Fair Game

Fair Game (2012) Patricia Briggs (Alpha & Omega)

Although this book lacks Asil (except for a few scenes at the beginning) it is still very good. Primarily because I still find the ending shocking, even though I’ve read it multiple times.

This book is not going to be for everyone. Take the last line of the prologue.

Leslie learned two valuable things about the fae that day. They were powerful and charming— and they ate children and puppies.

Although not depicted on the page, this story deals with rape, torture, harm to children, and all kids of isms and the designation of certain kinds of people as second class citizens, not deserving of full rights.

Asil’s appearance here, although brief, is marvelous as always.

“I told her she needed to grow up and deal with reality.”

The muscle on Bran’s jaw tightened because Asil had always had a talent for imitation— he thought he’d gotten Bran’s voice just about perfect on the last few sentences.

Asil left Bran alone with his thoughts then, because if he stayed, Bran would argue with him. This way, Bran would have no one to argue with but himself. And Asil had always credited Bran with the ability to be persuasive.

Last week or the week before I was griping about the portrayal of a character (a werewolf actually) in that he failed to come across as self-aware with regard to his surroundings. I didn’t need him to be burdened by it, or broken by it, just aware of it. Just like Patricia Briggs did here.

He was a big man and Indian. (He’d been Indian for more than a century and only occasionally thought of himself as Native American. When he paid any attention at all, he might consider himself half-breed Salish or Flathead.) The combination of size and ethnicity usually had people avoiding him, especially in places where Indians weren’t as commonplace.

It’s not something Charles has a problem with, it’s just something he is aware of, and moves through space conscious of.

Charles and Anna are sent to Boston with a very specific mission.

“The FBI is interested in anything we can add to the investigation.”

“You’re sending me?” People instinctively wanted to please Adam. Charles was better at the destroy-and-subdue, not so good at the coax-and-charm.

“No,” said his da. “That would be dumb. I’m sending Anna. You are going as her guard.

Things become especially difficult when the daughter of a fae is kidnapped by the serial killer.

“It is not wise to give something old and powerful something they care about. And I am very old.” He looked at the FBI agents. “Even, possibly, older than your father.

This book–like all of her books–has an excellent cast of secondary characters. Isaac–the Boston Alpha who is always walking backwards–is particularly fun.

And I’ll note that although bad things happen in this book, aside from the little boy in the morgue it wasn’t a horrible struggle to process–and I am struggling with processing a lot right now.

Published by Ace
Rating: 8.5/10

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