THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!Anne Bishop returns to her world of the Others, as humans struggle to survive in the shadow of shapeshifters and vampires far more powerful than themselves… After a human uprising was brutally put down by the Elders—a primitive and lethal form of the Others—the few cities left under human control are far-flung. And the people within them now know to fear the … the people within them now know to fear the no-man’s-land beyond their borders—and the darkness…
As some communities struggle to rebuild, Lakeside Courtyard has emerged relatively unscathed, though Simon Wolfgard, its wolf shifter leader, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn must work with the human pack to maintain the fragile peace. But all their efforts are threatened when Lieutenant Montgomery’s shady brother arrives, looking for a free ride and easy pickings.
With the humans on guard against one of their own, tensions rise, drawing the attention of the Elders, who are curious about the effect such an insignificant predator can have on a pack. But Meg knows the dangers, for she has seen in the cards how it will all end—with her standing beside a grave…
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This is probably tied for my fave series with Ilona Andrews Kate Daniel’s series. I can’t brag about these books enough.
3 ½
I finished this book last week but I really wasn’t sure what to think of the ending for a while and had to think about it.
Plus this book is hard to review for me for some reason.
I really liked the book but I don’t think it was as great or strong as the previous books.
Once we got to the end I thought a lot of this book could have been spent more towards wrapping things up more for other residents of and around the courtyard. While things get wrapped up nicely for the most part for Simon and Meg , some of the Others were a bit open ended and not only that but also some of the commutes.
I must admit the whole Elder part. I was still not a huge fan of the Elders and the whole Jimmy thing. It just seemed weird and way to drawn out. The final battle was once again pretty anti climatic for me like in the last book. Not only that but o teas pretty much off page, which kind off was a letdown ,since do actual get their POV once a while .
But overall it was a great book, We get to see some of our favorite people/or others prep and fear a common threat of the elders. We also meet some new people, some I liked a lot and hope to see in future spin-off books.
The ending I think was the best outcome we could have hoped for, for Simon and Meg….. it was always clear they never be a regular couple. I just could have gotten this earlier and maybe a bit more and maybe an idea what that will look like.
I also would have liked to see how other things turn out … like Sam and Skippy…. Vlad and Tess. We never really get a conclusion and all is a bit open ended, even some of the humans and other communities around the courtyard, they end was just a tad too focused on Meg and Simon and we not even get a full thing there.
What I liked about the series best, was that all the way to the end the Others always stayed a threat to humans. While some were accepted most stayed clever meat throughout the series.
Overall, while I has some issues and wished for more but I was satisfied with the end. And I will most defiantly read the books that follow.
I rate it 3 ½
As always, Bishop’s colorful language and rich description pulled me in right away and sank me into her highly immersive world. The book has a relatively slow plot, not the mile a minute series of encounters more common in genre fiction these days, but the focus on internal struggles and character interactions kept me engaged. This is definitely not a stand alone book. It relies heavily on the buildup of information from previous installment. As such, I’m going to be a little more loose with revealing details about the story. I won’t spoil anything from this book, but if you haven’t read the others you may want to stop here until you have (and I highly recommend you do as it’s a wonderful series).
The book’s narration is split between all of the major viewpoints in the story, allowing the reader to be where they need, when they need, to gain all the necessary information.
The story, and the Courtyard, revolve around a girl named Meg, a blood prophet who can see the future when she is cut. While Meg tends to be the pivot point, I see her as more of a catalyst than character in many scenes. Simon, the wolf shifter who leads the Courtyard, seems to be the most significant character, and we get the most chapters from his narrative voice. The next most prominent protagonist was Monty, the cop in change of interacting with the Others, and the brother of this story’s antagonist. Then there is the antagonist himself, a miserable excuse for a human being designed to personify all that is wrong with our race.
There are a handful of other perspectives, including some events as seen by the Elders, but those are the main ones. Together, the perspectives span the spectrum of human to Other and innocent to evil, and give a well-rounded account of the diversity of people. Most of the characters, especially the main ones, are unique and memorable, strengthened by the books that came before. I definitely would not have picked up on half so many cues if I hadn’t had several books to get to know everyone. There were however some characters that had similar enough names and personalities to become confusing, like Sandee and Sissy/Sierra who are both weak-willed products of abuse, and Denby and Debaney who are both human guys who help out around the Courtyard and are connected to the female pack. The new characters introduced were given more page time, understandably, and were quickly fleshed out into detailed and predictable personalities that blended seamlessly into the existing cast.
This series, and especially this book, takes character-centric story telling to the extreme. We spend a lot of time thinking about families and relationships as the bonds between characters are strained, snapped, or strengthened, with repercussions on both a micro and macro level. The interactions at Lakeside act as a microcosm that represents the whole of Thasia and the rest of the world. Can humans and Others coexist? Can they become more than friends? Can they be part of a functioning pack? If a single member is corrupt, will it spread and destroy the group?
While I’d heard some people say they were unsatisfied with the ending, I found it to be both fulfilling and appropriate. I don’t know if Bishop intends to write any more stories about the Lakeside Courtyard, but if she does I will definitely read them.
This author is absolutely my guilty pleasure. I know that the stories are fantastical, (there is a tragic heroine that gets conveniently “saved”) but Iove it all, anyway. I lose myself in Anne Bishop’s storytelling and there are several books that I have read repeatedly over the years when I want to forget about life and just enjoy a good book in a cozy chair.
I have loved the whole series. She writes well and you actually care about what happens to the characters.
This series is so interesting and a concept like no other book series. The characters are exciting and the descriptions are written so well, you feel you know them. I look forward to each book being released. I have read each book in the series a few times. Highly recommend the entire series.
Awaited and anticipated- Etched in Bone delivered on the after effects of the destruction of HFM and Cel-Romano and consequences for Lakeside and other human communities. Some unintended. The Elders experiment with the lives of courtside residents in order to learn about human-other interactions for the future but this too has some unintended consequences. There is an HEA or at least a next step on that path for our favorite characters. Can someone get Anne to write a little faster, I speedread.
I love the relationship between Simon and Meg. While there is attraction, it’s more about the emotional connection. One of the best things about this series for me is that each. Hard tee matters and contributes something to the story. The Others and Meg are dealing with the fallout of the Elders actions. I have to say Meg’s “bad puppy” moment makes me laugh every time I have re-read it. I really wish the additional books in the series had stayed focused on Simon and Meg and the Courtyard. But regardless, this is one of my favorite series.
You know the feelings you get when your best friend moves away?
Or when your favorite hangout spot closed down.
Or maybe your favorite person at work get’s a different job.
Or how much it sucks when your favorite TV show gets canceled.
I had all those feelings wrapped up in a feelings burrito when I finished Etched in Bone the last book in The Others series by Anne Bishop.
Etched in Bone, the last book in this wonderful fantasy series is well written and planned. The storyline was engaging and the ending satisfying.
BUT it was an ending to something I absolutely adored.
Thank you Anne Bishop for writing a series that for the first time in a LONG time I wanted to live in.
Read Anne Bishop’s The Others shifter fantasy series if you love all things wolfy, shifter, vampire, and sharky.
The narration by Alexandra Harris was spot on and fantastic in all 5 books.
earlier books in series are better, she’s pushing the premise w the new characters and they aren’t as good or as alive.
Meg and the Lakeside Courtyard and their human pack have managed to save most of their part of their world. Now they have to pick up the pieces and rebuild. Now the human bottom feeders surface and the terra indigene elders are curious in the wrong ways. Simon is growing and stretching in ways no one expected and he really hates being the example of what happens when the terra indigene interact a lot with humans (or perhaps to the terra indigene, too much?). I enjoyed how the author weaves the courtship between Simon and Meg throughout this series; I suppose it would have gone faster if they realized they were courting, but this slow burn romance fits better and makes it clear in this story how she is the catalyst and pivot for this new and messy model of terra indigene-human interaction and community. Fascinating, sweet, thrilling, action-packed, psychologically and emotionally riveting …. I ran out of appropriate adjectives to describe this book and this series. Just read it – you will not regret it.
I thoroughly enjoy this series and this was a good addition to the series.
Keep them coming.
I read this one a couple years ago, and then re-read it recently, and it was definitely better the second go-around than the first. I really enjoy reading about the interactions between the humans and the Others, and I adore how much they dote on the heroine. The chemistry between her and the hero is fantastic.
This series is slow-burning, and there are definitely times when it could have been trimmed down to move faster, but I really enjoyed it. It’s not deep or though-provoking, but it’s full of pure entertainment, which is exactly what I needed.
CONTENT WARNING: There’s a handful of f-bombs, so if that bothers you, this probably isn’t the book for you.
I love this series.
I have been a long time follower of Anne Bishop and love her world-building. I love the mix of seeing things from character’s points of view, including when other character’s actions confuse everyone around them. Her blending of magic, animals, and making it not about humans is exquisite. The is one of The Other’s universe of books, and I’m champing at the bit for more in this realm.
Great series. Wish there were new books
love this series!
Etched in Bone is the fifth book in the Others series and I just loved getting to back into this great world. Ahhhhhh this book was just so good and so easy to get lost in. I just didn’t want this story to end and I just couldn’t get enough of Simon and Meg. I just love them so much and this author just has a way of bringing them to life. I just was sad to turn the last page. I hope the author will revisit these characters because I don’t want this to be the last time I see these amazing characters.
Bishop’s the Others series is a great world to read about.
Great read – Like others in this series it is fast paced and enjoyable.