I feel I should start this review by saying that I love Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series and because of this, I was thrilled to learn that this series was a spin off and concentrated on the wolves from Bran's Montana pack. I'd often wondered what he got up to when he wasn't busy trying to fix up Mercy's mistakes. 
 The start of this book picks up directly after the novella Alpha and Omega (from the anthology On the Prowl) but it's not necessary to read the prequel. I enjoy Briggs' writing and her characters. She's not shy about putting them through the wringer. She tortures them and makes them relive their nightmares and this only makes me like her stories more. I'm not sadistic but I like how real it makes her characters to me. The bad parts of life aren't glossed over but rather highlighted in a way that can make me feel very uncomfortable at the brutality. At the same time I appreciate that for all the supernatural elements of her novels, it's a vivid representation of human nature. Bad things do happen and Briggs addresses that life isn't all sunshine and rainbows. 
 Anna's introduction to the supernatural world has not been an easy one. She was raped repeatedly by those in her pack who were supposed to be family and the ones to protect her from such a violent life. After three years of such treatment she meets Charles Cornick - the Marrok's youngest son- and things change even further. She's told that she's his mate and that she needs to accompany him back to his pack. And as if that wasn't enough, there's a rogue wolf in pack territory that needs to be taken care of. Oh Anna... what have you gotten yourself into? 
 Throughout everything, Anna has a spirit that I greatly admired. She wasn't without weakness but she persevered and when push came to shove, she did what she had to do to protect what was hers. Charles was just as likeable. I like that the characters in the novel weren't two-dimensional. They all have flaws and problems but they're dynamic in the sense that they're willing to change for the ones they love. It was an interesting ride to see Charles have to cope with Anna's past and trying to help her despite it being a completely unfamiliar situation for him that went slightly against his Alpha nature. 
 I like how consistent Briggs is with her world. The mating bond, the pack bonds and the way wolves behave is all consistent with that of the Mercy Thompson series which is set in the same universe as Alpha & Omega. I loved the way that all events that occur in this novel happen in a way that feel planned for. The new characters and supernatural happenings feel perfectly natural happening in this story. That's not to say that there are no surprises - there are many surprising actions and plot points that occur. But they are not just thrown at the reader - they feel appropriate and logical and exciting.