It pains me to give anything Patricia Briggs has written a poor review, so I'm going to keep this short.

I did not read the short story prequel before starting CRY WOLF, and that was a huge mistake. The short story tells us how Charles and Anna met and recognized one another as mates, and describes Anna's difficult history with her first pack. Not having read the short story, CRY WOLF often felt incomplete. I don't think it fully stands on its own.

This ought to be a minor problem, in the hands of an author as gifted as Briggs is. She should be able to drop me into the story and carry me forward, riveted, as she has in her other books. But the writing itself seemed sloppy to me - too much telling, not enough showing. I often felt like I was reading a plot summary instead of a novel. Characters in CRY WOLF rush from plot point to plot point while the author interrupts with long explanations of backstory and worldbuilding.

I love Patricia Briggs, not just the Mercy Thompson series but her more traditional fantasies, and I was pretty disappointed by CRY WOLF. But I have faith in the author, and I'll cross my fingers and hope that the next installment in the series is back up to her usual high standards.