Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

Wild Sign: A Tale of Vengeance and Magic

It’s time for us to sit down and talk about Wild Sign. Wild Sign is the sixth novel in Patricia Briggs’ Alpha & Omega series. It spun off from the Mercy Thompson series – a beloved werewolf and urban fantasy series.

It’s hard to believe that Anna and Charles’ story has been going on for so long and that they keep finding themselves in the center of all these messes. This time around, something from the deep wilds is calling out.

Here, a town has gone missing. Since it is on property owned by the pack, it is a mess for Charles and Anna to clean up and investigate. Only things are much less simple than anyone would have liked, for there is something ancient and hungry in those woods.

Writing

Unsurprisingly, Wild Sign is an intense and thrilling read. Charles and Anna always find themselves in the most dangerous situations, and this time is no different. Still, seeing a bit more of this world that Patricia Briggs has created is extremely refreshing.

Each novel provides a bit more insight. There’s always something new to learn. Here, a different sort of creature becomes the focal point, while witches and others also make their appearances. And it all revolves around the past of two known secondary characters.

That means that there are quite a few surprises in store. It’s always fascinating to see how these two handle all the oddities thrown their way. On that note, it’s worth noting that this novel brings up the trauma in Anna’s past. Therefore, this might not be the best read for everyone out there.

Wild Sign leaned heavily on musical themes for a variety of reasons. Yet it made complete sense on every occasion and resulted in a unique reading experience. One that could practically be heard.

Development

Wild Sign is a fast-paced read, with something happening on nearly every page available. When not dealing with an active threat, there were things to learn, histories to dig up, and much more. It’s the perfect novel for fans of either series, but especially for those who love Charles and Anna.

Many threads were further developed in this novel. Some were a long time coming (I won’t spoil them by listing them out here), but others were a bit more of a surprise. Still, it makes sense in the grand scheme of things and will give Briggs even more to write about.

This novel does an excellent job of raising many questions about how the story will carry on from here. What will change, and how will this affect Mercy’s side of the world? Those are just a few questions that popped into my head while reading. I’m sure I will continue thinking of more right up until the next book releases.

Conclusion

Wild Sign was an intense read, right from the very start and up until the very end. It’s a story that fans and characters deserve, and it did justice to many of the heavier tones throughout this novel. These tones are not new to the series and have generally been a recurring theme.

After having read Wild Sign, it’s impossible not to look forward to any news about what is to follow. Presumably, we’ll be hearing from Mercy next, but who knows? Patricia Briggs may choose to surprise us.

This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.

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