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A review by chelseaj91
Written in Red by Anne Bishop
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I'm sorry it took me so long to get to this!
The world building was interesting (although I will admit that some of it was a little...well the choices made were choices, that's for sure). I'm very curious about Tess and her Other form because clearly there's something there and she's more than a shop owner/baker.
I didn't like Asia as a villain. Mainly because she didn't give off "villain" so much as stereotypical high school cheerleader who couldn't fathom never getting what she wanted. Her constant references to Asia Crane, SI were annoying. And the fact that she said a couple times "a pro wouldn't do X", yet she went and did something similarly stupid when she decided to not only sell Meg out but attempt to kidnap Sam. I mean, she claimed it was because people would want leverage over the leader of a Courtyard but how thick do you have to be to think they'd even have time to send out a "hey we have your nephew, so do as we say" before they were stormed by Others?
It took a minute but I loved the way the Others started to warm up to Meg and even started playing with her. Jake's antics with the pens were hilarious and I kind of loved the way Henry urged Sam to play "chase" with Meg...granted he should have warned her first but still. Sam was just adorable and I wanted to wrap him up and hold him tight. It was sad that he'd gotten stuck but I liked that he trusted Meg enough to shift again, although I did find myself laughing at the way Simon would get frustrated because Sam wanted to do things Meg's way.
Meg was intriguing and I want to know a little more about things from before she ended up in Lakeside. Obviously we know she's a blood prophet and she escaped but like, what led her to making that choice? Was it just the vision she saw of Simon or was there more to it? What other visions did she see that might actually be important going forward? I liked that she got the Liaison's job and made it her own, like how she handled receiving the deliveries and figuring out ways to keep her guards and helpers entertained. Getting Sam's harness was actually inspired, even if the Others felt insulted but I feel like they should have realized that it got Sam free and maybe it wasn't so bad sooner than they did.
Simon was actually hilarious. Mainly because he couldn't figure out how human Meg showed up and suddenly the Courtyard was in love with her. Even if he grumbled about it, I liked that he not only claimed her as theirs when the wanted posters went out, but he was suddenly invested in protecting her. His exasperation at the dog beds was great and I love that suddenly they have them everywhere in the shops.
The tension between Meg and Simon is great and I really hope the payoff is worth it. I definitely want to read the rest of this series and can't wait to see what other things frustrate Simon about living with Meg.
The world building was interesting (although I will admit that some of it was a little...well the choices made were choices, that's for sure). I'm very curious about Tess and her Other form because clearly there's something there and she's more than a shop owner/baker.
I didn't like Asia as a villain. Mainly because she didn't give off "villain" so much as stereotypical high school cheerleader who couldn't fathom never getting what she wanted. Her constant references to Asia Crane, SI were annoying. And the fact that she said a couple times "a pro wouldn't do X", yet she went and did something similarly stupid when she decided to not only sell Meg out but attempt to kidnap Sam. I mean, she claimed it was because people would want leverage over the leader of a Courtyard but how thick do you have to be to think they'd even have time to send out a "hey we have your nephew, so do as we say" before they were stormed by Others?
It took a minute but I loved the way the Others started to warm up to Meg and even started playing with her. Jake's antics with the pens were hilarious and I kind of loved the way Henry urged Sam to play "chase" with Meg...granted he should have warned her first but still. Sam was just adorable and I wanted to wrap him up and hold him tight. It was sad that he'd gotten stuck but I liked that he trusted Meg enough to shift again, although I did find myself laughing at the way Simon would get frustrated because Sam wanted to do things Meg's way.
Meg was intriguing and I want to know a little more about things from before she ended up in Lakeside. Obviously we know she's a blood prophet and she escaped but like, what led her to making that choice? Was it just the vision she saw of Simon or was there more to it? What other visions did she see that might actually be important going forward? I liked that she got the Liaison's job and made it her own, like how she handled receiving the deliveries and figuring out ways to keep her guards and helpers entertained. Getting Sam's harness was actually inspired, even if the Others felt insulted but I feel like they should have realized that it got Sam free and maybe it wasn't so bad sooner than they did.
Simon was actually hilarious. Mainly because he couldn't figure out how human Meg showed up and suddenly the Courtyard was in love with her. Even if he grumbled about it, I liked that he not only claimed her as theirs when the wanted posters went out, but he was suddenly invested in protecting her. His exasperation at the dog beds was great and I love that suddenly they have them everywhere in the shops.
The tension between Meg and Simon is great and I really hope the payoff is worth it. I definitely want to read the rest of this series and can't wait to see what other things frustrate Simon about living with Meg.