Tuesday, August 18, 2015

The Others Book 1 & 2 {Review}

Written in Red (The Others, #1)
Written in Red by Anne Bishop
The Others #1
Visit the Author's Website HERE
Publisher: ROC
Publishing Date: March 5, 2013
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.


Murder of Crows (The Others, #2)
Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop
The Others #2
Publishing Date: March 4, 2014
Goodreads Summary:
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.


I received a copy of these books from the library. All opinions are my own. 

My Thoughts:
I devoured these two books. I saw them around a number of different blogs and they were always getting good reviews. Still, I only picked them up on a whim at the library. I can now confidently join the host of other readers who are rooting for Bishop and the Others. 

Author Anne Bishop has created a whole new history of our world. Sort of like a parallel universe that involves paranormal creature. In this world, humans exist but are certainly not top of the food chain. Instead, humans are little more than a sentient food source for the Others-werewolves, werecrows, vampires, Elementals and a host of other creatures. Humans are allowed to live on allotted areas of land and the products they create (books, movies, i.e.) are traded to the Others on compounds throughout the country. 

Our story focuses on the Lakewood compound. Meg stumbles onto the compound one freezing night and Simon, the werewolf leader of Lakewood, can instantly sense she is 'not food'. Simon gives Meg a job and works to discover who, and what, she is. Book one, 'Written in Red', establishes a lot of groundwork giving us the ins and outs of Thasia and this whole new world. Other pluses? The lack of romance. Romance isn't a factor I typically mind, but it was so refreshing to skip over the muddle an attraction would have brought. And the humor! There is a lot of quirky, dry, subtle humor that really breaks up the drag of information. 

My single biggest issue? Technical 'slog'. Every technical and minute detail is shared: about what the characters are doing, thinking about doing, about the world....It sort of makes sense with Meg's background because how the book is written is how probably how she views the world. Even still, it can be a drag to read every detail about how the post office is run and mail delivered. 

This technical slog continued in book two, 'Murder of Crows'. I probably enjoyed this one a little less than book one because there was no action until the very end, when it suddenly happened and ended. Somehow Bishop will still reel you in making you desperate to devour every page. The quirky humor is still present and the drama/terror of the terra indigena (The Others) still present. There was a lot less of Meg and prophecy, instead we learn a lot about Lakeside and the surrounding area, cassandra sangue, politics, and the ongoing battle between humans and Others.  Still no romance, although perhaps a bit of an attraction is beginning to develop?

Even with the over explanation, these books are QUICK reads. The characters suck you in and suddenly 400+ pages go by in a flash. This series is proving to be worth the time with it's creativity and originality. If you enjoy urban fantasy or a series with very little romance, 'The Others' is exactly what you are looking for.  

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