Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop

Title: Etched in Bone

Author: Anne Bishop

Series: The Others #5

Publisher: Roc

Release Date: March 7th, 2017

New York Times bestselling author 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 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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Perfect ending to the story arc!

The main theme of the book is how much human to keep? 

Which could be interpreted as: Is the Terra Indigene at risk of becoming more human? or is all humanity on the brink of getting eradicated from this world because some humans overstep their boundaries? 

The Elders, the most powerful Others, are almost ready to make a decision about Thaisia but before they do it, two Elders leave the wild country to watch over the Courtyard. The Elders are intrigued about Simon and Meg. Their curiosity has been picked. They want to know how a blood prophet has changed the dynamics in the Courtyard and their leader Simon Wolfguard.  

“You would kill the sweet blood not-Wolf?”

When detective Montgomery's brother Cyrus arrives at the Courtyard unexpectedly, everyone can smell trouble.  The Others know he's dangerous but the Elders want to learn more about him. They want to know how one human can create problems for both human and Terra Indigene interacting together. 

To say the least, Cyrus is definitely a rotten apple. He's nothing like Montgomery or his mother Twyla. Twyla has become like a grandmother to most of the Courtyard. Even the Others have a hard time denying her things. She has taken special affection towards Skippy. A certain scene involving both had me crying. 

Etched in Bone has the same winning recipe. The characters are all important. Yes, Simon and Meg's relationship is the glue that keeps these two worlds together (and I love them both) but I'm as much invested in the human pack, the Others living in the Courtyard, the blood prophets, the Intuit people, Prairie Gold and the characters living in Great Island to name a few. 

I'm sad this part of the Others' world has come to an end. It's hard for me to part ways with so many great characters and I can only hope we get to see some of them in the next book. 

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs

Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop

Title: Marked in Flesh 

Author: Anne Bishop

Series: The Others #4

Publisher: Roc

Release Date: March 8, 2016

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…

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Another great addition to The Others series. 

I can honestly say that I hate the Human First and Last Movement (HFL). They are awful people and they put in danger everyone else due to their selfish and ridiculous beliefs. Nothing made me happier than the boat scene. Finally!

“Do you know what the Sharkgard call humans on a ship?

So what's the plot for Marked in Flesh. As we know the humans are trying to gain more territory. To this end, they'll kill any Terra Indigine interfering with their plans. So it's humans vs humans & Terra Indigine. Nicholas Scratch is causing trouble through Thaisia and Cel-Romano. The name of the game is distraction and everyone is at risk. This includes the Courtyard and the areas were the Simple Life folk and the Intuits live. What the HFL is not counting on is on those beings called the Elders and their power.

“The first card was a beautifully rendered but terrifying representation of what Henry guessed was one of the Elders’ forms. Next was half a Wolf cookie. Last was a card that had a simple drawing of a smiley face. “That is sooooo wrong,” Merri Lee said, shuddering. 

I'm enjoying this series so much. They are addictive. The world-building, plot, character development and humor is fantastic. Marked in Flesh adds depth to the long arc while introducing new characters like Jesse Walker, Tobias, Shelley Bookman interacting with Joe Wolfguard and Tolya Sanguinati.

I love how Hope Wolfsong is trying to find her own way. She, as Meg, is dealing with the best way to avoid the addiction to cutting. Thankfully, she has Jackson and Grace to stand by her.

Simon and Meg's romance is advancing, slowly but surely. The Trailblazer is still not sure what her feelings for Simon are and of course, Simon can't tell what love is even if it's hitting him on the face. If you are looking for a hot romance this series is not for you. Their relationship as friends- and hopefully mates- is unhurried.

“He gently kissed that scar and felt something changing inside him - just a flutter of change, there and gone, but leaving its mark.” 

In the aftermath of the fight between the HFL and the terra indigene, only one question is unanswered:

How much human do the terra indigene want to keep?

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs