'Vision in Silver' The Others #3 by Anne Bishop

Received via NetGalley

From the BLURB:

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

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

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

‘Vision in Silver’ is the third book in Anne Bishops’ ‘The Others’ fantasy series.

This book takes place shortly after ‘Murder of Crows’, after the explosive events of that book, which saw Meg Corbyn’s old compound (where she and other cassandra sangue blood prophets were kept) being liberated and some of the women freed. It also picks up on the increasingly zealous activity of the HFL (Humans First and Last movement against the Others).

Some characters I haven’t ever really concentrated a lot on in my reviews of this series so far, are the humans who are working with the Lakeside Courtyard and its inhabitants – the female staff who work in the café and bookshop – and especially the police officers who are increasingly finding their impressions of the Others challenged the more they get to know them. All of the humans have been bought together and interact more than ever with the Others because of Meg Corbyn’s arrival. ‘Visions in Silver’ gives a big chunk of the storyline to one officer in particular – Montgomery – when is daughter arrives at Lakeside unexpectedly, and a mystery surrounds why her mother Elayne would let her travel to see her father after so long refusing him custody rights … Monty, and his fellow officers, suspect the answer lies with Nicholas Scratch – charismatic leader of the HFL movement, and Elayne’s boyfriend.

“I heard a couple of his recent speeches, and he’s a persuasive bastard,” Pete continued. “If I wasn’t almost one hundred percent certain that the HFL were behind the threats to my family, I’d be more than halfway to believing they had the answer to anything and everything. Want your children to have more milk? Kill a Wolf.” 

“Pete,” Burke began, looking toward the doorway of his office. 

“It’s not our fault that, as a species, you’re pretty stupid.” 

Monty winced, then turned to face Simon Wolfgard as the Wolf stepped into Burke’s office. 

“I think we’ve shown we can be dangerous,” Pete said, 

“Being dangerous doesn’t make you less stupid,” Simon Replied.

I so love reading this series for the Lakeside community – I love reading about Meg interacting with the likes of Simon Wolfgard and his pack, Vlad and the vampires, the various crows and ponies …. The more fantastical characters definitely steal the limelight in this series, so when it comes to finally sitting down and reviewing the human characters tend to get shoved to the side in my mind. Not so in ‘Vision in Silver’, when Bishop writes such a good mystery around Monty and his daughter that the story felt perfectly balanced with the quite wild events of Lakeside.

And make no mistake; events are turning wild for the Others. Meg finds herself a cassandra sangue expert, when those left caring for the freed blood prophets turn to her for help in assimilating them into the world they’ve only ever known from pictures. The HFL movement is mobilizing in a way that’s of real concern to non-violent humans and Others alike … and both Simon and Meg find themselves questioning each other’s increasing importance in their respective lives;

He watched her as she ran around making squeaky noises, pretending to be prey while the pups chased her and the adult Wolves made sure the game didn’t get too rough. He watched as she played tug with Sam. 

She had spent most of her life isolated, even when she was surrounded by other humans. Now she was learning as much from the Wolves as she was from the humans about what it meant to have family. 

She wasn’t a Wolf. She wasn’t terra indigene. Despite that, Meg was becoming one of them.
 

I particularly love the slow tease of Meg and Simon …. and it is slow, but I can’t imagine it any other way when Meg is still so naïve about the world in many ways, and Simon battling his anti-human views. Bishop is pacing them just right, to keep fans anticipating but staying true to their characters.

This was another stellar instalment in what has fast become my most-anticipated series to come back to every year. Anne Bishop’s world is smart and expansive, fantastical, even while shining a light on the worst aspects of humanity. ‘Vision in Silver’ is another favourite from Anne Bishop and this fabulous series of hers.

5/5

'Daughter of the Blood' and 'Heir to the Shadows' by Anne Bishop

From the BLURB:

The Dark Kingdom is preparing itself for the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy--the arrival of a new Queen, a Witch who will wield more power than even the High Lord of Hell himself. But this new ruler is young, and very susceptible to influence and corruption; whoever controls her controls the Darkness. And now, three sworn enemies begin a ruthless game of politics and intrigue, magic and betrayal, and the destiny of an entire world is at stake.

Review of first two books ‘Daughter of the Blood’ and ‘Heir to the Shadows’ 

I don’t read much high-fantasy. About the highest I’ve ever got with my fantasy was Melina Marchetta’s masterful ‘Lumatere Chronicles’ series, which I probably owe a great deal of thanks to for broadening my reading habits enough to give Anne Bishop’s award-winning ‘Black Jewels’ trilogy a try. Of course the other reason I wanted to read Bishop’s much-raved about first series is the fact that I’m so in love with her latest serial, ‘The Others’. 

So, because I don’t read much high-fantasy (although the ‘Black Jewels’ is more dark fantasy) I want to say that I’m terrible at writing about the setting/universe in this series. I’ve tried, but I can’t quite find it in me to properly explain the mechanics, in’s and out’s – and that’s nothing against Anne Bishop as a writer – it’s just me as a reader not used to such intricate and complex world-building that’s so out of my comfort zone. So: allow me a terrible summation when I say the ‘Black Jewels’ trilogy is set in a land where Queens rule, according to the colour of their jewels (black being the most powerful). Warlord Princes freely serve these Queens, but there are some who are turned servant at the will of particularly nasty Queens – these Warlords are often given the ring of obedience, and made to submit to a Queen’s every sexual desire. 

Seven hundred years ago, a Black Widow witch called Tersa saw an ancient prophecy – a Queen and Witch who will wield more power than any who have come before her. 

When first book ‘Daughter of the Blood’ begins, Lucivar Yaslana (SaDiablo) is an enslaved male – a half-Eyrien being with bat-like wings, he serves at the court of evil Queen Dorothea. But one night he meets a small child – a girl – who speaks cryptically but who Lucivar is drawn to. He nicknames her Cat, and promises they will meet again, some day. 

The next to meet this mysterious young girl is the High Lord of Hell himself (and Lucivar’s estranged father) Saetan. When he meets the twelve-year-old girl, he feels the power within her that marks her already as Queen and Witch – as the prophecy stated. But he also feels a pull to her, a paternal instinct and he knows she is the daughter of his heart. Her name is Jaenelle – and she will change their world.

Jaenelle plopped on air, spraddle-legged. “I know it,” she muttered, crossing her arms. “I knew it was written in male.” 

Saetan vanished his glasses. “I beg your pardon?” 

“It’s gibberish. Geoffrey understands it but can’t explain it so that it makes sense, and you understand it. Therefore, it’s written in male – only comprehensible to a mind attached to a cock and balls.”  

—‘Heir to the Shadows’

The last to meet Jaenelle is Daemon Sadi (SaDiablo) – half brother to Lucivar, unknown son of Saetan and the Black Widow Tersa (who has since been lost to madness, ‘The Twisted Kingdom’, since speaking prophecy). Daemon meets Jaenelle at her country estate, where he has been banished after displeasing his Queen Dorothea with unspeakable violence. Daemon is another captive male who wears the Ring of Obedience; he is nicknamed ‘The Sadist’ for his cruel bedroom play, and because his hatred of Queens and his having to submit to them is well known. He dreams of one day finding a Queen whose bed he can share, who he truly loves and will follow anywhere. 

The first two books in the ‘Black Jewels’ trilogy introduce us to this world where Queens rule and Warlords scheme. Saetan rules Hell and finds it thrown into chaos and upheaval when the daughter of his heart enters his Kingdom. 

The central focus of the first book is on Jaenelle’s relationship with her adoptive father, Saetan and later her growing friendship with the much older Daemon, who has come to stay with her family and give Dorothea time to cool down. But while Saetan teaches his daughter how to harness her incredible power, Daemon starts to uncover the truth about Jaenelle’s blood family – and what they’ve done to her. Believing she has little to no power, and talks lies about meeting dragons and travelling to different realms, Jaenelle’s family have been sending her to a place called Briarwood since she was a little girl … 

A lot happens in the first two books: A. LOT. We first meet Jaenelle when she’s twelve-years old, and by the end of the second book she’s 19 (I think. There’s one paragraph that explains a time-leap of two years but if you blink and miss it, you’ll be wholly confused from there on in). One really curious thing about the ‘Black Jewels’ trilogy that took me a while to adjust to is that it’s told in third person, but following certain character’s journeys … except for Jaenelle’s. She is the protagonist and pivot-point of the whole series, but we never see things from her perspective – she’s always being observed by others, and that’s how readers get to know her – once removed. This is a bit disarming, and takes some time to get used to. It does work, Bishop keeps Jaenelle as a mysterious entity successfully because we are never in her head, never seeing things through her eyes. But because the books are focused on Jaenelle’s timeline, not seeing things from her worldview means I always took some time to catch-up when she did have a leap in age. 

Another reason the lack of protagonist perspective might be hard to swallow for some is in relation to the ‘romance’ – though I use this term very, very loosely when speaking of the first two books. Daemon feels he is destined to be the lover of the prophesised Queen and Witch – but he’s, understandably, shocked when he meets a twelve-year-old Jaenelle and feels she is the Queen of his destiny. Shocked, because she’s still prepubescent (around about here I had terrible flashback to Jacob and Renesmee in ‘Breaking Dawn’ – but it’s not that bad. I promise!) This is actually a real conflict for Daemon, who settles into the role as Jaenelle’s confidant and only friend while he’s staying at her estate – and I’ve got to hand it to Anne Bishop, what could have very easily become a creepy storyline (see: Stephenie Meyer) retains all its complexity, but she turns Daemon into a softer character when he decides to become young Jaenelle’s protector and companion. This is a character referred to as ‘The Sadist’ by other women in the series, so it was interesting to read how he changes for Jaenelle’s sake – part of being a Queen’s Warlord Prince is being what they need, and when he meets Jaenelle she desperately needs a friend and someone she cant trust, so that’s what Daemon becomes. 

Ladies like to seem mysterious. 

Not Lady Jaenelle Benedict. She didn’t try to be mysterious, she simply was. She walked in full sunlight shrouded in a midnight mist that swirled around her, hiding, revealing, tantalizing, frightening. Her honesty had been blunted by punishment. Perhaps that was for the best. She was good at dissembling, had some understanding about her family’s reaction if they learned some of the truths about her, and yet she couldn’t dissemble enough because she cared. 

How many people knew about her? Daemon wondered as he brushed his hair. How many people looked upon her as their secret?

— ‘Daughter of the Blood’

But I am also hesitant to attach the word ‘romance’ to the first two books because something so awful happens to Jaenelle in book one, and it’s explored at length in book two … Bishop never forgets that her protagonist is a young girl, who has been through something so horrendous. On the one hand; Bishop writes this part of the story with stark horror, but she also deals with the ramifications with the utmost tenderness for all involved, and that’s highly-commendable. 
I’m also quite surprised that while Bishop does explore this gory, awful storyline, the ‘Black Jewels’ trilogy also seems to be about gender-flipping. This is a world in which Queens rule and make erotic servants of men, and Warlord Princes want to kneel before worthy Queens.

Jaenelle opened her arms.He stepped into them and held tight. “I don’t think you’ve ever realized how strong, how necessary the bond is between Warlord Princes and Queens. We need you to stay whole. That’s why we serve. That’s why all Blood males serve.” 

“But it’s always seemed so unfair that a Queen can lay claim to a man and control every aspect of his life if she chooses to without him having any say in the matter.” 

Saetan laughed. “Who says a man has no choice? Haven’t you ever noticed how many men who are invited to serve in a court decline the privilege? No, perhaps you haven’t. You’ve had too many other things occupying your time, and that sort of thing is done very quietly.” He paused and shook his head, smiling. “Let me tell you an open secret, my darling little witch. You don’t choose us. We choose you.”  

—‘Heir to the Shadows’ 

I really enjoyed the first book, ‘Daughter of the Blood’. And a big part of that enjoyment came from the Daemo/Jaenelle partnership. Daemon was the character that most intrigued me, so when second book ‘Heir to the Shadows’ began with him wandering the Twisted Kingdom, I was seriously disappointed. Jaenelle (now aged 14, after another aforementioned confusing time-leap) spends most of ‘Heir to the Shadows’ with no memory of her friend Daemon, and he appears only sporadically and not in his right mind. The second book was a lot more boring to me, mostly because Bishop keeps this character and relationship that she dedicated a lot of the first book to, just out-of-reach and on the periphery.

I’m about to start the third and final book (side note: although ‘Black Jewels’ is a trilogy, there are six additional ‘Black Jewels’ novels, some of which can be read as stand-alones … Oh, the serial confusion of high-fantasy!) and where ‘Heir to the Shadows’ left off, I think I’ll be a lot happier going into ‘Queen of the Darkness’ – but I shall wait and see. 

I still don’t really know where I stand with high-fantasy. At times reading the first two books in the ‘Black Jewels’ trilogy was just exhausting – between the multiple character perspectives (but never the protagonists!), sudden age-leaps, the complicated jewel hierarchy system and different realms to keep track of … I think it’s a genre I need to read sparingly. But Anne Bishop made this high-fantasy very enjoyable. It’s certainly nothing like her ‘The Others’ series (stay away if you’re hoping for a same-same reading filler!) but I enjoyed her writing such a complex female protagonist who’s so strong but has been so terribly abused in her life, and how she copes with that. The beginnings of a romance are unlike anything I’ve ever read (I’m scrubbing my memory of Jacob/Renesmee, okay?) and it’s been particularly wonderful to read Daemon’s character transformation. 

3.5/5 

'Murder of Crows' The Others #2 by Anne Bishop

From the BLURB:

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

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

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

Jar of honey.

Hide the children.

Sharks.

Fin.

Hide the children.

Feathers.

Meat.

Hide the children.

It’s only been a few months since Meg Corbyn entered the Lakeside Courtyard and became the first human to break all the Others’ rules. As human liaison Meg managed to befriend everyone – from the vampires to the Crowguard, the elementals and mysterious Other, Tess … but especially the Wolves. Forming a close bond with pup Sam, Meg became his closest friend and eventually formed a close friendship with Lakeside leader, Simon Wolfguard.

Since she arrived in the dead of night, during a terrible storm, Meg and the Others have slowly come to understand what she is that’s so compelling and not-prey: cassandra sangue, a prophet who was kept in a compound with other girls who are made to cut their skin, for a hefty price, in order to see the future. But Meg got away, and settling into Lakeside has changed her life.

Until the visions she has foretell of danger at every turn.

Some humans are turning on the Others, and the HFL (Humans First and Last movement) is gaining dangerous momentum. Meg sees visions of the Crows being poisoned, and a stranger coming to Lakeside … Hide the children. 

‘Murder of Crows’ is the second book in Anne Bishop’s marvellous ‘The Others’ series.

Last year, Anne Bishop’s first book ‘Written in Red’ took me completely by surprise. I delved into her ‘The Others’ series, based purely on the rave reviews I’d been reading on Goodreads and book blogs – everyone telling me I had to give this book a read and discover a wonderful, complex new urban fantasy series. Boy, they weren’t wrong – and with this second book, Anne Bishop gives readers a bare hint at the long road ahead for Meg, Simon and the entire Lakeside Courtyard in the complex, dazzling world of ‘The Others’.

‘Murder of Crows’ picks up very soon after ‘Written in Red’, and a few horrors from that first book are mentioned and go a long way to creating this atmosphere of fear on the precipice as more dangerous events unfold for the Others. Simon is still concerned that someone tried to take Meg and Sam, human police officers are still speculating over how Asia Crane died … and the wider human community are becoming reckless and courting danger, particularly with this Humans First and Last movement. When Meg starts having visions (and succumbs to her need to cut, tingling under her skin warning that she has a prophecy to tell) it all but confirms that change is in the air, and a war may be imminent. 

A large focus of this book is on Meg as a cassandra sangue – the Courtyard become concerned with finding The Controller who kept Meg and a cartel of other female prophets in an unknown location, and human doctors who helped Meg during ‘Written in Red’ are wanting to study her kind, and try to discover if she can live a relatively “normal” life without dying from cutting, or succumbing to the madness of prophecy. 

Another big tease (certainly not a consuming focus, but it’s on the periphery) is Simon and Meg’s changing relationship. There’s a big to-do made about the fact that Simon changed into his human form one night, while sleeping with Meg as Wolf – this shifts their dynamic, and has Meg questioning how she feels for Simon and vice-versa. She’s trying to sort out her complex emotions over Simon as Wolf sleeping with her, and Simon the man. Simon, meanwhile, only knows that he likes cuddling up to Meg on the couch and watching movies, when he’s Wolf and she pats his fur. He likes licking her fingers clean of butter popcorn, he misses her when they’ve not spoken for a while and her scent is calming. But, Others are warning Simon not to become “too human” and there is an underlying warning that Meg being cassandra sangue (thought to have only 1000 cuts before she dies or goes mad) may be a tricky companion … never mind that an Other and a human having anything deeper than a sexual dalliance is all but unheard of.

I’m really enjoying the gentle teasing of this relationship between Simon and Meg. Readers and plenty of secondary characters may already know what’s unfolding between them, but there’s real joy in reading how slowly they’re both figuring themselves and each other out. Unlike most Urban Fantasy series, I’m not at all concerned about this romance being such a slow burn – it’s indicative of their characters, the tensions in this world and acts as an occasionally nice reprieve in a story that’s so focused on dangerous politics, incredible creatures and human depravity; 

What did they say? Tess asked the Crows who were perched on the roof. They, too, were watching.
They say the Merry Lee is a Wolf lover and is going to get what she deserves, Jake replied. Is the Merri Lee having sex with a Wolf?
It wouldn’t be Simon, Jenni said. Simon likes our Meg. A pause. Do Simon and Meg have sex after they play?
No, Tess said firmly. Simon’s relationship with Meg was too complex for anything as simple as sex. And asking about that will upset Meg.

‘Murder of Crows’ has many gut-churning, horrible scenes and realizations – about how the humans are retaliating against the Others, how Meg and other cassandra sangue have been treated and how factions of humans are turning on those who they see as siding with the Others. This book certainly marks a transition in Anne Bishop’s world, where violence is in the air and something is going to break very, very soon. This book has me even more intrigued about ‘The Others’ series. 

And while there’s lots of dark foreboding in this instalment, Bishop also writes brevity very well, particularly where Others and humans diverge; 

He paused in the doorway. “Human females. They’re kind of crazy during this time, aren’t they?” 

“If you choose to believe the stories written by male writers,” Vlad replied. 

They heard a bang and thump from the kitchen, followed by Meg yelling at something.Simon sighed. “That many males can’t be wrong.” 

If there was any aspect of this book that felt lacking to me, it was in missing the character of Sam, and not being able to see his and Meg’s relationship unfold along with everyone else’s. I completely understand why, after wanting to be in a cage for so long, young Sam should be with other pups – but I missed him having a big role in Meg’s life, and felt like that was one layer of Meg’s new world that needed to be revisited in this second book. 

Anne Bishop’s ‘The Others’ series is certainly one of the most compelling new additions to the urban fantasy realm, and a must-read for anyone who craves fantastical stories … but also for people who are new to fantasy but are not keen on the latest spate of erotica vampires/werewolves etc. Anne Bishop’s world is complex and darkening, her characters are loveable and fascinating, and their relationships are being subtly teased out along with this vastly dangerous and layered universe.

4.5/5 

'Written in Red' The Others #1 by Anne Bishop

From the BLURB:

Meg Corbyn is on the run. Alone and desperate, and ill-equipped to deal with the real world after a lifetime of imprisonment, Meg stumbles into Lakeside Courtyard, where the Others reside. Meg knows entering a courtyard is a dangerous risk -- most people who tangle with the Others end up dead -- but it′s the only place she′ll be safe from the people chasing her.

For Simon Wolfgard, leader of the Others residing in Lakeside, Meg is a puzzle until he discovers she′s a valuable blood prophet and can see the future. Then he has to decide if she is worth the potential fight to keep her in the Courtyard. It will be a fight not just with the humans but with the rest of the Others -- as well as a fight with his own confusing feelings towards Meg...

For Police Office Montgomery, Meg is the property he′s supposed to recover -- and the spark that could start a fight with the Others that would wipe out the human city of Lakeside.

And for Meg, who has seen her own future, living in the Courtyard is a chance to have a life -- for what little time she has left.

Meg Corbyn is desperate to escape the Controllers, and the cutting that she was bred for . . . Meg is so desperate that she’s even willing to hide in plain sight, amongst monsters.

Even though Meg only knows and understands the world according to the flashcards and film reels the Controllers played for her, Meg knows enough to understand that the terra indigene are dangerous. They are ‘The Others’ – often cloaked in human skin, but they are far from human. The terra indigene is the collective name given to any variety of monsters and ‘others’ – they can be wolves and vampires. They can transform into birds, or control the elements – and some are so ancient and dangerous, that nothing is known about them at all. 

The terra indigene live separate from the humans, in their own territories where few ‘monkey’ humans are permitted to work or visit. There is no human law recognised, and secrecy is key. 

Running from the Controllers and desperate to live on her own terms (at least, until the prophecy of her death comes to fruition) Meg stumbles across a job advertised in the terra indigene Lakeside territory. The job is for ‘human liaison’, and Meg thinks it’s her best bet to live amongst the ‘Others’ where human law has no standing and she may just be out of reach of the Controllers who hunt her.

Simon Wolfguard is leader of the Lakeside Others – and he knows Meg Corbyn is hiding something, and running from someone. Furthermore, she does not smell like prey (the way other ‘monkeys’ do) so he is intrigued . . . and agrees to let her work and reside in Lakeside. At least, she’s permitted there until Simon uncovers her secrets – and then it will be for him to decide if she is too much of a threat to live.

‘Written in Blood’ is the first book in a new urban-fantasy series called ‘The Others’, by Anne Bishop.

There has been quite a buzz building around this book for weeks now. I've seen the cover cropping up on numerous review blogs, and it has received a rash of five-star reviews from a number of credible GoodReads members. The tipping-point for me came when the wonderful Wendy Darling of ‘the midnight garden’ wrote a stellar review that had me absolutely convinced I had to make Bishop’s book a priority read. And now I owe Ms Darling a great big ‘THANK YOU’ because ‘Written in Red’ is going on my 2013 favourites list. . . 

Anne Bishop is the author of successful high-fantasy series ‘The Black Jewels’ – and she brings that wonderful fantasy-complexity to this new series. ‘The Others’ is set in an alternate world to ours – ‘Namid’ – continents are renamed, as are days of the week (it seems to be quite Wiccan-inspired; ‘Moonsday, Windsday’. . . ) Bishop begins the book with ‘A Brief History of the World’ to orientate readers – but from there it’s a freefall into the story. For much of the book we follow Meg Corbyn, who is herself a hatchling in this world, having been confined by the four-walls of ‘the Controllers’ and taught everything by watching movies and flashcards . . . so Meg’s uncertainty of this world also aids readers, and we stumble along together. 

Anne Bishop is writing about some ‘traditional’ monsters that we’re all familiar with – werewolves and vampires, shape-shifters, changelings . . .  but they are uniquely Bishop’s own in this universe. I’m not going to say that Bishop’s is the only werewolf book I've enjoyed (hello, Patricia Briggs!) but what makes this series so interesting is that it veers away from what has become a fairly unoriginal storyline in the urban-fantasy genre of late. Most books featuring vampires/werewolves nowadays are concerned with how these supernatural beings fit into human society – how they try to go unnoticed, or hold onto their humanity. In ‘The Others’, monsters don’t care about trying to fit in or be human. They’re not human. They’re monsters – and proud of it. They revel in blood and gore; they take their justice, don’t trust humans and barely tolerate them. They are gloriously, unabashedly and refreshingly monstrous; 

There would be a spike in the number of girls who went out for a walk in the woods and were never heard from again. There always were when stories came out portraying the terra indigene as furry humans who just wanted to be loved. 

Most of the terra indigene didn’t want to love humans; they wanted to eat them. Why did humans have such a hard time understanding that?

The difference in this story is what happens when Meg Corbyn enters their world . . . she is herself, not quite human. She does not smell like prey, and she does not react to the monsters the same way other humans do. Simon Wolfguard, Lakeside leader, is especially confounded and frustrated by ‘the Meg’ (this, adorably, kept reminding me of ‘the Wendy-bird’). Meg forces the Others to think differently about humans and their treatment of them, to question their place in the human world and vice-versa. 

I've seen many people categorise this book as purely fantasy – but I think the ‘urban’ is important because Lakeside is like a miniature city of the terra indigene and much of the story hinges on the Courtyard, where Others and humans interact and often clash. And there are subplots going on that suggest this is a world in which crime, corruption and consumerism are at the forefront. Meg is being hunted by Controllers who want her body for how much money it can get them, they want her blood for the power it can reveal. . . But I also think Anne Bishop was having a bit of a tongue-in-cheek moment when she created a villain in human character Asia Crane – who has been promised her own detective TV show if she can gather information on the Others and goings-on of Lakeside, and sell the information to high-paying ‘backers’. Many urban-fantasy books feature the tough-as-nails female protagonist who is in some form of law enforcement. In Bishop’s book, the villain is practicing for such a part, but is ultimately playing a deadly game for the sake of fame. . . 

I have said that this is in no way a ‘paranormal romance’. That’s not to say there isn’t an attraction building, with the possibility of romance MUCH later on in the series. . . But those expecting to read ‘Written in Red’ and find hyper-sexualized, romanticized Alpha-male werewolf heroes will be very disappointed. What’s great about ‘Written in Red’ is that it’s definitely a book about connections, and how Meg makes a family for herself. Simon is a wonderful antagonist for her in the beginning, but then their relationship starts evolving and becoming far more complex and interesting . . . especially when Meg meets Simon’s young nephew pup, Sam, who has had a hard little life so far. I loved all secondary characters of Lakeside – and I especially liked their changing attitudes to Meg, how she worms her ways into their ‘pack’ and their hearts. 

‘Written in Red’ is a stunning blend of urban Gothicism – there’s nothing ‘paranormal romance’ here, and the refreshingly gory take on monsters who have recently been relegated to the romance genre (werewolves & vampires especially) is a terribly intriguing one. I can see why so many young-adult readers have ventured over to this book – it’s perfect for those craving a little more complexity to their fantasy, who don’t want their stories eclipsed by sex & romance, and are looking for a series they can settle into for a long-haul ride . . .  I actually think Bishop’s book should feature on YALSA’s ‘Alex Awards’ list of books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults. I know I’m hooked, and I've already marked in my calendar the release of second book ‘Murder of Crows’. 

5/5