Urban Fantasy (sequel) Marked in Flesh, Anne Bishop

This is the fourth in the Others Series by Anne Bishop.  I've read and reviewed the first three:
Written in Red
Murder of Crows
Vision in Silver

Marked in Flesh
Anne Bishop
ISBN: 9780451474476
Read April 5, 2016

Book four won't make much sense if you haven't read the first ones, so don't think you can just jump in.  We've lost focus on the Courtyard a bit, and shuffle between there, the Intuit (not a spelling error) /Other village where one of the "sweet bloods" has settled (our young artist from the previous book), and a new pair of western prairie towns that are introduced in this book for the specific purpose of having people to kill off (the entire continent of Europe is likewise introduced).

The jumps around are still present, but they're executed much more competently, and the shifts in perspective are more pronounced, so it's easier to keep track of who is where, even with a whole new place thrown in.  Characters are still very much archetypes, and we're never in any confusion about who is on the good guy side and who is on the bad guy side, but eh - again, I'm not expecting Shakespeare here.

I will say that as the series goes on, there is a distinct "second-class citizen" vibe going on, especially at the end of this book.  I'm not going to get into spoilers, but I will say that the specifics referenced, and the actions committed (and then excused or explained away) are starting to make me want to step away from this series before it goes any further down that path.  That of course is the trouble with making one side of the conflict into utterly bad monstrous people - that makes it ok to do terrible things to them in retribution.  Except it doesn't really. So that's starting to be an unfortunate and growing sour note.  I felt that way slightly after the third book, and it was much stronger and more direct this time around.  I may not read the next at all - if there is another one.