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Series · urban fantasy
Alpha and Omega
The Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs has 8 known books (8 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Alpha and Omega (2007). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is Blind Date with a Werewolf. The next announced book, Steel Rain, is due 20 April 2027.
- Books
- 8 known books (6 novels + 1 novella + 1 collection)
- Published
- 8
- First published
- 2007
- Status
- ongoing
- Shelved under
- Fantasy
- Last checked
Start here: Alpha and Omega (2007) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Alpha and Omega
Alpha and Omega is a novella by Patricia Briggs in the Alpha and Omega series. At 320 pages, it is a full-length entry in the series. From here the series continues with Cry Wolf. Alpha and Omega is an ongoing series, 8 books in so far. Originally published in the multi-author anthology On the Prowl.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Alpha and Omega - Book 2:
Cry Wolf
Cry Wolf is Alpha and Omega's first entry, written by Patricia Briggs and published in 2008. The book is 320 pages long. It sits between Alpha and Omega and Hunting Ground in the series' reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Cry Wolf - Book 3:
Hunting Ground
Hunting Ground is the second book in Patricia Briggs's Alpha and Omega series, published in 2009. It runs 320 pages. In the reading order it follows Cry Wolf and precedes Fair Game.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hunting Ground - Book 4:
Fair Game
Fair Game is the third book in Patricia Briggs's Alpha and Omega series, published in 2012. It runs 293 pages. In the reading order it follows Hunting Ground and precedes Dead Heat.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Fair Game - Book 5:
Dead Heat
Dead Heat is Alpha and Omega's fourth entry, written by Patricia Briggs and published in 2015. The book is 336 pages long. It sits between Fair Game and Burn Bright in the series' reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dead Heat - Book 6:
Burn Bright
Burn Bright is the fifth book in Patricia Briggs's Alpha and Omega series, published in 2018. It runs 308 pages. In the reading order it follows Dead Heat and precedes Wild Sign.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Burn Bright - Book 7:
Wild Sign
Wild Sign is Alpha and Omega's sixth entry, written by Patricia Briggs and published in 2021. The book is 352 pages long. It sits between Burn Bright and Blind Date with a Werewolf in the series' reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Wild Sign - Book 8:
Blind Date with a Werewolf
Blind Date with a Werewolf is a collection of linked short stories by Patricia Briggs, set in the Alpha and Omega series. It runs 288 pages. It follows Wild Sign and is, to date, the most recent entry in the series. Five interlinked short stories plus an epilogue centered on Asil, an Alpha and Omega/Mercyverse character; two stories are new, three were previously published elsewhere.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Blind Date with a Werewolf
About the Alpha and Omega series
Alpha and Omega is Patricia Briggs's companion series to Mercy Thompson, set in the same 'Mercyverse' but centered on Anna Latham, a rare Omega wolf -- a werewolf whose nature calms and steadies packs rather than dominating them -- and Charles Cornick, the Marrok's enforcer son, tasked by his father with investigating Anna's abusive Chicago pack. The origin novella, 'Alpha and Omega,' introduces their pairing and the abuse Anna is escaping; Cry Wolf picks up soon after as Charles brings her home to Montana and the two begin building a life together while werewolf society's secrets keep surfacing around them.
Where Mercy Thompson filters werewolf politics through an outsider's eyes, Alpha and Omega goes inside pack structure directly, with Charles as the Marrok's enforcer giving the series a harder, more procedural edge -- Anna and Charles are often the ones sent to handle problems other wolves can't. Briggs maintains the same careful, consequence-driven world-building across both series, and character and plot threads cross over regularly: events in one series affect the other, and eventually Mercy Thompson herself, and the Alpha and Omega leads, share entries directly (Winter Lost, tracked under Mercy Thompson, features both).
At seven entries, Alpha and Omega rewards readers who want deeper werewolf-pack politics alongside Mercy Thompson's wider mystery plots.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Alpha and Omega series?
Seven: the origin novella 'Alpha and Omega' (2007) plus six novels, from Cry Wolf (2008) to Wild Sign (2021).
What order should I read Alpha and Omega in?
Publication order, starting with the novella and then Cry Wolf. Many readers interleave it with Mercy Thompson by publication date, since the two series share a world and increasingly cross over.
Do I need to read Mercy Thompson first?
Not strictly, but the two series share the same 'Mercyverse' and increasingly reference each other's events and characters, so most readers get more out of Alpha and Omega if they're at least keeping pace with Mercy Thompson.
Is Alpha and Omega finished?
No, it's ongoing. Wild Sign (2021) is the most recent full novel billed under this series; Winter Lost (2024) featured both series' leads but was published as Mercy Thompson book 14. Book 7, Steel Rain, is scheduled for April 20, 2027.
Where do I find the origin novella?
'Alpha and Omega' was originally published in the multi-author anthology On the Prowl (2007) and has since been reprinted in Briggs' own collections.
If you like the Alpha and Omega series
Reading order last verified .