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The Others #5
Etched in Bone
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Fantasy (2017)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
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
397 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2017
692 people are currently reading
13027 people want to read
About the author
Anne Bishop
51 books10.6k followersAnne Bishop lives in upstate New York where she enjoys gardening, music, and writing dark, romantic stories. She is the author of over twenty novels, including the award-winning Black Jewels Trilogy. She has written a new series, the Others, which is an urban dark fantasy with a bit of a twist.
Crawford Award (2000)
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Crawford Award (2000)
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,396 reviews
November 14, 2018
2.5 stars
If this were any other series I would have one-starred it for being so dull. To me, the overall quality of this last installment was terrible, but my overall enjoyment of the other books kept me from pulling the trigger on such a bad rating.
So. 2.5 extremely generous stars.
Now, no one would ever accuse any of the books in The Others series of having breakneck pacing, but Etched in Bone takes the meandering plotline to a whole 'nother level.
The plot? There really isn't a good plot.
Monty's gross brother shows up and acts like an evil thug. He's so ridiculously bad that even his inner monolog was full of cliches. There wasn't anything remotely two-dimensional about him, which made him pretty unbelievable as a villain. He's bad. He uses everyone around him, feels for no one but himself, and says and does whatever he wants - to the point of stupidity. I couldn't believe some of the things he said about and to the Others while he was staying in the Courtyard! Did he somehow miss that the Elders and Elementals just wiped out the majority of the human settlements across the world? Why kind of a suicidal moron would call those people freaks!?
He was just such an awful person who had such blatantly awful behavior that it was hard to take him seriously.
Then you have the romanceish thing with Meg and Simon. We've been waiting for 5 books for these two to make it official! Wheee!
Womp, womp, womp.
That had to be the most anti-climactic ending to a romance in the history of underwhelming anti-climactic romance endings.
I guess the whole point of this was to let the Elders see if humans were worth it or something. I don't know, it seemed like the entire Jimmy situation could have been avoided by the Others giving him a serious beat down right away. At the very least, Monty should have done it. I mean, the survival of the entire human species is riding on whether or not your lowlife brother can keep his shit together. Is that even a choice? Take a baseball bat to that motherfucker before he does something stupid!
The whole scenario played out in such a way that it seemed like they almost wanted him to do what he did. Everyone kept giving him more and more rope, all the while loudly expressing how they hoped he wouldn't hang himself with it.
I've heard there will be more spin-off books set in this world, but I'm not sure if that's a good thing. I really did enjoy this series for the most part, but it never actually went anywhere, so I'm torn when it comes to picking up more books like this one. I think I'm going to have to wait and see who the characters are before I decide. If it involves more inter-species dating I'm going to give it a pass, because this one was just poorly done. I kept thinking it would get better or something, but it ended up feeling like a mentally challenged girl made out with a talking dog.
Squicky.
It's too bad because I really think Anne Bishop has not only a way with words but also a vivid imagination when it comes to building new & interesting worlds.
If this were any other series I would have one-starred it for being so dull. To me, the overall quality of this last installment was terrible, but my overall enjoyment of the other books kept me from pulling the trigger on such a bad rating.
So. 2.5 extremely generous stars.
Now, no one would ever accuse any of the books in The Others series of having breakneck pacing, but Etched in Bone takes the meandering plotline to a whole 'nother level.
The plot? There really isn't a good plot.
Monty's gross brother shows up and acts like an evil thug. He's so ridiculously bad that even his inner monolog was full of cliches. There wasn't anything remotely two-dimensional about him, which made him pretty unbelievable as a villain. He's bad. He uses everyone around him, feels for no one but himself, and says and does whatever he wants - to the point of stupidity. I couldn't believe some of the things he said about and to the Others while he was staying in the Courtyard! Did he somehow miss that the Elders and Elementals just wiped out the majority of the human settlements across the world? Why kind of a suicidal moron would call those people freaks!?
He was just such an awful person who had such blatantly awful behavior that it was hard to take him seriously.
Then you have the romanceish thing with Meg and Simon. We've been waiting for 5 books for these two to make it official! Wheee!
Womp, womp, womp.
That had to be the most anti-climactic ending to a romance in the history of underwhelming anti-climactic romance endings.
I guess the whole point of this was to let the Elders see if humans were worth it or something. I don't know, it seemed like the entire Jimmy situation could have been avoided by the Others giving him a serious beat down right away. At the very least, Monty should have done it. I mean, the survival of the entire human species is riding on whether or not your lowlife brother can keep his shit together. Is that even a choice? Take a baseball bat to that motherfucker before he does something stupid!
The whole scenario played out in such a way that it seemed like they almost wanted him to do what he did. Everyone kept giving him more and more rope, all the while loudly expressing how they hoped he wouldn't hang himself with it.
I've heard there will be more spin-off books set in this world, but I'm not sure if that's a good thing. I really did enjoy this series for the most part, but it never actually went anywhere, so I'm torn when it comes to picking up more books like this one. I think I'm going to have to wait and see who the characters are before I decide. If it involves more inter-species dating I'm going to give it a pass, because this one was just poorly done. I kept thinking it would get better or something, but it ended up feeling like a mentally challenged girl made out with a talking dog.
Squicky.
It's too bad because I really think Anne Bishop has not only a way with words but also a vivid imagination when it comes to building new & interesting worlds.
February 19, 2017
NOTE: I have tried to limit my superlatives but I am probably writing a review that sounds more like some gushing fan instead of a top level reviewer, so be it .......
-------------------------------------------
There are books you read that you hate, there are some you read that you love but there is that very rare group of books that just leave you awestruck that such a book can be written, some author's imagination could be so amazing and at the same time have the skill to make it into a true work of art. That is where this series has taken me each time but this one just lifted me into that place where only a small handful of books can even be considered in the same class. Many authors can paint a picture with their words on the page but most do it by giving us pages of descriptions that just burn off pages, only those talented few can do the same thing with so few words as Anne Bishop has painted for us in this series and this book was no exception, you can "see" the story playing out without mind numbing pages telling us the color of grass or the hardness of rocks, instead you get to look inside a whole community of characters.
Those of us that have been following this story since the inception when Meg stumbled into Simon's store rain soaked and looking for a job, to this pinnacle of their story, hate to even think about an ending but I understand this will be the last book that revolves around Simon and Meg but i hope we don't leave Lakeside Courtyard behind completely since we have a whole family of characters to love.
It is SO hard to write a review for this book since like others I just want to scream "IT WAS SO AWESOME, BUY IT NOW!!!" but I am guessing that is not a professional review. This book as pretty much all the others just weaves itself into a story that is addicting, stressful, while a touch of humor is slipped in randomly along with a touch of romance and warmth.
In addition to everything else the Elders want to observe the Lakeside community to help decide if they should "remove" more humans from the world so almost everything becomes important. One of the things that make this series so endearing is that in the middle of this "test" Meg schools the Elders in the proper way to ask for cookies (which they obey), it was one of a few LOL moments that breaks up the stress of this story but shows that in this class of exceptional books humor can be used to raise the bar (Ilona Andrews does this exceptionally well also).
These books are filled with secondary characters who all have a story and become more than just another faceless character to fill up pages, you care about these people, you love the interaction of how everyone grows to care about those who they once saw as an enemy, this book is the culmination of those stories.
Meg is no longer cutting herself, Simon can't decide what his relationship is with Meg but before the book ends he has to make some decisions and events will force him to see that she is more than just "a friend".
I won't be providing any spoilers but this was just such a great book to bring us to the point where the series can move on to other characters while hopefully not leaving us without at least an occasional glimpse at Meg and Simon as the series moves along since we hate to even think of there being no more bits of their story.
The big thing here is that the main plot about Meg and Simon is only a part of what makes these books exceptional beyond description, the interaction of the whole cast of characters and their desire to help each other is what this is all about and just leaves you breathless and almost depressed that the book ended and you have to wait another year for more.
Bottom Line: I will save all the mountains of superlatives since they still would not be able to convey how much this series is in an elite class that is outside of normal reading entertainment. I rate this book only because they don't have a rating for a separate Elite Class of books so all I can do is give it 5 Stars and an acknowledgment that some books are just so far outside of a normal rating that it becomes almost meaningless.
-------------------------------------------
There are books you read that you hate, there are some you read that you love but there is that very rare group of books that just leave you awestruck that such a book can be written, some author's imagination could be so amazing and at the same time have the skill to make it into a true work of art. That is where this series has taken me each time but this one just lifted me into that place where only a small handful of books can even be considered in the same class. Many authors can paint a picture with their words on the page but most do it by giving us pages of descriptions that just burn off pages, only those talented few can do the same thing with so few words as Anne Bishop has painted for us in this series and this book was no exception, you can "see" the story playing out without mind numbing pages telling us the color of grass or the hardness of rocks, instead you get to look inside a whole community of characters.
Those of us that have been following this story since the inception when Meg stumbled into Simon's store rain soaked and looking for a job, to this pinnacle of their story, hate to even think about an ending but I understand this will be the last book that revolves around Simon and Meg but i hope we don't leave Lakeside Courtyard behind completely since we have a whole family of characters to love.
It is SO hard to write a review for this book since like others I just want to scream "IT WAS SO AWESOME, BUY IT NOW!!!" but I am guessing that is not a professional review. This book as pretty much all the others just weaves itself into a story that is addicting, stressful, while a touch of humor is slipped in randomly along with a touch of romance and warmth.
In addition to everything else the Elders want to observe the Lakeside community to help decide if they should "remove" more humans from the world so almost everything becomes important. One of the things that make this series so endearing is that in the middle of this "test" Meg schools the Elders in the proper way to ask for cookies (which they obey), it was one of a few LOL moments that breaks up the stress of this story but shows that in this class of exceptional books humor can be used to raise the bar (Ilona Andrews does this exceptionally well also).
These books are filled with secondary characters who all have a story and become more than just another faceless character to fill up pages, you care about these people, you love the interaction of how everyone grows to care about those who they once saw as an enemy, this book is the culmination of those stories.
Meg is no longer cutting herself, Simon can't decide what his relationship is with Meg but before the book ends he has to make some decisions and events will force him to see that she is more than just "a friend".
I won't be providing any spoilers but this was just such a great book to bring us to the point where the series can move on to other characters while hopefully not leaving us without at least an occasional glimpse at Meg and Simon as the series moves along since we hate to even think of there being no more bits of their story.
The big thing here is that the main plot about Meg and Simon is only a part of what makes these books exceptional beyond description, the interaction of the whole cast of characters and their desire to help each other is what this is all about and just leaves you breathless and almost depressed that the book ended and you have to wait another year for more.
Bottom Line: I will save all the mountains of superlatives since they still would not be able to convey how much this series is in an elite class that is outside of normal reading entertainment. I rate this book only because they don't have a rating for a separate Elite Class of books so all I can do is give it 5 Stars and an acknowledgment that some books are just so far outside of a normal rating that it becomes almost meaningless.
April 6, 2018
Apparently, some times I'm a little subtle, and the trolls have difficulty following my train of thought. So I'll be direct: I feel kind of sick about reading this book. I mean, the whole series has been one long sugar high, but this is like the regret after eating a thousand calories beyond reasonable, or the vaguely ill feeling when my bloodstream has more sugar than red blood cells.
But I confess: I started reading and didn't stop until the last page. There's something in Bishop's writing that carries one along; granted, I was post-night shift, so my brain was a little sleep-deprived, fuzzy, and in need of distraction. And sure, I might have spaced out a little when the plot became 'manly-man protect speshul woman,' and 'manly-mens protect other womans,' but that's just letting myself be carried along with the enjoyment of the moment, right? Chocolatey goodness melting in the mouth (not the hands). It's only later one thinks, 'wait, what did I just do?'
So I have to admit, Etched in Bone is probably enjoyable in distraction-eating kind of way. This might be the day for confessions, because I have another one--I suspect half the enjoyment of this series comes from revenge fantasies. In every book, the bad guys--who are truly selfish, greedy, without empathy and such horrible people that absolutely no one will find them sympathetic--will meet an ugly end. The last book gave us virtually world-wide destruction of racist governments and subsequent reassertion of the 'natural' world. In this one, however, even the revenge feels old, as Bishop recycles the tired plotting of Written in Red (book one) while attempting to regain the threat of world-wide destruction that drove books three and four.
However, Bishop couldn't really be bothered to deal with more character creation, so she resurrected least three or four of the villainous personalities to provide some of the meat for this book. Ha-ha: that's a pun for those in the know. Speaking of meat, in this book, Girly-Girl decides she has an Issue about eating meat, because she's troubled by images about it. Me too, Girly; me too. But I'm not not-dating a top-level predator whose Manly-Man friends tease him about bringing spinach to a potluck. You should probably figure that shit out.
Damn, did I mention how gross this books make me feel? It's like Sexism 101, all wrapped up in a sexy werewolf bow to make girly-girls kind of enjoy it.
Will you like it? Idk, I guess it depends on how altered your level of consciousness is at the moment, and how you want to feel when it's all over. As a modern feminist, I felt more than a little dirty being wrapped in the Super-Chivalry of Bishop's world (ooh, a woman wants to be a cop! Shocking! Let's let her try after she's vetted by all the Mens), where women write pen pals and have pizza parties, and the men work out on bicycles and go around having Meetings Deciding Things. As a modern person, I also felt kind of dirty with the elderly black woman (only one older person in the community) being A Force to Reckon With as well as the Mother-Figure for all the new community members, and her daughter being the Weak and Easily Manipulated by Men character. The rest of the community of wives are white, normal and pretty homogeneous. There's no way about it: this series is seriously sexist, and only reinforces ethnic stereotypes in any attempts to be inclusive.
Then there's the writing: the villain is completely ridiculous, a caricature of selfishness, sexism and manipulation, and is accompanied by equivalently ridiculous henchmen.
As a further kick in the funny parts for those who are looking for Hawt Schmexy Times, the ending will almost certainly piss off those hoping for a particular romantic angle. Honestly, I thought the ending was the one consistent note through the series, but then, almost everything here was recycled, and Hawt times would have required some new material.
Overall, I read, finished and felt gross about doing both. Your mileage may vary.
But I confess: I started reading and didn't stop until the last page. There's something in Bishop's writing that carries one along; granted, I was post-night shift, so my brain was a little sleep-deprived, fuzzy, and in need of distraction. And sure, I might have spaced out a little when the plot became 'manly-man protect speshul woman,' and 'manly-mens protect other womans,' but that's just letting myself be carried along with the enjoyment of the moment, right? Chocolatey goodness melting in the mouth (not the hands). It's only later one thinks, 'wait, what did I just do?'
So I have to admit, Etched in Bone is probably enjoyable in distraction-eating kind of way. This might be the day for confessions, because I have another one--I suspect half the enjoyment of this series comes from revenge fantasies. In every book, the bad guys--who are truly selfish, greedy, without empathy and such horrible people that absolutely no one will find them sympathetic--will meet an ugly end. The last book gave us virtually world-wide destruction of racist governments and subsequent reassertion of the 'natural' world. In this one, however, even the revenge feels old, as Bishop recycles the tired plotting of Written in Red (book one) while attempting to regain the threat of world-wide destruction that drove books three and four.
However, Bishop couldn't really be bothered to deal with more character creation, so she resurrected least three or four of the villainous personalities to provide some of the meat for this book. Ha-ha: that's a pun for those in the know. Speaking of meat, in this book, Girly-Girl decides she has an Issue about eating meat, because she's troubled by images about it. Me too, Girly; me too. But I'm not not-dating a top-level predator whose Manly-Man friends tease him about bringing spinach to a potluck. You should probably figure that shit out.
Damn, did I mention how gross this books make me feel? It's like Sexism 101, all wrapped up in a sexy werewolf bow to make girly-girls kind of enjoy it.
Will you like it? Idk, I guess it depends on how altered your level of consciousness is at the moment, and how you want to feel when it's all over. As a modern feminist, I felt more than a little dirty being wrapped in the Super-Chivalry of Bishop's world (ooh, a woman wants to be a cop! Shocking! Let's let her try after she's vetted by all the Mens), where women write pen pals and have pizza parties, and the men work out on bicycles and go around having Meetings Deciding Things. As a modern person, I also felt kind of dirty with the elderly black woman (only one older person in the community) being A Force to Reckon With as well as the Mother-Figure for all the new community members, and her daughter being the Weak and Easily Manipulated by Men character. The rest of the community of wives are white, normal and pretty homogeneous. There's no way about it: this series is seriously sexist, and only reinforces ethnic stereotypes in any attempts to be inclusive.
Then there's the writing: the villain is completely ridiculous, a caricature of selfishness, sexism and manipulation, and is accompanied by equivalently ridiculous henchmen.
As a further kick in the funny parts for those who are looking for Hawt Schmexy Times, the ending will almost certainly piss off those hoping for a particular romantic angle. Honestly, I thought the ending was the one consistent note through the series, but then, almost everything here was recycled, and Hawt times would have required some new material.
Overall, I read, finished and felt gross about doing both. Your mileage may vary.
March 7, 2017
So I've read it...
*weeps*
...and I almost wish I hadn't because...
*weeps some more*
...because...
*hitching breath*
IT WAS SO BORING.
*cries in a corner*
RTC
---
PRE-READING
EDIT 25/06/2016: This morning my exploding fluffball Nina sent me a message: it said "It has a coverrr" and there was a picture attached. I'm still trying to process we are closer and closer to the end of this series.
(By the way, the cover is beautful.)
And there's an excerpt too! http://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/20...
I'm dying in three, two, one-
*weeps*
...and I almost wish I hadn't because...
*weeps some more*
...because...
*hitching breath*
IT WAS SO BORING.
*cries in a corner*
RTC
---
PRE-READING
EDIT 25/06/2016: This morning my exploding fluffball Nina sent me a message: it said "It has a coverrr" and there was a picture attached. I'm still trying to process we are closer and closer to the end of this series.
(By the way, the cover is beautful.)
And there's an excerpt too! http://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/20...
I'm dying in three, two, one-
May 3, 2025
I just finished rereading The Others series—again. I think it’s my fourth or fifth time now, and after all these years, it still hasn’t lost its magic. I first read book one around eight years ago, and somehow, every reread feels like coming home. And every single time, I’m sad when it ends. I find myself wishing there were more series out there like this—and no, I’m not even (only) talking about Anne Bishop not writing fast enough for my taste.
This series has become a true comfort read. I was lucky to discover it when all five books were already out, so I could binge them straight through without enduring long waits between releases. Now it’s a tradition: every couple of years, I return to Lakeside, to Meg and Simon, and to the Courtyard that stole my heart.
Etched in Bone is the final book in Meg and Simon’s arc, and it still gets me. I adore these two—Meg, with her open-hearted curiosity and total lack of prejudice; Simon, gruff and growly and entirely confused by how much he cares. Their dynamic is a slow burn, and one I appreciate more each time I read it.
Meg is such a special character. She’s a blank slate in many ways, seeing people (and Others) for who they are rather than what they are. Her empathy and instinct to connect are what make her powerful—not just her prophecy.
The book picks up shortly after book four, with humanity on a very tight leash. The Elders are watching, trying to decide whether humans deserve to stay… or be erased entirely. No big deal. Meanwhile, Meg is learning to rely more on the prophecy cards and less on cutting—a quiet victory that feels so satisfying. She still struggles with asking for help in time, but she’s trying.
Simon, on the other hand, is very much the same—but in the best way. Meg remains the center of his universe, and watching him figure out how to lead both a Courtyard and a growing human “pack” is endlessly entertaining. The interactions between The Others and the human “fluff balls” still crack me up. It’s so endearing how utterly thrown the big bad shifters are by human emotions—especially female ones.
There’s a new villain in this book, and Anne Bishop makes your skin crawl with how plausible and dangerous he feels. She’s so good at grounding her fantasy world in emotional realism.
And I have to mention the audiobook. I’ve listened to the series a few times now, and the narrator is phenomenal. Her performance adds so much warmth and personality—she really brings each character to life. I can't imagine experiencing the series any other way now, though I did still buy the hardcovers, because bookshelf aesthetics matter.
Reading Etched in Bone always feels like a reunion with friends. Simon, Meg, Sam, Henry, Vlad, Skippy… they’ve all become deeply familiar and beloved. Watching the Courtyard embrace Meg, protect her, and make her one of their own (the howling not-Wolf!) never fails to hit me in the feels. She belonged there, and without even realizing it, she helped change the fate of an entire species. Not because of her power, but because of her kindness.
Meg didn’t just see the future—she changed it.
So yes, I’ll probably reread The Others again in another year or two. I’ll definitely keep recommending it. And I’ll absolutely keep waiting (impatiently) for Anne Bishop to return to this world. Because it’s one I never want to leave.
This series has become a true comfort read. I was lucky to discover it when all five books were already out, so I could binge them straight through without enduring long waits between releases. Now it’s a tradition: every couple of years, I return to Lakeside, to Meg and Simon, and to the Courtyard that stole my heart.
Etched in Bone is the final book in Meg and Simon’s arc, and it still gets me. I adore these two—Meg, with her open-hearted curiosity and total lack of prejudice; Simon, gruff and growly and entirely confused by how much he cares. Their dynamic is a slow burn, and one I appreciate more each time I read it.
Meg is such a special character. She’s a blank slate in many ways, seeing people (and Others) for who they are rather than what they are. Her empathy and instinct to connect are what make her powerful—not just her prophecy.
The book picks up shortly after book four, with humanity on a very tight leash. The Elders are watching, trying to decide whether humans deserve to stay… or be erased entirely. No big deal. Meanwhile, Meg is learning to rely more on the prophecy cards and less on cutting—a quiet victory that feels so satisfying. She still struggles with asking for help in time, but she’s trying.
Simon, on the other hand, is very much the same—but in the best way. Meg remains the center of his universe, and watching him figure out how to lead both a Courtyard and a growing human “pack” is endlessly entertaining. The interactions between The Others and the human “fluff balls” still crack me up. It’s so endearing how utterly thrown the big bad shifters are by human emotions—especially female ones.
There’s a new villain in this book, and Anne Bishop makes your skin crawl with how plausible and dangerous he feels. She’s so good at grounding her fantasy world in emotional realism.
And I have to mention the audiobook. I’ve listened to the series a few times now, and the narrator is phenomenal. Her performance adds so much warmth and personality—she really brings each character to life. I can't imagine experiencing the series any other way now, though I did still buy the hardcovers, because bookshelf aesthetics matter.
Reading Etched in Bone always feels like a reunion with friends. Simon, Meg, Sam, Henry, Vlad, Skippy… they’ve all become deeply familiar and beloved. Watching the Courtyard embrace Meg, protect her, and make her one of their own (the howling not-Wolf!) never fails to hit me in the feels. She belonged there, and without even realizing it, she helped change the fate of an entire species. Not because of her power, but because of her kindness.
Meg didn’t just see the future—she changed it.
So yes, I’ll probably reread The Others again in another year or two. I’ll definitely keep recommending it. And I’ll absolutely keep waiting (impatiently) for Anne Bishop to return to this world. Because it’s one I never want to leave.
March 14, 2017
The last book in the series and we only get a kiss?
Trying to calm down now.
Okay. Well, the story in this one is focused on Monty's jerkass brother who shows up at the Courtyard looking for a free ride. This guy is a total jerk, waste of space, never worked a day in his life, etc..
So, basically, it's him causing havoc the whole book. You spend your time just waiting for him to die. It really can't come too soon, or be too bloody.
In the meantime, we have Simon thinking about mates. Specifically, Meg maybe being his. In the beginning of the book, he does the old "don't want to ruin the friendship" thing, so it's a bit disappointing. There is really no romance going on. And, that's frustrating because we have all been waiting for this for 5 freaking books! But, then I figured, hey, things are just moving slowly. I can wait another book.
But NO! There are no more books! We don't get to see them become mates and the cuteness that would come from that. We don't get to watch them try and navigate a romantic relationship when neither one of them really know how to human that well. This is it. The end.
The good news is that if you go into this knowing that there is not going to be a romance pay-off, you will enjoy the story. It was entertaining, and has all of the adorable misunderstandingness that we want from the Others.
Trying to calm down now.
Okay. Well, the story in this one is focused on Monty's jerkass brother who shows up at the Courtyard looking for a free ride. This guy is a total jerk, waste of space, never worked a day in his life, etc..
So, basically, it's him causing havoc the whole book. You spend your time just waiting for him to die. It really can't come too soon, or be too bloody.
In the meantime, we have Simon thinking about mates. Specifically, Meg maybe being his. In the beginning of the book, he does the old "don't want to ruin the friendship" thing, so it's a bit disappointing. There is really no romance going on. And, that's frustrating because we have all been waiting for this for 5 freaking books! But, then I figured, hey, things are just moving slowly. I can wait another book.
But NO! There are no more books! We don't get to see them become mates and the cuteness that would come from that. We don't get to watch them try and navigate a romantic relationship when neither one of them really know how to human that well. This is it. The end.
The good news is that if you go into this knowing that there is not going to be a romance pay-off, you will enjoy the story. It was entertaining, and has all of the adorable misunderstandingness that we want from the Others.
March 14, 2022
➽ And the moral of this reread is: this book makes me feel despicably warm and revoltingly fluffy inside. The fact that the Elders love using fresh puny human intestines as festoons might have something to do with it. Maybe.
I knew you'd understand, Spockie dear.
[August 2020]
Actual rating: 3.75648975789 stars.
Despite all bleak predictions, ominous forebodings, very dark omens and sinister threats of impending doom courtesy of myso-called beloved friends, I did not:
a) DNF the fish out of this book.
b) Feed it to my murderous children for breakfast.
c) Kill it with fire.
d) a + b + c + d.
e) All of the above.
Which clearly indicates that my evil twin has officially hacked my Goodreads account. I mean, how else would you explain my most discombobulating ratings for books in this series?
Right. This might be a possibility, too, but it’s not very kind of you to mention it, is it now?
Anyhoo and stuff, enjoyed this installment not nearly but almost quite as much as the previous ones in the series I have, and foiled again my evil nemeses have been proved wrong my so-called beloved friends once again I have, so yay and stuff.
It seems that people’s main grievance about this installment is that it is boring and dull and that the author rehashes a lot and that there is no actual plot and that nothing happens. NEWSFLASH! This is The Others! Anyone who’ssurvived read the first four books in the series should know they ALL are boring and dull and that the author rehashes a lot and that there is no actual plot and that nothing happens (well not until the 98% mark anyway)! That’s part of the disconcertingly bewildering charm of the series and stuff. Okay, I have to admit that Bishop really excels at the Nothing Happens Thing (NHT™) here and that
NOTHING
happens. The author apparently decided to outdo herself in this last instalment and, oh my shrimp, did she make an amazing job of it!
That’s Judge Bart—Simon’s cousin thrice removed—commending Bishop on her astonishing accomplishment, in case you were wondering.
The other issue reviewers have with this book is the romance. Or lack thereof. Which I personally found slightly glorious, but which most of my Friends of Despicable Book Taste (FoDBT™) found quite appalling, particularly revolting, and generally most infuriating. Why they would rather read about silly lovey dovey crap rather than human intestines as tree ornaments is and forever shall remain one of the greatest mysteries of the universe, if you ask me. Yes, it’s true, all the action we get between Meg and Simon is one pathetically miserable kiss. But. Considering he’s a serial sniffer and licker who enjoys munching on humans and she acts like a naïve-as-fishoften-brainless 10 year old most of the time, getting them to smooch was quite the achievement, methinks. Not to mention that tongues were shockingly involved! Now if that isn’t outrageously outré behaviour, I don’t know what is.
To summarize. Grievance #1 + Issue #2 = all those who think this installment was a let-down and a disappointment and a blow and the most unsatisfying series ending in the history of most unsatisfying series endings read it very wrong. Obviously. And failed to notice the luscious scrumptiousness of teakettle-wielding exploding fluffballs, bunnies with teeth, edible vs. nonedible employees, chattering human squirrels,slightly bipolar amused Elders, sweet blood howling-growling not-Wolves, dead turkeys, human backbone cleaning, female pack invasions, and last but certainly not least special meat snacks.
➽ Nefarious Last Words (NLW™): “Trespassers Will Be Eaten.” Need I say more? Didn’t think so.
• Book 1: Written in Red ★★★★
• Book 2: Murder of Crows ★★★★
• Book 3: Vision in Silver ★★★★
• Book 4: Marked in Flesh ★★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
Yeah, I liked this one, too. Something must be really really really really REALLY wrong with me.
My thoughts exactly.
➽ Full review to come and stuff.
I knew you'd understand, Spockie dear.
[August 2020]
Actual rating: 3.75648975789 stars.
Despite all bleak predictions, ominous forebodings, very dark omens and sinister threats of impending doom courtesy of my
a) DNF the fish out of this book.
b) Feed it to my murderous children for breakfast.
c) Kill it with fire.
d) a + b + c + d.
e) All of the above.
Which clearly indicates that my evil twin has officially hacked my Goodreads account. I mean, how else would you explain my most discombobulating ratings for books in this series?
Right. This might be a possibility, too, but it’s not very kind of you to mention it, is it now?
Anyhoo and stuff, enjoyed this installment not nearly but almost quite as much as the previous ones in the series I have, and
It seems that people’s main grievance about this installment is that it is boring and dull and that the author rehashes a lot and that there is no actual plot and that nothing happens. NEWSFLASH! This is The Others! Anyone who’s
That’s Judge Bart—Simon’s cousin thrice removed—commending Bishop on her astonishing accomplishment, in case you were wondering.
The other issue reviewers have with this book is the romance. Or lack thereof. Which I personally found slightly glorious, but which most of my Friends of Despicable Book Taste (FoDBT™) found quite appalling, particularly revolting, and generally most infuriating. Why they would rather read about silly lovey dovey crap rather than human intestines as tree ornaments is and forever shall remain one of the greatest mysteries of the universe, if you ask me. Yes, it’s true, all the action we get between Meg and Simon is one pathetically miserable kiss. But. Considering he’s a serial sniffer and licker who enjoys munching on humans and she acts like a naïve-as-fish
To summarize. Grievance #1 + Issue #2 = all those who think this installment was a let-down and a disappointment and a blow and the most unsatisfying series ending in the history of most unsatisfying series endings read it very wrong. Obviously. And failed to notice the luscious scrumptiousness of teakettle-wielding exploding fluffballs, bunnies with teeth, edible vs. nonedible employees, chattering human squirrels,
➽ Nefarious Last Words (NLW™): “Trespassers Will Be Eaten.” Need I say more? Didn’t think so.
• Book 1: Written in Red ★★★★
• Book 2: Murder of Crows ★★★★
• Book 3: Vision in Silver ★★★★
• Book 4: Marked in Flesh ★★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
Yeah, I liked this one, too. Something must be really really really really REALLY wrong with me.
My thoughts exactly.
➽ Full review to come and stuff.
July 2, 2017
Crunchy good ! The Ending KABAAAAM !
Fast and dirty-Meg becomes a humanal and humans can be horrible.
Meg has had such a hard time adjusting to an outside life. She has massive scars inside and out, many she will never recover from. She is human but not like the other humans. Finding a place where she can be comfortable to be alive in a constant struggle but she is finding a path and it’s not one traveled before. Love, is something she never considered, and when feelings come she fumbles and struggles with them.
Simon has a deep bond to this human but not girl. Is it more than his need to protect her, could it ever be more ? Poor Simon , he really has so much to deal with in this book.
The Elders set about judging, and finalizing their cleansing from the last book. They are watching always watching, but not always the best judges.
The relative that is like a black plague. We all have one. They manipulate, gossip, disrupt and make being related to them horrendous. Montgomery has the ring leader relative, his brother Jimmy. Jimmy couldn’t be any worse, and his black soul leeches out. There is nothing he isn’t willing to destroy to make his life easier.
I love Meg Simon, Sam, Skippy, Henry, Tess, Vlad, the Elders.. all of them except two which I completely HATE. Two despicable characters, but one is the turd topping on the turd pile, Jimmy. Oh don’t think me too harsh till you get to know him. I adore the beings in this world and when somebody messes with them they are messing with my friends. That is the kind of book Anne Bishop writes, she pulls me in makes me a part of her world.
That was the last book in Meg and Simon’s story ? Say it isn’t so, Anne Bishop. I didn’t get a resolved feeling. I wanted to see the follow through, the bing bang, or a puppy ? I need more, that did not feel like a rap up !
Re-reading #2- Audiobook version
Fast and dirty-Meg becomes a humanal and humans can be horrible.
Meg has had such a hard time adjusting to an outside life. She has massive scars inside and out, many she will never recover from. She is human but not like the other humans. Finding a place where she can be comfortable to be alive in a constant struggle but she is finding a path and it’s not one traveled before. Love, is something she never considered, and when feelings come she fumbles and struggles with them.
Simon has a deep bond to this human but not girl. Is it more than his need to protect her, could it ever be more ? Poor Simon , he really has so much to deal with in this book.
The Elders set about judging, and finalizing their cleansing from the last book. They are watching always watching, but not always the best judges.
The relative that is like a black plague. We all have one. They manipulate, gossip, disrupt and make being related to them horrendous. Montgomery has the ring leader relative, his brother Jimmy. Jimmy couldn’t be any worse, and his black soul leeches out. There is nothing he isn’t willing to destroy to make his life easier.
I love Meg Simon, Sam, Skippy, Henry, Tess, Vlad, the Elders.. all of them except two which I completely HATE. Two despicable characters, but one is the turd topping on the turd pile, Jimmy. Oh don’t think me too harsh till you get to know him. I adore the beings in this world and when somebody messes with them they are messing with my friends. That is the kind of book Anne Bishop writes, she pulls me in makes me a part of her world.
That was the last book in Meg and Simon’s story ? Say it isn’t so, Anne Bishop. I didn’t get a resolved feeling. I wanted to see the follow through, the bing bang, or a puppy ? I need more, that did not feel like a rap up !
Re-reading #2- Audiobook version
March 13, 2017
I don't want to write this review : (
Any other series and this would've gotten a 2 ... maybe even only a high 1.
Sigh.
3/10/17 edit - pouty Taemin stays because I expected more from this series and now I'm sad
3/7/17 edit - pouty Taemin stays until I finish because I like his face
March ...
2017? ...
Any other series and this would've gotten a 2 ... maybe even only a high 1.
Sigh.
3/10/17 edit - pouty Taemin stays because I expected more from this series and now I'm sad
3/7/17 edit - pouty Taemin stays until I finish because I like his face
March ...
2017? ...
February 26, 2017
Etched in Bone marks the end of the Lakeside story. I heard the author is making a side series based in the same invented world, but it will involve new characters.
One of the discouragements about the third and fourth books was I thought the author spent far too much time outside the main Lakeside courtyard to explore around the world where the disasters were happening. While interesting and pertinent to the story and where the disaster was heading, I was more involved with staying with the series regulars I'd already grown attached to. The main story-line was resolved in the fourth book, so for this fifth we get to thankfully stay in Lakeside and see the progressions for the characters themselves. A big win there.
As the main character, Meg has progressed a lot. We don't get any frantic cutting moments thankfully, and the author has dialed back from her existence tying into the other blood prophets. They're mentioned some but we don't get any more points of views though them. Anne's picture is helpful and Jean's letter wanted, but it's all about Meg, the police and Lakeside again.
Even though Lakeside is the focus, we have new elders to contend with while they're still evaluating what should happen with surviving humans. A horrendous man, Jimmy, is given permission to stay in town and stir trouble. Honestly he's a little unrealistic - sure, he's a bad seed all the way, but almost a carbon cut-out of one. The man has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, really. We're in his demented head a few times too. Thankfully Jimmy gives the plot conflict but he isn't the main focus. It would be cool to say that was Anne and Simon's relationship, but we all know romance isn't the main focus of these stories, so we get what we get. Some readers may not get everything they want on that front with detailed moments, but we do get a very satisfying ending and outcome as expected.
The world-building for The Others is detailed and dark, but it's the characters I really love. Humor comes through Vlad's interaction with the human pack and bookstore, Simon's misunderstandings as he can't figure people out, (the beginning play chase scene on the bike was SO funny), and the town's small nuances that make them so memorable. Tess is around but she plays a smaller role this time. We see a bit more of Nyx but I missed Erebus - would have loved hearing his thoughts more on the Wolfguard and Meg. Skippy has a major breakthrough - love Skippy. Grrr bear and children abound. I'll miss Winter, my favorite of the elemental seasons. The crows again play an important part of the story, and again it's interesting how they work together to find and protect those they consider valuable.
Overall the plot is a bit milder this time but of that I'm actually glad because I was rearing up for more character-driven moments. I just love this community and how protective they are of "our Meg", how they come together into a working relationship despite how different they are from each other. It's both adorable and twisted. Such a dark series that came to the best conclusion it could. A lot of series end with the last book wrapping up the overall arching plotline - I'm so happy the author this time did that in book four, and spent the last book showing the outcome for all the main characters in such an extended resolution.
Awesome.
This review is based on an ARC received from Netgalley
One of the discouragements about the third and fourth books was I thought the author spent far too much time outside the main Lakeside courtyard to explore around the world where the disasters were happening. While interesting and pertinent to the story and where the disaster was heading, I was more involved with staying with the series regulars I'd already grown attached to. The main story-line was resolved in the fourth book, so for this fifth we get to thankfully stay in Lakeside and see the progressions for the characters themselves. A big win there.
As the main character, Meg has progressed a lot. We don't get any frantic cutting moments thankfully, and the author has dialed back from her existence tying into the other blood prophets. They're mentioned some but we don't get any more points of views though them. Anne's picture is helpful and Jean's letter wanted, but it's all about Meg, the police and Lakeside again.
Even though Lakeside is the focus, we have new elders to contend with while they're still evaluating what should happen with surviving humans. A horrendous man, Jimmy, is given permission to stay in town and stir trouble. Honestly he's a little unrealistic - sure, he's a bad seed all the way, but almost a carbon cut-out of one. The man has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, really. We're in his demented head a few times too. Thankfully Jimmy gives the plot conflict but he isn't the main focus. It would be cool to say that was Anne and Simon's relationship, but we all know romance isn't the main focus of these stories, so we get what we get. Some readers may not get everything they want on that front with detailed moments, but we do get a very satisfying ending and outcome as expected.
The world-building for The Others is detailed and dark, but it's the characters I really love. Humor comes through Vlad's interaction with the human pack and bookstore, Simon's misunderstandings as he can't figure people out, (the beginning play chase scene on the bike was SO funny), and the town's small nuances that make them so memorable. Tess is around but she plays a smaller role this time. We see a bit more of Nyx but I missed Erebus - would have loved hearing his thoughts more on the Wolfguard and Meg. Skippy has a major breakthrough - love Skippy. Grrr bear and children abound. I'll miss Winter, my favorite of the elemental seasons. The crows again play an important part of the story, and again it's interesting how they work together to find and protect those they consider valuable.
Overall the plot is a bit milder this time but of that I'm actually glad because I was rearing up for more character-driven moments. I just love this community and how protective they are of "our Meg", how they come together into a working relationship despite how different they are from each other. It's both adorable and twisted. Such a dark series that came to the best conclusion it could. A lot of series end with the last book wrapping up the overall arching plotline - I'm so happy the author this time did that in book four, and spent the last book showing the outcome for all the main characters in such an extended resolution.
Awesome.
This review is based on an ARC received from Netgalley
February 14, 2017
Absolutely LOVED this! So sad it might very well be the last book. Full review to come closer to release date.
Edited to add review:
It is no secret that The Others series is one of my absolute favorites and anyone that has ever picked up one of the books, doesn't have to question why. With it's unique take on supernaturals and Bishop's unique voice, it didn't take very long for this series to win me over and steal my heart.
This is a series that I pretty much drop everything for when I start it. Laundry doesn’t get done, calls get ignored and the world (okay maybe just my family) knows to leave me alone until the very last page is done because I will be useless until then anyways. I get completely immersed in the world, in the story, and in the very characters themselves and this latest installment was maybe even more so.
With knowing that this very well be the very last one, I savored it, devoured it and the whole way through, read it with a sort of bitter sweetness to it. It was hard to put down but at the same time I wanted it to last forever.
I will say that if this is the very last one, I am completely happy with the way it all came together. With the way things were answered and the way things were left with an air of expectation and lots and lots of hope.
I can't even describe all the emotions I had while reading this. There were characters I wanted to hold tight and give a hug to and others that I seriously wanted the Elders to get a hold of and all the while, I still couldn’t get enough or love the series any more than I was.
This has been such an adventure, such a journey and one that was worth every single minute and undone laundry and housework and all.
*ARC copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Edited to add review:
It is no secret that The Others series is one of my absolute favorites and anyone that has ever picked up one of the books, doesn't have to question why. With it's unique take on supernaturals and Bishop's unique voice, it didn't take very long for this series to win me over and steal my heart.
This is a series that I pretty much drop everything for when I start it. Laundry doesn’t get done, calls get ignored and the world (okay maybe just my family) knows to leave me alone until the very last page is done because I will be useless until then anyways. I get completely immersed in the world, in the story, and in the very characters themselves and this latest installment was maybe even more so.
With knowing that this very well be the very last one, I savored it, devoured it and the whole way through, read it with a sort of bitter sweetness to it. It was hard to put down but at the same time I wanted it to last forever.
I will say that if this is the very last one, I am completely happy with the way it all came together. With the way things were answered and the way things were left with an air of expectation and lots and lots of hope.
I can't even describe all the emotions I had while reading this. There were characters I wanted to hold tight and give a hug to and others that I seriously wanted the Elders to get a hold of and all the while, I still couldn’t get enough or love the series any more than I was.
This has been such an adventure, such a journey and one that was worth every single minute and undone laundry and housework and all.
*ARC copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
November 17, 2021
I absolutely loved this conclusion to the Simon and Meg series. It had the usual Anne Bishop flair and mix of homey stories mixed in with larger conflict between the Others and the rest of the human community. A large part of this one centered on Montgomery's family, a human character who has been an integral part of the series since the beginning. I love the way that Anne Bishop develops her villains and deals out justice with a feral sense of flair. The ramping up of tensions in the Courtyard in this one, the final suspense and conclusion.... everything was written and executed perfectly.
And especially loved the romance finally heating up between Simon and Meg. That's been sort of a back-burner thing all along, and it is here, too, but we finally see more of an acknowledgement on the surface. Will miss this series.
And especially loved the romance finally heating up between Simon and Meg. That's been sort of a back-burner thing all along, and it is here, too, but we finally see more of an acknowledgement on the surface. Will miss this series.
December 14, 2017
2.5 I Have a Few Issues Stars
I’m not really sure what to make of this book. After the build up of Marked in Flesh this seemed a bit like a let down in comparison. Consequences were doled out in the last book to the bad humans and cities that forgot why the others were in charge and tried to rise up against them in a sneaky manor. So to go from a global scale back down to just Lakeside seemed a bit anti climatic
Of all the books in this series, which I enjoyed immensely, this was the weakest. There honestly wasn’t a lot happening. It turned into mostly just the daily grind and living with the changes brought on by some cities not being there anymore and reduces communication and trade between areas.
Problem #1 - is the anticlimactic feeling scaling the story back down to just Lakeside. While Jimmy the human that is bad for everyone is in Lakeside and being studied by the Elders is a horrible guy and shows how one bad egg can really hurt an entire community he isn’t the entire nation of people and the threat of an upcoming genocide. I never felt like Jimmy was going to win against Simon and the courtyard, I just wondered how many would be some sort of collateral damage along the way.
Problem #2 - a lot of the details of other books are rehashed here and there and then there was a lot of talk of supplies and ration books and how people were allocating resources. Sometimes that just got a little bit too much with details and led to some very boring reading in a few areas for me.
Problem #3 - the Simon/Meg romance, I wanted more on this front. To be fair Anne Bishop gives us a clear indication at the end of where there relationship is headed and how much each loves the other. BUT…that said I wanted more than that last scene in the book between them. It was cute and left the rest open to interpretation still I wanted to know that Meg could overcome what had happened to her body in the past and be with Simon in a lover’s relationship. While I’m sure she’ll get there we the audience didn’t get to see it.
With all of the problems I found with the book it still was difficult for me to put down once I started. I hated Jimmy but I did like seeing the Human Pack of the courtyard and the Others working together and thinking about one another in the choices they made. I liked seeing Meg figure out how to use the cards for her prophecies so that she didn’t have to cut her skin. I love Meg and her ability to teach even the Elders a few manors. Twyla is exactly the matriarch that community needs and she is going to do wonders for how the Others and the human pack come together. The thanksgiving dinner was a perfect example of this and I adore how she treated Skippy during this meal.
Lake Silence the next book in the Others series isn’t about Lakeside and is an off shoot story. I’m hoping that we still get a few Easter Eggs about the characters from Lakeside but I feel like overall that story is done and wrapped up well.
I’m not really sure what to make of this book. After the build up of Marked in Flesh this seemed a bit like a let down in comparison. Consequences were doled out in the last book to the bad humans and cities that forgot why the others were in charge and tried to rise up against them in a sneaky manor. So to go from a global scale back down to just Lakeside seemed a bit anti climatic
Of all the books in this series, which I enjoyed immensely, this was the weakest. There honestly wasn’t a lot happening. It turned into mostly just the daily grind and living with the changes brought on by some cities not being there anymore and reduces communication and trade between areas.
Problem #1 - is the anticlimactic feeling scaling the story back down to just Lakeside. While Jimmy the human that is bad for everyone is in Lakeside and being studied by the Elders is a horrible guy and shows how one bad egg can really hurt an entire community he isn’t the entire nation of people and the threat of an upcoming genocide. I never felt like Jimmy was going to win against Simon and the courtyard, I just wondered how many would be some sort of collateral damage along the way.
Problem #2 - a lot of the details of other books are rehashed here and there and then there was a lot of talk of supplies and ration books and how people were allocating resources. Sometimes that just got a little bit too much with details and led to some very boring reading in a few areas for me.
Problem #3 - the Simon/Meg romance, I wanted more on this front. To be fair Anne Bishop gives us a clear indication at the end of where there relationship is headed and how much each loves the other. BUT…that said I wanted more than that last scene in the book between them. It was cute and left the rest open to interpretation still I wanted to know that Meg could overcome what had happened to her body in the past and be with Simon in a lover’s relationship. While I’m sure she’ll get there we the audience didn’t get to see it.
With all of the problems I found with the book it still was difficult for me to put down once I started. I hated Jimmy but I did like seeing the Human Pack of the courtyard and the Others working together and thinking about one another in the choices they made. I liked seeing Meg figure out how to use the cards for her prophecies so that she didn’t have to cut her skin. I love Meg and her ability to teach even the Elders a few manors. Twyla is exactly the matriarch that community needs and she is going to do wonders for how the Others and the human pack come together. The thanksgiving dinner was a perfect example of this and I adore how she treated Skippy during this meal.
Lake Silence the next book in the Others series isn’t about Lakeside and is an off shoot story. I’m hoping that we still get a few Easter Eggs about the characters from Lakeside but I feel like overall that story is done and wrapped up well.
February 16, 2017
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads.
It's with deep sadness that I bid adieu to one of my f-a-v-o-u-r-i-t-e series. But, don't despair just yet, Anne Bishop has announced that she will be returning to THE OTHERS world in 2018! I enjoyed ETCHED IN BONE considerably more than book 4 because the scope of the story was much narrower which means that we get lots of Meg & Simon, and less of the rest of Thaisia. The plot was also milder in nature, and that was both a plus and a minus. Yay on account of it being more character driven, and nay since things end with a whisper instead of a bang.
The focal point of this novel was Cyrus James Montgomery. He's a con artist, and sees Lakeside as easy pickings because he has an in with his brother, mother and sister already in residence. Jimmy's presumptuous, arrogant, and just plain daft if he believes that he can hide behind human laws in the Courtyard. The terra indigene mete out their own brand of justice; it's ugly and barbaric, and in my opinion the punishments fit the crimes. CJ's schemes escalate until he does the unthinkable. A shot to the heart would have probably hurt less!
The citizens are busy picking up the pieces of whatever is left in the wake of Namid’s claws and teeth. Cel-Romano has practically fallen off the map, most of the land has been reclaimed by the wild country, and food rations abound in the surviving cities. The Simple Life folk and the Intuits are thriving, and the cassandra sangue are still a work-in-progress, but for the average human, life is hard. Meg's female pack make inroads with the Others by breaking bread together for the first time, and two Elders observe it all like some twisted science experiment.
The author doesn't yank the rug out from under us as far as epiphanies go although, she does touch upon a few items that readers have been musing over such as what happens when a prophet's old scars are reopened. There were also several delightful moments which I'd found to be lacking in the previous volume. Skippy will surprise you, and Corbyn makes a HUGE faux pas—I'm pretty sure that she only lives to tell the tale due to the fact that she's the howling not-Wolf. And, yes, something DOES happen between Simon & Meg on the romantic front however, don't set your hopes too high because... baby steps!
Anne Bishop could have probably written ten more books in this series, and I still wouldn't be entirely content, but overall ETCHED IN BONE was a happy finale.
It's with deep sadness that I bid adieu to one of my f-a-v-o-u-r-i-t-e series. But, don't despair just yet, Anne Bishop has announced that she will be returning to THE OTHERS world in 2018! I enjoyed ETCHED IN BONE considerably more than book 4 because the scope of the story was much narrower which means that we get lots of Meg & Simon, and less of the rest of Thaisia. The plot was also milder in nature, and that was both a plus and a minus. Yay on account of it being more character driven, and nay since things end with a whisper instead of a bang.
The focal point of this novel was Cyrus James Montgomery. He's a con artist, and sees Lakeside as easy pickings because he has an in with his brother, mother and sister already in residence. Jimmy's presumptuous, arrogant, and just plain daft if he believes that he can hide behind human laws in the Courtyard. The terra indigene mete out their own brand of justice; it's ugly and barbaric, and in my opinion the punishments fit the crimes. CJ's schemes escalate until he does the unthinkable. A shot to the heart would have probably hurt less!
The citizens are busy picking up the pieces of whatever is left in the wake of Namid’s claws and teeth. Cel-Romano has practically fallen off the map, most of the land has been reclaimed by the wild country, and food rations abound in the surviving cities. The Simple Life folk and the Intuits are thriving, and the cassandra sangue are still a work-in-progress, but for the average human, life is hard. Meg's female pack make inroads with the Others by breaking bread together for the first time, and two Elders observe it all like some twisted science experiment.
The author doesn't yank the rug out from under us as far as epiphanies go although, she does touch upon a few items that readers have been musing over such as what happens when a prophet's old scars are reopened. There were also several delightful moments which I'd found to be lacking in the previous volume. Skippy will surprise you, and Corbyn makes a HUGE faux pas—I'm pretty sure that she only lives to tell the tale due to the fact that she's the howling not-Wolf. And, yes, something DOES happen between Simon & Meg on the romantic front however, don't set your hopes too high because... baby steps!
Anne Bishop could have probably written ten more books in this series, and I still wouldn't be entirely content, but overall ETCHED IN BONE was a happy finale.
March 8, 2017
Etched in Bone, the conclusion of The Others was bittersweet to me. I was happy to get another installment of this amazing series and sad because I knew it was the end of Simon and Meg’s story!
Meg’s presence in the Lakeside Courtyard changed so much between the humans and the terra indigene, opening them up and weaving them together as no one would’ve thought possible. The changes have come to the attention of the Elders, a fierce type of terra indigene rarely seen, powerful and deadly when they want to be. The Elders have stepped into the conflict between human and terra indigene when the Humans First and Last group made a concerted effort to wipe out them out. It didn’t go well for the humans, at all.
This is where the story takes off. Lieutenant Montgomery’s brother, Jimmy, comes to the Lakeside Courtyard when he hears he might have something to gain. This guy is a real piece of work; Simon, Henry, Vlad, and Tess know it, and are ready to toss him out before he becomes trouble, but the Elders want Jimmy to stay while they observe his actions as a kind of experiment on just what type of humans they should guard against. This was the perfect example of how one person can cause so much trouble, even with a tight knit community such as the Lakeside Courtyard, and it had my insides in knots at time. I have to say, Lieutenant Montgomery’s siblings were pretty awful, especially in contrast to his mother, Twyla and him. Twyla has become sort of a den mother to the Lakeside Community and I loved her to bits! The scene with Skippy and the dinner brought a few tears on!
The Others is one my all-time favorite fantasy series! The plots are engrossing and will put you on edge, but the real draw for me has been the relationships between all these varied characters. Of course, the most important to me were Meg and Simon. As the series has gone on, they’ve become each other’s “constant” and anchor in life. Even when Meg and Simon didn’t understand their relationship and feelings that bubbled up between them, it was so plain to everyone else! I relished every interaction, and oh, that ending scene!
I love that the typical animosities between humans and terra indigene fell by the wayside for the few who decided to work together in the Lakeside Courtyard, and their extensions. Their cooperation was fueled by Meg’s uniting influence. Like I said, I’m so very sad to say goodbye, and I’d kill for a Simon and Meg epilogue/novella/short story! (Pretty please, Ms. Bishop?!!!) But I was so thrilled to hear that Etched in Bone isn’t the complete end of this world. Even though the next book, Lake Silence, won’t be focused on the Lakeside Courtyard, there is a continuation. Click HERE for more info.
A copy was kindly provided by Roc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review is also posted at The Readers Den.
Meg’s presence in the Lakeside Courtyard changed so much between the humans and the terra indigene, opening them up and weaving them together as no one would’ve thought possible. The changes have come to the attention of the Elders, a fierce type of terra indigene rarely seen, powerful and deadly when they want to be. The Elders have stepped into the conflict between human and terra indigene when the Humans First and Last group made a concerted effort to wipe out them out. It didn’t go well for the humans, at all.
This is where the story takes off. Lieutenant Montgomery’s brother, Jimmy, comes to the Lakeside Courtyard when he hears he might have something to gain. This guy is a real piece of work; Simon, Henry, Vlad, and Tess know it, and are ready to toss him out before he becomes trouble, but the Elders want Jimmy to stay while they observe his actions as a kind of experiment on just what type of humans they should guard against. This was the perfect example of how one person can cause so much trouble, even with a tight knit community such as the Lakeside Courtyard, and it had my insides in knots at time. I have to say, Lieutenant Montgomery’s siblings were pretty awful, especially in contrast to his mother, Twyla and him. Twyla has become sort of a den mother to the Lakeside Community and I loved her to bits! The scene with Skippy and the dinner brought a few tears on!
The Others is one my all-time favorite fantasy series! The plots are engrossing and will put you on edge, but the real draw for me has been the relationships between all these varied characters. Of course, the most important to me were Meg and Simon. As the series has gone on, they’ve become each other’s “constant” and anchor in life. Even when Meg and Simon didn’t understand their relationship and feelings that bubbled up between them, it was so plain to everyone else! I relished every interaction, and oh, that ending scene!
I love that the typical animosities between humans and terra indigene fell by the wayside for the few who decided to work together in the Lakeside Courtyard, and their extensions. Their cooperation was fueled by Meg’s uniting influence. Like I said, I’m so very sad to say goodbye, and I’d kill for a Simon and Meg epilogue/novella/short story! (Pretty please, Ms. Bishop?!!!) But I was so thrilled to hear that Etched in Bone isn’t the complete end of this world. Even though the next book, Lake Silence, won’t be focused on the Lakeside Courtyard, there is a continuation. Click HERE for more info.
A copy was kindly provided by Roc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review is also posted at The Readers Den.
August 26, 2017
You guys know I loved and I mean LOVED the first book. It's an amazing story with so much power. Everything fits and the natural order is spot on. The Others are the on top of the food chain and the humans mostly know their place. Also the plot and character development actually go somewhere. From the first book the stories that follow slowly lose their awesomness and the character development is nearly non-existent.
Now shall we get to this story? Yes, we shall. In this story, believe it or not, the humans, preferably Jesse and Monty's mom are the alpha females that basically makes them the big bosses. And where are the Others you ask? Well...they become dogs with a new master instead of being the proud and powerful wolves that we get to know in the first book. So it's safe to say that I've had it with this series and I'm definitely not reading another damn book, where the main characters start off strong and in the end become a pale version of themselves. No thank you! Oh, and if you're wondering about the romance between Meg and Simon, well, like with the rest of this story, you'd be disappointed. You only get a kiss and that's at the end of the book.
So, if you're the type that can get past all that, girl, go for it! But for me, this series is a flop. Not worth my time!
Now shall we get to this story? Yes, we shall. In this story, believe it or not, the humans, preferably Jesse and Monty's mom are the alpha females that basically makes them the big bosses. And where are the Others you ask? Well...they become dogs with a new master instead of being the proud and powerful wolves that we get to know in the first book. So it's safe to say that I've had it with this series and I'm definitely not reading another damn book, where the main characters start off strong and in the end become a pale version of themselves. No thank you! Oh, and if you're wondering about the romance between Meg and Simon, well, like with the rest of this story, you'd be disappointed. You only get a kiss and that's at the end of the book.
So, if you're the type that can get past all that, girl, go for it! But for me, this series is a flop. Not worth my time!
March 23, 2017
Amazing! It is no secret that The Others is in my top five favorite series being written right now so when I got an ARC from netgalley of this book I was shocked and let me tell you it did not disappoint! This book had the difficult task of coming off that big emotional lead of book four (if you haven't read the series yet I highly recommend starting with book one which is Written in Red) so I was nervous when I started. In her usual style Anne Bishop gives that slow burn story where you desperately want things to go faster and yet are dying for things to slow down at the same time. The characters are interesting and believable, the world is rich and intriguing and the story itself will keep you up all night reading just one more chapter.
If you love this series...preorder this book now.
If you love this series...preorder this book now.
May 11, 2017
I am a HUGE fan of this fabulous series! Ms. Bishop does it again with this one. They keep getting better and better. I particularly love the development of Simon and Meg's relationship. Also, the plot is timely. Bishop creates a world where some humans act in a ridiculous and ultimately self-destructive manner because of greed and prejudice and hatred - which is a reflection of what's going on in our world. I just wish we had Elders who would release Namid's teeth and claws on them...
I hope there's another installment! Rushing off to check (and pre-order if possible!).
I hope there's another installment! Rushing off to check (and pre-order if possible!).
January 14, 2018
Full review now posted!
Review originally published on Booknest.
Series Rating: 5/5 stars
Book Rating: 4.25/5 stars
Here ends my favorite Urban Fantasy series.
While it thankfully didn’t end with a whimper, neither did it quite end with a bang. Etched in Bone ended with a cozy little slice-of-life scene, which was the perfect way to end the series. Because it’s the end of a series, this will be more of a review of the series as a whole than a review of this particular book.
A little bit about The Others Series by Anne Bishop:
If this version of our world we have shapeshifters and vampires and more otherworldly creatures, the basis of many UF series. But these shifters aren’t humans who can take on the form of an animal. No, these shifters can take on the form of man, but they are most definitely not human; their true shapes are closer to the animals they identify with, be they Wolf or Bear or Crow. The shifters are a branch of the terra indigene or Earth Natives that populate Bishop’s world, along with an unusual breed of vampires, Elementals, and other, older breeds, more terrifying by far. These Earth Natives, these Others , once viewed humans as nothing but meat. They maintain that view, but are now interested enough in human goods and services to indulge them. However, should humans step out of line, they’ll be back on the menu faster than they can beg forgiveness.
Things changed for the terra indigene when a lost girl stumbled into the Courtyard, a community of Others in the heart of a human city. This girl was something more than human, something that didn’t smell like prey, and yet wasn’t one of the Others. She was a cassandra sangue, a blood prophet, and could foretell the future whenever her skin was broken and her blood was shed. Her name was Meg, and revolutionary changes in the relationships between humans and Others followed in her wake. The Others of the Courtyard grew to love her, opening their hearts to certain humans in response. The Others outside of the Courtyard heard tales of Meg’s exploits and of the changes in their fellow terra indigene, and their fascination brought with it curiosity and questions. The world would never be the same once Meg arrived on the scene.
Throughout this five book series, the stakes have been high. Whatever happened in the Courtyard would set a precedent for how the Others in the rest of the world handled humans. But these high stakes were generally encapsulated in smaller struggles within the Courtyard, and Etched in Bone was no exception. I often forgot that there was a bigger game at play here, instead focussing on the community drama unfolding within the Courtyard itself. This book wasn’t my favorite in the series, but I thought it was a solid ending to the series and didn’t feel at all let down. Meg grows so much as a character from the first book to the last, and it was wonderful to see the culmination of that growth from a terrified girl into a woman who could save herself.
My very favorite thing about Bishop’s world, besides the idea of Wolf (and others) being a shifter’s true form instead of human, is the community feel. This is a slice-of-life fantasy with a big-world impact, and I feel like slice-of-life is something we don’t get enough of in any subgenre of fantasy. Going to work, the market, the library, a restaurant…that’s all important here. Friendships and routine are incredibly central to the story. Not that there isn’t the occasional maiming and/or consumption of a bad guy and saving of the world just in the nick of time, because there is that. This series isn’t just fluff. There are stakes here, as mentioned earlier. But it shows life, and people actually living it, and that portrayal of real life amidst the fantastic is why this series will remain one of my favorites and will be reread again and again.
Review originally published on Booknest.
Series Rating: 5/5 stars
Book Rating: 4.25/5 stars
Here ends my favorite Urban Fantasy series.
While it thankfully didn’t end with a whimper, neither did it quite end with a bang. Etched in Bone ended with a cozy little slice-of-life scene, which was the perfect way to end the series. Because it’s the end of a series, this will be more of a review of the series as a whole than a review of this particular book.
A little bit about The Others Series by Anne Bishop:
If this version of our world we have shapeshifters and vampires and more otherworldly creatures, the basis of many UF series. But these shifters aren’t humans who can take on the form of an animal. No, these shifters can take on the form of man, but they are most definitely not human; their true shapes are closer to the animals they identify with, be they Wolf or Bear or Crow. The shifters are a branch of the terra indigene or Earth Natives that populate Bishop’s world, along with an unusual breed of vampires, Elementals, and other, older breeds, more terrifying by far. These Earth Natives, these Others , once viewed humans as nothing but meat. They maintain that view, but are now interested enough in human goods and services to indulge them. However, should humans step out of line, they’ll be back on the menu faster than they can beg forgiveness.
Things changed for the terra indigene when a lost girl stumbled into the Courtyard, a community of Others in the heart of a human city. This girl was something more than human, something that didn’t smell like prey, and yet wasn’t one of the Others. She was a cassandra sangue, a blood prophet, and could foretell the future whenever her skin was broken and her blood was shed. Her name was Meg, and revolutionary changes in the relationships between humans and Others followed in her wake. The Others of the Courtyard grew to love her, opening their hearts to certain humans in response. The Others outside of the Courtyard heard tales of Meg’s exploits and of the changes in their fellow terra indigene, and their fascination brought with it curiosity and questions. The world would never be the same once Meg arrived on the scene.
Throughout this five book series, the stakes have been high. Whatever happened in the Courtyard would set a precedent for how the Others in the rest of the world handled humans. But these high stakes were generally encapsulated in smaller struggles within the Courtyard, and Etched in Bone was no exception. I often forgot that there was a bigger game at play here, instead focussing on the community drama unfolding within the Courtyard itself. This book wasn’t my favorite in the series, but I thought it was a solid ending to the series and didn’t feel at all let down. Meg grows so much as a character from the first book to the last, and it was wonderful to see the culmination of that growth from a terrified girl into a woman who could save herself.
My very favorite thing about Bishop’s world, besides the idea of Wolf (and others) being a shifter’s true form instead of human, is the community feel. This is a slice-of-life fantasy with a big-world impact, and I feel like slice-of-life is something we don’t get enough of in any subgenre of fantasy. Going to work, the market, the library, a restaurant…that’s all important here. Friendships and routine are incredibly central to the story. Not that there isn’t the occasional maiming and/or consumption of a bad guy and saving of the world just in the nick of time, because there is that. This series isn’t just fluff. There are stakes here, as mentioned earlier. But it shows life, and people actually living it, and that portrayal of real life amidst the fantastic is why this series will remain one of my favorites and will be reread again and again.
March 23, 2017
I'm so sad that Meg and Simon and Lakeside's story is over. I'm so happy that Bishop is going to be writing more about this world that she has created and that I've fallen in love with, but I'm still so sad to be leaving these characters behind. I'm sure we'll get some cameos or mentions, but it just won't be the same. I've come to care about these characters, and to feel like I'm part of their pack.
If Bishop's series to this point hasn't convinced you of anything else, I hope it's convinced you that all it takes to change the world is ONE PERSON. Don't ever forget that you are important, that you affect those around you, and that you can make that difference be a positive one.
Bittersweet feelings, to see this ending. *sad and happy*
If Bishop's series to this point hasn't convinced you of anything else, I hope it's convinced you that all it takes to change the world is ONE PERSON. Don't ever forget that you are important, that you affect those around you, and that you can make that difference be a positive one.
Bittersweet feelings, to see this ending. *sad and happy*
October 30, 2025
The Others have aggressively taken back control and the humans are just realizing that the allowances have come to an end. Some humans still don’t believe the likelihood that human-kind might be wiped from the face of the earth, but the brutal reality is a distinct possibility.
Meg must tread this fragile peace carefully but now it is not just the outside world but the court yard that is at risk.
Total book, what am I saying, complete series HANG OVER! Time and time again, Anne Bishop sucks us deep in with the amazing world building and I for one don't want to leave! Engaging, enthralling and everything you wish every read would be.
My full review will be posted closer to the publication date.
I received this ARC copy of Etched in Bone from Berkley Publishing Group - Roc in exchange for a honest and voluntary review. This book is set for publication March 7, 2017.
My Rating: 5 stars
Written by: Anne Bishop
Series: A Novel of the Others
Sequence in Series: Book 5
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Roc
Publication Date: March 7, 2017 TOMORROW
Language: English
ISBN-10: 045147449X
ISBN-13: 978-0451474490
Genre: Scifi | Fantasy
Meg must tread this fragile peace carefully but now it is not just the outside world but the court yard that is at risk.
Total book, what am I saying, complete series HANG OVER! Time and time again, Anne Bishop sucks us deep in with the amazing world building and I for one don't want to leave! Engaging, enthralling and everything you wish every read would be.
My full review will be posted closer to the publication date.
I received this ARC copy of Etched in Bone from Berkley Publishing Group - Roc in exchange for a honest and voluntary review. This book is set for publication March 7, 2017.
My Rating: 5 stars
Written by: Anne Bishop
Series: A Novel of the Others
Sequence in Series: Book 5
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Roc
Publication Date: March 7, 2017 TOMORROW
Language: English
ISBN-10: 045147449X
ISBN-13: 978-0451474490
Genre: Scifi | Fantasy
December 5, 2017
*** 4 ***
A buddy read with my family with the Wednesday UF group @ BB&B!
I can not say enough how much I love this Urban Fantasy made up of cuteness and adorable human-wolf and others interaction! Yes, every book tends to meander a bit, this one more than the others, but you can't help but love Meg, no matter how snowy-white and perfect of a flake she is, as well as the very inhuman but fair-minded wolf-shifter Simon, who has absolutely no idea about human females:) Despite that, he is smart enough to recognize that he has much to learn and is one of the more considerate, caring and loving male leads I have encountered in the genre - dominant in his pack, but that does not give him the crazy idea that he could boss everyone around, particularly not the human-exploding-bunnies pack:)
"...“I was thinking of something that made me unhappy.”
Simon stopped snarling and cocked his head, looking more baffled than angry. “Why would you do that?”..."
The culture clash and the way those who live in the Lakeside Courtyard changed around the arrival of Meg and her incorporation into the Others' world, created ripples of change around the continent. The friendship and budding romance gave hope to both Others and Humans and showed the way for us to learn of those we do not know or fear is communication and education, care and friendships. This volume also had a human full of hate and resentment, one of those who no matter what, the world owes them. He taught the others that there are those insignificant seeming individuals who, by their attitude and way of being, could poison a community and put not only single lives in danger, but the lives of whole peoples and even species... Hopefully there are always those among us who, like Simon, Tess, Twyla, Sam, my favorite, Skippy ( the new Thanksgiving creation story was just adorable!!!), and the human female and police packs, are there to see beyond the evil and work for the good of all.
"...“...you look the truth in the face - not the truth that has fangs and fur but the hard truth about yourself, that you're just as dangerous as the beings the rest of the people fear but you can't afford to be as honest about it. You can't tell those people that you'll make deals with what they fear in order to keep them sage from the monsters who look just like them.”..."
Apparently, this is the end of the arc where the main characters are Meg and Simon, so this being the case, I have to say - WHAT? Just a few sentences in the end of the book, that is all we get for patiently waiting for this romance to develop?? Are you kidding me??? I loved everything about this romance, but darn it, we needed some more substantial pay-off there. Just a kiss? And how do we know now if everything works like it is supposed to? After all, the characters are worried about that themselves. You are going to let them know what happens but leave us hanging like that??? Just give us the next morning slice of life or something, so we know that things will be OK, don't leave us worrying if there are physiological incompatibility or something!!! Not that I need any gratuitous sex, I am just worried as a good friend and a medical professional and want to be clear that the the LEGO pieces work properly and fit in the appropriate places with no problems, that's all... Just give us a shot of them happily having breakfast, with bliss on their faces, that would give us enough information! *sigh*
I would heartily recommend this to the more gentle UF readers out there and those who like slowly-developing romance of the very cute variety:) It does make you want to say *Oooooohhhhh!!!*
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you need in the pages of a good book!!!
A buddy read with my family with the Wednesday UF group @ BB&B!
I can not say enough how much I love this Urban Fantasy made up of cuteness and adorable human-wolf and others interaction! Yes, every book tends to meander a bit, this one more than the others, but you can't help but love Meg, no matter how snowy-white and perfect of a flake she is, as well as the very inhuman but fair-minded wolf-shifter Simon, who has absolutely no idea about human females:) Despite that, he is smart enough to recognize that he has much to learn and is one of the more considerate, caring and loving male leads I have encountered in the genre - dominant in his pack, but that does not give him the crazy idea that he could boss everyone around, particularly not the human-exploding-bunnies pack:)
"...“I was thinking of something that made me unhappy.”
Simon stopped snarling and cocked his head, looking more baffled than angry. “Why would you do that?”..."
The culture clash and the way those who live in the Lakeside Courtyard changed around the arrival of Meg and her incorporation into the Others' world, created ripples of change around the continent. The friendship and budding romance gave hope to both Others and Humans and showed the way for us to learn of those we do not know or fear is communication and education, care and friendships. This volume also had a human full of hate and resentment, one of those who no matter what, the world owes them. He taught the others that there are those insignificant seeming individuals who, by their attitude and way of being, could poison a community and put not only single lives in danger, but the lives of whole peoples and even species... Hopefully there are always those among us who, like Simon, Tess, Twyla, Sam, my favorite, Skippy ( the new Thanksgiving creation story was just adorable!!!), and the human female and police packs, are there to see beyond the evil and work for the good of all.
"...“...you look the truth in the face - not the truth that has fangs and fur but the hard truth about yourself, that you're just as dangerous as the beings the rest of the people fear but you can't afford to be as honest about it. You can't tell those people that you'll make deals with what they fear in order to keep them sage from the monsters who look just like them.”..."
Apparently, this is the end of the arc where the main characters are Meg and Simon, so this being the case, I have to say - WHAT? Just a few sentences in the end of the book, that is all we get for patiently waiting for this romance to develop?? Are you kidding me??? I loved everything about this romance, but darn it, we needed some more substantial pay-off there. Just a kiss? And how do we know now if everything works like it is supposed to? After all, the characters are worried about that themselves. You are going to let them know what happens but leave us hanging like that??? Just give us the next morning slice of life or something, so we know that things will be OK, don't leave us worrying if there are physiological incompatibility or something!!! Not that I need any gratuitous sex, I am just worried as a good friend and a medical professional and want to be clear that the the LEGO pieces work properly and fit in the appropriate places with no problems, that's all... Just give us a shot of them happily having breakfast, with bliss on their faces, that would give us enough information! *sigh*
I would heartily recommend this to the more gentle UF readers out there and those who like slowly-developing romance of the very cute variety:) It does make you want to say *Oooooohhhhh!!!*
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you need in the pages of a good book!!!
July 17, 2020
*** 4.75 ***
"...Good thing human noses weren’t sensitive enough to make the distinction. Meg wouldn’t be able to tell either, but with Meg, it didn’t seem polite to breathe on her after munching on one of her species...."
Even better the second time around!!! A comfort read and a definite favorite! Very emotional and touching. Loved every moment of it!
"...For a moment, Simon envied the Sanguinati’s ability to feed so subtly that the prey didn’t know anything had happened. If a Wolf tore off a chunk of meat, it was pretty obvious...."
"...Simon pretended the teeth were displayed in a smile. The female pack was upset because of the Sierra, and he really didn’t want to tangle with any of them. At least, not over a book...."
"...Good thing human noses weren’t sensitive enough to make the distinction. Meg wouldn’t be able to tell either, but with Meg, it didn’t seem polite to breathe on her after munching on one of her species...."
Even better the second time around!!! A comfort read and a definite favorite! Very emotional and touching. Loved every moment of it!
"...For a moment, Simon envied the Sanguinati’s ability to feed so subtly that the prey didn’t know anything had happened. If a Wolf tore off a chunk of meat, it was pretty obvious...."
"...Simon pretended the teeth were displayed in a smile. The female pack was upset because of the Sierra, and he really didn’t want to tangle with any of them. At least, not over a book...."
March 19, 2017
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/03/18/...
So, another one of my favorite urban fantasy series has come to a close. Finding out that Anne Bishop will soon be following up with a spinoff series did soften the blow somewhat, but I won’t lie; when I picked up this final chapter of The Others starring Meg Corbyn and Co., my heart was filled with excitement but also a lot of bittersweet feelings. I’m definitely going to miss spending time in Lakeside Courtyard and reading about its colorful residents.
Since Etched in Bone is the fifth and final installment of the series though, please beware this review may contain spoilers for the previous books. Marked in Flesh saw the Humans First and Last movement violently crushed by the Elders, and the repercussions of that event have been widely and deeply felt across the land. Pro-human groups have lost much of their power, and many of their remaining cities are now cut off from resources and protection. The thriving community of Lakeside Courtyard, having emerged from the Elders’ wrath largely unscathed, now finds itself in the position to offer help to those in need. Its wolf-shifter leader Simon Wolfgard is seen as one the more sympathetic Others, and word soon spreads that they are offering jobs and shelter to human refugees who are willing to work hard and won’t cause trouble.
Everything seems to be running smoothly, until the arrival of Cyrus James “Jimmy” Montgomery. Against his better instincts, Simon decides to let Jimmy stay in part because he is the brother of Lieutenant Montgomery, a well-respected man in Lakeside Courtyard, but also because Jimmy is the brother and son of two other current residents. That decision to show compassion ultimately turns out to be a huge mistake, for Jimmy is a con artist, seeing this opportunity not as the blessing it is but as an easy meal ticket and a way to scam money. Not realizing that the Terra Indigene reserve the worst kinds of punishment for his sort, Jimmy continues to emotionally blackmail his sister and abuse his privileges at Lakeside Courtyard, until it’s only a matter of time before he takes things too far.
I’m going to be honest here. I thought Etched in Bone ended up being another fantastic installment, but as an ending, it was somewhat disappointing. I think Bishop might have overplayed her hand when it came to the resolution of the HPL storyline in the previous book, because let’s face it, anything coming up on the heels of that epic conclusion in Marked in Flesh would be hard-pressed to rival that that act. And indeed, the conflict in Etched in Bone felt rather tame in comparison. For example, if this had been just another book in the series, I think Jimmy Montgomery would have made a pretty decent villain. For a series conclusion though? A small bit conman felt too low-key and insignificant to be the story’s main focal point, especially since we’d just seen the likes of Nicholas Scratch, leader of the Thaisian HFL who had the power of an entire movement behind him.
Then, there’s Simon and Meg. I’ve never made it a secret how I feel about these two. Their romance, if you could even call it that, has always weirded me out. I don’t care much for Meg either, and my enjoyment for this series has always been carried by my love for some of the other characters. Other than being able to tell the future by cutting herself (which the Others actually want her to stop doing), Meg brings absolutely no valuable skills to Lakeside Courtyard, and yet the Others all bend over backwards to treat this helpless little woman-child like a queen. To me, Simon’s attraction to Meg has always felt more like a loyal guard dog’s devotion to his master, like she’s something fragile to be protected and kept safe because she’s too weak to look after herself, and in turn she treats the wolf-shifter like he’s her big fuzzy pet. Bishop had this one last chance to finally set their relationship on the right course, and I was a little surprised that she didn’t take it. Simon still bends to “his Meg’s” every whim, while she continues to be portrayed a meek character who requires constant sheltering and protection.
Bottom line, Etched in Bone would have worked perfectly fine as a middle book of a series, but as a series conclusion, I felt it left something to be desired. But while my review probably goes against the grain of the overwhelmingly positive response this book has been getting, I just want to say I still adore The Others, and if nothing else, this was a satisfying and happy ending for everyone involved. I’m beyond excited that Bishop will continue to write stories set in Thaisia because I’ve enjoyed every moment I’ve spent in this world, and even though this novel didn’t exactly end with the bang I’d wanted, it was nonetheless a very good book and a must-read for fans.
So, another one of my favorite urban fantasy series has come to a close. Finding out that Anne Bishop will soon be following up with a spinoff series did soften the blow somewhat, but I won’t lie; when I picked up this final chapter of The Others starring Meg Corbyn and Co., my heart was filled with excitement but also a lot of bittersweet feelings. I’m definitely going to miss spending time in Lakeside Courtyard and reading about its colorful residents.
Since Etched in Bone is the fifth and final installment of the series though, please beware this review may contain spoilers for the previous books. Marked in Flesh saw the Humans First and Last movement violently crushed by the Elders, and the repercussions of that event have been widely and deeply felt across the land. Pro-human groups have lost much of their power, and many of their remaining cities are now cut off from resources and protection. The thriving community of Lakeside Courtyard, having emerged from the Elders’ wrath largely unscathed, now finds itself in the position to offer help to those in need. Its wolf-shifter leader Simon Wolfgard is seen as one the more sympathetic Others, and word soon spreads that they are offering jobs and shelter to human refugees who are willing to work hard and won’t cause trouble.
Everything seems to be running smoothly, until the arrival of Cyrus James “Jimmy” Montgomery. Against his better instincts, Simon decides to let Jimmy stay in part because he is the brother of Lieutenant Montgomery, a well-respected man in Lakeside Courtyard, but also because Jimmy is the brother and son of two other current residents. That decision to show compassion ultimately turns out to be a huge mistake, for Jimmy is a con artist, seeing this opportunity not as the blessing it is but as an easy meal ticket and a way to scam money. Not realizing that the Terra Indigene reserve the worst kinds of punishment for his sort, Jimmy continues to emotionally blackmail his sister and abuse his privileges at Lakeside Courtyard, until it’s only a matter of time before he takes things too far.
I’m going to be honest here. I thought Etched in Bone ended up being another fantastic installment, but as an ending, it was somewhat disappointing. I think Bishop might have overplayed her hand when it came to the resolution of the HPL storyline in the previous book, because let’s face it, anything coming up on the heels of that epic conclusion in Marked in Flesh would be hard-pressed to rival that that act. And indeed, the conflict in Etched in Bone felt rather tame in comparison. For example, if this had been just another book in the series, I think Jimmy Montgomery would have made a pretty decent villain. For a series conclusion though? A small bit conman felt too low-key and insignificant to be the story’s main focal point, especially since we’d just seen the likes of Nicholas Scratch, leader of the Thaisian HFL who had the power of an entire movement behind him.
Then, there’s Simon and Meg. I’ve never made it a secret how I feel about these two. Their romance, if you could even call it that, has always weirded me out. I don’t care much for Meg either, and my enjoyment for this series has always been carried by my love for some of the other characters. Other than being able to tell the future by cutting herself (which the Others actually want her to stop doing), Meg brings absolutely no valuable skills to Lakeside Courtyard, and yet the Others all bend over backwards to treat this helpless little woman-child like a queen. To me, Simon’s attraction to Meg has always felt more like a loyal guard dog’s devotion to his master, like she’s something fragile to be protected and kept safe because she’s too weak to look after herself, and in turn she treats the wolf-shifter like he’s her big fuzzy pet. Bishop had this one last chance to finally set their relationship on the right course, and I was a little surprised that she didn’t take it. Simon still bends to “his Meg’s” every whim, while she continues to be portrayed a meek character who requires constant sheltering and protection.
Bottom line, Etched in Bone would have worked perfectly fine as a middle book of a series, but as a series conclusion, I felt it left something to be desired. But while my review probably goes against the grain of the overwhelmingly positive response this book has been getting, I just want to say I still adore The Others, and if nothing else, this was a satisfying and happy ending for everyone involved. I’m beyond excited that Bishop will continue to write stories set in Thaisia because I’ve enjoyed every moment I’ve spent in this world, and even though this novel didn’t exactly end with the bang I’d wanted, it was nonetheless a very good book and a must-read for fans.
September 29, 2020
Nothing about Meg was simple. She was the pebble dropped in a pond that was the Lakeside Courtyard, and the ripples of her presence had changed so many things, including the terra indigene who had befriended her.
We’ve reached the end of the Lakeside Courtyard story and I’m so sad because I’ve loved all the characters.
*SPOILERS FOR PREVIOUS BOOKS*
In the previous book the Elders, the Others that are never seen and humans had forgotten about, the claws and teeth of Namid, had taken care of the HFL, the humans that were destroying so many terra indigene. And now with few cities left, humans scared and unsure what will happen next, the Elders has decided they need more information on humans, especially on those that pose a threat to other humans and the terra indigene. So when Lieutenant Montgomery’s devious brother comes to visit, intent on causing problems in order to get easy pickings, the Elders are curious to see how a bad human acts and the influence he has on those around him. But Meg and Simon knows that he poses a deadly danger, because Meg has seen in the cards herself standing beside a grave…
Reading this book felt a bit anti-climactic to me, especially after the tense and suspenseful previous book. Jimmy, Monty’s brother, is an awful human and from the get-go it was clear that he was going to cause problems that the Lakeside Courtyard did not need, especially not after what they all had been through. I just wanted them to eat him, and be done with it. But alas, he caused numerous problems, placing a lot of the humans in peril and obviously placing Meg in danger.
As always I loved all the secondary characters, and Skippy especially was so adorable in this book. And I loved Twyla, Monty’s mother, her feistiness and the things she said had me laughing many times. I was so proud of Meg in this book, how hard she fought her addiction to cutting and focusing on learning to use her cards to see predictions. It was also very interesting to see more of the Elders, especially with how fascinating they find Meg, and there were quite a few funny moments because of them:-D
He’d kissed her before—on the forehead once or twice. But when he’d kissed that scar, he’d felt a flutter of change inside him, and in the days that followed he began to understand on some instinctive level that he wasn’t quite the same as the rest of the Lakeside Wolfgard. Not anymore.
For four books now I’ve been patiently waiting for Meg and Simon to finally get together, loving their slow burn romance, and I must say I was disappointed how it was handled in this book. I expected things to start happening with them early on in the book, and hoped to see a lot more to romance, but it just didn’t happen that way. They had started to look at each other differently, felt more than friendship but nothing really happened until the end. This is not a YA book, so I expected more romance for them.
I absolutely adore this series and I’m so very sad to say goodbye to all the Lakeside characters that I’ve come to love and especially saying goodbye to Meg and Simon. But luckily this is not the end of this series and hopefully we will still get to see them in the future books which will focus on other characters. This series is amazing, and a must read for all UF fans.
July 12, 2021
Book 5 of this series and I still can't put my finger on why I love these books so much! The humans are basically meat in these books and the Others are so powerful that it's not much of a contest when there's a conflict between the two. And with one of the main protagonists able to predict the future, there are no real surprises. Yet....here I am :)
There is a giant plot hole in this book
And FINALLY :D
There is a giant plot hole in this book
And FINALLY :D
August 13, 2024
Still brain candy, but sadly with a nasty aftertaste for me this time.
The book was like the drug made from cassandra sangues' blood: both "feel-good" and "gone over wolf".
Sometimes I really loved it and sometimes I was mad. I felt both insulted and disappointed that after the climax (which, BTW, was already a bit all gong and no dinner) of Book 4, the author really expected me to believe that such a petty little f@*ksh£t like Cyrus Jimmy Montgomery could do real harm to the Others and Meg while they were sitting back waiting for slap after slap.
On the other hand, I felt soo-sooo relieved that there was nothing graphic happening bw Simon and Meg. That unnecessary extra would have made me freak out as well, so I am glad I was spared that at least.
The reason I am not giving it a lower rating is because I loved this world and the characters Anne Bishop created and the overall feel-good factor for the whole series still stands.
The book was like the drug made from cassandra sangues' blood: both "feel-good" and "gone over wolf".
Sometimes I really loved it and sometimes I was mad. I felt both insulted and disappointed that after the climax (which, BTW, was already a bit all gong and no dinner) of Book 4, the author really expected me to believe that such a petty little f@*ksh£t like Cyrus Jimmy Montgomery could do real harm to the Others and Meg while they were sitting back waiting for slap after slap.
On the other hand, I felt soo-sooo relieved that there was nothing graphic happening bw Simon and Meg. That unnecessary extra would have made me freak out as well, so I am glad I was spared that at least.
The reason I am not giving it a lower rating is because I loved this world and the characters Anne Bishop created and the overall feel-good factor for the whole series still stands.
March 22, 2017
Anne Bishop has a wonderful way of bringing both characters and her story alive. Fantasy? Yes, the kind that sucks you in and lets every day life fade for a while
March 10, 2017
Woo-ho. So, the title is Etched in Bone. Somehow I've given up seeing a great progress in Simon and Meg's personal relationship and it's already the last book *sigh*
What has become of Thaisia?
How will Meg survive?
When will they kiss for real??
But still, I can't wait to see where Anne Bishop will take this slowest couple in my history of reading romance.
Dec. 07
Hell, I'm getting impatient. Rereading isn't the same. I guess I shouldn't expect anything in the romance front, I just wish Anne Bishop gives the reader a spectacular, epic ending, either for Thaisia itself or on Meg-Simon's relationship.
I can't believe I'm patiently waiting for this book, given my penchant of wanting more romance scenes. Whatever. I still want to know if Meg and Simon will have a real romantic relationship.
March 10th, 2017
3.5/5
After leisurely re-reading this book, I got a really mixed feelings. On one hand, I think there are still a lot to tell from Lakeside Courtyard and its residents. Not to mention Meg and Simon's relationship. I think I might be a little bit disappointed with the direction this book is taking. I totally understand that to get to this, it has to go there first and plot-wise, I'm not complainingloudly. But then the series ends. Poof. Just like that. And I was, hold up, wait a minute. Why so sudden? It brings back my point: there are still a lot to tell!
I'm not sure I'll read Lake Silence next year. It depresses me a little. I'll review more when I'm over my book hangover. Now where's that alpha-sub?
What has become of Thaisia?
How will Meg survive?
When will they kiss for real??
But still, I can't wait to see where Anne Bishop will take this slowest couple in my history of reading romance.
Dec. 07
Hell, I'm getting impatient. Rereading isn't the same. I guess I shouldn't expect anything in the romance front, I just wish Anne Bishop gives the reader a spectacular, epic ending, either for Thaisia itself or on Meg-Simon's relationship.
I can't believe I'm patiently waiting for this book, given my penchant of wanting more romance scenes. Whatever. I still want to know if Meg and Simon will have a real romantic relationship.
March 10th, 2017
3.5/5
After leisurely re-reading this book, I got a really mixed feelings. On one hand, I think there are still a lot to tell from Lakeside Courtyard and its residents. Not to mention Meg and Simon's relationship. I think I might be a little bit disappointed with the direction this book is taking. I totally understand that to get to this, it has to go there first and plot-wise, I'm not complaining
I'm not sure I'll read Lake Silence next year. It depresses me a little. I'll review more when I'm over my book hangover. Now where's that alpha-sub?
March 15, 2017
Hmm... must ponder this one a bit. More like 3.5 Stars but I'll leave it rounded up to 4 for now but this can't possibly be the last book. Can it?
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