Vision in Silver. Anne Bishop

Vision in Silver
Anne Bishop
Published: Penguin
Date: 2015
Format: Audiobook
Length: 16hrs 9min
Narrator: Alexandra Harris
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal
Source: Own book

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 #3 in The Others series by Anne Bishop - and now I am all caught up and have to wait like everyone else for the next one! Well at least I hope there is a next one, as one reviewer said this one felt like an ending, however I don't see everything that settled, so I bet there is more to come. My crystal ball says many, many more!

In this book the conflict with the Humans First and Last group escalates and goes a long way to engendering further distrust of humans by the terra indigene.  Lizzie - Montgomery's daughter is caught up in the fray and this seven year old is sent on a train ride across country, with the HFL group hot on her trail.

We are able to see the blood prophets and how life is going for them, now that they have been rescued from their captors.  It doesn't all go smoothly, and Meg the trail blazer is an important ingredient for their safety and comfort.

I loved all the interplay of various relationships, Simon and Meg of course, but also Lizzie and Montgomery and Nathan.  Sam gets his nose in a little more here and there. Simon and Meg's relationship is certainly developing - where it will go is something that intrigues me, Simon is certainly interested in learning all the nuances in human relationships.

I really like listening to the audio formats of these books, although reading the paperback of the middle one because I couldn't get it in audio form was also very good. (Although I see now readers in my part of the world can buy Murder of Crows on Audible, maybe my plea to Penguin helped!) I like Alexandre Harris' interpretation with the narration and her wolf cries!  Long live The Others series.

Murder of Crows. Anne Bishop

Murder of Crows
Anne Bishop
Published: HarperVoyager
Date: 2014
Format: Paperback
Pages: 337
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Local Library

After winning the trust of the Others 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 murder 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 if their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or 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.

Murder of Crows is the second book in The Others series by Anne Bishop. I enjoyed it a lot, although not perhaps as much as the first one.  I listened to the audiobook for the first one and loved it. Unfortunately Murder of Crows was not available to me in audio format so I read it. However I will be able to listen to Vision in Silver - the most recent one.

Anne Bishop writes very well, her world building is excellent and her characters suck me right in. The relationship between Simon Wolfgard and Meg showed interesting developments in this book. While I have read some reviews that believe that these two will never be able to form a full mating relationship, I am interested to see how it will develop.  This book shows how much in need of Meg Simon is.  He turns to her when he is lonely, yet he is worried that he may be becoming too human. I didn't get enough of the wolf cub Sam to make me happy though!

This book reveals the humans and terra indigene working together to find the evil people who are causing the death of crows and also the search for the Controller and the compound that houses the cassandra sangue where they are imprisoned.  It is from this place that Meg escaped.  As well there is a group formed that is causing much trouble by turning humans totally against the terra indigene, which is really stupid as the terra indigene wield far more power and resources.  

The twists and turns, the characterisation, the small touches of humour, the wondering where this will go next kept me reading, and I am certainly very hooked into this series now!

Written in Red. Anne Bishop

Written in Red
Anne Bishop
Published: Penguin Audio
Date: 2013
Format: Audiobook
Length: 18hrs and 32min
Narrator: Alexandra Harris
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Own book

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.

Written in Red is #1 in The Others series.  I have seen this book reviewed a number of times, and in the end I tentatively decided to get involved and listen to the audiobook.  It is quite lengthy and I finished it in three days.  Unheard of for me, I just became swept away by the story, left my usual reading aside and every opportunity I had - I listened.

Meg got the job working as the human liaison person at the The Others compound.  In essence it was a postal job, accepting deliveries from the humans and then sorting and delivering them around to the various Others.  When she takes up the job, it is in disarray but with a little help she soon has it working smoothly.  She is a kind, thoughtful person and has soon gathered a number of friends about her, normally individuals who would be very scary to humans, but Meg has a knack with her thoughtful, innocent ways.

When she arrives she is somewhat nervous and unsure, as she has escaped from a place where they have used her for her gift of prophecy, and treated her like a chattel.  She is valuable to her 'owners' and they will go to great lengths to find and bring her back.

However Simon, the other wolves, crows, vampires and many others soon see Meg as one of them. They protect her and go into battle for her.  Meg also forms a wonderful relationship with a young wolf cub - Sam.  Damaged by seeing his mother killed, Sam has not developed and hides away in a cage in his Uncle Simon's apartment.  

Alexandra Harris narrated the story very well and it was easy to listen to her as with the words she weaved her own magic.  I am now really peeved because the next two in this series are not released in audio to my part of the world. I am devastated.  Sure I can read them on kindle or paperback, but I loved this audio version and I don't want to turn to them.  I hate when publishers don't bother with world rights.