Alpha and Omega
#634.26 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 6 books Status Ongoing 2008–present Reading commitment Medium Patricia Briggs Last reviewed 2026-08-30
Overview
A companion urban-fantasy sequence set in the same werewolf-and-fae world as Mercy Thompson, following a different pair of protagonists, Charles and Anna, through their own story arc as pack politics and supernatural threats unfold alongside it.
Urban fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (6 works) counts toward ranking
Alpha and Omega Patricia Briggs
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Cry Wolf | 2008 | 1 | core | 4.12 (110,911 ratings) |
 | Hunting Ground | 2009 | 2 | core | 4.28 (74,817 ratings) |
 | Fair Game | 2012 | 3 | core | 4.34 (58,388 ratings) |
 | Dead Heat | 2015 | 4 | core | 4.32 (42,156 ratings) |
 | Burn Bright | 2018 | 5 | core | 4.34 (32,250 ratings) |
 | Wild Sign | 2021 | 6 | core | 4.50 (24,921 ratings) |
Companion series set in the same world as Mercy Thompson, following different protagonists.
Library / Expanded (1 work)
Alpha and Omega (2008) ; Prequel novella that introduces the series' two protagonists ahead of the numbered novels.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Alpha and Omega? Alpha and Omega's Core Canon is 6 books, plus 1 more in the wider Library/Expanded material.
- What is the reading order for Alpha and Omega? Publication order, starting with Cry Wolf. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Alpha and Omega finished? Ongoing (2008–present).
- How much reading does Alpha and Omega take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 6 Core Canon books).
- How is Alpha and Omega ranked? #63 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 343,443 reader ratings across 6 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #63?
Ranked #63 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 4.26 across 6 core books.
- Backed by 343k reader ratings.
- Less than 0.01 behind #62, Malazan (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Top-tier rated · 6 books · Ongoing · 343k ratings · Ranks #63 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length urban fantasy universe that's still ongoing, with new books still coming.
Reading order
Publication order (6 Core Canon books)
- Cry Wolf (2008)
- Hunting Ground (2009)
- Fair Game (2012)
- Dead Heat (2015)
- Burn Bright (2018)
- Wild Sign (2021)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
You might also like
Suggestions computed from what Alpha and Omega and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Crescent City Romantasy / Urban fantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.38
- Hidden Legacy Urban fantasy / Romantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.37
- Kate Daniels Urban fantasy · Complete · High commitment · 4.35
- Mercy Thompson Urban fantasy · Ongoing · High commitment · 4.31
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.26 across 343,443 ratings on 6 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Admit Elemental Masters (Mercedes Lackey), Dread Empire (Glen Cook), Alpha and Omega (Patricia Briggs) accepted 2026-08-30
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-31
Rule: Core Canon is the six-novel numbered sequence (Cry Wolf, 2008, through Wild Sign, 2021). The prequel novella “Alpha and Omega” is Expanded.