Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Written in Red (The Others #1)

4.47 of 5 stars 4.47 · rating details · 1,853 ratings · 478 reviews

No one creates realms like New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop. Now in a thrilling new fantasy series, enter a world inhabited by the Others, unearthly entities—vampires and shape-shifters among them—who rule the Earth and whose prey are humans.

As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like...more

Hardcover, 448 pages

Published March 5th 2013 by NAL Hardcover (first published March 1st 2013)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The "Can't Wait" Books of 2013 (Vol .2)

1st out of 70 books — 61 voters

Top 100 most popular PNR/UF series

75th out of 432 books — 473 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 24, 2013 Wendy Darling rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-publication, penguin, adult, pn-shapeshifters, pnr-urban-fantasy, pn-vampires, march, read-2013, 2013-favorites, hilarious

4.5 stars It takes a lot to interest me in starting an adult urban fantasy series these days, so I was a bit hesitant when Written in Red landed on my doorstep. This turned out to be a happy surprise, however, because it ended up being a fantastic read.

Meg Corbyn is on the run. As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, she is able to see the future when cuts are made on her skin. This is a painful process in many ways, and she's desperate to free herself from those who have been profiting from he...more

120 likes · like · see review

May 02, 2013 JennyJen rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: abandoned, and-it-all-falls-down, blah, booooring, dafuq-did-i-just-read, disappointing, dnf, expected-so-much-more, facepalm, hero-doesnt-do-it-for-me, i-give-up, i-m-over-it, idgaf, lackluster-series-start, mary-frikkin-sue, mc-sucks-ass, meh, no-soup-for-you, not-my-cup-of-tea, not-what-i-expected, overhyped, oy, potential-went-down-shitter, read-2013, somebody-slap-that-protagonist-pls, stoopit, too-bad-so-sad, tstl-heroine, unimpressed, weres, womp-womp

*No major spoilers.

Once again, I hate a book that everyone else wuvs. I don’t get it. I really, really don’t. Judging by the ratings, this book has blown people away. For me, it just blows.

It’s been a while since I DNF’d this and typically that makes it difficult to review, but the truth is, I would have reviewed it the same either way, be it then or now, because I don’t have a clue what this book was about. What I'm saying is: this review will probably also blow.

This story was like “a day in...more

16 likes · like · see review

Apr 28, 2013 Maja rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-the-right-choices, best-of-2013, dark-urban-fantasy, favorites, audiobooks, just-another-book-crush, multiple-povs, open-ending, so-many-vampires, surprise-surprise, urban-fantasy, werewhatevers

4.5 stars
I am, first and foremost, an urban fantasy reader. On the secluded island that is my mind, a new series as good as The Others is more rare and more coveted than a fresh batch of blueberry muffins. And I do love my blueberry muffins. It should be mentioned that Written in Red leans more towards the fantasy part of urban fantasy. In fact, if we take the strictest definition, it’s not urban fantasy at all. But it’s a thin line, and Bishop’s world so unique that I see no point in making the...more

20 likes · like · see review

Apr 24, 2013 Dianne Socci-Tetro rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: galleys-arcs

Written In Red: A Novel of the Others
By: Anne Bishop

I have not read another author that can world and character build like Anne Bishop does. Her Black Jewels Trilogy is one that I pull out to re-read at least once a year. This new series appears to be one that I am going to be doing the same thing with. She has written this with her usual realism and you tend to think, “I know these people” or “I’ve been to this town” while you are reading. Moreover, when you are done with the book, the book is...more

8 likes · like · see review

Apr 15, 2013 Vic rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: edition-kindle, format-ebook, tag-fantasy, format-audiobook, edition-audible

I LOVED this book. This is definitely up there with Black Jewels series for me in the world building and the characters in the story. I was never able to get into the other series from Ms. Bishop and I don't know why. Maybe just where I was in my head at the time but I suspect it was because I was looking for a replacement for Black Jewels series and those didn't satisfy me where this series really did.

I read this e-book about 2-3 times before caving and buying the audible version as well. Whil...more

7 likes · like · see review

Mar 05, 2013 M— rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Advisory -- This has become less a review and more a collection of topical essays.

March 2013:
Oh, thank you thank you thank you for giving me respectably scary monsters again. And for making every character in this book a potentially scary monster. And for giving me a world full of so many new and different scary monsters — everything's so turned on its head here. Gosh, it's hard not to squee here.

I really liked this. This was really, really good. Maybe not perfect — there are a bunch of dangling...more

8 likes · like · see review

May 09, 2013 Marsha rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Written in Red" is absolutely the most incredible, interesting, and unique story I've read in a long time. I was so conflicted while reading this book because I was so engrossed in the story line that I found myself reading in a rapid pace. When I discovered I was 72% into the read, I stopped to check if I could order the next book from amazon only to discover this book was recently released and another book would not be in the making for awhile. I am so bummed!

A women is lurking in the city we...more

5 likes · like · see review

Mar 28, 2013 Stuti rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-pr-everything-untoward, reviews

I did some thinking. And more. And more still. However, I arrived at the same conclusion as when I started; I just wasted a lot of time, which I especially don’t regret. So let’s get on with it already.

Written in Red is a paranormal book set in present time but different world. A world where humans are creatures of prey, hunted by shape-shifting, blood-sucking monsters and such.

Very familiar. After all, we are very much acquainter with the concept of humans somehow not being the apex predator,...more

7 likes · like · see review

May 02, 2013 Dorri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: shape-shifters, urban-fantasy, horror-dark

What would you do if you were kept as a peice of property? Living by the Controller's whim, taught to recognise the items used in daily life, but never ever shown how to use them. Shown both joys and horrors, but never taught what was real and what was imagined from the images shown. Used to make money for the Controller who owned the flesh of your body. Would you have the guts to escape? Meg, a cassandra sangue (or human blood prophet), did. And she wound up in a place both wonderous and strang...more What would you do if you were kept as a peice of property? Living by the Controller's whim, taught to recognise the items used in daily life, but never ever shown how to use them. Shown both joys and horrors, but never taught what was real and what was imagined from the images shown. Used to make money for the Controller who owned the flesh of your body. Would you have the guts to escape? Meg, a cassandra sangue (or human blood prophet), did. And she wound up in a place both wonderous and strange. A place where Human Law Does Not Apply.

The terra indigene are the keepers of the Namid. They allow humans to live only as renters of the peices of the world in which they, terra indigene, allow. But mainly the terra indigene allow humans to survive as a source of prey, and sometimes for the useful technology they create, but mainly for the meat. The human world sees mainly the gard, shifters that done humanity to better stalk their prey. Sometimes those that the humans would rather forget, such as the elementals, show their anger at humanity and a piece of Namid once leased to the humans is reclaimed by the terra indigene.

Meg unwittingly stumbles into the Lakeside Courtyard, a vast tract of land ruled by the terra indigene but within one of the few human cities, where she is hired by Simon Wolfgard to be the human liason. The person who is the go-between for the terra indigene. Simon Wolfgard, ruler of the Courtyard and most time wolf but sometime human, is confused by Meg's not prey scent. Even though he's hired her to be the liason he knows there is something not quite right about Meg and he's damn well going to figure it out or eat her like a bunny. He hasn't quite decided which. So it is with some trepidation that Meg settles into life as the human liason, with help from the Crowgard, Owlgard, Wolfgard, a wayward coyote, a few ponies (who aren't really ponies), Tess a terra indigene that even the other terra indigene are afraid of, the grandfather of vampires, and a few select humans.

Although the crows, owls, and hawks find Meg the most entertainment in a while, Simon, Vlad, Henry, Blair, and the Girls at the lake know that a storm is brewing. What they don't know is how strongly it revolves around one wayward prophet who wants to live rather than be controlled.

There is such light among the dark, vicious beauty that is Written in Red that I urge you to read it. I've read it three times since it was released and each time I find new nuance and depth that it just keeps me coming back for more. The hardest part is that I have to wait a FULL YEAR for the second book in the series, Murder of Crows!(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Mar 06, 2013 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fv, favs, bishop

Meg

Wow, wow, wow. I LOVED this book. Loved. Full review on Fiction Vixen Book Reviews

Written in Red is the first book in a new series by Anne Bishop. The series is about The Others.

The prologue explains a world where both humans and Others, also called terra indigene, exist. While the human race grew and spread the Others watched and waited.

The Others looked at humans and did not see conquerors. They saw a new kind of meat.

Humans were very resilient and figured out a way to thrive in spite of b...more

6 likes · like · see review

May 02, 2013 Paula rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: lendable

Wonderful world building and wonderful characters. I cannot recommend enough that you read this book.
Now I just have to wait for the next.
Ok third reread since its release a couple of months ago.

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 17, 2013 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book -- for a lot of reasons. I can't recall the last UF book that portrayed monsters as, well, monsters. The Others in this world Anne Bishop has created aren't sexy. Or emo. Or anything like human. They see humans as monkeys... as meat. They eat them. And they make no apologies about it. There is a woman that comes into their world, though, that makes them see all humans are not created equal. Some may be worthy of their protection and friendship.

Meg is a cassandra sangue...more I really enjoyed this book -- for a lot of reasons. I can't recall the last UF book that portrayed monsters as, well, monsters. The Others in this world Anne Bishop has created aren't sexy. Or emo. Or anything like human. They see humans as monkeys... as meat. They eat them. And they make no apologies about it. There is a woman that comes into their world, though, that makes them see all humans are not created equal. Some may be worthy of their protection and friendship.

Meg is a cassandra sangue, a blood prophet. Women of her kind spend their entire lives imprisoned and bled for prophecy. But she uses her gifts to escape. She seeks refuge in the Courtyard, the land of the Others, and takes a job as their human liason. The Courtyard leader, Simon, senses something different about her. His wolf senses categorize her as "not-prey," though he doesn't understand why. It isn't until after Meg has wound her way into the affections of those who live in the community, that her true nature is exposed. Then, they must all band together to protect her from the humans who want to get her back under their thumbs.

The only very small criticism I have about the book is that Meg is a little too-good-to-be-true. The book does acknowledge, though, that her emotional innocence is part of her heritage. And she is just so damn likeable!

Simon is the male lead, but I wouldn't call him the hero in the traditional sense. You can clearly see a bond forming between him and Meg, true, but this isn't a romance. (Maybe later? I would like that!) It's a about the way this woman plants the seeds of change in the Courtyard community with her goodness. Her simple kindness and positive approach manages to break down the prejudice the Others feel toward humanity. As the story unfolds, we see the characters among the Others become richer and more developed through their interactions with her. Yet they don't lose their edge. We never forget they are vastly powerful or that they are killers. Simply put, she becomes theirs.

The secondary characters are plentiful and add so much to the story. By the time the book was done, I felt like I knew the beings who inhabit the Courtyard. I cheered for them. I rallied for their defeat of the humans who turned out to be an entirely different breed of monster.

The tone is dark and intense. There's plenty of tension and action. I was 100% invested, and when it was over, I was so disappointed that there was no more to read. I'm really looking forward to taking the next step on this journey!

Rating: A

*ARC Provided by Roc(less)

12 likes · like · see review

Apr 03, 2013 Kati rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, romance-urban-fantasy

I just can't say enough about this terrific book! This is the start of a new series for Anne Bishop. In many ways it is dark and threatening, because humans are not the top predators in this world, but the book is written with such a great sense of humor, even if it is macabre humor at some parts, that I found great delight reading it. Meg was a refreshing character, very genuine and sweet, able to hold her own without being the least bit kickass, and Simon as the ever grumpy warewolf was the pe...more

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 07, 2013 Carly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Carly by: Soo's awesome review

Shelves: dystopian, fantasy, worldbuilding, young-adult, urban-fantasy

***Warning: if you have a past history of self-harm or are sensitive to the issue, I strongly suggest skipping this book. And this review, come to think of it. Self-harm via cutting is an integral part of this book, and I'm going to discuss it, so both the book and my review carry serious trigger warnings.***
But first on to happier things.

You know all those box-office-gold movies where a vicious band of toughs--gangsters, murderers, monsters, aliens, whatever--find themselves unexpectedly burden...more
***Warning: if you have a past history of self-harm or are sensitive to the issue, I strongly suggest skipping this book. And this review, come to think of it. Self-harm via cutting is an integral part of this book, and I'm going to discuss it, so both the book and my review carry serious trigger warnings.***
But first on to happier things.

You know all those box-office-gold movies where a vicious band of toughs--gangsters, murderers, monsters, aliens, whatever--find themselves unexpectedly burdened with an adorable and innocent child? Cue comic and heartwarming storyline, and get ready to rake in the dollars. Well, let our gang of toughs be an entire society of bloodthirsty monsters: werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters and more. You see, it turns out humans weren't the dominant species in this world. Instead, they were quickly conquered and now live only by the sufferance of the Terra Indogene--the supernatural monsters. These "Others" are vicious killers who hunt humans for pleasure and profit. There are only two reasons why the entire human race isn't already extinct: one, they're awfully good at inventing gadgets, and two, they're far too much fun to terrorize. As it is, the Others rule the human towns and maintain tight control over all natural resources.

So now that we have our toughs, it's time to introduce our ingenue. Granted, she's technically an adult, but she's so very naive and optimistic that she definitely qualifies for the role. Meg, a young girl with a mysterious past, has arrived in the town and stumbled into the position of liaison between the Others and the humans. While this mostly entails delivering mail, it also means she'll be in very close contact with vampires and werewolves who have only recently discovered that eating their disappointing employees might have adverse effects on the morale of the remainder. Meg hasn't encountered many Others, she is somehow completely devoid of the entirely rational fear that other humans have of them. Her obliviousness to threats and taunts at first makes the Others embarrassed and uncomfortable, but soon she starts worming her way into a few of their hearts in standard ingenue fashion. However, that's only the start of the story, because the dangers Meg is running from are swiftly catching up with her, and there's even more chaos looming on the horizon.

I've complained a lot about shallow worldbuilding in urban fantasy novels, when authors make radical changes to the past and yet expect culture and lifestyle to stay the same. Folks, this is well on the the way to doing it right. Bishop doesn't just slap on a superficial glamour; she makes massive structural changes to every aspect of life, from the politics (it's a feudal society with the Others on top) to geography ("Jerzy" and "Sparkletown" probably relate to the places we know, but Bishop made no other assumptions that somehow city identities would remain constant) to religion to technology. While cars, jeans, computers, etc exist, they're not precisely identical to ours. For example, this world doesn't have BMW's; instead, people have to get about in their electric-powered BOWs (Boxes on Wheels). Granted, I would have liked even more divergences from our reality, but then, I'm hard to satisfy and this is a first book. The fact that the characters didn't drink Starbucks and work on Microsoft PCs is so far beyond most other UFs that it already wins full points. I was very interested in--and rather perplexed by--the political tensions, and I'm not sure the societal structure was completely thought through. Bishop's humans are both nobler and dumber than my cynical heart would suggest. Rather than behave as unctuous sycophants to the Others, they openly resent and plot against their furry masters. For example, human leaders openly campaign on slogans such as "humans first," apparently without fear of reprisals. The Others themselves do little to control the hearts and minds of the humans, and are instead willing to allow the prey to grow restless. However, when harm does come to an Other, they are swift and final in their punishments, from using Elementals to call up hurricanes and storms to levying yet another tax on a necessary resource such as water.

The creatures and characters are also inventive and interesting. Bishop's werewolves aren't just ordinary people who go furry during their time of the month. I love how indisputably inhuman their thoughts and reactions were. I also thought that Bishop did a great job in weaving in elements from fairy tales and legends, from the red cloak that Meg wears at one point to the twist where an explicit invitation was required to enter a vampire's home. Simon, our ingenue's main werewolf contact, is a rounded and engaging character who continues, throughout, to consider actions that no rational human would ever take. The Others are thoughtlessly bloody and violent, and these tendencies aren't automatically changed just because Meg enters their lives, even though they discover a new love of cookies. The villians were slightly dumber than a box of bricks, but who cares? The human-Other interactions, whether with the villains or the protagonists, were so hilarious and entertaining that it just didn't matter.

**soapbox warning!**
OK, now back to the self-harm issue. This is actually what made me most uncomfortable with this book, particularly because my library shelved it as YA (Young Adult). Meg has a special gift (which I won't describe because of spoiler potential), which she activates by cutting her own body. While it worries those around her, this behavior is portrayed as a necessary evil to release the tangible benefits of her gift, and Bishop repeatedly goes into graphic detail, from the concentration and satisfaction Meg gets from making the cut to her euphoria after the event. Bishop characterizes it as somewhat self-destructive, but also controllable, self-sacrificial, and ultimately a positive, if dangerous, action. I know it is the current fashion to write YA books that romanticize and attempt to legitimize incredibly destructive relationships and behaviors, but I'm disappointed to see self-harm added to the list. Think cutting isn't a serious issue? According to studies, about one in five young women self-harm . I guarantee that you know someone who has secretly cut in the past, and I'll bet you know someone still actively cutting--you probably just don't know who they are. Cutting is used as a coping behavior for depression, a mechanism for temporarily relieving guilt, a way to express self-hatred, and a method to break the numbness. Yes, cutting is indeed a person's most private pain "written in red" onto their body, but I fear that a YA book that echoes the sentiments that self-harmers use to legitimize their actions might pull young readers into temptation. Cutting is addictive, pathological, and a "gateway drug" for even more serious self-harm. It causes incredible damage both to the individual's psyche and to the people who are helpless to intervene. It is not something that should be romanticized, especially not in a story geared towards its most vulnerable population.
*cough*.
[end soapbox]

To summarize, I found Written in Blood to be a terrific alternate-history fantasy: the world is fascinating and fully realized, full of depth and imagination. My major issue is not with the book, but with its target market: I strongly believe that if the book is to be read by an incredibly vulnerable audience, the themes of self-harm explored in this book should be approached with caution and without any attempts to glamorize or rationalize. Otherwise, the book is definitely a great read with a fantastically built world and and entertaining and engaging plot. (less)

3 likes · like · see review

May 02, 2013 Surin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Being a huge fan of Paranormal Urban Fantasy I sincerely thought I've read it all. And then Written in Red comes along and surprises me at every page!

So if you've been reading your fair share of paranormal urban fantasy books starting with the classics like Interview with a Vampire and working your way to Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake Universe) or Dead Until Dark (The Southern Vampire Mystery series a.k.a Sookie Stackhouse) or hey even Twilight....

You kinda expect vampires to look and act this:...more

4 likes · like · see review

May 02, 2013 Mello ❣ Illium ✮Harry✮ ☀Myrnin☀ Torin Ichimaru rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, alpha-male-is-so-alpha, awesome-heroines, dat-twist, did-that-just-happen, elementals, hawt-heroes, i-cant-even, intense-as-all-hell, read-in-2013, shapeshifters, supernatural, urban-fantasy, vamps, werebears, werewolves, seers, anne-bishop, the-others, favorites

Synopsis:

No one creates realms like New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop. Now in a thrilling new fantasy series, enter a world inhabited by the Others, unearthly entities—vampires and shape-shifters among them—who rule the Earth and whose prey are humans.

As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the on...more Synopsis:

No one creates realms like New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop. Now in a thrilling new fantasy series, enter a world inhabited by the Others, unearthly entities—vampires and shape-shifters among them—who rule the Earth and whose prey are humans.

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

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

My Thoughts:

Oh wow how I loved this book. I could not put it down. The first night I started reading, I was up until 3:30am reading it despite needing to be up by 5:30am to get ready for work. I just didn't want to stop. I had to know what would happen to Meg. Would the others take care of her? Would they care about her? Protect her? They did all of these things. I loved Meg. I loved Simon. I loved Sam. I loved all of the secondary characters. Honestly, I just plain loved those Others and the multiple POVs worked really well for this story.

Meg is the sweetest thing, but as she lived on her own amongst the Others, she showed that she was no pushover. She spoiled more than a few of the Others (love how she was with Sam and love the ponies!), but she stood up to them when she needed to. She did hold a lot in, but considering how she'd spent her life before running away, I wasn't surprised that she played most things close to the vest. But there were several instances where she did ask for the help of one of the Others. I'm hoping that soon Simon will be one that she calls on for help. I'm also hoping that she begins calling him by his name more often as well. She calls him Mr. Wolfgard throughout most of the book as a way of keeping him at arm's length, but I couldn't blame her for it. Simon snarled at her a lot in the beginning and he wasn't that nice. There are good reasons for why he acted that way and he was never truly mean to her, but he sure didn't endear himself to her. They begin letting their guards down around one another as the story progresses and I loved seeing the slow evolution of their relationship.

There's no romance in this book, but I think it will build up to that at some point in the story. I'm actually kind of glad that they didn't fall for each other right away, though. Mostly because for Meg, she knows nothing about romance, so I'm sure she was never thinking about it. For Simon, there's this weird human around that doesn't illicit the instinct in him to think of her as prey, but he doesn't really know what it means and it bothers him. He does begin to realize as the story unfolds that being around Meg makes him feel content and he feels friendship towards her and recognizes her as one of his Pack, but I don't think he realizes that he feels something beyond these things for her. It's nice not having that instant connection between heroine and hero like so many UF tend to do these days. Here, I get to watch them get to know each other without hormones getting all in the way and causing them to avoid each other.

I thought Simon was fantastic. It was so interesting watching him go from thinking that all humans are just meat and if they aren't just meat, they're at least useful meat, so he won't eat them. Meg's influence on him is quite positive, even if he does react badly to her in the beginning. I loved watching him fuss over her the most. He really cares about what happens to Meg and considers her as one of his own. Perhaps, he may even begin to consider her in other ways. ^_~

I will say that the villain in this book as a bit cheesy. I suppose though, that she isn't exactly the true villain, but she was definitely an antagonist. Her motivation for doing everything she does is just so stupid, really. That's not to say that she doesn't do evil things, she does, but she's still on the cheesy side. I just wanted to throat punch her a bunch of times. She gets what she deserves in the end. I do believe she suffered quite well.

We still have the real villain out there and thanks to events at the end of the book, Simon now knows what is causing the sickness in the Others. I hope he will be all right. And I really want to know what the Controller will do next to try to get Meg back, because he will definitely try to get her back. Can't wait for March 2014 for book 2.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

May 16, 2013 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

The more I think about Written in Red, the more I like it, and I liked it a lot right after I finished it. Anne Bishop's world, and its cast of characters featuring humans and terre indigene or Others, are complex and well imagined. I was fascinated by the characterization of each type of Other - the huge and scary wolves, who might eat humans, but like to run and play; the crows' attraction to shiny things; the ponies who can cause massive elemental destruction but also loves sugar lum...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 13, 2013 Halyna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: MUST-READ FOR EVERYONE

Shelves: vampires, shifters, perfection, paranormal, favorites, urban-fantasy

POWERFUL! EXTRAORDINARY! EXCEPTIONAL! AMAZING! UNPUTDOWNABLE! BREATHTAKING! UNFORGETTABLE! UNPARALLELED! PERFECTION!
The BEST paranormal\urban fantasy I've ever read! Masterfully crafted word-building and fluent style of writing, plenty of awesome characters, not a single boring page or situation and the feeling like you experience everything yourself are only few of the reasons, why you MUST read this book. The idea with ponies and elementals is brilliant, and the term Sanguinati is genius (an...more

5 likes · like · see review

Apr 05, 2013 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Kelley Armstrong, Ilona Andrews

Recommended to Karen by: Wendy Darling

Written and Red reminded me so much of Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series. Like Andrews, Bishop has given us incredibly detailed world building and a complex cast of characters that make up her new, The Others, urban fantasy series.

This is definitely urban fantasy but with creatures like shifters, vampires, elementals (that were way cool!), ponies and more, it had an almost magical quality to me. Instead of feeling bombarded by each creature and their characteristics I couldn't learn enough. I...more Written and Red reminded me so much of Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series. Like Andrews, Bishop has given us incredibly detailed world building and a complex cast of characters that make up her new, The Others, urban fantasy series.

This is definitely urban fantasy but with creatures like shifters, vampires, elementals (that were way cool!), ponies and more, it had an almost magical quality to me. Instead of feeling bombarded by each creature and their characteristics I couldn't learn enough. I loved each and every one of them.

The Others control this world. Humans just live in it because the The Others allow it.

“We are the tenants, not the landlords, a temple priest once said at a weekly gathering. We only borrow the air we breathe and the food we eat and the water we drink” pg. 50

I LOVED how this was portrayed. The various creatures retain their animalistic qualities. They eat human meat. Nothing is sugar coated but they also form bonds and have a fascinating social structure. There is so much I would like to say about this aspect but it = spoilers. Just go read the book lol

Meg, a human, is a protagonist that you are unsure of at first. She comes off as weak but as a blood prophet, owned and mistreated by people who would like to profit from her unique ability to predict future events through the cutting her skin, you realize that her strength comes from just being able to stay alive. This girl is a fighter! I have high hopes for where this character is headed in future installments.

There isn't really any romance to speak of but the bond Meg begins to form with The Others, and particularly with Simon, the wolf pack leader, is so sweet that I didn't even care. Again I sense a big payoff in this regard as the series progresses. And frankly it was nice to read a series that focused on different types of relationships and friendships rather then emphasizing only the romance.

I do have a few nitpicks though. There were several alternating POV's which worked for me except when it was the POV of a human cop named Monty. I just didn't care what he was thinking. I believe his character was used to help explain a lot about The Others and their ways but every time I was taken away from Meg, Simon and company I got bored. It does all tie together and is important to the plot but meh...

Also, there are a few villains. Some have the potential to scare the bejeebus out of me with their evil-ness as they continue to develop but one in particular had me rolling my eyes. The motivations felt weak at best and the character’s actions were cheesy.

Final thoughts: If you're looking for an un-romantic view of the creatures that go bump in the night, AWESOME characters and rich, detailed world building this is the series for you. After I finished Written in Red I felt like I was saying goodbye to family. I felt close to everyone and invested in their outcomes.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 15, 2013 MIAO rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fav-author, fav-series, must-own, must-get-signed

Anything with Anne Bishop's name is readable to me!!
Ok, i honestly wish i lived at the Courtyard with the Others :)
I love this book and I love Anne Bishop, her writing just takes me to other places that are very very hard to forget. Can't wait for book 2 - Murder of Crows. What will happen between Meg and Simon?

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 16, 2013 Melindeeloo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, shapeshifters

My public service announcement of the day :) ...if you are on the fence about Written in Red and like urban fantasy (and don't need more than a whiff of the potential for a romance somewhere down the road) this was just as good as everyone else has been telling you. 5 stars from me (normally I have a hard time doing more than 4.5 which is 'I really liked it'.)

The story does have a bit of gruesomeness because the supernatural 'Others' in this world that is similar to ours are predators who see hu...more

5 likes · like · see review

Mar 25, 2013 Alicia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, shapeshifters, vampires, book-of-the-month

I had some likes and dislikes about this book, but overall I enjoyed it very much.

Likes:

In urban fantasy, I generally expect to see supernatural beings dropped into the world I know. In this case, what made it special was that the supernatural being were so wild. The Others weren't humans who happened to be supernatural. They didn't think like humans. They didn't follow human laws. I loved this about them.

For example, the Wolves had a difficult time maintaining their human forms at times, since...more I had some likes and dislikes about this book, but overall I enjoyed it very much.

Likes:

In urban fantasy, I generally expect to see supernatural beings dropped into the world I know. In this case, what made it special was that the supernatural being were so wild. The Others weren't humans who happened to be supernatural. They didn't think like humans. They didn't follow human laws. I loved this about them.

For example, the Wolves had a difficult time maintaining their human forms at times, since the Wolf form was more natural to them. As a Wolf, when he let his guard down, Simon wanted to play games like chase and tug. This was a cute side of Simon and really emphasized his animalistic nature.

On the darker side of being a Wolf, Simon and his pack also had no trouble tearing human intruders apart and eating them. I loved that just when we were beginning to see Simon soften towards Meg, we see him asking one of his men to save him a human's heart to eat. This showed so clearly that Simon was not human, even if he could potentially have a relationship of some kind with Meg.

Dislikes:

Mary Sue alert! Meg is a cassandra sangue, also known as a blood prophet. As a result of her upbringing as a blood prophet, she's also an innocent who has gaps in her knowledge about the real world. As she learned to operate independently, she'd often make choices that were at odds with others' expectations. We repeatedly get the same reactions to these choices over and over again: other people are initially angry or confused—and then they see how right and perfect Meg is after she explains herself. It got old. And I would have liked to have seen Meg make a bad choice at some point, since that's expected when learning a whole new world.

Occasionally, entire scenes were dedicated to someone's internal monologue. For example, during a Simon-POV scene, Simon may be travelling in a vehicle. Nothing actually happens during this scene except that Simon's internal monologue tells us what he's thinking, where he's going, and why. At the end of a scene like this, I think to myself: What just happened here? Nothing.

These scenes were uninteresting and difficult to get through. They felt like cheating, and I would rather have had these scenes replaced with scenes where Simon's thoughts and the events on his his mind could have been shown or inferred.

This dislikes didn't turn me off too much, so overall this book was a win for me. I definitely intend to read the next book in this series.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 21, 2013 Faye (The Social Potato) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1st-in-series, 2013, action, adorable-love-interest, best-books-i-ve-ever-read, fantasy, good-heroine, good-hero, multiple-povs, politics, series, slow-and-steady-romance, supernatural, adult, urban-fantasy

If one mere sentence could sum up Written in Red by Anne Bishop, it's this:

BEST PARANORMAL BOOK, EVER!!!

Holy. Crap. I'm not kidding. I've grown tired of most of today's so-called Paranormal books, because they mostly use the same overused elements over and over again. It doesn't help the fact that a lot of them portray creatures such as Vampires and Werewolves... in a... not-so menacing way, as they should be. I'm not pointing fingers to what those books are, but most of you get my drift, yea...more If one mere sentence could sum up Written in Red by Anne Bishop, it's this:

BEST PARANORMAL BOOK, EVER!!!

Holy. Crap. I'm not kidding. I've grown tired of most of today's so-called Paranormal books, because they mostly use the same overused elements over and over again. It doesn't help the fact that a lot of them portray creatures such as Vampires and Werewolves... in a... not-so menacing way, as they should be. I'm not pointing fingers to what those books are, but most of you get my drift, yeah? In this book, such creatures and many more are really in their original elements - Werewolves are capable of eating men, Vampires really do suck blood - and painfully at that, the seasons are personified and if you tick one of them off, be ready to experience Nature's wrath... and so many more that it becomes a whole, new, interesting world!

For some odd, otherworldly reason, it's really hard for me to write a review about this book. Have any of you ever felt that words are not enough to describe the euphoria that was experienced? That a paragraph here or two cannot give it justice? Yeah, that's the kind of feeling I have right now, and while it is a positive thing, I feel a bit frustrated because I want people to read this book. I want people to witness and experience the same happiness and exhilaration this book gave me. I'm not sure if I'll be able to convince you guys of giving this gem a chance, but I'll try.

Okay, so in this book, the world is divided into two factions - the Human Beings and the Others, the latter consisting of beings like Wolves (werewolves) that hunt in packs, a family of powerful Vampires who can easily suck you dry, the different seasons personified, and other Paranormal beings. Both sides have created a truce in order to co-exist. The Others won't harm the Human Beings as long as the Humans give tribute to them. In order to make sure that such promises are upheld, the Others take on human forms, but will not hesitate to transform at will if situations call for it.

But there's also another kind of being going about called Blood Prophets, humans who can see the future when they are cut and blood flows out. Meg is one of them, and she's running away from the people who've used her and held her captive, and she found solace and "protection" in the turf of these Others as their Human Liaison.

I think one of the factors that made me really, really like this book was the way the relationships, be it romantic or platonic, were written between the characters. They were just handled so well and so naturally, that I couldn't help but feel an attachment to each and every one of them. Others are wary of Humans and vice versa, so it was so refreshing to see the wall between the two factions crumble and fade as the former adjust and be touched by the heroine's innate innocence and kindness. It's like, I don't know, witnessing a cold and stony heart learn to love again. Meg is absolutely endearing and adorable, and the little things she does out of goodwill to the creatures that have not been treated as such by the other Humans, were so captivating and heartwarming, that I couldn't help but feel happy and warm myself. You even feel for the side characters, plenty as they are. They're all so characterized uniquely, each having a personality of their own, that there were times I actually looked forward to seeing them again. Now that's a feat not easily accomplished!

Usually, I don't like multiple POVs, but it really worked here. In this book, you get to see the story from various perspectives - from Simon, the Wolf leader; Henry, the Spirit Bear; even from antagonists such as Asia Crane! It's really well written, and I cannot stress enough how the narration was so delicious to consume - I could eat spoonfuls of it! Absolutely musical and perfect. Sigh. You guys have no idea how this book is making me want to read the next installment NOW. The deaths were exceptionally written as well. The author has a wild imagination, and there are times that I wish I thought of them myself. Anne Bishop is seriously one of the best writers I've ever encountered. I am not worthy ;-;

Overall, this is a story with many beautiful themes worth noting - friendship, love, family, and of course, growing up - for both Meg and the Others who've lived since time immemorial. Compelling. Haunting. Engaging. This book will keep you up all night for many reasons, and you'll be sad when it's over.(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Mar 21, 2013 E_bookpushers rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-it, published-in-2013, series, urban-fantasy

Loved, was almost late to work, took an actual lunch break, was bummed when I didn't have a line for my appointment, and reading it again :D

More coherent thoughts to come.

So I ended up doing a joint review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2013/03/21/...

Publisher: NAL

Publish Date: Out Now

How I got this book: review copy from publisher/purchased it

As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 06, 2013 Barb Lie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Written in Red is a fantastic start to a new series, set in a world run by The Others. They consist of non humans, such as shapeshifters, elementals, vampires, in a paranormal story unlike anything we have seen before. Humans learn to live in the lands allowed to them by the Others, who control everything, not mention put the fear in the hearts of humans, who do not follow the rules. The Others all live in an area that is their own, within different parts of the world. This story follows the Lak...more Written in Red is a fantastic start to a new series, set in a world run by The Others. They consist of non humans, such as shapeshifters, elementals, vampires, in a paranormal story unlike anything we have seen before. Humans learn to live in the lands allowed to them by the Others, who control everything, not mention put the fear in the hearts of humans, who do not follow the rules. The Others all live in an area that is their own, within different parts of the world. This story follows the Lakeside Courtyard, run by their leader & our hero, Simon Wolfgard, a wolf shapeshifter.

But the story starts out with our heroine Meg Corbyn, who is running away from a secret life, and ends up in the Courtyard, where few humans are allowed. Meg applies for a job as a Human Liason, to help with the mail. Simon smells something different about Meg, but reluctantly gives her the job, on probation. He knows she is running from something, and is determined to find out what it is.

Meg, though in dangerous territory, finds it safer to be with the non-human Others, where she thinks she cannot be found. Along the way, she must face all the distrust from various shifters, such as wolves, crows, vampires, grizzles, and others. But Meg is a sweet girl, and you can’t help but like her, and root for her. The Others begin to like Meg, and though they watch her, they start trusting her. Meg does well to clean up the mess at the mail office, and starts her own way of dealing with each of the different types of Others.

As in most stories, there are villains, and Bishop excels at creating these villains. The Controller, whom we hear of, but do not see much of in this book, is the main villain of the series. Asia Crane has had eyes on Simon, but keeps getting rebuffed. Now she turns her eyes on Meg, as she wants to find out who and why is she here with the others. and use Meg to make some money.

This is such a great story, in a totally different world. We get to meet all the Others, including the vampires and the Elementals, besides the shapeshifters. Bishop has created a wonderful cast of characters that bring this story to life. From Tess, who is a powerful member of the Others, yet no one knows what she is, just that she can be very very dangerous & scary, so never get her mad. Tess, despite her early distrust of Meg, does take her somewhat under her wing. You get to meet the wolves, and the crows, as well as a grizzly, and you will get to love them all, and watch them come to love Meg. I loved meeting Winter, and her sisters Air and Spring. So powerful, so dangerous, and feared. But Meg somehows befriends them, as she has most of the Others. My most favorite character turns out to be Sam, the young wolf pup, that Simon takes care of. Meg manages to help bring Sam out of his shell, that happened when he saw his mother get killed, and both learn to love each other. Meg will do anything to protect Sam, and watching their friendship is so much fun, and beautiful.

Simon discovers that Meg is a cassandra sanque, and is running away from the man who imprisoned her, the Controller. What is a casasndra sanque?… a blood prophet, who must cut themselves to see the future. Meg is valuable to the Controller and he wants her back at any cost.

This leads into an exciting story, where Meg’s life is in danger, and the Others band together to help her. It was a wild exciting last 1/3 of the book.

This again was such a fantastic book, from start to finish. I enjoyed learning about the Others, their disdain for humans, yet their learning to care about Meg; seeing all the different types of others, whether it be shape-shifters, vampires, elementals, etc. Learning how the human police force, understands the need to keep the peace, and work with the Others to protect all humans, which becomes all too real near the end. I cannot say enough about this book, as well as Anne Bishop. I marvel how she comes up with these ideas, and makes it so real. Bravo Anne, I loved Written in Red and cannot wait for the next book.

Barb
The Reading Cafe (less)

3 likes · like · see review

May 15, 2013 Mara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

4.5
I've never read anything by Ms Bishop before. But now I get why Amazon kept recommending her books to me. :)

Written in Red comes with glowing reviews, even among my friends. To be honest this and the price of the kindle edition cautioned me to wait a bit. But then the price dropped slightly and the reviews kept coming high....Well, I plunged and bought it.

And now I'm sorely tempted to go and buy all her backlist, thanks to this book. I agree with most of what I read online: Written in Red is...more

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 22, 2013 Marg K. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-star-rating, recently-reviewed

I'm gonna be honest with y'all. I'm wholly surprised and a little befuddled by my enjoyment of this book. There was stuff in it that really should have turned me off...and yet, it didn't.

Take for example the protagonist, Meg Corbyn. The chick was definitely not the type of female character I like to live vicariously through. I prefer my heroines to be independent & badass. I like them to kick butt, not take shit from anybody, think fast on their feet, swear a little, and be able to wield a...more I'm gonna be honest with y'all. I'm wholly surprised and a little befuddled by my enjoyment of this book. There was stuff in it that really should have turned me off...and yet, it didn't.

Take for example the protagonist, Meg Corbyn. The chick was definitely not the type of female character I like to live vicariously through. I prefer my heroines to be independent & badass. I like them to kick butt, not take shit from anybody, think fast on their feet, swear a little, and be able to wield a weapon or two (preferably something sharp & pointy). Meg met none of those criteria. She was, on the contrary, very childlike—easily frightened, naive, fragile, and innocent—but despite all of that, I found myself connecting with and caring for her. What she lacked in badassery, she made up for in heart. Meg had an endearing, admirable ability to knock down people's emotional defenses and show them through kindness & understanding what a truly beautiful thing it is to have a friend. She united people and brought out the best in them. I liked her, and I’m looking forward to seeing her grow in the future.

Another thing that didn’t bother me nearly as much as I’d normally expect it to was the fact that Written In Red was not the type of action-packed urban fantasy I’m fond of and accustomed to reading. There was some suspense and a smidgen of mystery, but the story mostly focused on the characters, their interactions/relationships with each other, and the world they lived in.

Actually, the colorful assortment of distinct characters and unique world-building were this book’s strongest aspects, which (in my opinion) managed to overshadow its shortcomings. I particularly loved how very unhuman the different supernatural beings introduced throughout the story were. They radiated power & danger and had a tense, alien presence about them that was palpable. I also found myself fascinated by their way of living, their social hierarchies, their laws, and their often bloody & lethal ways of dispensing justice.

Furthermore, I loved the relationship between Simon & Meg. At first, Simon seemed somewhat dull to me, but the more he interacted with Meg, the more I saw him develop & change and become increasingly more dynamic. I found Meg’s natural tendency to get under his skin quite entertaining. It was amusing to see how she constantly kept him off-kilter, and I enjoyed his struggle with his shifting & growing feelings for her. Plus, Simon’s fierce protectiveness of Meg melted my heart a bit. Speaking of which, I was pleased that their relationship wasn’t rushed into a romantic entanglement. There was some slowly building chemistry and a tiny spark of awakening interest on his part, but nothing overt or forced. I favor gradually developing romances; so, I’m excited to see how the author chooses to deepen their connection and build their (hopefully) mutual attraction in the next installment of the series.

All in all, I thought Written In Red was well-written, imaginative, and engaging. I will most certainly be getting my hands on the sequel the instant it’s available, which I’m crossing my fingers & toes won’t be too far off from now.
(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Mar 08, 2013 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book. Addictive. I didn't want to stop reading, and when the book ended, I was still wanting more. That defines an excellent book to me. So many times when I read a book, I get bored because I know exactly how the story will go, but this story grabbed me from the start, got me invested in these characters, and wouldn't let me go! I'm looking forward to the next book already! I must thank Ms. Bishop for the best book I've read this year!

4 likes · like · see review

Jan 02, 2013 Julia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, young-adult, dropbox

I had written four different mental reviews and actually loaned out my copy of WRITTEN IN RED within hours of finishing. This is a fun, engrossing, absorbing book and my greatest complaint is not being able to lose myself in a sequel immediately. This does not feel like Anne Bishops prior books, but I love it. The main character is a magical Mary Sue that makes cutting a virtue, and I love her. Most of my favorite moments with the deliciously scary werewolves involve dog treats, and I love them....more

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 16, 2013 Cyp rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Urban Fantasy/Fantasy with Supernatural Creatures

Shelves: 2013-reads, 5-stars, elemental, favourites, fantasy, to-be-reviewed, vampire, werewolf-or-shapeshifter, adult-fiction, ya

The cover doesn't do this book any justice! In fact, I don't think anything will! I think this will probably be one of my 2013 favourite among my favourites!! For a book with so little romance... I think I love this book more than many other romance novels out there. For a romance junky like me that didn't create a romance tag because I'll just tag every book I read... Wow. WRITTEN IN RED is da bomb. Anne Bishop is DA BOMB.

Review to Come

4 likes · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Do you think this is the Best Fantasy Ever?	9	58	May 14, 2013 05:19am
SOS: Serious Over...: [May 2013] "Written in Red" Discussion Spoilers	9	35	May 11, 2013 12:51am
What is Tess?	4	55	Apr 06, 2013 11:37pm

combine
Other Editions (4)

Genres

Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

188 users

Fantasy

165 users

Fantasy > Paranormal

105 users

Paranormal > Vampires

67 users

Paranormal > Shapeshifters

32 users

Adult

27 users

Shapeshifters > Werewolves

24 users

Fantasy > Magic

20 users

Fantasy > Supernatural

18 users

Romance

18 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Midnight Blue-Light Special
by Seanan McGuire
Crave the Darkness
by Amanda Bonilla
Agave Kiss
by Ann Aguirre
Kitty Rocks the House
by Carrie Vaughn
Tempest Reborn
by Nicole Peeler

About Anne Bishop

Anne Bishop lives in upstate New York where she enjoys gardening, music, and writing dark, romantic stories. She is the author of fourteen novels, including the award-winning Black Jewels Trilogy. Her most recent novel,Twilight’s Dawn, made the New York Times bestsellers list. She is currently working on a new series, which is an urban dark fantasy with a bit of a twist.

Crawford Award (2000)

Librar...more

More about Anne Bishop...

Books by Anne Bishop

Daughter of the Blood (The Black Jewels, #1)

Queen of the Darkness (The Black Jewels, #3)

Heir to the Shadows (The Black Jewels, #2)

Dreams Made Flesh (The Black Jewels, #5)

The Black Jewels Trilogy: Daughter of the Blood, Heir to the Shadows, Queen of the Darkness (The Black Jewels, #1-3)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Written in Red

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Written in Red

“The other package has pieces of dried stag stick. The pups like chewing on those."

"What's a stag stick?" Meg asked, taking the packages.

He stared at her for a moment. Then he put a fist below his belt and popped out a thumb.

"Oh," Meg said. "Oh.” — 8 people liked it

“Vlad hated doing the paperwork as much as he did when a human employee quit, which was why they'd both made a promise not to eat quitters just to avoid the paperwork. As Tess had pointed out, eating the staff was bad for marale and made it so much harder to find new employees.” — 7 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Written in Red
avg rating	preview: Written in Red Goodreads rating: 4.47 (1853 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15711341-written-in-red?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342193270l/15711341.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15711341-written-in-red?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Written in Red by Anne Bishop[/url]

Written in Red (The Others #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website