Patricia Briggs does it again! Her Alpha and Omega titles keep getting better. Charles is stuck with running the pack while his father, Bran - the Alpha of all North American werewolves, is supposedly in Africa visiting his other son, Samuel. Suddenly, a frantic phone call from the mate of an exiled wolf starts Charles and Anna on the path to finding a traitor in their pack - and solve the mystery of who is behind both the traitor and the conspiracy to destroy the pack. There are many twists and turns as Charles and Anna try to get to the core of the mystery and there are also a significant "detour" in the form of a story. This left me wondering where Briggs was headed. However, as in all of her books, she ties this "detour" neatly into the resolution of the story. As always, Patricia Briggs stories are exciting, full of detail and very good reading. Burn Bright does not disappoint!

Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs is the 5th book in her Alpha & Omega series. The Alpha & Omega series is another fascinating werewolf storyline that takes place in the world of Mercy Thompson. Only this series revolves around Charles Cornick, who is the enforcer for his Alpha father ( Bran), and his wife Anna, who is an Omega wolf.

This story begins shortly after the last Mercy Thompson story ended, and Bran (The Marrok), is away on a secret trip. In his absence, Charles is in on call for problems, and when he receives a call for help from a fae mate to a wilding wolf; he and Anna take the 20 minute ride to the mountains. The wildings are somewhat broken, damaged and unstable wolves, who live separately from the pack in the wilderness.

When Charles and Anna arrive at their destination, only the fae mate can explain what has happened. His wolf mate has been kidnapped, and is being held in a cage; due a promise made to his mate, the fae cannot go help his mate, as has no control over his dangerous powers, if he sees her being harmed. Charles and Anna will find Hester (the mate) and help her escape, and in so doing, will kill those who threatened her. But before they can get her back home, another group attacks, unfortunately Hester is killed, as well as the attackers. When they come back to the house, the fae mate has killed himself, and has left a clue that there is a traitor among Bran’s pack.

When Charles, Anna, Leah (Bran’s mate) and the rest of the pack devise a plan to send three teams to visit all the wildings, to warn them and try to find the traitor. What follows is an intense exciting adventure, where multiple times Anna will find herself very much in danger. Being an Omega wolf brings her right in the middle of the unstable wolves. The first wolf, felt the draw of an Omega (they can calm them and bring peace), and takes Anna into his mind to try to fight off a curse set by a witch. It takes Charles help to allow Anna to break the curse and save herself. In the midst of all of this action, Charles comes to realize why Bran is away, technically in hiding, and is determined to prove his theory with Anna’s help. But most importantly, they must stop the traitor before more wildings are killed. This is monstrous task, as the evil villain is much stronger than any of them realize.

I love Charles and Anna together; the chemistry between these two is electric and the way they balance one another out is amazing, especially in his role as enforcer.
I love Brother Wolf’s talking to Charles, and his love of Anna. Asil and Wellesy were very good, and surprisingly so was Leah, whom most of us do not like. We also get to learn more information our Mercy’s early years as a member of Bran’s pack, as well as learning more about Anna’s powers and Charles’s witchborn powers.

As we race to a wild climatic finish, we find ourselves holding our breaths as there are some surprises that shock us as to who the traitor is, and how powerful and evil the villain is
But most of all, it is the love of Anna that keeps Charles sane, and her ability as an Omega to be able to calm wolves. They make such a great couple, working together to solve any crimes within the pack range, not to mention their chemistry is very hot. Burn Bright was an exciting, pulse pounding, fast paced, captivating read, with some surprising revelations and a wonderful couple.

The Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega series are some of my favorite paranormal romance/adventure/mysteries...it checks all the boxes, really. I was so happy to be approved on Netgalley for Burn Bright and I devoured it in one day (I went to bed very late).

I really like the Alpha and Omega series because of the vastly different voice compared to the Mercy Thompson series. Don't get me wrong, I love Mercy, but the calmness and the narrative of this series is a nice break. That being said, this book is jam packed with action and mystery and killer plants. No really. Everything becomes potentially killer in this book and you can't trust anyone since there is a traitor in the pack and skinwalkers and all sorts of dangers. I think that the lore in this series is fantastic, and I love the touches of Native American legend that is tied in with the touches of Welsh lore with Bran and werewolves and witches. Patricia Briggs is a queen when it comes to having well developed worlds, even within the one we know.

As always, Charles and Anna are adorable and wonderful. I like that the conflict in the book had nothing to do with their relationship - in fact, it's their respect and trust that usually seems to get them out of tough situations. I really appreciate a female main character whose strength is her kindness and quietness, for lack of a better term. I really enjoy seeing Anna and how her personality works within a story with so many strong characters. They are both much more calculation and internal than the other characters in the series, and it's always fun to see how they will solve the problems that arise in each book.

Personally, I kind of miss the days when the plot could be a little more focused because there were less moving parts. There is now so much moving around in multiple series that I long for the book that was just a tad more...simple, I suppose. I understand the need to keep the story forward with so many books, but I kind of miss watching the development of Charles and Anna's relationship and their own characters. While the plot is a magical romp forward, sometimes I found Charles and Anna's interactions a little stagnant.

In Burn Bright, the werewolves are thrown into the fire when it comes to other fantastical creatures that had previously existed semi-peacefully alongside the pack. Now everything is in chaos all across the supernatural world and as usual, it seems to always gravitate towards Charles, Anna, and Bran and Company. Fans of the Mercy Thompson series might miss some of the snark but fans of Charles and Anna will find this latest installment a wonderful fit and will be left excited about what's to come.

Oh how I have missed Charles and Anna!

I love this series and the very fact that it coincides with my beloved Mercy Thompson series just makes it all the better.

I loved being immersed back into this world and more importantly getting to see Charles and Anna together again. The bond and relationship they have it amazing and the love and understanding between them even more so. I love that they make each other stronger and while they want to protect each other, they also don't smother or hold the other one back from being the best they can be. It truly is one of my most favorite relationships in the genre and I adore them.

The mystery in this was intriguing and again, I loved that it kind of went hand in hand with what is happening in her Mercy Thompson series without it feeling like it is the same story or the same exact drama. It's a separate situation with a mystery that is all tied together and I love it. It was so fascinating and so much fun.

Getting to learn more about the wildings and their purpose and place in the pack was even more entertaining than I imagined it would be. I loved seeing Asil step up and help out so much. He really is one of my favorite misfit characters.

Truly a wonderful story full of rich history, not only about the werewolves but about magic and Charles people, and just so much more. I truly loved it all, right up to the satisfying and thrilling end and was not ready for it to be over. I can't wait for the next book, I'm so ready for it!

Oh, man. I really love this stuff. Patricia Briggs always brings her A game. This book was more of a murder mystery than I think her other books have been. I really enjoyed following the characters as they rule out suspects and track down the murderer. On top of all that, you get the paranormal aspect that we love from Briggs.

I gave this book a solid four stars for a fantastic story line and colorful characters.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Burn Bright is a thrilling tale of magic, betrayal, deception and loss. It has parts that break your heart and other parts that have you perched on the edge of your seat with your breath held. The excitement of battle, the devastation of loss and the pain of betrayal are all tangled within an intriguing mystery. In this book we see the depth of the mate bonds and discover the old, less stable wolves in the pack. The relationship between Anna and Charles warms your heart with its beauty and leaves you wanting more. This is an intriguing, complex story that adds depth to both the characters and the world as a whole and you just know that there is more trouble brewing on the horizon. I received an early copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way influenced my review and all opinions expressed are solely my own.

I generally enjoyed the book, but I did have a few issues with it. One the start. I have read all the books in this series, but it has been a while since I read the last one. The book began right where the last one left off. So it felt like I missed a few pages. It wasn’t confusing, but it was off putting. There was also very little backstory, so if you have never read a Alpha and Omega book do not start here, it is not a stand alone novel. My second issue us with Anna. She always comes across as a damsel in distress. Omega’s are not weak, they are as strong as Alpha’s just in a different way. I realize she has been through seriously traumatizing events. So instead of whispering about “what happened in Chicago” they either need to get her some help to work through what happened to her or magically get over it. Because touch is a major part of her being an Omega, her rational mind knows she is not being assaulted. Not only does she need to constantly be physically rescued, but she needs to be mentally rescued too. At this point she should have the tools to center herself and get to work without evey wolf around her panicking.

What I really enjoyed was the other wolves. As always I love Brother Wolf and Charles, and I love when we are given a glimpse into his interactions with his grandfather. Asail is also a fav, and I love how he shifts from comic relief to cold blooded killer effortlessly. Leah was also finally given some character growth, and it was nice to see that she is not so much an insufferable bitch as she is a fearful and frustrated mate.zIt makes me wonder what kind of woman she may have become if Bran had allowed her to raise Mercy. Loving someone and having them love her back would’ve done wonders for her. Wellesley was a interesting addition, and I hope we see more of him. The wildings in general are a group I would like to see more of. They are an interesting bunch.

Something that frustrates me about the Wolves in general is that because they are so long lived, have witchborn among them, and have pack mind and magic, they seem closed off to new and/or different ways of thinking. It’s why the traitor was able to work so well for so long. I found it interesting that Anna’s interactions with the wildings she got to meet met for very interesting outcomes. Everyone assumes that wolves just get old and crazy, but I wonder if that is as often the case as everyone believes. This book proved that magic can be hidden and lies can be told to wolves even as strong as the Marrok. So maybe Anna should be taken on a tour, and the wildlings should be given “check ups” to see what is really going on. I also been wondering for a while why the wolves don’t do like the Vampires when it comes to changing humans? It seems like giving their blood to a human over a period of time before attempting the change may have similar outcomes. It would be cool to watch old wolves learn new tricks.

Overall I really enjoyed the book, and I am looking forward to the next in the series.

Trouble comes to Aspen Creek in the form of a traitor, and it is up to Anna and Charles to sniff them out—while protecting the pack in the Marrock's absence. It is a non-stop mystery, filled with action, intrigue and insights, that I couldn't put down.

I love the Alpha and Omega series. Sure, I love Mercy's series just as much, but sometimes it's good to get out of Mercy's head and see this fascinating world from another view—and gain insights into Mercy herself. And Anna, Brother Wolf, Charles and Asil are wonderful characters that continue to develop and grow as much as centuries old near-immortals can (except, of course, Anna, who is a newcomer to this ancient group). Like Silence Fallen, this installment continues to hammer home how old, different and resistant to change immortals become, particularly when change happens at a rapid rate.

I am eagerly awaiting the next installment!

I receive this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

These are the broken and wild. The werewolves who can't live safely with their own kind. They've been exiled to Aspen Creek, Montana. Close enough to receive support from Marrocks pack but far enough away to not cause problems.

With the alpha out of the country, Charles and Anna are on call when they receive an SOS from a fae-mate of one of the wildlings. Heading to the mountain they prevent the abduction of the werewolf but can't stop the bloodshed.

Now they must use their skills as enforcer and peacemaker to track down the attackers, opening a chapter from the past.

As always, this authors writing is phenomenal. She always manages to put a new spin on all things paranormal. If you're a fan of Patricia Briggs other books, don't hesitate to pick this one up!

I love Patricia Brigg’s Alpha & Omega series even more than her Mercy Thompson series. I just love the dynamic of Charles and Anna. That’s why I was a bit disappointed in Burn Bright since I felt I didn’t get enough of Charles-and-Anna-time as a chunk of the story splits up their time together. I had to do an immediate re-read to that I could appreciate the rest of the story.

In Burn Bright, Bran is away after helping to free Mercy (see Silence Fallen). While he is away from the pack, he decides he is going to visit his son Samuel in Africa, leaving Charles in charge of the Aspen Creek pack. Charles gets an emergency call from help from Jonesy, a dangerous fae and mate to one of Bran’s werewolf wildings. Bran’s pack are mostly the oldest and more unstable werewolves, and the wildings are the worst of them, not able to be in a pack environment. The wildings live in the more uninhabitable areas of the Montana mountains and Bran, Charles, Leah and Asil keep an eye on them since they are so antisocial.

Jonesy indicates that his mate has been captured and to let Bran know there is a traitor in their midst giving out information about the wildings. Charles and Anna go to investigate and help rescue Hester, and come across more than they wanted in the trained merceneries (both human and werewolves) attacking the wildings.

They need to warn all Bran’s wildings that there is danger prowling the mountain. Breaking into teams to try and reach all these wolves in their remote locations is their only choice but it also leaves them more vulnerable to attack, and not just from the merceneries. These individuals are secluded because they are dangerous and any stranger can set them off. These damaged wolves also seem to have a very odd reaction to Anna’s Omega nature.

The plot twists and turns and we learn there might be more to Bran’s disappearance than just an ill-timed vacation, such that could bring an end to the peace at Aspen Creek.

I was very happy to find this series in the Mercy Thompson world. Anna was an abused woman, forced to become a werewolf. Charles helped rescue her and although he is more then able and willing to protect Anna, he forces himself to step back and allow Anna to find her own way, ready to catch her if she falls, but knowing that she needs to develop her own sense of worth after the physical and sexual abuse she suffered.

It is this dynamic and the great differences in their personalities which I enjoy so much and seeing how their relationhip changes both of them. Anna is a survivor and learning to trust and open up to people again and Charles, who as the enforcer of the werewolf laws keeps to himself most of the time, now he has Anna and he needs to learn to share himself with her and how much he has changed to have someone besides his father and brother who he is close to.

Saying all that, my first read of the story left me disappointed with Burn Bright after waiting almost three years for a new Alpha & Omega story. Mostly because a chunk of the story requires Charles and Anna to split up and overall, I didn’t get enough Charles and Anna time. Leah who likes to cause trouble with Bran’s sons out of jealousy, made sure to send Anna with Asil to do some investigating and sent Charles with Sage. She did this knowing it would bother Charles, but it mostly just bothered me. It was a necessary plot point to change up the dynimics.

Upon my second read of the story, I could focus on all the great story points and those twist and turns that I mentioned before that would have made the story so engrossing the first time if I could have punched Leah out and kept Charles and Anna together.

Happenings in this story also cause Anna some flashbacks to her time of abuse and I don’t think that was addressed enough.

There was a lot of plot points to cover in the story and because of that it was a little too convenient that they tripped over all the necessary information they needed without spending days searching. I would have simply been happy with a “of course, it was the last place they looked…” or “after spending half a day knocking on doors, they finally…” We didn’t have to waste too much page time, but we also didn’t need to find what we were looking for in the first place we stopped.

Where Mercy Thompson is told mostly in the first person perspective. Alpha & Omega bounces between Charles and Anna. I really like the dynamic of these two characters and how they are so different but make a perfect compliment to one another. I also love Bran, who is noticably absent from this story.

OMG(!!!) Book Lovers, this was so good!
As we know Charles and Anna, are a power couple. I think if Bran and Leah were not the "alpha team" that Charles and Anna would be perfect to be in charge of it all.

This story had me shook, I was literally on the edge of my seat half the time I was reading this, I couldn't believe the twist and turns and the plot twist, the magic and the characters that set everything into play.

I love the mystery, suspense feel of this continuation in the Alpha and Omega series, the only thing it was lacking was a little more romance, but hey that just me!

I think if you are like me, and are a loyal Patty reader and you love this world like we do, YOU are going to LOVE this one. Now that I am finished I cant wait to see what happens next with this story and to get another Mercy book at some point this year too!

Overall I gave this one 4.5 out of 5

**4.5 stars**

So I went into this book relatively blind...yes I've been waiting what seems like forever for it but I also decided against reading the synopsis and I avoided excerpts because I didn't want to spoil anything. I'm glad I did because it made catching up with Anna and Charles so much better. This was definitely a solid installment in the series but not the best which I feel wrong saying but the entire time I was reading I felt there was something slightly missing. The story was intriguing and it definitely kept me turning the pages but it felt disconnected from the last book somehow. I honestly thought the story would be going in a certain direction and it went a completely different way. That being said it's still an amazing read and a must for any fan of the series. You get all the things that make these novels great action, intrigue, and of course romance. Also there was more interconnection with Mercy which I really enjoyed. My favorite part will always be Anna and Charles though, those guys just make me smile. Now I was confused about whether this was to be the last book ,which I'm still not positive on, but the way this book went makes me feel like we'll be seeing more in the future which I have my fingers crossed for!

As usual Patricia Briggs writes a winner! Charles and Anna's relationship is not over the top for their reality. I love that she is adding more background to some of the older werewolves and adding in some other history of the paranormal world. It was a fast-paced mystery and I had no idea where it was going until it got there.

While I really enjoy the Anna and Charles books, I found myself a little disappointed in this one. I love visiting with the characters and seeing them grow; however, not all the characters are as developed as they need to be to make the twist ending work. My reaction to the twist was very disappointing since I not only didn't see it coming (which is good) but it also didn't make me feel anything. I just didn't know enough about the character to really care. The books are usually so focused on Anna, Charles and Asil (who is one of my favorites and I hope he gets a book one day), that other characters are usually left with one or two line descriptions of personality that you don't get to know them. So the feelings of betray just weren't there. That being said, I love Brigg's world building and her introduction to the newest shaman, was nicely detailed. Hopefully there will be more of him in the next stories.

Always an enjoyable series. A certain suspense this time around, wondering why Bran is away from the pack.

I love the world of Charles and Anna, and this is another strong story about this couple. One of the reasons I am starting to enjoy the Alpha & Omega stories more than the Mercy Thompson series is that Briggs actually allows Charles and Anna to work together, rather being artificially split them up at the beginning of every book. Once a couple becomes a couple, it's nice to see them fighting and working together!

I think it would be difficult to read this book as a stand-alone, since there's way too much backstory to make sense of otherwise. I liked seeing Anna and Charles work together, I liked seeing more of Bran's pack in action, and this is a good story about how we're all part of our history and our pasts, but we can still move forward together with those we love.

I've requested an interview with the author and would love to discuss the book on my podcast. It was one of the best so far!

Patricia Briggs is my favorite paranormal author. Both her Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series are centered on werewolves. This wonderful story is from the Alpha & Omega series and has Charles the temporarily in charge of the pack. He receives an emergency call from the wilder wolves who live deep in the mountains and discovers a powerful family of witches and skinwalkers. Great book with the chance to catch up with all your favorite pack members. Reading the previous books in the series would be beneficial.

This was an excellent addition to the alpha and omega series. It showed a nice character growth for both Anna and Charles. The mystery was laid out with just enough foreshadowing that it made sense after the big reveal. It was a good read that Patricia Briggs’ fans should enjoy.

With Bran conspicuously and mysteriously absent from the pack (supposedly on a trip to Africa) Charles and Anna are left in charge. When Charles gets an alarming phone call from one of the more broken "wildlings" (werewolves and their mates who are not fit for company), they have to set out to investigate. They are plummeted into a plot where someone is plotting to kill or kidnap the wildlings and wolves.