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Briggs, Patricia - Hunting Ground (#2)~ Buddy Read August 17 2011; Revisit starting February 9, 2018
There are thirteen chapters, total. We'll read 5 to 4 chapters a day.Date------------Chapters----------Person Posting Discussion Questions
8/25/11-----------1-5-------------------CaroB
8/26/11-----------6-9------------------Lisa Kay
8/27/11-----------10-13----------------Sans
Anna Latham Cornick: Wife of Charles Cornick, Anna is an Omega werewolf.
Charles Cornick: Youngest son of Bran. Charles is his father's enforcer and an Alpha werewolf.
Bran Cornick: the Marrok, leader of all werewolves in North America.
Samuel Cornick: Charles's brother, a doctor.
Dana Shea: A fae, one of the Gray Lords; she will keep the meeting under control.
Angus Hopper: Alpha of the Emerald City pack.
Arthur Madden: Alpha of the Great Britain pack, the British equivalent of the Marrok.
Sunny Madden: Arthur's mate.
Jean Chastel: Alpha werewolf of France. Actually referred to as "the Beast of Gévaudan" .
Nimue: Lady of the Lake, of Arthurian legend.
Ivan: a vampire.
Krissy: a vampire.
Ian Garner: werewolf of the Emerald City pack.
Michel Girard: one of the French werewolves.
Sergio del Fino: One of the Spanish werewolves.
Hussan Ibn Hussan: One of the Spanish werewolves.
Pedro Herrera: One of the Spanish werewolves.
Asil: a very old werewolf of the Aspen Creek pack, also know as the Moor.
Tom Franklin: the second of the Emerald City pack.
Moira: Tom's mate, witch of the Emerald City pack.
Heinrich (Ric) Postinger: a werewolf, the Italian’s Omega.
Isaac: Ric's Alpha.
Questions on Chapters 1-5
1. This cover is the first where I think Anna actually looks as fragile as everyone keeps referring to her. How much do covers affect your expectation of the action or characters at the beginning of a book? Do you find yourself stopping on a page ever and focusing on the cover before resuming your reading?
2. What are your thoughts on the timeline and the changes in Anna's character that we've seen from the prequel to now?
3. "The beast likes to eat humans." Charles said in Chapter 1. Then in chapter 2 Ivan and Krissy attacked Jody in Seattle. Do you think they're wolves or something else? Do you think they're linked to Jean Chastel?
4. What do you think of Dana?
5. I've been surprised that Anna and Charles are now mated, yet they can still be so insecure about their relationship.
"She wanted to crawl in a dark hole so that she never bothered Brother Wolf with her presence again, which she knew was stupid. He hadn't been rejecting her. Not really. But there had been such . . . dismissal in his admonition. His attention had been on Dana. Dana who was fae, a Gray Lord, confident and powerful. Not a twenty-three-year-old woman with half an education who didn't even know, after three years of being one, a quarter of what she should know about being a werewolf. She was no fit match for Charles."What do you make of this?
and then later:
"And he worried that she might not ever be able to see who he was and love him, because he looked in the mirror and saw only the killer. It was the reason he kept the bond between them tightened down. He loved her beyond all reason and didn't expect her to love him back. He was just waiting for her to wise up."
6. Does it strike anyone else that aspects of this are like a romance in reverse? They're mated, they've bonded but they're really only just getting to know each other. No-one's said the L word yet.
7. What did you think of the political undercurrents in the restaurant?
8. How important an Alpha is Angus that he's the only other Alpha from the Marrok's North American wolves to be at this conference?
9. So we have a troll, a fae, a witch and now vampires. Who do you think is behind the vampires' attack on the street?
Questions for Chapter 6 – Chapter 9
10. What is your impression of Angus? Anna thinks the first vampire attack was engineered by one of their own. She smelled “pack magic”. Is her nose reliable yet? Though Charles assures her it wasn’t him, do you think it could it have been Angus?
11. Comments about Moria? What about Angus’s defense of Moria, the mutant, blind white witch?
12. What do you think of Arthur and Excalibur? Does it have any bearing on this conflict or is it just an interesting side story? His human wife, Sunny? Comments on their relationship. His taking the heat off Michel?
13. What do you think of the “custody battle” over Ric, the Austrian Omega? Do you think it really was Chastel who eliminated the Austrian pack four years ago, or could it be whoever is involved in what is going on it Seattle right now? Why didn’t his Alpha, Isaac, tell him and the rest of his pack about the vampires?
14. Man-oh-man! Is Chastel a piece of work or not? Glad Anna stool up to him. You?
15. Were you worried about Anna joining the hunt? Did you hope she’d win? Would there have been political consequences?
16. Sunny! Was that tragedy a surprise, or what? Was a forest spirit in the middle of the city really only looking for blackberries? Is there more to that mystery? And Charles was the only one who could see her? Can something be a bit spooky and comforting at the same time?
17. Whoa! Some fight between Charles and Chastel! And what was going on with that b!tch Dana? And just what type of fae is she? Surprised that Anna put her thumb into Charles’s mouth to break his grip? The hunt was over? Nice loophole, that, right? But, drat! Chastel isn’t dead.
18. Now, that is a different type of cliffhanger than I’m use too. Will Charles successfully hide from Anna? Comments?
Questions for Chapters 10-1319. Charles almost sounds scarred that Anna will be disappointed or scared of him. How much of his fear is his how much is Brother Wolf's? What do you think is causing that fear?
20. Circling back to our earlier discussions of the L-word, what to make of Anna telling Charles "Love you" at that particular moment?
21. *clapping* Anna may not be the sharpest werewolf in the pack, but she's good. Were you surprised that she picked up on Dana's manipulations before Charles did?
22. Charles is surprised that Anna is so aggressive in bed that night. What do you think brought out that change in her?
23. Way-hey, Chastel is dead! In a very brutal way to. Before reading any further, who did you think hired the vamps to kill him?
24. What did you think of Anna's little breakthrough with Charles and the touching?
25. Now we know who hired the vamps and why. Reactions? How about to the fight between Charles and Arthur and Dana's betrayal?
26. Was I the only one to get shivers when Sunny's body started talking and moving? Gah.
27. Anna is turning into quite a proficient killer herself. What do you think that says about her and her relationship with Charles?
29. Another buddy read successfully completed. What do you ladies think of the book?
Okay, since I already read it, I'll just chat with you guys. However, this is my first official buddy read, so I'll have to follow your leads!
Great, Leah! So, do you want to post discussion questions or not? Totally up to you. No pressure. :) We just need to know so we can divide up the chapters/days.
Could I wait until next time, so I can get the feel of how you guys do it? :)
That sounds totally reasonable to me. ^o^
More like I'll be reasonable and not start cracking the whip. ^_~
LOL! Ahhh, so it's more like: Task/Slave Master, thy name is Sans.
Sure, CaroB. Are you reading
right now? I just saw your review on #0.5 We should be starting this one in about four or five days.
Yep, reading it now :-) What a great new series!
It is! So neat to find a new-to-me-author that I love. :)
Just had a look around. Am I right in thinking you ladies are doing two simultaneous buddy reads with Alpha & Omage #1 and Angel Guild #1?
CaroB, Sans and I are going to go back to A&O after we finish #1 of AG. We like to thrown in a different genre every now and then to break things up, but we've been on a roll with A&O - both loving the series! - and wanted to revisit it sooner than previously planned.We have, actually, talked about reading two books and doing two buddy reads together... so far it is all talk. :)
Lisa Kay wrote: "We have, actually, talked about reading two books and doing two buddy reads together... so far it is all talk. :) "That sounds like a challenge. Bring it on!! ^o^
Okay, Sans, but after I catch up with Martin's Song of Fire & Ice series.
I was pretty sure that's why we were sticking to one book at a time. ^o^ Any time you want to bump the number of our reads up, I'm good!
You guys are very dedicated buddy readers. LOL
I love the buddy reads! I usually don't get to talk about a book in depth with other friends. These give me a great opportunity to have fun, keep reading (and finishing!), and get my snark on. It's also great because if I'm confused, Lisa almost always helps me sort out what's going on. ^o^
Ha! Sans usually straightens me out, Leah!
Lotta straightening going on ;)I totally see what you mean, though, Sans! I can totally relate.
Hey Lisa, I'm sending you Hunting Ground, right? Or did you get it from the library?
I got the audio from the library. ...but, I wouldn't mind a hard copy...
I'll send it out on Tuesday! I'm off work tomorrow, but you should have it by Thursday.
I'm just an observer this time, so start whenever you're ready :)
Tomorrow (Thursday) good for everyone? There are 13 chapters to this book. Want to split it into 3 days? Two participants will have four chapters and another will have five chapters. I'll let you guys figure out who should go first, second, third, etc (in case you'd like to bump it down to 3 chapters/day).
I'm happy to start it with the 5 chapters, if that suits?
I'm glad I checked in before dropping off to sleep. CaroB, that sounds great!
Okay, CaroB & Sans, I'll go after CaroB.
Great, I'll take the last four chapters then. ^o^
Good, since I already put your name beside them, LOL! :)
Ladies, I'm running late. I'll put on what I have so far:CaroB's questions on Chapters 1-5
1. This cover is the first where I think Anna actually looks as fragile as everyone keeps referring to her. How much do covers affect your expectation of the action or characters at the beginning of a book? Do you find yourself stopping on a page ever and focusing on the cover before resuming your reading?
2. What are your thoughts on the timeline and the changes in Anna's character that we've seen from the prequel to now?
3. "The beast likes to eat humans." Charles said in Chapter 1. Then in chapter 2 Ivan and Krissy attacked Jody in Seattle. Do you think they're wolves or something else? Do you think they're linked to Jean Chastel?
4. What do you think of Dana?
5. I've been surprised that Anna and Charles are now mated, yet they can still be so insecure about their relationship.
"She wanted to crawl in a dark hole so that she never bothered Brother Wolf with her presence again, which she knew was stupid. He hadn't been rejecting her. Not really. But there had been such . . . dismissal in his admonition. His attention had been on Dana. Dana who was fae, a Gray Lord, confident and powerful. Not a twenty-three-year-old woman with half an education who didn't even know, after three years of being one, a quarter of what she should know about being a werewolf. She was no fit match for Charles." and then later:
"And he worried that she might not ever be able to see who he was and love him, because he looked in the mirror and saw only the killer. It was the reason he kept the bond between them tightened down. He loved her beyond all reason and didn't expect her to love him back. He was just waiting for her to wise up."
What do you make of this?
Lisa Kay’s Answers to CaroB's Questions on Chapters 1-51. This cover is the first where I think Anna actually looks as fragile as everyone keeps referring to her. How much do covers affect your expectation of the action or characters at the beginning of a book? Do you find yourself stopping on a page ever and focusing on the cover before resuming your reading?
LOVE the cover and agree that Anna looks forlornly fragile. The Brother Wolf finally looks right. I am a big “cover ho” and, as much as I try not to, I do buy books based on their covers. YES, I do flip back and forth to look at the cover, LOL! Glad I’m not the only one doing it, LOL!
2. What are your thoughts on the timeline and the changes in Anna's character that we've seen from the prequel to now?
I think they are on track. She has been through a lot. She needs time. Much more realistic than all these heroines that “get over it after the first tender loving.”
3. "The beast likes to eat humans." Charles said in Chapter 1. Then in chapter 2 Ivan and Krissy attacked Jody in Seattle. Do you think they're wolves or something else? Do you think they're linked to Jean Chastel?
I don’t know what they are!! They might be werewolves. Linked to Jean Chastel? Yeah, probably. He “stinks” of evil.
4. What do you think of Dana?
Vain. I don’t trust her. What was that feeling Anna picked up on before Dana opened the present? I wanted her to get out of there too, LOL!
5. I've been surprised that Anna and Charles are now mated, yet they can still be so insecure about their relationship.
"She wanted to crawl in a dark hole so that she never bothered Brother Wolf with her presence again, which she knew was stupid. He hadn't been rejecting her. Not really. But there had been such . . . dismissal in his admonition. His attention had been on Dana. Dana who was fae, a Gray Lord, confident and powerful. Not a twenty-three-year-old woman with half an education who didn't even know, after three years of being one, a quarter of what she should know about being a werewolf. She was no fit match for Charles."What do you make of this?
and then later:
"And he worried that she might not ever be able to see who he was and love him, because he looked in the mirror and saw only the killer. It was the reason he kept the bond between them tightened down. He loved her beyond all reason and didn't expect her to love him back. He was just waiting for her to wise up."
I think, due to the nature of Anna’s history (sexual and emotional abuse), she is still insecure. The same for him; he is a “lone wolf” – has to be because he is his father’s enforcer. Plus, neither has been in love before. All this emotional insecurity seems natural to me and is not over done, IMHO.
6. Does it strike anyone else that aspects of this are like a romance in reverse? They're mated, they've bonded but they're really only just getting to know each other. No-one's said the L word yet.
Yea! It is like a “mail-order-bride” story, LOL! Just kidding. Charles and Anna declared their love in Chapter 15 of Cry Wolf. Maybe they don’t feel the need to say those three little words again; maybe they are still too new. Hmmm. Good point.
7. What did you think of the political undercurrents in the restaurant?
Man-oh-man! What a mess! Angry, territorial Spanish, French, Scottish werewolves and some guy who thinks he is the reincarnation of King Arthur? I agreed with Anna: she could walk safely back to the hotel b/c all the bad guys were in the restaurant, LOL!
8. How important an Alpha is Angus that he's the only other Alpha from the Marrok's North American wolves to be at this conference?
I think it is pretty significant. His pack has to do what he says.
9. So we have a troll, a fae, a witch and now vampires. Who do you think is behind the vampires' attack on the street?
Hmmm. Maybe the fae? I’m just guessing. Someone is using pack magic to their advantage.
I think I'm getting a migraine, so if I typed something that doesn't make sense, forgive me. Don't know how long I'll last, so I may not comment to everyone's posts until tomorrow. I'm going to run downstairs and pop a pill.
6. Does it strike anyone else that aspects of this are like a romance in reverse? They're mated, they've bonded but they're really only just getting to know each other. No-one's said the L word yet.7. What did you think of the political undercurrents in the restaurant?
8. How important an Alpha is Angus that he's the only other Alpha from the Marrok's North American wolves to be at this conference?
9. So we have a troll, a fae, a witch and now vampires. Who do you think is behind the vampires' attack on the street?
CaroB's answers on Chapters 1-51. This cover is the first where I think Anna actually looks as fragile as everyone keeps referring to her. How much do covers affect your expectation of the action or characters at the beginning of a book? Do you find yourself stopping on a page ever and focusing on the cover before resuming your reading? In the novella prequel cover, she seemed like a sultry, red-haired siren, not at all how she's described. In the Cry Wolf cover, she looked tough and slightly scary with those eyes. Again, not as she's described at any point in the book, I thought. Here in Hunting Ground, I finally see the Anna we've been reading about. She seems quite young, her ripped clothes add to the "waif" look, she's hurt and she seems to be simultaneously leaning on and supporting the wolf (assuming Charles?). I do rely on the cover to give me a "feel" for the characters, so I'm glad about this one being more accurate to the storyline thus far.
2. What are your thoughts on the timeline and the changes in Anna's character that we've seen from the prequel to now? I think it's only been about 2 months from prequel to now, hasn't it? I was pleased at the beginning that she was already confident enough in her new pack that she teased and "handled" the marrok into talking with Charles. Considering what she's been through for 3 years, it makes the story so much more beleivable that she's not suddenly untraumatised because she's mated.
3. "The beast likes to eat humans." Charles said in Chapter 1. Then in chapter 2 Ivan and Krissy attacked Jody in Seattle. Do you think they're wolves or something else? Do you think they're linked to Jean Chastel? I do think they're linked to Jean Chastel, or another werewolf, either to cause trouble for the werewolves and therefore make it harder for them to reveal themselves to humans or to attack. I also thought the repeated use of the word fangs and the bite at the back fo the neck on Jody signaled vampires.
4. What do you think of Dana? Don't trust her. Mostly because she seems egotistical, and because Brother Wolf doesn't like her. I'm trusting the instinct thing here.
5. I've been surprised that although Anna and Charles are now mated, and Anna seems to be more comfortable with the physical relationship as well, that they can still be so insecure about their relationship.
"She wanted to crawl in a dark hole so that she never bothered Brother Wolf with her presence again, which she knew was stupid. He hadn't been rejecting her. Not really. But there had been such... dismissal in his admonition. His attention had been on Dana. Dana who was fae, a Gray Lord, confident and powerful. Not a twenty-three-year-old woman with half an education who didn't even know, after three years of being one, a quarter of what she should know about being a werewolf. She was no fit match for Charles."
and then later:
"And he worried that she might not ever be able to see who he was and love him, because he looked in the mirror and saw only the killer. It was the reason he kept the bond between them tightened down. He loved her beyond all reason and didn't expect her to love him back. He was just waiting for her to wise up."What do you make of this? Like I said, I find it surprising, and kind of endearing as well,
6. Does it strike anyone else that aspects of this are like a romance in reverse? They're mated, they've bonded but they're really only just getting to know each other. No-one's said the L word yet. Though I wondered how far away it might be when Charles reacted to the blown kiss by grabbing it and bringing it to his heart. Soft squelchy moment.
7. What did you think of the political undercurrents in the restaurant? I'm curious about Arthur.. I'm intrigued about the French wolves too and how they all seem to interact with Jean.
8. How important an Alpha is Angus that he's the only other Alpha from the Marrok's North American wolves to be at this conference? This confused me. There's no mention of any other North American wolves present and I was under the impression that this was supposed to be a meeting between the Marrok (or Charles as his representative) and the European wolves only.
9. So we have a troll, a fae, a witch and now vampires. Who do you think is behind the vampires' attack on the street? I'm now wondering if Dana isn't somehow behind it..? Who knows, I can't think of what she'd gain from it though...
Feeling better; the pill worked! Though my neck is sore. Old age!
@ Lisa Kay: #5 - No, I don't get the feeling it's overdone either.
#6 - No way, I totally missed that, I can't believe it!!! *scurries off to re-read chapter 15 of Cry Wolf*
@CaroB#1 - I agree with everything you said about the bookcovers for the previous books. Love this one and the one for Fair Game.
#2 - Mind Meld!
#3 - I think it is Jean Chastel - but is he too obvious?
#4 - I was relying more on Anna's sense. Is her werewolf called "Sister Wolf"? LOL!
#5 - It is endearing. :)
#6 - Awwww.
#8 - I wondered about that too.
#9 - Really! What could be her motive?
Nothing But Reading Challenges
Books mentioned in this topic
Hunting Ground (other topics)Moon Called (other topics)
Fair Game (other topics)
Cry Wolf (other topics)
Cry Wolf (other topics)
More...
Book #2 in the Alpha & Omega series.
Anna Latham didn’t know how complicated life could be until she became a werewolf. And until she was mated to Charles Cornick, the son- and enforcer- of Bran, the leader of the North American werewolves, she didn’t know how dangerous it could be either...
Anna and Charles have just been enlisted to attend a summit to present Bran’s controversial proposition: that the wolves should finally reveal themselves to humans. But the most feared Alpha in Europe is dead set against the plan -- and it seems like someone else might be too. When Anna is attacked by vampires using pack magic, the kind of power only werewolves should be able to draw on, Charles and Anna must combine their talents to hunt down whoever is behind it all -- or risk losing everything...
Planned Buddy Read - in near future. Expect Spoilers!
Sans, Lady Leah Westcliff, and I are planning this. Anyone is welcome to join in the discussion questions or just pop in to say "Hi!"