Book Review – Vision in Silver + Marked in Flesh

Book: Vision in Silver + Marked in Flesh (The Others 3 + 4) by Anne Bishop
Release Date: March 3rd 2015/March 8th 2016
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: 5/5 out of 5 stars

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Other books in this series I reviewed

Written in Red // Murder of Crows

Goodreads Vision in Silver
Goodreads Marked in Flesh

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Possible spoilers for the previous books in the series

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Synopsis (book 3)

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…

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Review

The Others books so far have become an addiction really. While I wasn’t initially impressed by the first book,  these last three books have completely sold me over. The reason? The characters. The world.  I can’t go too much into the plot, but I shall just convey my thoughts/feelings/admiration/obsession. While these books are quite big, I was not bored for a second. There is so much to follow and discover. And as we move further into this world, we meet more people and learn more about the Others and even Older Others that instill some fear/apprehension even in Simon Wolfgard and his pack. In the third book Meg is getting more of the backlash from having lived behind four walls for most of her life. She needs things to be the same. Large groups or chaotic displays give her too many stimuli. Now that things have slowed down a little this is coming more forward as is her need to cut. This is something Meg  has to deal with, not only in Vision of Silver but Also in Marked in Flesh. She sometimes feels that she has to cut to know what will happen when she gets an itch, while there might not even be that much of a need to cut. Her itches might be warning enough. But that isn’t something easy to move away from and I think that is accurately displayed. She overcomes and sometimes succumbs to it.

The human pack around Lakeside is growing, and it is interesting and amusing to see Simon’s frustration towards it when he is the one that has been allowing them to come. Of course a lot he does for Meg but he really doesn’t have to embrace them in any way. But he shows the appreciation that there are humans that are willing to follow the rules. It is also curious to see how the supposed  ‘animals’ seem to have more morals and humanity than the humans with their human first movement.

Not only the human pack is growing but in the fourth book we are following three stories in different places in Thaisa, though Lakeside is still the main focus. There are an awful lot of characters to keep straight at this point, but I don’t mind this at all. The build up towards these characters has been increasing since the first book and these aren’t at all dumped onto you at once. I loved seeing more of a blood prophet besides Meg who also has a different way of dealing with her visions through drawing.

The side characters are all great and each book deepens  them out. I love them all though I don’t think I would want to run into Stavros. But there are so many that others that have been deepened out in previous books fall away again and I miss them. Yet I also really like to get to know more of these new characters. Basically I need a 1000 page book, thank you very much Anne Bishop.

By now you should know that I like slow romance in books. I like for relationships to be build up. Well I am getting my fill with Meg and Simon. They are my new favorite ship and I have the urge to reread the first two books for all the Meg and Simon moments. It is clear there is more than friendship there or that they are somehow headed there, but Simon completely respects that Meg isn’t ready for a physical relationship and has not pushed her once. He lets her come. Holding her hand at the end of the third book was a big moment and that is continued into the fourth book. I can only complain that we just don’t get enough of them in these books. Especially in the fourth I just needed more Meg and Simon bonding moments!