Thoughts: Wild Country

Wild Country

by Anne Bishop
Book 7 of The Others
Book 2 of The World of the Others

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0 Stars

There are ghost towns in the world—places where the humans were annihilated in retaliation for the slaughter of the shape-shifting Others.

One of those places is Bennett, a town at the northern end of the Elder Hills—a town surrounded by the wild country.  Now efforts are being made to resettle Bennett as a community where humans and Others live and work together.  A young female police officer has been hired as the deputy to a Wolfgard sheriff.  A deadly type of Other wants to run a human-style saloon.  And a couple with four foster children—one of whom is a blood prophet—hope to find acceptance.

But as they reopen the stores and the professional offices and start to make lives for themselves, the town of Bennett attracts the attention of other humans looking for profit.  And the arrival of the Blackstone Clan, outlaws and gamblers all, will uncover secrets…or bury them.

The reviews for the books in The Others series are always hard for me to write because I've yet to figure out why I love them so much.  The writing often borders on juvenile, and each book seems to reiterate the same plot: details of mundane, everyday happenings, while some stupid group of humans try to cheat, swindle, or kill off a bunch of Others... not taking seriously the bigger threat looming in the wilderness in the form of the Elders.  As I'd made mention somewhere before, it never ceases to amuse me how the stupid group of humans in each book keep thinking they can pull a fast one on the Others and still live to tell about it.

While I really DID enjoy Wild Country, it didn't escape my notice that a whole lot of nothing happens, centered around a simple plot based on a group of bad humans wanting to con innocent towns out of their goods.  And the truth is that without all the mundane, everyday happenings, I'm not sure that plot would have amounted to much of a story.

But as previous books in The Others series has shown, you kind of just fall into the world and you end up enjoying and being entertained by the antics of the main characters.  I really DID enjoy following Virgil and Kane (mostly Virgil) as they learned to accept that there are some good humans out there, even as they have every reason to hate humans for killing their entire pack of Wolfgard.  But the slow build-up of friendship between Virgil and Jana was a delight.  I had almost thought that the two of them might strike up a romance or something, but as we know, these books aren't exactly in the romance genre.  Instead, I was extremely amused just watching Virgil slowly concede that maybe Jana had the makings for the strongest female in his police pack, even as a small human.

Outside of the Virgil-Jana friendship, however, I'm not sure I really cared much for the rest of the Others or the humans presented.  And in fact, I found myself a little bored, or at times even frustrated with there being so many other characters to follow, from Tolya Sanguinati, to Jesse Walker, to Tobias Walker, to Abigail Burch, to the bad human pack...  It might have gotten a bit overmuch in terms of POVs, even though everything is in third person.

And even in the end, I feel like there were still a bunch of loose ends, as well as a lot of build up to climaxes and conclusions that felt kind of unsatisfying.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book, got hooked into it, and am going to continue looking forward to the next installment, hopefully coming around next year.

Thoughts: Lake Silence

Lake Silence

by Anne Bishop
Book 5 of The Others

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0 Stars

Human laws do not apply in the territory controlled by the Others–-vampires, shapeshifters, and paranormal beings even more deadly.  And this is a fact that humans should never, ever forget...

After her divorce, Vicki DeVine took over a rustic resort near Lake Silence, in a human town that is not human controlled.  Towns like Vicki’s have no distance from the Others, the dominant predators that rule most of the land and all of the water throughout the world.  And when a place has no boundaries, you never really know what’s out there watching you.

Vicki was hoping to find a new career and a new life.  But when her lodger, Aggie Crowe–-one of the shapeshifting Others–-discovers a dead body, Vicki finds trouble instead.  The detectives want to pin the man’s death on her, despite the evidence that nothing human could have killed the victim.  As Vicki and her friends search for answers, things get dangerous-–and it’ll take everything they have to stay alive.

Lake Silence starts a new story arc in the world of The Others, and while as enjoyable and as endearing as the preceding five book story arc about Meg Corbin and her life as a mail sorter in the Lakeside community... it also doesn't escape my attention that this book regurgitates a lot of the same conflicts and plot points that took place in the five previous books of this series.  The story itself picks up after the global events of the Meg Corbin story arc, wherein a group of rebellious humans have decided that they can pull a fast one over on the Others without fear of retaliation, all along forgetting who the predators at the top of this food chain happen to be.

Lake Silence details a different story with a different set of characters, but the concept is exactly the same.  One girl becomes special to a group of Others in the village of Sproing, and they all band together to protect her when she becomes the target of more villainous, yet also ignorantly stupid humans who plan on breaking rules and pissing off Elders.  While it felt like a whole lot of plot happened in this book, the truth is, one simple plot point just got dragged out as a build-up to the newest global conflict that will probably take place in the following books after this one.

It's the exact same set-up as Written in Red had, but with a different set of characters.

What amuses me is that, no matter that I've already read this story, and seen those trees, and witnessed that gruesome killing... I'm still curiously drawn to this book, and very much enjoyed it.  Even though I had to put the book on hold about three months due to real life stuff and a massive reading slump of epic proportions, once I was able to check the book out from the library again and continued, I couldn't put it back down.

And the truth is, if I hadn't already read this story in the first five Others books, I think I would have absolutely given this a perfect 5-Star Rating.  To be honest, Lake Silence had more going for it than just the banal, everyday happenings of a mail sorter who just happens to show up and become special to a group of Others... JUST BECAUSE she is able to sort mail properly.

In fact, I like Vicki DeVine a lot more than I liked the ultimate Mary Sue who is Meg Corbin.  Vicki is just as strangely special and sometimes a bit flighty.  But she also shows a maturity that Meg did not have, mainly because of the basis of their character creations.  And Vicki has a much more interesting stream of conscience that sometimes borders on the nonsensical, yet also seems to ask the same questions we, as the readers, will sometimes ask when certain events of a book takes place.

But other than that, really, there wasn't much to Lake Silence.  The writing still proves kind of juvenile, even in the face of bloody, gory deaths and, and quite serious conspiratorial conflicts.

Am I going to continue reading these books?  Oh, most absolutely, I am!

Random Babbling Thoughts: Etched in Bone

Etched in Bone

by Anne Bishop
Book 5 of The Others
**This book ends the story arc about Meg and the Lakeside Community.

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0 Stars

New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop returns to her world of The Others, as humans struggle to survive in the shadow of shapeshifters and vampires far more powerful than themselves…

After a human uprising was brutally put down by the Elders—a primitive and lethal form of the Others—the few cities left under human control are far-flung.  And the people within them now know to fear the no-man’s-land beyond their borders—and the darkness…

As some communities struggle to rebuild, Lakeside Courtyard has emerged relatively unscathed, though Simon Wolfgard, its wolf shifter leader, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn must work with the human pack to maintain the fragile peace.  But all their efforts are threatened when Lieutenant Montgomery’s shady brother arrives, looking for a free ride and easy pickings.

With the humans on guard against one of their own, tensions rise, drawing the attention of the Elders, who are curious about the effect such an insignificant predator can have on a pack.  But Meg knows the dangers, for she has seen in the cards how it will all end—with her standing beside a grave.

So for some reason, whenever I read a scene about the Elders wandering around the Lakeside Courtyard and watching the courtyard's residents, I think of this:

No Face from Spirited Away -- A creature that is both mysterious and kind of creepy, and probably something you don't want to cross.

I have no idea why.  This is just the image that came to mind.

Meanwhile, I found it hard not to chuckled at this:

Vlad stared at Simon.  "Meg told the Elders they were..."

"Bad puppies," Simon finished.  "Yeah."

A minute passed before Vlad said, "Why?"

They didn't say 'please' when they asked for cookies."

"I don't know what to say."

Simon scratched behind an ear that was now Wolf-shaped and furry.  "That's okay.  Meg said plenty for all of us."

After some thought about Etched in Bone, I realized that I was probably conveying my excitement about the series overall into my initial rating of this book, as well as projecting that Book Hangover emptiness you usually get from finishing a story and knowing that its over.  And while there will be more The Others books in the future, Etched in Bone marks the ending of the Meg story arc, along with all of her friends and companions in Lakeside.

But the truth about this last installment of The Others is a bit more conflicting, because while I still loved it the same way I loved the previous four books, I'm still not entirely sure I know what this last book contributes to the series' story overall.  There are moments that are quite thought-provoking, and I find it a little disappointing that the "life lessons" we learn in this book need to be spelled out in exposition.  Then there are moments that just feel like they're a bit dragged on and repetitive.

Again, a lot of events happen in this last book, and new players are introduced into the story line.  And while the consequences of the events in this book don't seem to be global, in a way they are.

Truth:  Aside from the fact that I enjoyed reading this, there's little else I can think of to say that is entirely positive.  Everything I love about this series is, once again, present in full force, between the amusing character interactions, to the strangely endearing personalities of the characters themselves.  This series is definitely a character driven story, and it stays true to tune in this last installment.

Unfortunately, the same quibbles and faults that I've always overlooked from the previous four books are also still present.  Basically, within this book, there is little to no character development, as usual.  And while there's a very distinct conflict going on, the events of the book also still feel kind of banal, and mundane... as banal and mundane as living in a courtyard of flesh-eating shifters can get.

In the same vein, I also find the romantic development between Simon and Meg a bit dissatisfying considering how many books have gone by stretching out this slow, slow burn of a relationship for so long.  It's not like we absolutely need romance in a story, and I understand and appreciate the consideration we give for Meg's tragic back story that makes it hard for her to move into a romantic relationship readily.  But the intimacy between Simon and Meg has been teasing us since book one, and with the way that others' relationships are so open and talked about, with the way that sex is so readily mentioned, I found the continued chasteness of the Simon and Meg love story a little bit frustrating.

Anyway, there were a few other things about this book that I found a little dissatisfying, even if not enough to make me dislike the book.  Once again, sometimes biases are pretty strong feelings--once you love a particular story, it's really easy to overlook faults, y'know.

There was a very repetitive description of the Elders, wherein their presence is manifested as a very odd, cold silence.  I think that it's a great way to describe that spine-tingling feeling you get about something fear-inducing, but I also think that this was used one time too many throughout the book.

Finally, I would have loved to explore a lot of the other characters in this book, old and new.  I would have loved to see more about Hope in Sweetwater--maybe this can be a novella or another story arc in the future?  I would have loved to learn more about a lot of the other newly introduced characters such as the vet-in-training who was sent to help resettle the broken village of Bennett, Barb Ellen Debany.  I would have loved to learn more about the new female police deputy who got sent to Bennett.  In fact, can we just have a whole new story arc about the characters in Bennett, in Sweetwater, and maybe even the little heard about town of Tallulah Falls?

There are just so many characters and so many story possibilities in this world of The Others, that despite my despair that I have to wait another year for the next book, I'm actually kind of happy that there will be more books at all.

Overall, The Others might not be a series for everyone, and to be honest, I don't even know how it ended up being one I ended up loving.  There is just so much about this series that I would have never been able to tolerate in another series.

So there you have it:  Another useless random babbling of thoughts that pretty much just showcases how biased towards this series I am.

On that note:

ARROOOOO!!

Brief Useless Thoughts: Marked in Flesh

Marked in Flesh

by Anne Bishop
Book 4 of The Others

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.5 Stars

For centuries, the Others and humans have lived side by side in uneasy peace.  But when humankind oversteps its bounds, the Others will have to decide how much humanity they’re willing to tolerate—both within themselves and within their community...

Since the Others allied themselves with the cassandra sangue, the fragile yet powerful human blood prophets who were being exploited by their own kind, the delicate dynamic between humans and Others changed.  Some, like Simon Wolfgard, wolf shifter and leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn, see the new, closer companionship as beneficial—both personally and practically.

But not everyone is convinced.  A group of radical humans is seeking to usurp land through a series of violent attacks on the Others.  What they don’t realize is that there are older and more dangerous forces than shifters and vampires protecting the land that belongs to the Others—and those forces are willing to do whatever is necessary to protect what is theirs…

I totally have nothing useful to say for this book for two reasons:

First:  Truth be told, this book was really no different than the previous book.  I loved Vision in Silver because this series is strangely addictive and strangely endearing, and because Vision in Silver actually, finally, included a plot that had a direction to it.  But for reasons I cannot figure out, I liked this fourth installment of The Others much more.

In a way, the latter half of the book was pretty fast-paced, and while neither of our two main characters really develop much (in fact, there's very little character development in this series, period), the characters are still as readily lovable as ever.  It also helps that the books are constantly moving forward towards... something.

Secondly:  ARROOOO!!

Which is basically the only thought I could come up with to tell everyone how much I'm loving this series, no mattering that the story outline is totally chaotic.  It helps that all that inspirational, global controversy and thought-provoking parallels I talked about in my review for Vision in Silver continues to roll on into subsequent The Others installments... even if nothing new is actually introduced.

I could argue that this book might have dragged on the entire "Elders vs. Humans" conflict a bit longer than it needed to... but really, I didn't find it as big of a problem as I normally would for some other books.

This, my friends, is the power of bias.  Because when you love a series for the most unfathomable reasons, you will overlook any flaws as long as you were properly entertained and satisfied with the results.

In a way, I would actually call Marked in Flesh either a long-drawn out extension of Vision in Silver, or a bridging book from #3 to #5.  I know a lot of things happen in this book.  A lot of new characters are introduced, and the biggest conflict is coming to a conclusive closing.  But to be honest, nothing happens in Marked in Flesh that we didn't already foresee happening after the closing of Vision in Silver.

Still... again, this series is strangely addictive.  It helps that the book is written quite well, even if it still maintains a pretty juvenile voice.  And it also helps that the characters are strangely endearing, even if character development is still lacking.  And it definitely helps that our lovely author has created such a wonderfully extensive world that can continue on to produce many stories for many characters, even after the conclusion of the Meg story arc... as she seems to be proving by adding a new installment to the series that will be based around a new character completely.

Quick Thoughts: Vision in Silver

Vision in Silver

by Anne Bishop
Book 3 of The Others

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.5 Stars

The Others freed the cassandra sangue to protect the blood prophets from exploitation, not realizing their actions would have dire consequences.  Now the fragile seers are in greater danger than ever before—both from their own weaknesses and from those who seek to control their divinations for wicked purposes.  In desperate need of answers, Simon Wolfgard, a shape-shifter leader among the Others, has no choice but to enlist blood prophet Meg Corbyn’s help, regardless of the risks she faces by aiding him.

Meg is still deep in the throes of her addiction to the euphoria she feels when she cuts and speaks prophecy.  She knows each slice of her blade tempts death.  But Others and humans alike need answers, and her visions may be Simon’s only hope of ending the conflict.

For the shadows of war are deepening across the Atlantik, and the prejudice of a fanatic faction is threatening to bring the battle right to Meg and Simon’s doorstep…

As many have stated, there is something strangely addictive about this series that keeps bringing you back.  And no matter how juvenile the writing style and presentation--which somehow doesn't really contrast too terribly with the not so juvenile story content--these books are easy to read and extremely easy to enjoy.  To the point, I really DO think it's the characters who make this series work; even though Meg started out as one of the most Mary Sue of Mary Sues created in fiction land, like ever.

I mean, who else could just show up in a hostile community, do something as simple as sort everyone's mail, and end up being loved by all?

Vision in Silver (as well as its preceding two books) would probably never win any globally recognized book awards; but I'll be darned if you don't get at least a little inspiration from all the events that happen throughout the book.  Because even with the chaotic outline of the story, Vision in Silver does manage to do something that the previous two books had a hard time with: it actually had a very distinct story line, conflict, and direction.  And it managed to interconnect everything (with a few tangential exceptions) and give us a broader idea of where the author is going with the rest of this series.

I'm itching to start the next book; I might have even whined a little when this book came to an end.  Those are really extreme feelings for me when it comes to books.  THAT is how much I'm enjoying this series.

Vision in Silver touches on a lot of repercussions that have surfaced ever since the events of Murder of Crows.  In order not to spoil the second book, I won't talk about it much, but let's just say that a lot of sadness and death happens, and a very distinctive rift is slowly beginning to form between The Others and the humans.  And then, on top of that, we also are introduced to a whole different set of earth natives in Thaisia that are hundreds of times more dangerous than the terre indigene that have already been introduced... and a lot of the actions across the continent are making them restless.

We get to see a lot more background about the events going on that will probably become the main conflict of the entire series.  We learn more about The Others and their thought processes as they continue to learn and understand the minds of the humans living among them.  Through Meg and her human female pack, there is more interaction between the two types of beings, even though more global actions by others outside of the Lakeside Courtyard are now threatening to rip that connection to shreds.

There's a lot that goes on in each of these books, but to be honest, up until this third book, I never felt like there was a whole lot to think about.  On top of being strangely addicted to this series, and loving it for no other reason than just because, I'm also actually quite impressed with how much time I spent thinking about the actions of characters, and how they kind of parallel real life events, at any one time in history.

It's certainly something to think about.

Meanwhile, the characters really haven't developed much, unless you count Simon, who seems to grow with each book, even if slowly.  Meg continues to be consistently good, and despite learning a lot of new things about herself, still seems to be a fairly flat character, despite also being strangely endearing.  I love the interactions between... well, EVERYONE... in this book, everyone has their moments and it makes me smile.

This isn't a book just about Meg, or just about the blood prophets.  This is definitely a book about the residents of the Lakeside Courtyard, about the beings, human or Other, connected with the Lakeside Courtyard.  This is a book that touches upon a lot of things and a lot of characters, with little snippets of their stories presented.

On a final note, I especially loved the side story line about the little cassandra sangue who doesn't choose a name until the very end of the book.  I thought her slow acceptance of the new life she's been given outside of her imprisoned compound life was kind of touching.  I'm also quite intrigued with the potentials she has set as a possibility for all other cassandra sangue to come--as a younger girl, her development is given a chance to find new survival and life for other girls.  This is in contrast to Meg, we can see, since Meg is already an adult, and it is already too late for her to break free of the life that her keepers at the compound had instilled into her.

Thoughts: Murder of Crows

Murder of Crows

by Anne Bishop
Book 2 of The Others

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0 Stars

After winning the trust of the terra indigene residing in the Lakeside Courtyard, Meg Corbyn has had trouble figuring out what it means to live among them.  As a human, Meg should be barely tolerated prey, but her abilities as a cassandra sangue make her something more.

The appearance of two addictive drugs has sparked violence between the humans and the Others, resulting in the murder of both species in nearby cities.  So when Meg has a dream about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon Wolfgard - Lakeside’s shape-shifting leader - wonders if their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or a future threat.

As the urge to speak prophecies strikes Meg more frequently, trouble finds its way inside the Courtyard.  Now, the Others and the handful of humans residing there must work together to stop the man bent on reclaiming their blood prophet - and stop the danger that threatens to destroy them all.

First of all:  A lot of things happen in this book.

Second of all:  Not much really happens in this book.

Let me clarify:  Much like the first book in this series, Murder of Crows is extremely enjoyable to me.  But I feel like that is entirely a personal response to some sort of endearing charm bestowed upon this book, the series, and the characters, in general.  Because, to be totally honest, while there DOES seem to be a distinctive main conflict in Murder of Crows, the book itself spends a lot of its time wandering from one subplot to another anecdote to another random banal, everyday occurrence.

Okay.  So it's really hard to explain, but somehow, all put together, the book makes sense to me, even though there were definitely certain side tangents that made absolutely no sense.  And I'm still not entirely sure why they were incorporated.  But somehow, everything manages to tie together into a pretty satisfying book that kept me entertained.

In spite of the very elementary way in which the narration and dialogue is presented, there are a lot of very serious, thought-provoking subjects brought up as well.  I like the idea that the Others and the humans are having such a hard time getting along because neither side is willing to communicate properly with each other.  There's pride in the way, and there's mistrust.  And I like that in the small Lakeside Courtyard, the few humans able to penetrate the trust of the Others have kind of figured this out and hope to build bridges in forwarding the effort for everyone to live in harmony.

This was a pretty big ideal emphasized in the book.  But the way it was presented felt so juvenile that it was hard to take seriously.  As were all the other conflicts going on.

We get to see more of Thaisia, including being introduced to a new set of humans that are, like the cassandra sangue, not normal--they are called Intuits, and they have the ability to "get a feeling" when something is about to happen.  And whenever and Intuit "has a feeling" about something, they are always taken seriously.  It's not exactly prophecy, but it's like a step above normal humans with no paranormal abilities.  And because of this, we get to see (or rather we're told via back story) that these humans were persecuted by the "normal" humans.

The world suddenly adds a few more layers than simply savage Others versus civilized humans.  Because now we get a nice look at the fact that life isn't as simple as that.

Anyway, as I'd stated before in my thoughts on the first book, there's just something strangely attractive about this series that draws me in.  I mean, there's less focus on the main story line and more focus on Meg's and Simon's quest to learn more about each other's respective races, as well as themselves.  Both are going through their own forms of growth and development, which in turn makes this book feel like a young adult or middle grade, contemporary, coming-of-age chick lit piece... that just so happens to take place in a dark, twisted world of evil humans and man-eating shifters and the idea of "benevolent ownership" of another human being.

It's twisted and sweet in it's own way.  Again, more layers to the world.

I like all the characters, though it's hard to keep track of them.  I like the whole ideal behind this alternate reality's creation and the present day world.  I love the character interactions.  And even some of the conflicts brought up have a lot of potential to expand upon.

But the book is just written in such a juvenile manner that I'm sure many people would have a problem with it.  Aside from that, the book is also 80% "The Day in the Life of Our Meg" with some other newsworthy happenings going on every few scenes (written in a slightly "Breaking News" type format).  This, I'm sure, could get boring for many people... unless you're like me and have already fallen in love with the entire ordeal before you realize that nothing has actually happened in this series save Meg winning over the entire Courtyard of Others by being a sweet childish Mary Sue... and being really good at sorting mail.

Oh yes.  And there's a lot of bloodshed and apparently a war brewing in the background.  Or something like that.


***

2016 Reading Challenges:
• Goodreads Reading Challenge
• BookLikes Reading Challenge
• 2016 Halloween Bingo

Thoughts: Written In Red

Written In Red

by Anne Bishop
Book 1 of The Others

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.5 Stars

As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut--a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg's Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hid is at the Lakeside Courtyard--a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she's keeping a secret, and second, she doesn't smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And wen he learns the truth about Meg and that she's wanted by the government, he'll have to decide whether she's worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.

Written In Red was outstandingly entertaining and enjoyable.  And I probably would have given it a higher rating if not for the fact that it seemed a little too juvenile and mundane in its story content.  In fact, I might have given it a lower rating if not for the fact that I'm in love with it for some strange, unexplained reason.  Because, really, nothing actually happens in this book and Meg is super special and things happen... for reasons. /shrugs

In my mind, the dragging day-to-day activities we see Meg wander through from the first moment she's hired as the human liaison of this small community seemed fairly banal.  It made the book feel like it would have been a contemporary chick lit piece about a girl finding a new home and starting over... if contemporary meant an alternate reality of scary shape-shifting, human-eating creatures who had no regard for human life aside from the fact that they provided special meat for food.  I guess.

Because it's not like there wasn't a main conflict and story line going on, it just sometimes felt like the story was more focused on Meg's integration into Other society and she's so special she abruptly makes friends and becomes part of the Others despite being a human.  I understand that this gets explained away in the fact that she is indeed special, as a cassandra sangue, a blood prophet, and that the blood prophets are oft times kind of child-like in their innocence, which makes them extra special and lovable.

That's fine.  It actually DOES work out in Meg's benefit so that no matter what she does that would normally get a normal human living among Others killed, they let her off the hook because it's endearing on her.  And because she doesn't smell like prey and does a good job with her job, and so none of the Others (save a few wary ones with misguided notions) feel that it's okay to hunt her down and eat her.

(On a side note, I also kind of liked the little glimpses into Meg's former captivity and how she and other cassandra sangue were schooled and kept.  It allows us a better understanding of Meg and her personality and why she is the way she is.)

Some of the actions and events, and sometimes even the dialogue, felt deliberate at times; as if the characters were meant to say and do these particular things because we needed the story to go on.

But aside from the above, to be honest, I had lots of fun reading this book because it was also strangely endearing--like Meg.  It had a lot of great subtle humor and nonsensical one-liners that probably wouldn't have worked in any other book.  But for some reason, this strangely endearing quality kind of works to give Written In Red a bit of personality, thus, causing it to stand out amidst many other paranormal romances that I might have sniffed at.

Of course, to call this book a paranormal romance might be a bit misleading since the romance is almost nearly nil to none.  Simon and Meg have a great bond going; Simon's a jackass, but making him a human-flesh eating wolf shifter who doesn't understand humans is a great reason to give for his being kind of a jackass.  Because he mellows out later on and it's kind of nice.

And aside from the banality of the story progression, aside from the deliberateness of some crucial story-forwarding moments, and aside from Meg's too quick welcome into the Lakeside Courtyard among the Others, I felt like this book was pretty much outstanding in everything else.

I loved the characters, who are all unique and interesting in their own ways.  I love the concept of this alternate reality, despite how confusing the setting and history is--I'm not quite sure I follow very well with the short history, and it took a while to sort of shrug off the fact that I'm not sure what kind of setting Written In Red is based in.  I loved what little culture we saw between Others and humans and how they interact with one another and hope to see more in future books.  I loved little adorable Sam and, as predictable as that tangent was--how Meg is the only one who manages to bring Sam back out of his withdrawn form--it was also very cute.  And yes, endearing.


Final Thoughts:
This book has a great concept.  And it didn't rub me the wrong way as most paranormals that aren't also mysteries usually do.  I've found in the past that I rarely got along with anything remotely labeled paranormal romance unless it also came with a murder mystery of some sort and spent the majority of the book investigating said murder.

But Written In Red was exceptionally fun and enjoyable in a strange way.  Aside from the whole "Meg is super special" thing, I honestly didn't mind the other little quibbles I pointed out above.  And if all the other cassandra sangue are similar and turn out to have that same child like personality as Meg, which will effectively make Meg not quite so special anymore if she's not the only one, then I'll probably be a bit more satisfied.

However, if I were being honest with myself, even if Meg DOES turn out to be the super special one, even of her own kind, I'm not sure I'd mind all that much now that I've come to love this world.  As I said, even in spite of all the little quibbles, (and also in spite of some of the bloodier, gory, gross parts), this book was extremely enjoyable and strangely endearing enough for me to label it a favorite for this year.


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2016 Reading Challenges:
• Goodreads Reading Challenge
• BookLikes Reading Challenge
• Reading Assignment Challenge

First Impression: Written In Red @ Chapt. 1

Written In Red
by Anne Bishop
Book 1 of The Others


Well that was a rather bloody and gory first chapter.  I'm not sure if I expected that or not.

Although despite the blood and gore, I'm already kind of hooked.  The terminology and the lay of the world doesn't seem too hard to follow along with.  I'm not entirely certain I know what the setting is, but I'm sure I'll figure it out as the book progresses.  It's kind of nice that, aside from that first "prologue" of a history lesson that sounded more like a mythological tale, there aren't too many infodumps.

The characters have yet to really stand out, but we are only in chapter one.  So far, the best part of the book is the intensity of Meg's dangerous situation.  I can feel the tension rolling off of her, thick.

I don't know what to make of Simon or Tess yet.

And we've got a death prophecy and everything, too.  I've got a feeling I'm going to enjoy this book.