Hunting Ground

Anna and Charles are newly mated, though getting more used to each other every day. Weeks after the witch's attack in the mountains, Charles travels in Bran's stead to a summit with the European wolves to discuss the Marrok's plans to go public. 

Anna expands her horizons, spending time with people other than Charles while the summit is happening. This gets somewhat disrupted by violence, kidnapping, and murder, but she has a lot of emotional growth even through all of that. Charles and Brother Wolf are adjusting to being mated to Anna and her wolf (who finally makes a more obvious appearance this time). I like many of the secondary characters, and this book has a lot of well-written antagonists (both obvious and subtle). 

As a sequel, this is set barely weeks after the events of both the original novella ("Alpha and Omega") and the first full book in the series (CRY WOLF). As such, it provides updates on a few things left open (such as Asil's mentorship of Anna in what it means to be an Omega. It also makes good on Bran's previously mentioned plans to bring the wolves public, as the plot takes place during meetings with the European wolves as they'll necessarily be affected by Bran's planned actions. It has a new storyline, as both the summit itself and the chaos which ensues weren't begun in the previous book. It introduces and resolves that main plot, especially since this book has a high body count among characters who hadn't appeared in the series before now. It doesn't specifically leave something for later, except for the fact that (one assumes) the wolves will go public now that the summit is over. 

Anna and Charles are still the main narrators, and this keeps the format of the first full book where some minor and secondary characters narrate for as a little as a page or sometimes most of a chapter at a time. It wouldn't make sense to start here. While the plot is pretty self-contained, the kinds of worldbuilding done here assume a lot of background knowledge about how vampires and werewolves generally work in this extended series of books, and the importance of the Marrok in particular. Since this shares a setting with the Mercedes Thompson books, it might make sense if someone had read the first of those books but nothing else in this specific series, but I wouldn't recommend that combination. The emotional core of the series is the growing connection between Charles and Anna, and that benefits from being appreciated as it changes over time. 

The plot has enough twists and turns to be a genuine mystery, though I don't know if it's one where the solution could be guessed early on. It's definitely one where things make perfect sense in retrospect and I like it a lot.

On my 3rd read of this, I finally remember to write a review. Definitely one of my favorite series and I think this was perhaps the best so far.

Hunting Ground starts with Charles disagreeing with Bran about going to a meeting of the European wolves being held in Seattle. His father has put this together to help them adjust to his decision to bring the wolves out to the public, state his reasonings and what support he would give. Charles has feelings and Bran decides to send Charles, with Anna, as his representative, instead of going himself. This appeases Charles and it is off to Seattle.

So we get to see Anna and Charles play right off the bat and see where their relationship has got to. She has become much more comfortable in her skin, at least in Montana. Going to Seattle and being around so many alpha wolves brings memories and in some ways fear. While she is dealing with this and learning her effects with the wolves, Charles is dealing with the congregation and one difficult alpha from France, the Beast. Immediately we get attacks that don't make sense and challenges to his authority.

We get to see Charles, not an alpha but way dominate, deal with differing alphas and their affect to his control when they are close to Anna. Also we get more intimate details of how their relationship is progressing. It is not totally sunshine and rainbows and there is still a lot that Anna's wolf is dealing with for her. We get to see Anna come out and deal with these issues on her own, work through some of her problems, like too many wolves at once. She even gets to meet another Omega though she seems to know more than he does about Omegas.

Along with the relationship building, we get a very complex scheme, of attacks and murders, of out of character fights and hierarchy. I had an idea of one person, but really didn't see some of the others coming. The constant happenings, makes this book read very fast. Even on re-read I find it hard to put down. I had forgotten many of the scenes and forgot how they were resolved even. This speaks of the complexity. I really had no issues to complain about like I do in most books, even those that I really like. This is why this series and Mercy Thompson are some of my favorites. They are complex yet don't have consistences that niggle me, or characters that are TSTL or just irritating. I loved this book, the story, intrigue, characters, relationship, fae and wolves.

I've been asked which series I like better and really cannot pick. Still, this one has multiple points of very in the 3rd person, whereas Mercy is 1st person single POV. The relationship in Mercy is slower going not even starting until the 4th book really. This one is immediate but it grows in every book but doesn't overwhelm the storyline at all, just enhances it. By these, I should like this series better... I just cannot say because I love them both. One thing I wish there was more of is humor. There really isn't much humor in these books. There is lightness and relations, the human condition, which is quite good, just not the humor that can be sprinkled in some of my other top series, like Kate Daniels or the Iron Druid. Even without the humor, it hits the spot. Another great UF series.

First read Nov 2011
re-read March 13, 2013; Jan 15, 2016
March 2023

I didn't want to put the book down. it was a great read!