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elzabetg's review against another edition
3.0
Not my favorite in the World of the Others but a good read. I find that folks in Thaisia NEVER. LEARN. I mean, seriously, this is set after the events in the first series. You would think that even the dumbest rich slimy skeeve would be able to figure out that the Others don't like ugly. But no they keep trying to do the same dumb stuff and having to learn the same lesson over and over again. I kind of need Bishop's bad guys to step it up just a tad and get creative. Otherwise this is going to get boring.
xavia's review against another edition
5.0
I couldn't tell you why, but I enjoyed this book so much more on my second read through. Maybe it's because the first time I read it on the heels of a read through of the main series, and the lack of Simon and Meg was enough of a disappointment to knock a star off.
Either way, this time, I had a five star time. This book feels more thriller-y than the rest of the series, for reasons I can't quite put my finger on. Maybe it's because Vicki, our main character, is herself obsessed with thrillers, or maybe it's the isolated Camp Crystal Lake like setting of the book lending to the atmosphere. In the end, it doesn't really matter.
Vicki is a pudgy (her words not mine) thirty year old divorcee with wild curly hair and a slew of image issues. Issues beat into her by her abusive ex-husband Yorrick, who is so comically inept it's a little sad to think she was married to him for 10 years. In her divorce she gets The Jumble, a seeming money pit of a property that Yorrick has had in his family for generations, but no one has ever been able to do anything with because the there are NO loopholes in how the land can be used.
Of course, shortly after she takes ownership and starts sinking money into the place, Yorrick and his buddies of questionable honor decide they can make real use of the place and all that's standing in their way is one feeble female.
Too bad they didn't consider all the Others who have taken a liking to her and hate humans who want to destroy the land and pollute the water. Surely nothing will go wrong? Right?
I really like Vicki. As a pudgy 30 year old myself, I really sympathized with her body image issues. People can be really cruel to people that don't match with their beauty standards, and seeing that here was... well, it felt real. Additionally, it was nice to see a heroine in one of these books who looks like me. And thinks like me (in some cases). I was trying to think of any other heroine's in Bishop's books who are not described as willow-y or thin or slender or any other euphemisms for thin, and if memory serves, Vicki is the only one until you get to the end of the Black Jewels, and even then, I think Titan is described as being a little overweight, but in comparison to her very active siblings and cousin. So I imagine she is average instead of toned.
Anyway, the characters in this book are great. And the fact that we have two characters here with somewhat severe PTSD is a decent change from just pretending these horrifying things don't have any kind of psychological effect on people. And also a reminder that it's not just war that brings along those consequences. I really enjoyed my reread of Lake Silence, and am looking forward to Crowbones.
Either way, this time, I had a five star time. This book feels more thriller-y than the rest of the series, for reasons I can't quite put my finger on. Maybe it's because Vicki, our main character, is herself obsessed with thrillers, or maybe it's the isolated Camp Crystal Lake like setting of the book lending to the atmosphere. In the end, it doesn't really matter.
Vicki is a pudgy (her words not mine) thirty year old divorcee with wild curly hair and a slew of image issues. Issues beat into her by her abusive ex-husband Yorrick, who is so comically inept it's a little sad to think she was married to him for 10 years. In her divorce she gets The Jumble, a seeming money pit of a property that Yorrick has had in his family for generations, but no one has ever been able to do anything with because the there are NO loopholes in how the land can be used.
Of course, shortly after she takes ownership and starts sinking money into the place, Yorrick and his buddies of questionable honor decide they can make real use of the place and all that's standing in their way is one feeble female.
Too bad they didn't consider all the Others who have taken a liking to her and hate humans who want to destroy the land and pollute the water. Surely nothing will go wrong? Right?
I really like Vicki. As a pudgy 30 year old myself, I really sympathized with her body image issues. People can be really cruel to people that don't match with their beauty standards, and seeing that here was... well, it felt real. Additionally, it was nice to see a heroine in one of these books who looks like me. And thinks like me (in some cases). I was trying to think of any other heroine's in Bishop's books who are not described as willow-y or thin or slender or any other euphemisms for thin, and if memory serves, Vicki is the only one until you get to the end of the Black Jewels, and even then, I think Titan is described as being a little overweight, but in comparison to her very active siblings and cousin. So I imagine she is average instead of toned.
Anyway, the characters in this book are great. And the fact that we have two characters here with somewhat severe PTSD is a decent change from just pretending these horrifying things don't have any kind of psychological effect on people. And also a reminder that it's not just war that brings along those consequences. I really enjoyed my reread of Lake Silence, and am looking forward to Crowbones.
wellingtonestatelibrary's review against another edition
5.0
I was sad that the stories of Lakeside had come to an end. However; this book was delightful in every way that Ms. Bishop's previous books are, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I cannot wait for the next installment.
rorororo's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.5
seeinghowitgoes's review against another edition
3.0
A curious reset of The Others universe, feeling rather like book 1 simply retold from the POV of a new protagonist.
Escaping from an ugly marriage with her pride barely intact, Vicki DeVine finds herself as custodian of the Jumble, a run down resort on the edge of Lake Silence within a human town very much in the control of the Others. It's the discovery of a human body on her land and the realisation that one of her tenants is a Crowgard that spirals the start of our story.
In actuality the Jumble is a terra indigene settlement, intended to be a gateway between humans and the Others interested in understanding human culture, and Vicki is the Reader. Of course things then get ugly as Vicki's ex-husband turns up intending to turn the Jumble into a resort.
If this was the first installment I feel I would have enjoyed the typical cycle more, as it is we have the typical cycle of innocent/ignorant main character serving as the conduit to the Others, and surprise surprise, humans come in to spoil the day. As much as I like seeing the eventual comeuppance perhaps this offshoot could have taken a different direction?
Escaping from an ugly marriage with her pride barely intact, Vicki DeVine finds herself as custodian of the Jumble, a run down resort on the edge of Lake Silence within a human town very much in the control of the Others. It's the discovery of a human body on her land and the realisation that one of her tenants is a Crowgard that spirals the start of our story.
In actuality the Jumble is a terra indigene settlement, intended to be a gateway between humans and the Others interested in understanding human culture, and Vicki is the Reader. Of course things then get ugly as Vicki's ex-husband turns up intending to turn the Jumble into a resort.
If this was the first installment I feel I would have enjoyed the typical cycle more, as it is we have the typical cycle of innocent/ignorant main character serving as the conduit to the Others, and surprise surprise, humans come in to spoil the day. As much as I like seeing the eventual comeuppance perhaps this offshoot could have taken a different direction?
hookedbythatbook's review against another edition
4.0
Lake Silence builds on the world that Anne Bishop had created in her “The Others” series, starting with Written in Red. This story takes place in a different town surrounded by the Others, featuring a completely new cast of humans and creatures.
Vicki DeVine received a piece of property near Lake Silence, as part of her divorce settlement. After a body was discovered on her property, Vicki learns the true extent of the Others’ involvement in her resort and the surrounding area. When her new-found freedom is challenged by her ex-husband and his ill-intentioned cronies, Vicki and her new human friends must forge an uneasy alliance with the Others to get rid of the threat.
The Others in this book still have the same feel as in all the other books in the series, and their behaviour matched my expectations for them. It was interesting to read about the human and Others interactions in a different part of this world. Vicki’s vampire lawyer, Ilya, was interesting. He helps Vicki out of all her difficult situations, but it is always clear that his motivation is in the interest of the Others. Wayne Grimshaw is pulled into the situation at Lake Silence and is crowned the chief of police by the town. He is the reluctant hero, but still steps in to take charge whenever it is needed. Julian is another reluctant hero, with a mysterious past and some special skills that proved to be very useful as the drama unfolded. Both of these men could be counted on to keep their heads when things started to fall apart.
Vicki is hard to like. She is left with deep-seated fears resulting from her failed marriage and has lost all her trust in men, especially in a romantic sense. She is prone to anxiety attacks and has a decided lack of self-confidence. If it wasn’t for her lawyer, her ex-husband and his co-conspirators would have bulldozed right over her. She is definitely not the strongest female character in the book. I don’t feel as if she had made much improvement in that respect either as the story progressed. She did seem to come out of her shell a bit, and started to trust the people around her more, but she still struggled with the same insecurities at the end.
The villains were shallow, greedy, and self-centered. The gradual way the author allowed their motivations for their crimes to be revealed kept my interest.
I liked the flow of words in the writing. It felt natural, not stilted at all. It was a pleasure to read. Initially I felt disappointed that there was no mention of the other familiar characters from the previous books, but this story quickly grabbed by attention and kept it.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. Even though I feel as if the main protagonist did not grow enough as a character, there was definitive growth in the relationships between the characters and their understanding of each other. I look forward to read more about this world.
Vicki DeVine received a piece of property near Lake Silence, as part of her divorce settlement. After a body was discovered on her property, Vicki learns the true extent of the Others’ involvement in her resort and the surrounding area. When her new-found freedom is challenged by her ex-husband and his ill-intentioned cronies, Vicki and her new human friends must forge an uneasy alliance with the Others to get rid of the threat.
The Others in this book still have the same feel as in all the other books in the series, and their behaviour matched my expectations for them. It was interesting to read about the human and Others interactions in a different part of this world. Vicki’s vampire lawyer, Ilya, was interesting. He helps Vicki out of all her difficult situations, but it is always clear that his motivation is in the interest of the Others. Wayne Grimshaw is pulled into the situation at Lake Silence and is crowned the chief of police by the town. He is the reluctant hero, but still steps in to take charge whenever it is needed. Julian is another reluctant hero, with a mysterious past and some special skills that proved to be very useful as the drama unfolded. Both of these men could be counted on to keep their heads when things started to fall apart.
Vicki is hard to like. She is left with deep-seated fears resulting from her failed marriage and has lost all her trust in men, especially in a romantic sense. She is prone to anxiety attacks and has a decided lack of self-confidence. If it wasn’t for her lawyer, her ex-husband and his co-conspirators would have bulldozed right over her. She is definitely not the strongest female character in the book. I don’t feel as if she had made much improvement in that respect either as the story progressed. She did seem to come out of her shell a bit, and started to trust the people around her more, but she still struggled with the same insecurities at the end.
The villains were shallow, greedy, and self-centered. The gradual way the author allowed their motivations for their crimes to be revealed kept my interest.
I liked the flow of words in the writing. It felt natural, not stilted at all. It was a pleasure to read. Initially I felt disappointed that there was no mention of the other familiar characters from the previous books, but this story quickly grabbed by attention and kept it.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. Even though I feel as if the main protagonist did not grow enough as a character, there was definitive growth in the relationships between the characters and their understanding of each other. I look forward to read more about this world.
siavahda's review against another edition
3.0
A bit of a let-down after the rest of the series, but I appreciated having a female protagonist who wasn't conventionally attractive, and the discussion of anxiety attacks and PTSD/triggers - as things that can affect men as well as women - was great to see too. I guess there was no way to make the stakes feel very high after the events of previous books, but this was still a quick, fun read with characters I wouldn't be at all upset to meet again. For one thing, I'm still dying to know the truth about the sproingers!
annettesbookbanter's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars I love the series The Others and this one is just as great. Such a different take on supernatural beings and the dynamic between humans and them. There is no spice but it doesn't detract from the books at all. I enjoyed how this one was written from the POV of different characters in the book.