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Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop – a Review

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Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop – a Review

 

Marked in Flesh
The Others series – Book #4
by Anne Bishop
Release Date: March 8, 2016

Marked in FleshAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
For centuries, the Others and humans have lived side by side in uneasy peace. But when humankind oversteps its bounds, the Others will have to decide how much humanity they’re willing to tolerate—both within themselves and within their community…

Since the Others allied themselves with the cassandra sangue, the fragile yet powerful human blood prophets who were being exploited by their own kind, the delicate dynamic between humans and Others changed. Some, like Simon Wolfgard, wolf shifter and leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn, see the new, closer companionship as beneficial—both personally and practically.

But not everyone is convinced. A group of radical humans is seeking to usurp land through a series of violent attacks on the Others. What they don’t realize is that there are older and more dangerous forces than shifters and vampires protecting the land that belongs to the Others—and those forces are willing to do whatever is necessary to protect what is theirs…

 

Review:

Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop is the 4th book in her fantastic The Others series. I have said this before; I am a huge fan of Anne Bishop, having loved all of her other series; whatever she writes, she is a master storyteller. In Marked in Flesh, Anne just continues to wow us with another fascinating story that had us holding our breaths in the final half of the ultra exciting pulse pounding finish.

The Others is a story about the terra indigene (non humans, such as wolves, crows, vampires, elementals, grizzlies, etc) who control most of the world, and the humans, both good and bad who live in lands that the Others allow them to live on. Meg is our heroine of this series; she is human, but a valuable blood prophet, who has the ability of seeing the future when she cuts herself. The Others have come to care very much for Meg, and will go to all lengths to protect her from the evil that threatens them all.

In Marked in Flesh, the group who call themselves Humans First and Last, have escalated their foolish threats against the Others, including humans and/or businesses that support the terra indigene. They kill livestock, and threaten the lives of many of the wolves. The Elders, whom we learn more about, as even The Others fear them, decide it is time to reclaim their land and do what they learned from what the humans did.

Simon Wolfgard, who is the leader of The Others, prepares everyone for what is coming. He warns other territories that have been working with the good humans, and the cassandra sangue (young blood prophets that were saved, and whom Meg tries to help). In Lakeside, and in a few other territories, The Others try to bring in humans who have worked with them to protect them from the expected fallout. It was interesting to watch the preparation of a possible destruction of the world as they know it, with the humans and others bringing in supplies to last them for some time; which included books, food, medicine, normal things for their human friends, such as toilet paper. Lol Meg begins to try and find out ways for her and the other blood prophets to be able to see the prophecy without cutting.

Meg has become an important part of the others, especially to Simon, who is slowly finding himself not seeing life without our Meg. I look forward to the time when Simon and Meg open themselves to a romance. I love the great characters Bishop has created for this series, Meg, Simon, Sam, Tess, Vlad, Nathan, Merri, Skippy, Monty, just to name a few, and there are so many.

Marked in Flesh gives us a look at the original others (The Elders), who are different from the shape shifters, and more lethal. When the time comes as we race to the finish, the excitement and danger is breathtaking. The power of the Elders, and the Elementals (Ocean, Fire, Water, Air, Earth, etc,), is so powerfully written by Bishop, as we watch what unfolds around us.

This was an exciting and intense race to the climax, with many deaths that will change this world going forward. I loved the humor that Anne added to alleviate some of the tension, with the wolves howling to let the Elders know that they are there and not to harm those with them. Even Meg did her Arroooo! The ending was very well done, with some sad moments. We are left waiting impatiently for the next book to see where Anne Bishop will take us. Once again, Anne Bishop has done a wonderful job continuing this wonderful urban fantasy series, which is not to be missed.

If you have not read this series, I suggest you do so. This is not a standalone; you must start with the first book, as it is a continuing storyline.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop – Review, Interview and Giveaway

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Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop – Review, Interview and Giveaway

 

Vision in Silver Banner

 

Vision in SilverAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository / BAM

Description:
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…

 

 Review:

Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop is the 3rd book in her wonderful The Others fantasy series. As most of you already know, I am a huge fan of Anne Bishop, having read all of her books, and loving them all. When I started reading The Others with the first book, Written in Red, I had thought this was a different type of story and I immediately fell in love with this series. There is no question in my mind, whatever she writes, Bishop is such a master storyteller as she brilliantly continues this wonderful world building in Vision in Silver.

To give you a brief refresher, The Others is a story about the terra indigene (non humans, such as wolves, crows, vampires, elementals, grizzlies, etc) who control most of the world, and the humans, both good and bad who live in lands that the Others allow them to live on. Meg is our heroine of this series, as now in the 3rd book, she is fully a member of the terra indigene, even if she is human. Meg is a blood prophet ( cassandra sangue) who is very valuable, as when she cuts herself, she sees the future. The Others have come to care very much for “our Meg”, and will go to all lengths to protect her from the evil that wants to use the blood prophets to their own gain. In the last book, Murder of Crows, most of the young blood prophets were rescued and send to different areas to gradually get them used to living in freedom. But this is not an easy process, as they are all mentally challenged to see the world as it is, having been shut down all their lives, with just offering up prophecy that is asked of them.

In Vision in Silver this is escalated, as there is a huge threat that will not only threaten the lives of the blood prophets, but also the Others. A group called Humans First and Last (HFL), has been inciting humans with lies, and using force for them to stop serving the Others, or they will put them out of business if they don’t comply. They also want the blood prophets for themselves, blaming things that go wrong on the terra indigene, thereby turning humans against them.

Simon, the leader of the lakeside pack, is determined to help the blood prophets with Meg’s help, as she is a trailblazer, who will teach them how to survive in the open world. The human police force that we have come to know from previous books have worked closely with Simon, and the rest of the pack to stop the violence. The humans labeled as wolf lovers (those helping Meg, Simon and the others), must leave town and move to the courtyard run by the terra indigene.

What follows is an exciting storyline from start to finish, which finds Meg trying to control her own compulsions to cut herself, and learning how to control it to be able to help her fellow Cassandra sanguine. Lt. Mongomery plays a big part, as his little girl surprisingly arrives to the Courtyard with hidden secrets that will eventually reveal the real villains behind this plot to hurt the Others. But most of all, it is Simon, and his entire pack that must face the evil threats, and rise up to fight them, which will put Simon’s life in danger. It is Meg, whose prophecy will help them all.

In between, all this intense action, is the continued sweet relationship that slowly grows between Simon and Meg. Simon is the alpha wolf, the leader of the pack of non-humans, but it is Meg, the sweet girl, who has won all their hearts, as she opens the door for the Others to learn to live with humans. There is no relationship between Meg and Simon…not yet. But it is so beautifully done, how much they each care about each other, as each passing day goes on.

Anna Bishop continues to wow me with her fabulous world building, and storytelling that is flawless with each book. Bishop has also created some of the best characters in this fantastic world, such as Simon, Meg, Sam, Nathan, Tess, Vlad, Henry, Merri, Monty and even little Skippy. Make no mistake, this is not a romance, but a fascinating, fun, tense and exciting story, in a complex world. I loved every moment of Vision in Silver, and have grown to love so many of the non-human characters that make up The Others. Bravo, Anne Bishop, you never cease to amaze me. If you have not started this series, it is time to do so. A great series that is not to be missed.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Interview

Anne Bishop photo

 

 

Hi, Anne. We are excited to have you back with us again at The Reading Cafe,to discuss your new release “Vision In Sliver”, as well as to give us an update as to what else you may be working on.

 

 

 

 

TRC: You have just released your 3rd book in The Others series. For those of our members who have not read this series, can you give us a description of the premise of The Others?

Anne: The Others novels take place on an alternate Earth where the earth natives, the supernatural beings known as the Others, have always been the dominant predators, evolving with the world. Humans, while inventive and clever, are nowhere near the top of the food chain and have to deal with the Others for all the natural resources they need. The appearance of Meg Corbyn, a blood prophet who has run away from her controller, adds to the ever-present tension between species in the city of Lakeside. Meg’s presence is the pebble that starts the avalanche of changes in Lakeside, and the question, more and more, becomes who is going to survive those changes.

Murder of the crowsTRC:   Congratulations on Murder of the Crows being nominated for the 2014 RT (Romantic Times) Reviewer’s Choice Award in the Urban Fantasy Worldbuilding category. It must be gratifying to receive another nomination for this wonderful series?

Anne: I’m thrilled to receive another nomination for a Reviewer’s Choice Award. It’s especially flattering that it is for the worldbuilding category because this world, being not-quite-Earth, requires selecting the right blend of details to make the impossible things seem perfectly reasonable.

 

 

Vision in SilverTRC:  Vision in Silver is being released today. Can you please give us a brief description of the book?

Anne: The Others freed the blood prophets to protect the girls from exploitation, not realizing their actions would have dire consequences for many of the girls–and would also open a door to freedom for another young prophet. While Meg Corbyn and Simon Wolfgard search for a way to help more of these girls survive, Lieutenant Montgomery has to unravel the mystery of why his young daughter has arrived in Lakeside alone. And all their lives, and the future of Lakeside, are threatened by a fanatic faction of humans who have a connection to the growing war across the Atlantik.

TRC:  When we last talked to you on how many books you were planning on this series, you were still in discussion on this.   Have you decided how many books you will be doing in the series? I hope a lot, as I do not want to leave the world of The Others.

Anne:  I know there will be five. After that, it will depend on whether or not the characters have more to say.

TRC:  What challenges or difficulties do you encounter writing this series?

Anne:  The fun of the series is writing from the point of view of characters who are not remotely human in the way they think and feel and act. The challenges are making decisions about details–like what kind of service weapon does Monty use versus Burke, and how much do I need to know about bison–so that there are enough details for the story to feel real without bogging it down. And there is geography and figuring out who is living where and how that would convert (approximately) to an actual map because we have another location in Vision in Silver.

TRC:  When not writing, what do you do to relax?

Anne:  In the winter, I watch movies, listen to music, do yoga, indulge in recreational reading. In warmer months, I spend a lot of time in the garden. Gardens are instant gratification–you spend thirty minutes weeding and you can see the results.

TRC:  Would you like to share with us what you are currently working on, and what you may have upcoming in 2015/2016?

Anne:  I just turned in Book 4 in the series and will start working on Book 5 very soon. That will take me through March 2016.

TRC:  Would you like to add anything else?

Anne:  I’d like to thank all the readers who have joined me on this adventure. I’m having a lot of fun writing these stories, and I hope you’re having just as much fun reading them.

Thank you, Anne for giving us an update on Vision in Silver, as well as what we can look forward to in the future.   It was a pleasure having you visit us again.

If you want to learn more about Anne, you can find her at the following links:
Website / Facebook /  Facebook Courtyard / Goodreads

giveaway

Anne is graciously offering a paper copy of the first two books in The Others series, WRITTEN IN RED & MURDER OF CROWS to TWO (2) lucky commenters at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE us on FACEBOOK and click GET NOTIFICATIONS

4. Please FOLLOW us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

6. Please LIKE us on TSU for an additional entry.

7. Follow ANNE BISHOP  on Facebook.

8. Giveaway is open to USA only.

9. Giveaway runs from March 3 -8, 2015

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Catching Up with Anne Bishop

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Catching Up with Anne Bishop

Murder of Crows Banner 2

 

Anne Bishop photo

 

The Reading Cafe is thrilled to welcome back the wonderful Anne Bishop.

Anne has her new release, Murder of Crows being released tomorrow. This is the second book in her fantastic The Others series.

Let’s talk to Anne.

 

 

Hi, Anne.  We are thrilled to have you back with us again at The Reading Cafe, to discuss your new release “Murder of Crows”, as well as to give us an update as to what else you may be working on.

TRC:  You have just released the 2nd book in your The Others series.  For those of our members who have not read this series, can you give us a description of the premise of The Others? 

Anne:  The Others is an urban fantasy series set in a re-imagined Earth, where the earth natives, the supernatural beings like shape-shifters and vampires–are the dominant species that has control of most of the world. They see humans as lesser predators and a different kind of meat. Add into the mix humans living in cities surrounded by land controlled by the earth natives, always being watched for any transgression of the agreements made between the species. And to round things out, add in a girl who sees the future when her skin is cut, a girl who has run away from the man who owned her and wants to live her own life–even if it kills her. I stirred that collision of cultures and needs and came up with Written in Red, the first book in the series.

TRC:   Do you find it easier writing the second book of a series, especially having completed most of your research for the first book, and knowing your wonderful characters?

Anne:   No, it’s not easier. There is the challenge of remembering all the myriad details about the world so that simple things don’t change (is that a door or a gate?). There is holding on to the essence of each character while allowing them to continue to grow. And there is always more to learn. While Simon and Meg are still at the center of the story, in book two, our view of their world expands a little as we meet another group of humans who have their own secrets. So I wouldn’t say my research is done. It’s closer to the truth to say I have the foundation now to build on.

Murder of Crows.March 14jpgTRC:  Murder of the Crows is being released tomorrow, March 4th.  Can you please give us a brief description of the book?

Anne:   When Meg Corbyn has a prophetic dream about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon Wolfgard, the leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, starts wondering why Crows are being killed in so many human cities across Thaisia. Is it because Crows are easier to kill than the larger, predatory earth natives? Or is it because their tendency to poke around in human trash to find little treasures might uncover something humans don’t want the Others to know–something that reveals a secret about the girls called cassandra sangue?

Links to order Murder of Crows:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

TRC:  When we last asked you how many books you were planning on this series, you stated at least two.  Is Murder of Crows the last book in this series, or will there be more books? 

Anne:   I’ve just finished writing the third book in the series. It went to my editor the other day, so it doesn’t have an official title yet. Will there be more beyond that? I’m playing with some possibilities of what might follow the events in book 3. I’ll present those to my agent and editor soon.

TRC:   What was your reaction when you found out that Written in Red was nominated on Goodreads & RT Awards for being one of the best books of 2013?  I thought it was one of my favorite books of the year, and certainly best new series.

Anne:   There was dancing. And many phone calls. And face muscles that cramped because I smiled so much. I kind of color outside the genre lines because it gives my imagination such a zing of energy to mix things up a bit and create something different. That can be risky. The nominations confirmed that readers, and reviewers, were willing to have fun with the story too.

TRC:   Would you like to share with us what you are currently working on, and what you may have upcoming in 2014?

Anne:   As I said, I’ve just finished the third book about the Others and haven’t yet settled on the story I’ll write in 2014, although I don’t think the Others are quite finished yet. As for the books, Murder of Crows will come out in the US and Australia. Daughter of the Blood is coming out in the UK this week and will also be released in Brazil sometime this year. And the French edition of Written in Red may come out this year as well.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Anne:   I’m having a wonderful time writing about the Others, and I’m very glad you’re all having just as much fun reading the stories.

TRC:   Thank you, Anne for giving us an update on Murder of the Crows, as well as what we can look forward to in the future.  It was a pleasure having you visit us again. 

Anne:   Thank you, Barb. Arroo!

If you would like to learn more about Anne, you can visit her at the following links:  Website:
Facebook:
Goodreads:

 

Giveaway-redandblack_zps8ff4dc4b

Anne is offering a hardcopy of Murder of Crows and a paperback of Written in Red to one lucky commenter of TRC.

1. Please register using the log-in at the top of the page.

2. If you are using a social log-in such as Twitter or Facebook, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Giveaway open to USA & Canada only.

4. Giveaway runs from March 3 – 8, 2014

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Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop – a Review

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Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop – a Review

 

Murder of Crows
The Others series – Book #2
by Anne Bishop
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Murder of the crowsLinks to order Murder of Crows:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository


Description:
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.

 

Review:

Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop is the 2nd book in her The Others series.  I love all of Anne’s books, and this series is not any different.  The Others is a different and fascinating story about the terra indigene (non humans, such as wolves, crows, vampires, elementals, grizzlies, etc) who control most of the world, and the humans, good and bad who live in lands The Others allow humans to live on.  The main storyline is a young woman, who is a blood prophet and lives among the terra indigene.  In case you have not read my review of the first book (Written In Red), a blood prophet is someone who must cut themselves to see the future. Written in Red introduces us to Meg and her arrival in the Lakeside courtyard where humans were minimal, as we discovered more about her, and how the others learned to care very much for this human, and how far they would go to protect her as one of their own.  Murder of Crows continues with these fabulous people we have become invested in.  Meg, Simon, Nathan, Tess, Vlad, Winter, Monty, Merri, and so many more wonderful and new characters that Anne has created in this fantastic world.

Though this is not a romance, Simon finds himself caring more and more about Meg, whom he cannot seem to stay away from;  but it concerns him, since he is non human, and should not care about any human.  They are just friends at this point, perhaps in the next book, this friendship will change.   But in Murder of Crows the story is two fold.  An evil group is killing crows or any other non human. The Others are determined to protect Meg, as well as stop the attacks; they concentrate on using Meg’s prophecies or clues to find the Enemy. The story is tense at times, with all the threats and unrest.

I cannot tell too much, since I do not want to give spoilers.  Only to say I loved this book, and the entire series. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book, which is a year away.  Just watching the others is fun, as you see them caring so much about “our Meg”; as well as learning some new and confusing things that humans do, which may or may not help them to understand humans better. This is so well done.  Simple things like flavored cookies for animals (wolves, etc) or humans taking notes is pretty funny.  It also helps the others form a workable relationship with some of the human police force to help find the enemies.

Murder of Crows is a fascinating world, deeply complex, with a fabulous cast of characters.  The story has everything, from fun, exciting, mysterious, tension and a wild climax.  But it does have an ending to this storyline, that also addicts us to want to continue into the lives of Meg and The Others.  Again I have to say I love everything about Anne Bishop’s writing, and Murder of Crows was great.  I would suggest you to start with Written in Red, if you haven’t started this series yet, and do not wait.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Author

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Cover Reveals-June 25, 2013

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Cover Reveals-June 25, 2013

The Master Undone Aug 13

 

TITLE: The Master Undone

AUTHOR: Lisa Renee Jones

SERIES: Inside Out Novellas

RELEASE DATE: August 12, 2013

 

 

 

First Surrender

 

TITLE: First Surrender

AUTHOR: Katie Reus

SERIES: anthology

RELEASE DATE: 2013

 

 

 

Targeted_hi-res2_FINAL-185x300

 

TITLE: Targeted

AUTHOR: Katie Reus

SERIES: Deadly Ops

RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2013

 

 

 

AD2

 

TITLE: The Alpha’s Daughter

AUTHOR: Jacqueline Rhoades

SERIES: The Wolvers

RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2013

 

 

 

Born in Blood Dec 13

 

TITLE: Born in Blood

AUTHOR: Alexandra Ivy

SERIES: The Sentinels

RELEASE DATE: December 2013

 

 

 

Murder of Crows.March 14jpg

 

TITLE:  Murder of Crows

AUTHOR:  Anne Bishop

SERIES:  The Others

RELEASE DATE:  March 2014

 

 

 

Infinity Dec 13

 

TITLE: Infinity (Manga Graphic)

AUTHOR:  Sherrilyn Kenyon

SERIES:  Dark Hunter/CON

RELEASE DATE:  December 2013

 

 

 

TheWeekendProposition Sept 13jpg

 

TITLE: The Weekend Proposition

AUTHOR: Ella Jade

SERIES: N/A

RELEASE DATE: September 2013

 

 

 

the Untamed MacKenzie Sept 13

 

TITLE: The Untamed MacKenzie

AUTHOR: Jennifer Ashley

SERIES: The MacKenzies

RELEASE DATE: September 2013

 

 

 

Wulfe Untamed Jan 14

 

TITLE: Wulfe Untamed

AUTHOR: Pamela Palmer

SERIES: Feral Warriors

RELEASE DATE: January 2014

 

 

 

If Forever Comes Sept 13

 

TITLE: If Forever Comes

AUTHOR: A.L.Jackson

SERIES: N/A

RELEASE DATE: September 2013

 

 

 

Into The Still Blue Jan 14

 

TITLE: Into The Still Blue

AUTHOR: Veronica Rossi

SERIES: Under The Never Sky #3

RELEASE DATE: January 2014

 

 

 

Darkness Splintered

 

TITLE: Darkness Splintered

AUTHOR: Keri Arthur

SERIES: Dark Angels

RELEASE DATE: November 2013

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Catching Up with Anne Bishop

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Catching Up With Anne Bishop

 

Interview seafoam:black

Anne Bishop photo

 


The Reading Cafe is thrilled to welcome back the wonderful Anne Bishop.

Anne has her new release, Written in Red being released tomorrow.  This is the first book in her new series, The Others.

Let’s talk to Anne.

 

 

 

Hi, Anne.  Thank you for taking the time to visit us at The Reading Cafe, to discuss your new release “Written in Red”, as well as to give us an update as to what else you may be working on.

TRC: You have just released the 1st book in your new fantasy series, The Others; can you give us a description of the premise of this series?  Also, how did you come up with the idea of the series?

Anne: The Others series is urban dark fantasy set on a re-imagined Earth where the supernatural creatures—the shape-shifters, vampires, etc.—are the predominant predators throughout the world and control most of the world. Then there are the humans who have been granted land for cities but are always being watched for any potential wrongdoing.

The idea for the series evolved over several years. Whenever I read urban fantasy, I thought it would be fun to write a story about werewolves and/or vampires. But my early, flittery story thoughts were either similar to what was being written or didn’t hold my interest for more than a few days. And let’s face it, since writing a novel is a long investment of time, you want a story and characters that will continue to intrigue you for all the months that go into creating the story. So I held on to the thought that it would be fun to write about the furred and fanged and worked on the stories that called to me.

Then I began seeing things that looked interesting. In 2007, I was talking with some other women about teenagers who cut themselves and wrote down an idea of someone who might have visions of some future event every time she cut herself. In 2009, I saw a market square that I thought would be the kind of thing the Others would want in their Courtyard. I didn’t know who the Others were or what a Courtyard was, but I knew they would like boutique shops around an open space. This is how my brain builds a story: it finds interesting bits of shiny and ponders them for a while, putting them together in various formations until something clicks.

What clicked was the idea that the Others weren’t the hidden races; they were the dominant predators who ruled everything in the world except for the specific places where humankind had evolved. What clicked was the idea of girls who saw visions and prophecies every time their skin was cut. What clicked was the idea of humans being a minority species who are dependent on the tolerance of the Others for their survival. Once those ideas came together, the world and the characters began to emerge, and I found myself intrigued by the possibilities.

TRC: How many books are you planning for this series?

Anne:  I just turned in the second book in the series, so there are definitely two. After that, it depends on the characters and what they tell me.

TRC: What have been some of the challenges or difficulties with research etc, as it pertains to The Others series?

Anne:  Being geographically challenged, my biggest challenge in developing the city of Lakeside was creating a street map of the part of the city I needed for the story. The Courtyard, on the other hand, was fun to build. For a couple of months, half of my living room was an interactive map. I laid out the shape with masking tape on the rug, and had a few matchbox cars to drive around the roads. That became the template for the map that’s in the book. As for the rest of it? Since Namid is a re-imagined Earth, I didn’t have to worry about historical accuracy because the world’s history would be different. Cities are contemporary but not up-to-the-minute with technology, so I could pick and choose what humans would have. Basically I did the same kind of research I always do: I imagined what the world might be like and then looked up information as different bits captured my interest.

Written in RedTRC: Written in Red (released today, March 5th) is the first booking this series.  Would you please tell us something about the premise?

Anne:  Meg Corbyn is a blood prophet—a girl who sees visions of the future when her skin is cut. After running away from the man who owns her, she ends up in the Lakeside Courtyard, the area of the city that belongs the Others who are tasked with the assignment of keeping watch on the humans. Simon Wolfgard, the leader of the Courtyard, hires Meg to be their Human Liaison. When the police start looking for a thief who looks like Meg, Simon has to decide if she’s worth a fight that could wipe out a city.

Links to order Written in Red: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository / Kobo

TRC: Would you like to share with us what you are currently working on?

Anne:  By the time this interview goes up on the Reading Café, I’ll have turned in the second book about the Others and will be pondering what to write next unless the characters have already decided that for me. They tend to do that.

TRC: Do you still plan on revisiting some of your other series?

Anne:  I check in with my characters on a regular basis to see what story ideas might be simmering. So it’s possible that I’ll revisit some of the other worlds, but I won’t know what or when until a story gains enough substance and rises to the surface.

TRC:  Would you like to add anything else?

Anne: Folks can check my website at www.annebishop.com for updates on conventions or news about the latest books.

Thank you, Anne for giving us an update on Written in Red, as well as what we can look forward to in the future.   It was a pleasure having you visit us again.

Anne:  Thanks for inviting me.

If you would like to learn more about Anne, you can visit her at the following links:

Website:
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Anne is offering the Australian edition of Written in Red to one lucky member at The Reading Cafe.

1. Please register using the log-in at the top of the page.

2. If you are using a social log-in such as Twitter or Facebook, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Giveaway open to USA only.

4. Giveaway runs from March 5 – 8, 2013

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Written in Red by Anne Bishop – a Review

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Written in Red by Anne Bishop – a Review

Written in Red

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository / Kobo

Anne Bishop is one of my favorite authors.  No matter what she writes, she never fails to totally hook me into the story.  Written in Red is the start of her new series, The Others.  I loved this book, so well written, with such wonderful characters, and there are a lot.  The storyline was fun, exciting, and tense, not to mention interesting. 

Description:
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.

Review:

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.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Stranded – an Anthology with Anne Bishop – a Review

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Stranded – an Anthology with Anne Bishop – a Review

 

Stranded is a Sci-Fi anthology, with three authors.  Since Anne Bishop is one of the authors, I decided I had to read this, even if I do not read much Sci-Fi.  But I love everything written by Anne.  I will start with her story first, and give a brief synopsis of the other two.

 

A Strand in the Web by Anne Bishop
Blurb:
New York Times Bestselling Fantasy Author Anne Bishop makes her U.S. debut in Science Fiction with this engaging futuristic novella. The Restorers travel the universe fulfilling a purpose handed down through the generations. They live and die aboard city-ships, never knowing the worlds they create and save. What begins as a disastrous training exercise in creating and balancing ecosystems becomes an unexpected fight for survival. The only hope may be the secret project of an untried Restorer team.

Review:
At first when I started to read this, I wasn’t sure what it was about.  It starts in a classroom environment with about 8 young people working on computers.  They work together, each doing their own part, trying to bring balance to the land that they are assigned to.  Each person specializes in different types of items, such as trees, deer, grass, seeds, carnivores, etc. 

The heroine of this story is Willow, and she handles the trees to help bring life and balance to the lands.  Since this a class, with young people, it doesn’t take long to see that jealousy will ruin their project, as some other girls in the class are jealous of Willow and her ability to keep things in balance, as well as the boy who likes Willow. 

They all live on a ship, under the domain of the Restorers, who do fix all lands to keep them in balance, but they never leave the ship.  This has gone on for thousands of years, as they restore balance to lands to make up for Atonement to the Blessed All. 

While working on her assignment, Willow notices a piece of land that is a Restorers land, which is now free.  Since no one was using it, Willow put in a claim for the land.  Much to her surprise, she is granted that piece of land, which is huge.  Willow thinks this was a mistake, but she privately begins to work on the land to try to bring it in balance, and she asks one of her classmates, Stev, who is the boy who likes her, to help her.  They do not tell anyone else.  The land begins to prosper, slowly coming to balance.  Willow learns that the lead Restorer, Britt, who stepped down, is the one who gave up the land.  But Britt sees something in Willow, and begins to help. 

At that point we learn that all the ships are slowly falling apart, and then there was only one ship left.  Willow and everyone knows they will die.  But Willow keeps working on the land, bringing two more of her friends to help, adding all elements, all animals, all things to keep the land livable and in balance.  But as in most cases, secrets do get out, and one of the jealous troublemakers exposes them. 

Willow has matured, is totally sure of herself, she is very self confident, and is willing to take chances. Willow believes the Blessed All has given her the ability to do what must be done.  The ending was very nice, and I really enjoyed this story.  There is no action, adventure in this story, but it is a well written and very interesting book, which comes as no surprise, as Anne Bishop is an awesome writer, and she makes this story work.

 

Stranded by Anthony Francis
Blurb:
Popular urban fantasy writer Anthony Francis explores the clash of ethics and survival when a young, genetically engineered centauress from the ultra-advanced Alliance lays claim to a rare, strategic garden planet, only to find herself captured by a band of rag-tag Frontier refugees who’ve crashed their vintage ship on her unexpectedly hostile world.

On the edge, all things are possible…
 
Review:
This turned out to be a very good story also, even though the first few pages had me somewhat confused as to what was happening.  It begins with a ship that is beginning to fail, a group of young boys and girls, who cannot get along running that ship, and also about a wonderful Centauress from an advanced planet.  How do they meet? It’s a long story, but worth to read.  The ship crashes, the Centauress was traveling on an adventure of her own, came to that planet where they were just crashing.  All hell brakes loose, and the sides are chosen. Serependity is the Centauress, and she is great.  It becomes a fight of what is right and wrong; of good vs bad; a chance to build and do it right.  I enjoyed this short story by Anthony Francis.

House of Leeches by James Alan Gardner
Blurb
Award winning author James Alan Gardner pens a wonderfully imaginative tale, in which a young woman wakes to find herself the sole human on an orbiting, mechanical space station. To find a way home, she must navigate the dangerous politics of war between opposing robot leaders.

Review:
This book picked up immediately with a young girl awakening to find herself alone, in what looks like a military hospital.  In time she discovers she is on another planet, where things that are dangerous, unused, are thrown away to this planet.  Many war robots are on the planet.  The girl, Alyssa, finds out that Earth was badly decimated by a plague.  Since she is one that was infected, they shipped her and some others to the faraway planet.  Alyssa finds some other humans frozen, and discovers that she is beginning to recover.  Was she the guinea pig, to discover a cure?  This was different type of story, with all the other characters being robots, and Alyssa the only human, other then those frozen.  It was interesting story,  having robots help her, and finding out the surprise cure.

Overall, I felt this was a nice quick read, and always enjoy anything by Anne Bishop. I may not have read this book without her being part of this anthology.  I found it interesting, different for me, as I am not really a Sci-fi reader, but i did enjoy reading it.  If you like Sci-fi, and want a quick fast read, then read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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