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.

Urban Fantasy: Vision in Silver, Anne Bishop

Vision in Silver

Anne Bishop

ISBN: 9780451465276

Continuing a series begun with Written in Red and Murder of Crows.  Next book upcoming is Marked in Flesh.

Read April 6, 2015

If you like, you can check out my reviews for the first two books of this series linked above.  

In this installation, our focus widens out into the larger world, and the implications of the previous books' action is coming to fruition.  The pacing and the characters are better, but there are still odd little gaps here and there that I can't tell if they are purposeful omissions or just jumps because of space/pacing constraints.  Odd, but not actively frustrating this time around.

We are starting to build our character list up, and that caused me a few moments of confusion here and there as I occasionally lost track who was where doing what with whom.  I will also say that the larger cast list made the losses of characters a lot less impactful for me, because we didn't ever get to spend that much time with them individually.  

The ponies were given their required few scenes to remind readers that they exist, but they weren't used to propel the story, which saddened me.  Likewise we learn more about a conspiracy and about humans fomenting a rebellion, but the main forward momentum was provided by the struggle to learn about the sweet bloods to try and help them recover and live happily, if not entirely sanely.

I'm honestly ok with that.  I like that the series focuses on the Courtyard and the residents, and scenes like the clearing out of the library and the gardening day and picnic are part of what makes this really enjoyable.  Sure the world is dark and gruesome, sure there are some awful events and people, but the author really makes sure to counteract that with repeated emphasis on the basic goodness of our heroes and the hope that they are trying to build something good.  Very Charles de Lint in seeing cautiously (perhaps rebelliously) optimistic characters persevering through and doing their best together.    

 

 

Murder of Crows, Anne Bishop

Murder of Crows: A Novel of the Others 
Anne Bishop
ISBN: 9780451465269
2nd in Series, after Written in Red
Read April 18, 2014

I read the first of this series and did a shorty review of it a while back, and I'm happy to say the sequel was pretty darn good.  I was sad to see less of the Elementals; I love the seasons and the weather/natural phenomenon ponies so much, but they weren't a big part of this.

I will say the plotting was more solid this time around, although the characters are still a little one-dimensional.  That's ok with me, because I like the dimensions they show off, and honestly I wasn't looking for the next great literary epic.

Good stuff: More about the background and the world, some really creepy moments (meat grinders and hands in jars) and a good bit of Tess (who is scary scary!).

Not so good stuff: A few elisions made me wonder about either plot-holes or the mental capacity of the Others.  After learning that it's not wise to use attacks that could involve ingesting the blood of their enemies, the main characters assist on an all-out-attack, where either the main characters forgot to tell the other assailants about this little detail, or the other assailants didn't give a crap - and none of the so-far pretty serious consequences were mentioned as a result.  That bugged me a little.

The totally unnecessary mis-communication regarding the "sweet bloods" kept at the facilities was really irksome.  I just hate that particular method of introducing in-group conflict or tensions, and it felt very false to the characters and story so far to end on that particular note.

However, I still enjoyed the crap out of it, read it straight through, and can't wait for the next one!

Short Reviews: June 2013. Unnatural Creatures, Movement of Stars, Dragonswood, Written in Red

Written in Red, Anne Bishop.  ISBN: 978-0451464965
June 25, 2013
Author is very lucky for Charles de Lint's blurb on the back, otherwise the cover and inital "Brief History of the World" would NOT have interested me enough to pick it up.  Oddly light in tone for the subject matter, only a few described scenes of torture/gore - everything else is insinuated.  Very little background on the main character and her past.  Interesting world, plot is standard "bunch of strong characters (mostly men) feel obligated to protect a persecuted innocent (usually a woman) to the death, despite cultural/historical/prejudical indications otherwise."  Characters engaging despite the plot.  Loved Winter, loved Grandfather, loved the ponies.

Dragonswood, Janet Lee Carey.  ISBN: 0803735049 (no ISBN13)
June 24, 2013
"Sequel" to Dragon's Keep, with very few characters in common.  (I have NOT read Dragon's Keep)  Tess regularly flees her abusive homelife into the forbidden forests; home to dragons, feykin, and witches.  She's eventually condemned as a witch, tortured, and flees with her friends into a fairly cliched story of huntsmen-cum-princes living in the woods, wise elder dragons, scheming fae, conniving "Prince John" councilors, and of course the requisite misunderstood prophecy.  Enjoyed the fleeing and huntsmen-hiding more than the climax, sadly.

The Movement of Stars, Amy Brill.  ISBN: 978-1594487446
June 16-22, 2013
Interesting fictionalized version of Maria Mitchell.  I was very interested in the Quaker trappings and the adherance to "Discipline" but wasn't able to find more information on that subject easily.  The love story was sweet, but very much out of place for those characters in that time-period, and that was jarring.  Very feminist, almost strident.  Good, but not exceedingly engaging.

Unnatural Creatures, (collected by) Neil Gaiman.  ISBN: 978-0062236296
June 16-22, 2013
Short stories (very old and very new) collected and introduced individually by Gaiman.  Exceedingly nice little collection, and very happy to see some older and lesser-known gems in the mix.  Can't pick a favorite, but Sunbird has stuck in my mind for over a week now.