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mischievous_monkey's review
4.0
2/7/22
The theme of this series and the story’s HFL movement is almost too analogous to what has been going on here in the US these past few years for comfort. That, of course, makes this the perfect time to re-listen to these stories and possibly grow a little.
The theme of this series and the story’s HFL movement is almost too analogous to what has been going on here in the US these past few years for comfort. That, of course, makes this the perfect time to re-listen to these stories and possibly grow a little.
nicolemhewitt's review
4.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
The story lagged just a little bit for me in this book (but only in comparison to the first two books, which were a lot to live up to!). The plot focused mostly on the rescued cassandra sangue and their struggle to survive in the outside world. Things aren’t as simple as simply rescuing them from captivity – Meg and the Others now have to figure out how to keep them alive. While I definitely enjoyed the story, I did feel like the pacing was a little slower in this one and not as much happened. Even the big, ultimate confrontation just felt a little less than in the first two books. I was also disappointed that the slow-burning romance practically shifted to a no-burning romance in this one. After the second book, I thought that Meg and Simon would be exploring their feelings (at least internally) a little bit more. But the romance was shoved so far onto the back burner that it almost could have gone cold. (Bishop did throw us a bit of a bone at the very end.) Still, I adored the overall story and enjoyed the book thoroughly. I give this installment 4 stars.
The story lagged just a little bit for me in this book (but only in comparison to the first two books, which were a lot to live up to!). The plot focused mostly on the rescued cassandra sangue and their struggle to survive in the outside world. Things aren’t as simple as simply rescuing them from captivity – Meg and the Others now have to figure out how to keep them alive. While I definitely enjoyed the story, I did feel like the pacing was a little slower in this one and not as much happened. Even the big, ultimate confrontation just felt a little less than in the first two books. I was also disappointed that the slow-burning romance practically shifted to a no-burning romance in this one. After the second book, I thought that Meg and Simon would be exploring their feelings (at least internally) a little bit more. But the romance was shoved so far onto the back burner that it almost could have gone cold. (Bishop did throw us a bit of a bone at the very end.) Still, I adored the overall story and enjoyed the book thoroughly. I give this installment 4 stars.
saphibella's review
3.0
3.5 stars, I enjoyed it, but I also lost interest at over halfway through and had to take a break, which is a big minus in my opinion.
I started this book immediately after finishing book 2, and then as mentioned I lost interest. I came back to it almost 2 months later and finished the last 30% in no time.
My best guess is that although these books are very good, they just follow a formula that become very recognisable after reading 2 or more back to back, and I have a big aversion to repeats, they bore me to tears.
So I will wait a bit to continue with the next book in the series, because I really like the story, and want to know how it ends, but I also recognise that I need a break to forget a bit about the previous book, to actually enjoy the next one.
I started this book immediately after finishing book 2, and then as mentioned I lost interest. I came back to it almost 2 months later and finished the last 30% in no time.
My best guess is that although these books are very good, they just follow a formula that become very recognisable after reading 2 or more back to back, and I have a big aversion to repeats, they bore me to tears.
So I will wait a bit to continue with the next book in the series, because I really like the story, and want to know how it ends, but I also recognise that I need a break to forget a bit about the previous book, to actually enjoy the next one.
lamom77's review
4.0
I actually give this book 4.5 stars. It is the 3rd book in a series and unlike any other I have read. The characters the author brings to these books are so well written. This 3rd book didn't disappoint, although it dragged in a few parts, hence 4.5 stars instead of 5. But the story of The Others continues and the characters grow. I am very curious as to where this author wants to take the story.
whatsmacksaid's review
3.0
On par in quality with the earlier books—see a previous review on why I’m not comfortable giving it more than three stars regardless of how much I like the story.
This one was *dark,* though. Very little humor until the denouement, and with lots of (good) tension and conflict.
This one was *dark,* though. Very little humor until the denouement, and with lots of (good) tension and conflict.
kimbapnboba's review
3.0
I found this 3rd book more uncomfortable...the whole addiction to cutting for visions and the feelings that come with are so disturbing to me...yet I want to find out what happens with the whole community. I want to find out more about the Elders and I want the humans to wake up! I love the leads but their progression is too slow. If the next book doesn't pick up in that relationship, I may bail on the series.
kayteeem's review
Was not entirely satisfied with the ending of this one. It had that "middle book" feel, and not as much resolution as I might have liked. (Cleverly, I didn't start reading this one until nearly the time the next book will come out.)
amym84's review
5.0
Joint review posted over at Vampire Book Club
Go check out the review.
Loved this book, love this series, Love Meg and Simon!
Go check out the review.
Loved this book, love this series, Love Meg and Simon!
guardyourhonor's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Series review: I loved this so so much. I flew threw them, but they're also very competently written. I'm always a sucker for stories where kindness wins. It was an absolute delight to find a world where shifters aren't humans with a wolf inside them, they're always a wolf in any form. The whole world is amazing, in fact, and so detailed you would think Bishop had been writing in it for years. The characters got me just as much as the world. Our Meg immediately stole my heart. She's special, yes, but she's flawed and realistic and kind. But every character in the Courtyard was delightful, from Simon down to the ponies and the human pack. I'm so sad I can't spend any more time with them. If there's a flaw, it's the villains - they are pretty one note, mustache twirling bad guys. That said, they were fun to hate and see get their comeuppance.
anca_antoci's review
4.0
If Murder of Crows was so and so, this one falls in line with Written in Red and is much better. By now I got used to the slow pace of story development and the naive actions of the characters, so it didn’t surprise me. The story picks up where we left off in Murder of Crows. In the aftermath of prior events, and because the Humans First and Last movement stirred a lot of trouble, there is a shift in the dynamic between humans and terra indigene.
Let’s not forget that the Others commonly think of humans as ‘smart meat’ that invents things they can use. But if humans become a threat, the terra indigene population might consider living without the human-made products. Especially if the usually hidden and extremely dangerous ancient terra indigene (known as the Elders) decide the extinction of the human race. The tension and the danger that comes with it is best summed up by Captain Burke’ s joke:
“Do you know what happened to the dinosaurs? The Others is what happened to the dinosaurs. A joke Captain Burke had told him his first day on the job in Lakeside. Except it wasn’t a joke. Burke had known that, at least to some degree. And now so did he.”
The new relationship is strained at best with one exception: the human pack that forms around Meg Corbyn. And this pack seems ever growing while the terra indigene reluctantly accepts them in their midst.
We get to see more our favorite policeman, Monty and see him interact with his daughter Lizzy who comes for a surprise visit. The gory reason behind this visit keeps the story from dragging. Needless to say, Lizzy joins the human pack at the Courtyard. Being a child and a little bit spoiled she manages to stir some trouble for Meg.
The cassandra sangue that were freed by the Others have trouble adjusting to a life outside the compound. Suddenly, Meg feels overwhelmed and has trouble adjusting too. Honestly, that seemed far fetched. When she first arriver at the Courtyard, after having lived in the compound for as long as she could remember, Meg adapted just fine despite not having any real-life experience. She learned fast how to do her job at the delivery office, despite never having a job. Yet when she enters the Crow’s trinket shop Meg is overwhelmed into a panic attack because there were too many things there.
All this meltdown serves a purpose, but I wish it was done differently to make more sense. But let’s not dwell on it, Meg and the other blood prophets suffer from sensory overload (I don’t remember if that is exactly how the author calls it) so Meg wonders what to do about it:
“What do you expect us to do?” Meg shouted. “Write The Dimwit’s Guide to Blood Prophets?”
“Yes! That’s exactly what I want you to do.”
Looking at their stunned expressions, he wondered if he’d been a little too honest. “Figure it out and write it up so we can pass on the information to everyone who is trying to help these girls.”
“I’m not a writer,” Merri Lee protested. “I can make notes, sure, but I can’t write up something like that!”
“Ruthie will help you write it.” There. Problem solved. Ruthie was a teacher. She wrote sentences all the time.
As expected, there are plenty of hilarious moments caused by a poor understanding of how the human acquisition system works. In this case, the terra indigene didn’t understand the necessity of the paperwork needed to buy a house.
“Why couldn’t they just give the human female a bag of money and then pee on the building so that everyone would know it was theirs?”
The same goes for basic human terminology:
“This is Ruthie Stuart, Officer Kowalski’s mate. She will show your pups around the Market Square,” Simon said.
Sarah giggled. Robert said, “We’re not pups; we’re kids.”
Simon looked at Robert and Sarah, then at Ruthie.
Kids. He’d heard Merri Lee say something about when she was a kid. But the word didn’t apply to her now because she was an adult, so it had never occurred to him that, maybe, humans had a little shifter ability that they outgrew as they matured. When she had said kid, maybe she had meant kid?
He eyed Robert and Sarah with more interest. “Little humans can shift into young goats?”
Also, Simon’s reaction to Meg’s haircut is adorable and almost human:
“He had a feeling this was one of those times when a male should express positive enthusiasm regardless of what he really thought—especially when he didn’t really know what was going on.”
When Lizzy comes to the Courtyard she has a stuffed bear that makes her feel safe. While none of the humans bats an eye about it, the terra indigene residents are completely baffled.
“Why did humans give their offspring fake versions of predators that would happily eat those offspring?”
That being said, I’m glad I didn’t give up on this series and I’m happy to move on to the next book.
Let’s not forget that the Others commonly think of humans as ‘smart meat’ that invents things they can use. But if humans become a threat, the terra indigene population might consider living without the human-made products. Especially if the usually hidden and extremely dangerous ancient terra indigene (known as the Elders) decide the extinction of the human race. The tension and the danger that comes with it is best summed up by Captain Burke’ s joke:
“Do you know what happened to the dinosaurs? The Others is what happened to the dinosaurs. A joke Captain Burke had told him his first day on the job in Lakeside. Except it wasn’t a joke. Burke had known that, at least to some degree. And now so did he.”
The new relationship is strained at best with one exception: the human pack that forms around Meg Corbyn. And this pack seems ever growing while the terra indigene reluctantly accepts them in their midst.
We get to see more our favorite policeman, Monty and see him interact with his daughter Lizzy who comes for a surprise visit. The gory reason behind this visit keeps the story from dragging. Needless to say, Lizzy joins the human pack at the Courtyard. Being a child and a little bit spoiled she manages to stir some trouble for Meg.
The cassandra sangue that were freed by the Others have trouble adjusting to a life outside the compound. Suddenly, Meg feels overwhelmed and has trouble adjusting too. Honestly, that seemed far fetched. When she first arriver at the Courtyard, after having lived in the compound for as long as she could remember, Meg adapted just fine despite not having any real-life experience. She learned fast how to do her job at the delivery office, despite never having a job. Yet when she enters the Crow’s trinket shop Meg is overwhelmed into a panic attack because there were too many things there.
All this meltdown serves a purpose, but I wish it was done differently to make more sense. But let’s not dwell on it, Meg and the other blood prophets suffer from sensory overload (I don’t remember if that is exactly how the author calls it) so Meg wonders what to do about it:
“What do you expect us to do?” Meg shouted. “Write The Dimwit’s Guide to Blood Prophets?”
“Yes! That’s exactly what I want you to do.”
Looking at their stunned expressions, he wondered if he’d been a little too honest. “Figure it out and write it up so we can pass on the information to everyone who is trying to help these girls.”
“I’m not a writer,” Merri Lee protested. “I can make notes, sure, but I can’t write up something like that!”
“Ruthie will help you write it.” There. Problem solved. Ruthie was a teacher. She wrote sentences all the time.
As expected, there are plenty of hilarious moments caused by a poor understanding of how the human acquisition system works. In this case, the terra indigene didn’t understand the necessity of the paperwork needed to buy a house.
“Why couldn’t they just give the human female a bag of money and then pee on the building so that everyone would know it was theirs?”
The same goes for basic human terminology:
“This is Ruthie Stuart, Officer Kowalski’s mate. She will show your pups around the Market Square,” Simon said.
Sarah giggled. Robert said, “We’re not pups; we’re kids.”
Simon looked at Robert and Sarah, then at Ruthie.
Kids. He’d heard Merri Lee say something about when she was a kid. But the word didn’t apply to her now because she was an adult, so it had never occurred to him that, maybe, humans had a little shifter ability that they outgrew as they matured. When she had said kid, maybe she had meant kid?
He eyed Robert and Sarah with more interest. “Little humans can shift into young goats?”
Also, Simon’s reaction to Meg’s haircut is adorable and almost human:
“He had a feeling this was one of those times when a male should express positive enthusiasm regardless of what he really thought—especially when he didn’t really know what was going on.”
When Lizzy comes to the Courtyard she has a stuffed bear that makes her feel safe. While none of the humans bats an eye about it, the terra indigene residents are completely baffled.
“Why did humans give their offspring fake versions of predators that would happily eat those offspring?”
That being said, I’m glad I didn’t give up on this series and I’m happy to move on to the next book.