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A review by kzimm2024
Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop
5.0
RE-Read Aug 2023, I didn't leave a review in 2018 but I gave it 4 stars. This time I gave it 5 stars since I had a smile on my face for the last few pages.
I had forgotten how fun it was between Simon and Meg even in to book 4. No action here people since Meg had been violated in previous captivity and this is the story of her learning to trust a Wolf with her heart and life. Her body will be next (though spoiler: precious little happens thus the reader is DENIED).
I would explain these stories as part-apocalyptical and part-alternate earth storyline with similarities yet with Others, the teeth and claws of the wild to keep man in check. Really, I enjoy the heart of these stories- the characters rather than the events. Meg, the other blood prophets and the characters now invested in their survival. And survival is right, since they have now faced an extinction of humanity and are looking to the future.
Lots of destruction happens and loss of Wolf lives by stupid humans, but we have a sweet story with Simon and Meg:
Simon, as he struggles. I love the perspective he has:
"Procrastination was a human trait, and in this past week, he’d discovered that it had its own kind of bite."
-------
"Growling, as if that would scare his thoughts into hiding, Simon rolled over, closed his eyes, and pushed his face into his pillow, determined to get a little more sleep.
But the thoughts were excellent hunters and devoured sleep."
Simon with Meg:
"When she didn’t respond, Simon hauled her to her feet and steered her out the bedroom door and down the hallway to the bathroom.
“Are you awake enough to pee and brush your teeth?”
She closed the door in his face."
---------
"While he waited, he made up the bed, more to discourage Meg from falling back into it than because he wanted to tidy the room.
Besides, running his hands over the sheets and breathing in her scent made him happy."
and Meg is constantly watched by the terra indigene, poor girl has to protect her boundaries somehow:
Jake flew over the back wall of Henry’s yard, landed near the stairs, and shifted to human.
“I will get water for our Meg.”
“Don’t eat my lunch while you’re looking for the water,” Meg shouted.
and
Jester returned a minute later and scowled at her.
“I know you’re human, but I would swear you have some Coyote blood. Only one of my kind could cause this much trouble so easily.”
and as they hunker down as the world is torn apart by the Elementals:
“Pony Barn. Meg speaking.”
Hearing her voice delighted him, relieved some unhappiness he hadn’t known he’d felt until it faded.
That’s why he growled, “I am going to bite you so hard.”
“No, you’re not.” Her voice sounded prim. He suspected she was laughing at him. “You’re going to give me a large bonus in my next paycheck (for staying safe)."
I love Vlad and Simons relationship too:
Meg smiled at Simon and Vlad.
“There is something behind that smile,” Vlad said.
“Like the first time you see a striped pretty and don’t learn what it is until you poke it with a paw and it sprays you,” Simon said. She wasn’t smiling now.
“Did you just compare me to a skunk?” Now they smiled.
“To be fair, you don’t smell like one anymore,” Simon said.
“WHAT?”
and finally- sigh- progression with Simon and Meg:
“Meg wants to go skinny-dipping?”
That Vlad sounded as baffled as he felt made Simon feel better. At least he wasn’t the only one who was confused.
“That’s what she said. With me. After dark. With both of us in human form.”
“None of us wear clothes when we play in the water unless we’re giving the clothes a quick rinse without removing them.”
“I know that. But this is important to Meg. I just don’t know why.” Simon growled in frustration.
She’d been upset the last time she saw him as a naked human. Why was this time different?
----------
He gently kissed that scar and felt something changing inside him—just a flutter of change, there and gone, but leaving its mark.
She looked at him, her eyes wide with uncertainty. If he kissed her again, she would flee like a bunny.
So he licked her nose and made her laugh before he lunged for the center of the pool, making as big a splash as he could.
Simon and Meg forever.
I had forgotten how fun it was between Simon and Meg even in to book 4. No action here people since Meg had been violated in previous captivity and this is the story of her learning to trust a Wolf with her heart and life. Her body will be next (though spoiler: precious little happens thus the reader is DENIED).
I would explain these stories as part-apocalyptical and part-alternate earth storyline with similarities yet with Others, the teeth and claws of the wild to keep man in check. Really, I enjoy the heart of these stories- the characters rather than the events. Meg, the other blood prophets and the characters now invested in their survival. And survival is right, since they have now faced an extinction of humanity and are looking to the future.
Lots of destruction happens and loss of Wolf lives by stupid humans, but we have a sweet story with Simon and Meg:
Simon, as he struggles. I love the perspective he has:
"Procrastination was a human trait, and in this past week, he’d discovered that it had its own kind of bite."
-------
"Growling, as if that would scare his thoughts into hiding, Simon rolled over, closed his eyes, and pushed his face into his pillow, determined to get a little more sleep.
But the thoughts were excellent hunters and devoured sleep."
Simon with Meg:
"When she didn’t respond, Simon hauled her to her feet and steered her out the bedroom door and down the hallway to the bathroom.
“Are you awake enough to pee and brush your teeth?”
She closed the door in his face."
---------
"While he waited, he made up the bed, more to discourage Meg from falling back into it than because he wanted to tidy the room.
Besides, running his hands over the sheets and breathing in her scent made him happy."
and Meg is constantly watched by the terra indigene, poor girl has to protect her boundaries somehow:
Jake flew over the back wall of Henry’s yard, landed near the stairs, and shifted to human.
“I will get water for our Meg.”
“Don’t eat my lunch while you’re looking for the water,” Meg shouted.
and
Jester returned a minute later and scowled at her.
“I know you’re human, but I would swear you have some Coyote blood. Only one of my kind could cause this much trouble so easily.”
and as they hunker down as the world is torn apart by the Elementals:
“Pony Barn. Meg speaking.”
Hearing her voice delighted him, relieved some unhappiness he hadn’t known he’d felt until it faded.
That’s why he growled, “I am going to bite you so hard.”
“No, you’re not.” Her voice sounded prim. He suspected she was laughing at him. “You’re going to give me a large bonus in my next paycheck (for staying safe)."
I love Vlad and Simons relationship too:
Meg smiled at Simon and Vlad.
“There is something behind that smile,” Vlad said.
“Like the first time you see a striped pretty and don’t learn what it is until you poke it with a paw and it sprays you,” Simon said. She wasn’t smiling now.
“Did you just compare me to a skunk?” Now they smiled.
“To be fair, you don’t smell like one anymore,” Simon said.
“WHAT?”
and finally- sigh- progression with Simon and Meg:
“Meg wants to go skinny-dipping?”
That Vlad sounded as baffled as he felt made Simon feel better. At least he wasn’t the only one who was confused.
“That’s what she said. With me. After dark. With both of us in human form.”
“None of us wear clothes when we play in the water unless we’re giving the clothes a quick rinse without removing them.”
“I know that. But this is important to Meg. I just don’t know why.” Simon growled in frustration.
She’d been upset the last time she saw him as a naked human. Why was this time different?
----------
He gently kissed that scar and felt something changing inside him—just a flutter of change, there and gone, but leaving its mark.
She looked at him, her eyes wide with uncertainty. If he kissed her again, she would flee like a bunny.
So he licked her nose and made her laugh before he lunged for the center of the pool, making as big a splash as he could.
Simon and Meg forever.