Tag: Urban Fantasy

“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…”

Okay, so this is one of those series where I try to review the books and end up just Muppet-flailing all over the place because I love it so much.  So, please bear with me while I try to write something coherent.

My first love in this book is the characters.  I feel like Meg, Simon, Tess, Vlad, Henry, and all the other residents of the Lakeside Courtyard are friends, and the book is like a long letter from them catching me up on what they’ve been doing since I last heard from them.  The interactions among them feel very genuine, and it reminds me of something said by someone overhearing my co-workers and I bantering: “You sound like family.”  The people in this book are the same way–you can hear the depth of their relationships and the time spent together in what they say to each other, as well as in what they don’t say.  I adore Meg and Simon’s friendship, and while I know there are those out there rooting for them to start a romantic relationship, I hope they stay just friends, because it’s so sweet to read about.

My next love is for the world-building.  Once again, Bishop has expanded her readers’ view of her world, not only by going across the ocean for some scenes, but also by giving us a glimpse at the older, more powerful creatures that live in the wild places of our country.  They’ve only been hinted at in earlier books, but now… well, you don’t get a really good look at them, but they do step out of the forests and take an active role in the story, and you will get to see the aftermath.

My third love in this novel is the politics that have been slowly built up through the entire series thus far.  Knowing that human nature is to take as much as we can, the situations that play out through this book are all too believable.  I was wincing reading what the humans in this world do in the name of “humans first”, not because it was far-fetched, but because it was so plausible.  That being said, there are some long-running aspects of this storyline that come to their natural conclusion here, and I defy you not to do a fist-pump when they do.

This series remains one of my all-time favorites.  Ever since Meg and Simon and the other Courtyard residents first appeared in book form and helped to get me through a rough period in my life, they’ve occupied a place of honor on my shelves.  Marked in Flesh wraps up some parts of Meg’s tale but leaves plenty of room for more adventures.  I, for one, can’t wait.

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

(Description nicked from Goodreads.)

“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….”

Like most other reviewers, I find it hard to write a review of a book in the Others series without descending into frantic Muppet flails of happiness.  For me, this series is pure entertainment, and I find it effortless to sink so far into the story that I put down the book and wonder which world I’m in.  This book, and the series as a whole, works on so many levels that it’s hard to categorize them all.

On one level, like I said, this book is just fun to read.  I love the characters–Sam with his squeaky-door howl, Grandfather Erebus and his love of old movies, the Crowgard and their addiction to sparkly things–and I especially love their interactions with the main character, Meg.  She oftentimes puzzles the local terra indigene, but they retain a deep affection for her, and it shows how they treat her.  There are some new characters introduced in this novel, most notably Monty’s daughter Lizzie, that liven up the story.  And readers learn what happened to the freed cassandra sangue after the end of Murder of Crows by following one as she adjusts to freedom.

On a deeper level, you can read the story as having to do with prejudice, racism, and even colonialism.  Here, the “white man” is the intruder and is often dealt with harshly for seemingly minor transgressions.  The backlash against this attitude manifests in the Humans First and Last movement, which sadly echoes a lot of the social conflicts of the modern world.  Both humans and Others have a lot of learning to do, but I think the humans have the farthest to go: they feel owed a supremacy in Thaisia that they haven’t earned.  On the other hand, isn’t rising up against prejudice something we applaud others for doing?  It’s an interesting mix in which you identify with, and condemn, both sides of the conflict.  I don’t know if the author meant all that to show up in the story, but that’s how it resonated for me.

On a different note, I love how the worldbuilding expands with every novel.  There are hints that we’ll soon see what things look like in the Thaisian version of Europe, which I can’t wait to see.  I also look forward to seeing the feline Others (I’m a cat person) that were briefly mentioned herein.  It’s so obvious to me how much thought Bishop has put into this world, and I adore every square inch that we get to see.  She even roleplays as the wolves on Facebook–if you haven’t checked out the Anne Bishop’s Courtyard page, I highly suggest that you do so, because it’s tons of fun to read.

So, while I stop myself from gushing further over this book, go out and get it for yourself.  If you haven’t started the series yet, go get Written in Red without delay.  If you like urban fantasy, you’ve got to read this one.

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

(Description nicked from B&N.com.)

“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.”

I have to admit that I absolutely adore this series.  There’s something about it that just hits the spot with me, kind of like a warm hot chocolate on a cold day.  I’ve had a hard time pinning down what I find so appealing about it, but now that I’m reading the first book aloud to my husband, I’ve been able to figure some of it out.

First, there’s the worldbuilding.  Bishop has obviously put a lot of thought into how she has structured this version of North America and how the various races interact with each other.  Everything seems to constantly balance on a fine line between a workable compromise and utter disaster.  The Others hold much of the power, controlling things like raw materials and access to water.  Humans, on the other hand, are more technologically advanced, and there are hints that such advancements may tip the balance and cause problems that humanity may not be equipped to deal with.

The plot centers around this tension, as humans have discovered a way to drug Others so that they’re vulnerable to attack.  All of the escalating violence reminds me of conflicts over such issues as race and religion in real life—eventually, both sides end up ignoring the message from the other side in favor of hammering their own views home no matter the cost.  In this case, though, the scales are significantly more lopsided.  After all, you may disagree with your neighbor, but he’s not likely to see you as clever meat.

What I like most about this book are the characters, and especially the little details of how they interact with each other.  Even though the Others are ultimately dangerous predators, it’s hard not to be charmed at the image of Simon in his Wolf form putting his head in Meg’s lap to snooze while she watches television.  The Crows may be canny information gatherers, but their love of all things shiny gives them a childlike quality.  And who can help but smile at an elderly vampire who loves watching old human films?

The story revolves, of course, around blood prophet Meg.  Bishop has done an excellent job at giving her a lot of power without making her all-powerful.  There are restrictions on what she can see when she has a prophecy, and while what she sees always comes true, it’s often best understood in hindsight.  Mostly, Meg is just a human whose kindness and goodwill becomes the bridge between Others and humanity, and I have to admit that it’s refreshing to see a character who is just a nice person.

I can’t wait to see what Bishop does with this world next, but I hope she continues to expand outward and give us a look at what the world is like in more of North America, and even over in Europe (or the equivalents thereof).  I devoured Murder of Crows the way a Wolf devours cookies—quickly and eagerly, and wishing for more when it was done.

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

(Description nicked from B&N.com.)