse, Adam’s daughter. I like the relationship they were able to build over the years and it’s neat to see how well Jesse and Mercy get along. I know that there are a few tropes with stepparents and stepchildren in media. A few examples include, the evil stepmother trope, the stepparent who tries so much to win their stepchildren affection and/or trust, and the child who dislikes the change that comes with a new stepparent which may sometimes include hating the stepparent.

Mercy and Jesse don’t really seem to fit into any of the previously mentioned tropes. More than anything they appear to enjoy each other’s company with Jesse not too bothered by Mercy getting with Adam. The major conflict that they would have comes with Jesse’s mom. But it’s mostly between Mercy and Christy and how the latter treats everyone around them.

Another thing I enjoy is how Mercy isn’t a werewolf. While she was adopted by Bran Cornick, the head of the North American Wolf pack, Mercy herself was not a werewolf. Rather, a coyote Walker (she can turn into a coyote). So while the series may follow a trope of mostly werewolf and vampire characters, the lead is not one, which is neat. It’s a neat way to give it a somewhat different avenue.

With that out of the way, I’m going to get into what issues I have with the series.

Repetition

When it comes to repetition, it’s not so much that each book feels like the another so much as elements and dialogue. Obviously, each book has it’s own story to tell with it’s own conflicts and resolutions. However, this is an ongoing series with thirteen book as of this post, there are bound to be elements that feel familiar.

For me, aspects that felt repetitive have to do with internal dialogue, perspective, and plot points. Internal dialogue and perspective kind of go hand in hand, but I felt were distinct enough to separate. While some of the world building plot point at times feel repetitive.

In the case of perspective, it has to do with the fact that it is written in the first person (I/we). As such, there may be a limited amount of perspective from the world as far as other characters. That’s not to say that first person is necessarily bad, since I do enjoy first person when don right. However, first person can really go off of what the character knows as opposed to third, which could be a little more flexible in terms of perspective, emotion, and input.

For instance, in book eight, Night Broken, it deals with Adam’s ex-wife, Christy, getting into trouble. She knows that the pack sees Christy differently than she does due to the fact that she was apart of their pack a bit longer (Mercy had left the Bran’s pack as a teen and had been living on her own for years by the time the series started). We also know that she isn’t Christy’s biggest fan in terms of trust and what she did when she was with Adam. Mercy is also aware of how the pack sees her (Mercy) differently. That’s something that does get brought up once or twice in the book. And since we only really get to see her perspective, readers can only get so much as far as what people think about Christy and Mercy. Whereas third person, there would probably be the opportunity to get perspectives from everyone, or a select few characters in a more broader sense. Because of that, Mercy’s perspective may come off as repetitive and limited.

Moving on to internal dialogue, what makes it a bit different from the first person perspective of the series, are things that Mercy herself brings up. Vocally, through her thoughts, and how she experiences the story. One such example is how she refers to Bran and Samuel, Bran’s eldest son. There are a few times where she expresses how and why she that she left his pack, in the broader sense, how she knows certain traits about Bran, and how she perceives Bran. For Samuel, she mentions how they were a couple but separated and reflecting back on it. There are also a few times where she reflects on being on her own, how she felt she was fine not being in a pack prior to joining Adam’s, how she worries about Adam and how she doesn’t always know what he’s thinking. For me, it feels like these topics do come up several times throughout the series, and feels rather repetitive.

My third and final area that feels a bit repetitive is how it reminds the readers about aspects of the world. How vampires don’t really like werewolves, save a few like Stefan, is one such instance. How the fae shouldn’t be taken lightly and always tell the truth is another example. While I get why these aspects are important, it doesn’t need to be as frequently reiterated as it feel like it is.

These aspects to me are what make the series feel repetitive at times. The perspective and internal dialogue reiterate what Mercy knows several times throughout the series. While the reminders of the world and it’s characters is another.

Dragging

When it comes to the series dragging, I’ve narrowed that down to how long it has been running and the stories not always being as engaging. I know series that have long runs can be good, but that doesn’t mean a long running series can feel like it’s dragging on. For example, Naruto. I still have yet to finish the series (What is motivation, am I right?), but I do have a general idea for how this series ends. The manga runs for seventy two volumes or seven hundred chapters. On the one hand, it probably needed that much to get where it wanted to end, so it running that long theoretically could be fine. However, whether or not it felt like it dragged with certain arcs and/or could have ended sooner is a discussion that can be had.

In the case of the Mercy Thompson series, I am not sure how exactly it’s overall story is meant to end, if there is a planned ending at all at this time. It’s still ongoing either way, but if you asked me, “What is the end goal for the series” I couldn’t tell you. Maybe it’ll be with Mercy and Adam settling down and having a child (since a walker and a werewolf having a kid wouldn’t be as fatal as a werewolves having a kid with another werewolf like it was with Charles’ mother). Or maybe it’ll end with Mercy, Adam and Jesse leaving the North American pack. But that’s just speculation on my part.

What makes the series drag for me does have to do with the later books. For me, the later books don’t seem as engaging. I think I started feeling this around book nine or ten. That won’t stop me from reading the series, since I am on, and own, book thirteen. However, I’d be lying if I said that the last few books haven’t been as engaging for me.

If I had to give it a set reason, it probably has to do with the stories themselves. Since it doesn’t have an endgame at this time, it feels like the series is rolling with conflict after conflict in a way that feels like there isn’t much direction overall. That might be just me, but may be why it feels like it drags on.

Release Dates

For my final, and more so external, critique with the series is how frequently the series has been released. Something I have come to realize is just how frequent Mercy Thompson is updated when compared to Alpha and Omega. This is probably a slightly personal one for me, but I do feel it’s one worth mentioning.

Because I am keeping tabs on release dates for both Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega, mostly for the latter, I’ve come to realize a pattern with their release dates. I initially noticed this book five of Alpha and Omega, Burn Bright (though technically since book two, Hunting Grounds, but I realized this when I was waiting for book six, Wild Sign to be released) and really picked up on this trend recently.

I’ve noticed that every three years an Alpha and Omega book will be released and in between those released, two Mercy Thompson books will be released. With short stories sprinkled in as Patricia Briggs chooses. An example of this is when books five and six of Alpha and Omega were released. Burn Bright was released in 2018 and Wild Cards was released in 2021. In between these two books, the Mercy Thompson series saw the release of books eleven and twelve: Storm Cursed in 2019 and Smoke Bitten in 2020.

According to the page on released books on Patricia Briggs’ website (https://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/), there is a timeline for the seventh book of Alpha and Omega and the fourteenth book for the Mercy Thompson series, both of which are untitled at this time. The fourteenth book of Mercy Thompson series, is set to be released sometime next year (2023) and the seventh book of the Alpha and Omega series is set to be released some time in 2024.

Because of how consistently the Mercy Thompson series is released, I do feel that this could be a contribution to why I’m feeling a bit more tired with the series. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with a series having a set release date between books, but getting a book almost yearly feels a little over the top (I’m not even sure how to refer to it’s release cycle to be honestly whereas Alpha and Omega come out with a book triannually). At least for me anyways.

Conclusion

While the Mercy Thompson series is one that I enjoy, I’ve come to notice a few reasons why I’m not as fond of it as I am with the Alpha and Omega series. Some repetition, release dates, and some stories feeling like they were dragging have hindered some of my enjoyment. Regardless, I am still going to continue on with the series, with the thirteenth in my possession currently.

Have you read the Mercy Thompson series? What are your thoughts on it? Are there any critiques you have with the series?

Books, Discussion, Recommendation

Alpha and Omega: A Guilty Pleasure Read and Why I Prefer This Series to Mercy Thompson

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A while back I had created a post discussing one of my favorite guilty pleasure reads, the urban fantasy series Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs. While I may no longer have that blog around, I thought I would revisit this series, why I enjoy it, and why I like it over the author’s longer running and more popular Mercy Thompson series set in the same universe.

Urban Fantasy: a Subsection of Fantasy

I’ll admit, I am not much of a reader of the Urban Fantasy subgenre. Not many really caught my eye with the exception of Patricia Briggs’ two series on-going series. For those of you who may not be familiar with this subgenre, Urban Fantasy can be defined as a type of fantasy taking place in a more modern day and, well, urban setting.

What kind of Clichés Might Urban Fantasy be Guilty of?

Like any kind of genre or subgenre, Urban Fantasy does fall victim to tropes/clichés.

  • Heavy reliance on romance
  • How the romance is developed
  • Love triangles
  • Usually focusing more on vampires and werewolves
  • Age gaps
  • Leads who readers can’t help but wonder how they stay together

Why I consider it my guilty pleasure genre

I consider this a guilty pleasure because, while I enjoy fantasy, this is a subgenre that I mostly avoid. And while I’m sure there are plenty of good Urban Fantasy series, I feel like it is a niche subgenre. Meaning, it’s a subgenre that, feels like it has a set target audience. At least that’s how I see it, as I don’t see Urban Fantasy being a genre everyone will whip out.

Alpha and Omega: Why I Like it. Flaws?

The Alpha and Omega series is a series that branched off of the Mecy Thompson series. Both take place in the same universe (the Mercyverse as it has been dubbed), but rather than focusing on Mercy, her romance, and the creatures around her, Alpha and Omega focuses on Anna and Charles (the son of the North American Alpha and adopted father of Mercy). Anna was saved from her abusive pack by Charles and it is soon discovered that she is a rare breed of werewolf: An Omega, who are known for their calming presence and being able to soothe the pack.

Along the way, she alongside Charles, who is her partner/husband, go on various adventures usually with Charles tasked to keep an eye on or handle issues his father needs enforcing. Like Mercy Thompson, this series explores various fantasy staples with Anna learning more about herself, love, and overcoming her traumas from her previous pack. As of right now, this series currently has five books and a prequel novella that can be found in collections like Shifting Shadows as well as the hardcover copy of the first book, Cry Wolf.

What are the Flaws?

I would say that it’s biggest flaw may come in the form of it fitting into a savior complex trope and some scenes either feeling odd or unneeded. While maybe not an overemphasized trope, one could see Charles as being this savior to Anna. Saving her from her previous pack was important for the story and her character, however, readers could find some aspects of their relationship fitting into this trope. I don’t interpret it that way, but I do feel like it could be interpreted that way.

When it comes to odd scenes, I can think of one from the fifth book, Burn Bright. This scene is actually one that seems to be generally critiqued when it comes to what reviewers didn’t like about the book. Basically, the scene in question has to do with a comment made between Anna and Charles about Bran and his relationship with Mercy. Specifically how Bran might have developed something more than just a parental feeling towards her. I agree with this critique as it does feel weird and out of place.

Those are my main critiques. While some people might find the clichés annoying, they don’t bug me enough to turn me away. It doesn’t feel like it goes too overboard, for me anyways, and I would know when it does. That scene in Burn Bright, however, I can see why it would turn readers away. It hasn’t turned me away, though it does hinder my enjoyment of the fifth book.

Why Do I Like Alpha and Omega More Than Mercy Thompson?

While Mercy Thompson has the longer run and appears to be the more popular of the two, you may be wondering why I enjoy the Alpha and Omega series more. It took me a minute, but I’ve narrowed it down to three main reasons.

Reading Alpha and Omega First

The Alpha and Omega series was the first of the two I picked up. I believe I decided to give it a try after I saw Burn Bright when it was first released back in 2018. And since it was the fifth book, I ended up reading the entire series. Then again when I was reading the Mercy Thompson series, since the two intertwine without really interacting with the other series. Cry Wolf, the first book in the series excluding the prequel novella, is my favorite. It’s also the book I’ve read the most. Because while it might not be perfect, I think it was a great first book to the series. It set everything up in a neat way.

Had I read the Mercy Thompson series first, I may have liked that one more. However, when I was introduced to both series isn’t the only reason I like the Alpha and Omega series.

Length of the Series

So long as the series is good, how long it runs might not matter. Shows like PBS’ Arthur and Doctor Who are examples of longer shows having typically positive responses. One Piece and Boxcar Children would be examples for longer running book series that are enjoyed.

That said, longevity can either make or break a series. If there is enough material to last without feeling repetitive or stale as well as having a foreseeable end goal, that’s great. But not all series have that grace. For example, Once Upon a Time, the ABC original series. While seven series might not sound like too terrible of a run, there were times where it could have ended. While some people might say it started going downhill earlier, I personally think that it could have ended on season six. Yes, the stories were formulaic and maybe a but predictable, but the sixth season felt like a great place for the series to end in my opinion.

Looping back around to Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega, the former has a bigger, and still ongoing run as of this post. Alpha and Omega has six books, a prequel novella, and a handful of vignettes. It’s not a long series, and outside of maybe the prequel novella, Alphas and Omega, readers can stick to the main story. Mercy Thompson, on the other hand, twelve books, five vignettes, and a thirteenth book expected to be released in August of this year.

And while there are books in the Mercy Thompson series that I enjoy, I do feel like it has kind of dragged on. After a while, for me once the series got to book ten, it didn’t feel as engaging as it used to. It started to feel repetitive, running in a cycle of, Mercy getting into trouble, Mercy feeling like she has to take on whatever it is her own way, feeling distant from Adam and noting her relationship with Bran’s pack, everything coming out fine. Rinse and repeat. Could Alpha and Omega have a similar issue? Maybe, but it isn’t one I’ve noticed as glaringly so as I have with the Mercy Thompson. Of course, I’ll still read the thirteenth book when it comes out since I’ve been keeping up, but I feel like I would be lying if I said I was wholeheartedly excited.

With Alpha and Omega being the shorter series with books being released every one to three years, it at least feels like it isn’t cycling through similar stories. The creatures and people may feel the same, but not the atmosphere.

The Characters

Both series have enjoyable characters, be it the main and/or secondary characters. Mercy Thompson had some neat side characters and for a time I enjoyed Mercy. However, I like the overall cast in the Alpha and Omega series more.

I feel more drawn to Anna and Charles than I do with Mercy and Adam. In my opinion, Charles and Anna feel like they have a more natural. I don’t know if I would say they feel more developed since technically Mercy and Adam had more time to develop, but there does feel like there is some form of development there that Mercy and Adam may be lacking for me. There’s also the fact that there isn’t any conflict with a third party like there is with Adam and Mercy. While the ex-wife plotline can be enjoyable when done right, I wasn’t sold on it in the Mercy Thompson series. I didn’t particularly care for Christy, Adam’s ex-wife, and she ended up being at the center of one of the book’s main conflict. Overall, Charles and Anna’s relationship feels a bit more natural, simpler maybe, and it’s the one that feels more likeable.

Looking at the leading ladies, both Mercy and Anna have some similarities like having their own trauma and being with their packs’ alpha, but their personalities. Mercy has a more independent and headstrong personality while Anna is more calm and introverted. And while I wouldn’t say the “strong, independent woman” angle is bad, something about Mercy specifically doesn’t feel well done in some instances. Maybe it’s the fact that the Mercy Thompson series has been going on for as long as it has, but Mercy whole demeanor feels stale after a while. Some of her inner monologues feel very repetitive too. First person is a perspective that can be enjoyed, but I think after a while, Mercy stating how she always finds herself in trouble, her relationships with Bran and Samuel, and how she feels different because she is a coyote skin walker feels repetitive after a while. I won’t say that Anna is without flaws, as her submissive demeanor and maybe letting others doing more of the fighting (which partially has to do with how omegas are more so support/comfort than fighters), but it doesn’t feel as blatantly repetitive as it does with Mercy. Which may fall on perspective as much as portrayal.

When it comes to Charles and Adam, both are enjoyable. Adam is a good father and husband as well as a solid pack leader. Readers can tell that he cares about family and is reliable. And he knows when to let Mercy do what he needs to. Charles is also very supportive and caring of Anna. While Anna might not be a brawler, Charles understands why Anna needs to be involved with situations. They have good communication and with how the series treats Charles and his werewolf side (it’s set up as his human side and wolf side share a body but have their own thoughts) connects with Anna well. He also understands the abuse that Anna went through in her previous pack, and doesn’t go overboard with protecting her and knows what she’s been through. Of course, Charles does feel a need to keep her safe, but it’s not an overly possessive kind of desire. Between the two, however, I like Charles more. This could be a constraint of first person, but Charles feels a bit more developed. Adam does have development, but since the Mercy Thompson series is told from Mercy’s perspective, it’s a little harder to see from a perception perspective. With third person, like in Alpha and Omega’s case, it’s able to build both Charles and Anna up in a way that feels easier to pick up on. It also gives readers the chance to understand Charles’ history and character from a way that doesn’t feel one-sided.

As for background and secondary characters, both series have enjoyable characters. Stefan, Mercy’s vampire ally, Zee, a fae and Mercy’s former boss, and Warren, a werewolf and close friend to Mercy, are interesting characters. Jesse, Adam and Christy’s daughter is also a neat character, who works well with Mercy. There’s also Samuel and Bran, who appear in both series, who bring their own stories with them, with the former at one point having romantic feelings towards Mercy. As for the Alpha and Omega series, it has its fair share of enjoyable side characters too. Asil, who’s deceased wife was an omega, has knowledge about omegas and has given Charles advice. He is also shown going through grief of losing his wife, feeling a similar presence in Anna in the first book. Leah Cornick, Bran’s current wife, though usually cold, goes through some development and learns to warm up to Anna. There are plenty of side characters in both that readers might connect with.

Conclusion

Even if the Alpha and Omega series isn’t a masterpiece, there is a lot that I enjoy about it. When I started it and the length helped as well as an enjoyable story and characters. It may have its flaws, like scenes that feel odd, clichés, and/or some repetitive things, it has qualities that I found likeable. It’s a guilty pleasure series of mine and it is a fun read more than anything.