I loved the first 5 books in The Others series from Anne Bishop, and was excited to get more stories with the Others. While I'll miss so many of my favorite characters from the Lakeside Courtyard, I already love so many of the characters we met in the Lake Silence area of Sproing.

Vicki DeVine was treated horribly by her ex-husband, but she has started to come out of her shell and feel a strength about herself she has never felt before since moving to The Jumble on Lake Silence. I loved she was so very accepting of any individual that came to stay with her and she wanted to really make her new live work running The Jumble per the agreement with the Others. I have to say I especially loved having Aggie Crowgard and her friends staying at The Jumble. I adored the Crowgard at the Lakeside Courtyard and found myself loving The Jumble Crowgard every bit as much.

I loved the characters that rallied around Vicki to battle her ex when he and his club show up to try and kick Vicki out of The Jumble. I loved how both humans and Others worked together to help out Vicki. I feel like her character will grow so much over the course of series, and really can't wait to see her once she finally sees herself as so many of those in the Lake Silence area already see her. I'm very excited to see where Ms. Bishop takes us with her Lake Silence stories of The Others.


Rating: 4 Stars (B)

Lake Silence exists in the wild country, a place ruled by the Others. It and the village of Sproing are named for the Others who call the area home. Human locals know about Lake Silence..."If you put a motor in the water, you will die."

Vicki DeVine has come to Lake Silence to start anew. A woman carrying wounds from the life she left behind Vicki is sensitive to the Others and their wariness when dealing with humanity. As dangerous as the Others' are, humans are predators too and the men that Vicki escaped have followed her to Lake Silence. Unfortunately for them, these men have no experience with true predators and Lake Silence doesn't forgive or forget the trespasses of man.

Author Anne Bishop has created a beautiful, intricate world with her Others' series and this latest novel is a new entry point, with completely different protagonists and thematic elements. Lake Silence is a brilliant addition that I highly recommend.

I was thrilled to visit the world of The Others again with Lake Silence, but was a little unsure if I’d like it as much as the previous books that centered on Meg and Simon, and the Lakeside Courtyard residents. I will say that Meg and Simon continue to be my favorite, because, hello, romance junkie here, but Lake Silence was captivating! And there is a hint of a romance to come. Wasn’t sure if this was going to be a standalone, but I just checked and there’s another book coming, so yay! Maybe I will get my romance after all.

So the story centers on Vicki, a recent divorcee who acquired a lakeside lodge in her divorce settlement, The Jumble. Along with The Jumble, she has access to a prime lakeside beach on Lake Silence. The Jumble is located in the Wild Country, smack in the middle of The Others’ territory. Vicki’s very respectful of the terms of the land lease, and building restrictions while renovating, which is something that’s noticed and appreciated by The Others who live all around her. Not that she realizes all this at first.

Vicki’s ex-husband is a real piece of work with nefarious plans and he starts to set these in motion. Also, Vicki’s lodger, Aggie Crow, finds a dead body on the property, and this really sets the story into motion.

Officer Wayne Grimshaw, a highway patrolman, is sent up to The Jumble to investigate and becomes embroiled in the whole mess, and temporarily stationed in Sproing, the little town adjacent to The Jumble. There’s also Julian, an Intuit, and previous policeman who worked with Grimshaw, and several other interesting and fun characters. Aggie, Vicki’s lodger and member of the Crowgard. Ineke, the boardinghouse owner, and kick-ass friend of Vicki; Ilya Sanguinati, a scary, but “yummy” attorney, and many more. All play a vital role in Vicki’s new exciting life.

I think Vicki’s story sort of echoed bits of Meg’s story in the first books, where a human settles in with The Others and because of her courage, acceptance of The Others, kindness, and lack of prejudice, is taken under the wing (s) of The Others she comes in contact with.

Vicki finds herself in a heap of trouble and bullied by a group of men, that include her dirtbag of an ex-husband, who want to take over her property. I was so thrilled when The Others took up for her, much to the surprise of the horrible, scheming men, who’ll stop at nothing to get there way. Gotta say, I was so very nervous for Vicki on more than one occasion!

The story took a little bit to get into, but that wasn’t surprising with a new cast of characters and new location, but reading the previous books made it easy to slide in and get comfortable. I didn’t want to put the book down, not even when driving on some windy roads. I was on vacation, visiting wineries while reading, and didn’t want to get car sick, so I purchased the audio version, so I didn’t have to stop the story! My husband also became riveted to the story while I had it playing in the car.

Loved Lake Silence and I can’t wait to continue with another adventure in the next book!

A copy was kindly provided by Ace via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This review is also posted at The Readers Den.

While Lake Silence is not part of Bishop’s series about the Others (shape-shifters, vampires, and other Elemental beings), it includes some of those character peripherally. Instead, it focuses on a completely new character, Vicki DeVine, a middle-aged, overweight, prone-to-panic-attacks divorcee’ who received a rustic resort as part of her divorce decree. Since her divorce, she has lived quietly, remodeling and upgrading the various buildings and facilities on her property and trying to recreate her life with reading. She discovers that her first tenant, Aggie Crow, is a shifter member of the Crowguard just as Aggie discovers a dead body. Unfortunately for Vicki, this is just the first of many bodies as it becomes obvious that her ex-husband is trying to steal back the resort.
Vicki is a charming character – sweet and kind to nearly everyone with some significant body and confidence issues that can lead to panic attacks. She is joined by several other distinctly drawn characters, including Wayne Grimshaw, the aloof highway patrol officer asked to lead the investigation who somehow becomes Chief of Police without him even realizing it; Julian Farrow, owner of the book store entitled “Lettuce Reed” who is a former police officer himself with PTSD issues; Ineke Xavier, the fierce matron who runs the town boardinghouse and befriends Vicki; and Aggie Crow, the young Crowguard who is Vicki’s first tenant and the one who discovers the first body. Bishop ensured that each of these characters had their own distinct voice, which made the story really come alive.
In Bishop’s world, humans are not the apex predator; instead, the Others – shape-shifters, vampires, and deadlier Elementals such as Winter and Fire – rule the world and allow the humans to exist so long as they follow specific rules. When humans break those rules, then the consequences are severe, with ice storms, tornadoes, sinkholes, and giant unseen killing creatures. Bishop’s other series ended with humans suffering these types of catastrophes, so one would think that Yorick Dane, Vicki’s ex-husband, and his partners would have known better than to risk offending the true rulers of the land. Regardless. reading about their comeuppance was a lot of fun.
The book overall was a great read, with lots of humor and small moments that touched the heart. There were times when I laughed out loud and times when I teared up. This probably was one of the best books that I have read all year. While it can be read as a standalone, this is a time when I highly recommend reading the entire series, because some of the humor is enhanced by knowing what happened in the other series.

Incredible! This author is already a favorite of mine. The way she has created this world of vampires, werewolves, werebears, elementals, and others is simply not been done before. In this newest spin-off from the original series the female lead is smart, funny and has to find her inner strength. As a woman who has had to do this and for any woman this story just resonates. The mystery is, of course, a complete page turner and I did not see where it was going until very far into the book. I did not put it down until I finished it.

I've been crushing on The Others series since Written in Red. While I was patiently waiting for another story about Simon Wolfguard and Meg Corbyn, Anne Bishop decided to introduce Vicki De Vine and a slew of new and interesting Others. I begrudgingly admit that Lake Silence pulled on my heartstrings a bit, and I'm dying for more!

Vicki is the new owner and caretaker of a bed and breakfast, called The Jumble, in a human town controlled by the Others. She doesn't know that there are evil, greedy forces waiting to pounce and take away everything she's worked for. Thankfully, her compassion for the young Aggie Crowe, and other Others she comes across, endear her to the terra indigene leaders and gains her some kind of protection from the Elders.

Yes, I was a little depressed to not get more of Meg and Simon, but Lake Silence has offered a different vibe that makes this story an asset. All the stories up to this point have touches of dark humor, but I found many more laugh out loud moments paired with the violence of life with man-eating creatures. Vicki may struggle with insecurity and anxiety, but her snark and sass come through loud and clear. She finds her voice by the end of the novel and I love her just as much as I love Meg! There are quite a few compelling human characters that also have backgrounds that make them different from the rest of the population. Events in the Lakeside Courtyard are creating a wave of change in the rest of the world and it's characters like Vicki, Officer Grimshaw, and Julian, who do what they can to keep the terra indigene from wiping out the entire population of humans.

I can safely say that I have no idea where this series is going, but I'm behind Anne Bishop 100%! With Lake Silence, she's opened up the world of the Others to our prying eyes and I can't wait to travel a bit further into this fantastical land!
*ARC provided in consideration for review*

I gave it 4.5 stars

I put off reading LAKE SILENCE for quite a while. I was scared that I wouldn't love it like I loved the previous books in the Others series with the different setting and characters. I am happy to report that I was worried for no reason and that I loved LAKE SILENCE just as much as its predecessors.

I DID miss Meg, Simon and the rest of the Lakeside Courtyard crew, but Vicki and her new friends—both human and Other—were easy to like, easy to root for and so much fun to get to know. Vicki has a lot of insecurities and doubts throughout LAKE SILENCE. If you're looking for a romance, you won't get it. She isn't ready to trust men romantically yet after the disaster that was her marriage, but she is on her way there.

I loved learning about another part of the world. The town and the people really helped make the story. We don't have that Courtyard feel of the last books, but there is definitely a community.

I would have liked to get to know the Others better. We get a lot of information on the humans of the group, but we only got a few tidbits about the others. Even with not getting to know them, we do get to see what their powers are used for and what they are willing to do for those that have their protection.

After finishing LAKE SILENCE I'm once again excited to continue the series and look forward to seeing what will come next.

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I love the world Anne Bishop has created with the Others and was eager to read another book in this series. Overall, I found it enjoyable with a host of new, intriguing characters. However, there were parts that I found utterly silly, and not in an amusing way, such as the Sproingers. I don't know what their presence added to the book other than oddity. Vicki's behavior, while occasionally understandable as the victim of a traumatic relationship, was a source of frustration. I would have appreciated a little more growth from her. It would also have been nice to have the Other's behavior towards her explained and I still don't feel that her being a "vital" human is sufficient. The points of view from Officer Grimshaw, Ilya, and Julian were extremely enjoyable. I hope to see more of these characters!

While Lake Silence occurs in the world of the Others than Anne Bishop has created, it’s important to note that it revolves around a different cast of characters. Anne Bishop has done a pretty phenomenal job of getting the word out about that (which is good for the sake of our expectations), but I still felt it was a good idea to mention it again (as the saying goes, better safe than sorry).
I just recently finished binge reading the last three novels in the Others series (so I could happily read this one with a full understanding of the world and background, but also so I could be unafraid of spoilers). To say I’ve been immersed in this world would be putting it lightly. I’ll admit I was feeling a little conflicted about reading an Others novel that focused on different characters. On the one hand I really enjoy the cast of Lakeside’s Courtyard and hate to miss out on anything they’re working on. On the other hand, I love the idea of seeing more of the world we’ve been handed (and I don’t realistically see Meg and Simon traveling much). So despite the hesitation I had about Lake Silence I decided to dive on in and do my best to without any expectations until I gave it a good solid chance.
While there may be a bit of an adjustment period for us, getting used to a new location and set of characters, there’s a strong enough connection between the two cities (specifically in their landscapes and rules) to help reduce the settling time. The rules at Lake Silence has very similar rules to those of Lakeside. Granted, some of those rules may be a bit more obfuscated due to the smaller number of humans in the city.
Where Lakeside is a full and busy city, Lake Silence is a sparsely populated town (or maybe I should be calling it a village? I’d have to check the numbers for each to know which is more accurate). Consider a town with only one main road, and you’ve got a pretty good idea of the human side of Lake Silence.
That’s where Vicky DeVine comes into the picture. She’s the new owner of The Rumble, and while she’s done a wonderful job of following the rules in the contract (no expanding of the buildings, only needed updates allowed, don’t expand the road or cut more trees than you need, etc), there’s a few stipulations she wasn’t aware of when she took the property (not that I think it would have changed her mind at all). Such as the fact that The Rumble is meant to be a rustic sort of Courtyard; a place where the terra indigene can come and learn about and interact with humans.
Taking on the job of being an ambassador for one’s entire race would be pretty intimidating; finding out you’ve been doing it for months with no prior heads up? That would be terrifying. Thankfully Vicky is a very kind hearted person, so she never had to worry about the terra indigene walking away with a bad impression of humanity after having a chat with her. Some of the people Vicky used to know (such as her husband) couldn’t say the same.
I’ll admit that while it took me almost no time at all to adjust to and start relishing the details of Lake Silence, it did take me a little bit longer to get to know and like Vicky. By that I mean it was probably a whole chapter before I decided that I wish I had a friend like her. She’s hard working and loyal, though she absolutely suffers from low self-esteem (something I’m sure we can all sympathize with). She isn’t a perfect or idealized character, she’s a human. And I actually really love that. Too often to we see these plastic dolls in place of real characters, and it’s so refreshing to see a character with flaws (though I feel harsh calling that).
I really enjoyed seeing the growing conflict; sure we could see it coming from a mile away (they even describe it a little bit on the back cover), but that doesn’t change the intricacies involved. The men plotting against Vicky (and by proxy the terra indigene) may be overestimating their power and safety, but they’re not dumb either. Had this been a world without the indigene, I have no doubt their plans would have succeeded. Seeing nasty men like them come up against wall after wall was more than a little satisfying.
I’m not sure if we’re going to be seeing another story from Vicky’s perspective or not. The ending seems to be set up in such a way where Bishop will have her choice on that one. I could easily see this being a one shot novel, but likewise I wouldn’t mind seeing more of the characters I just spent the last four hundred pages getting attached to.

I am a huge fan of Ms. Bishops multi-layered deeply meaningful fantasies. In an interesting twist Ms. Bishop takes us outside of the Lakeside Courtyard to a tiny village in the Finger Lakes. With a brand new cast of characters we find greed and entitlement once again squaring off against the Others. The choices and alliances of a few humans will make the difference between peaceful co-existence or total destruction of all humans in this tiny community on the shores of Lake Silence.
Even as I enjoyed meeting a whole host of new characters and new species of others I did not find this story as powerful as the original series. Perhaps that will change as this series continues. Vicki DeVine is an innkeeper. Her quaint B&B on the shores of Lake Silence boasts one lodger who unbeknownst her is an other, a crow to be more precise. On the morning Vicki finds her lodger getting ready to warm a human eyeball in the microwave her life takes a dramatic turn which will spark a chain of events that will change her and the community of Sproing forever.
Suddenly greedy humans are descending on Vicki determined to seize this opportunity to usurp all her hard work and take over her property for themselves. Fortunately for Vicki, a host of others who have hidden in plain sight come forward to her rescue. Yummy Ilya Sangunati is the most prominent of her defenders as a host of others including elementals and elder swarm out of the woodwork to help take a stand against greedy and corrupt humans. As for the humans, It's amazing how simple choices can have far reaching consequences. As the story plays out Vicki finds herself in the center of a conspiracy but also amidst friends and protectors both of the human kind and other.
The story is deep with so many layers that it took me a few readings to get some of the subtle nuances. While this book can be read as a stand alone there are references to characters and incidents from the "Others" books that are more meaningful when you've read these books. While I enjoyed many of the new characters I still found myself missing Simon, Meg, Henry and the host of beloved characters who are a part of the Lakeside Courtyard,

There’s a famous saying that “Mother Nature always bats last, and she always bats 1.000.” And that’s true even if homo sapiens is no longer around to see her step up to the plate. But what if, instead of Mother Nature, or Gaia, or the workings of chemistry, biology and physics on the environment, instead of working, let’s call it, translucently, had an actual batter in the on deck circle all the time, one who regularly stepped up to the plate whenever homo sapiens screwed up.

Which we do. Frequently and often.

In some ways, that’s the premise of the world of The Others. In the earlier books of this series, starting with Written in Red, we see a world where nature is personified by beings known as “The Others”, where homo sapiens is not the dominant species. A fact that some members of the species keep trying to forget, and with predictable results.

Instead of doing whatever we want to the environment and the planet, the Others have very strict limits on what humans can do, where they can do it, and how much damage they can do. When those limits are exceeded, the Others slap humans down. Hard. Deadly hard.

At the end of Etched in Bone, the Others decide that humans need to be taught a lesson. Again. Lake Silence is the first story that takes place after those events, in a world where the human population has been deliberately decimated, and where the Others have become much more obvious about their true ownership of this world and everything in it.

Vicki DeVine has come to Lake Silence, one of the small Finger Lakes in what we call upstate New York, to try to make a go of the slightly run down rustic resort that she received in her divorce from Yorick Dane and his Vigorous Appendage.

Things are going reasonably well, in spite of the many restrictions that the Others have placed on what Vicki can and cannot do with the buildings on her resort, until Vicki’s one and only acknowledged tenant, Aggie Crow, brings home a “squooshy” eyeball. To eat. And that’s when Vicki discovers that she isn’t as finished with Yorick as she has hoped, and that the Others that most humans try to think of as “far away” and “out there” are, in fact, “in here”, or at least in Lake Silence. And that the Lake and all of its surroundings are, in fact, “out there” where the Others control everything.

Just because you don’t believe in Mother Nature, doesn’t mean that she doesn’t believe in you.

Escape Rating A: A friend wondered what there was to say about the world of the Others now that Meg, the heroine of the first part of the series, seemed to be well on her way to living a normal life including an eventual HEA.

It turns out there’s quite a lot to say, and quite a lot of very interesting characters to say it with. (I always thought that “reading crack” was somehow embedded in the pages of Meg’s story – and whatever it is, its still here).

The humans in this story are all too recognizably human, with the species’ ability to stick their heads in the sand and ignore anything that doesn’t conform to their desired reality, and with the all-too-frequent venality and willingness of some people to cheat whenever possible.

I did sometimes find myself wondering if the species might have developed somewhat differently in a world where humans were demonstrably not the apex predator, but that wouldn’t make for half so interesting a story or for characters who are so easily recognizable.

Vicki DeVine serves the same purpose in Lake Silence that Meg did in Written in Red, even though she comes from a completely different perspective. And unlike Meg, Vicki herself is not merely human, but garden-variety human. She has no special powers. She’s just a good person whose been repeatedly hurt, and she’s open minded and likeable. And the Others like her.

Vicki doesn’t know it but the resort she owns is meant to be a kind of “halfway house” for Others who want to learn to blend into the human world. Not because being human is considered better, because it’s not. But because the Others need to keep a closer eye on the humans in their human controlled enclaves, especially after the fiasco that culminated in Etched in Bone. And because humans, with their useful opposable thumbs, have invented some really cool stuff that some Others like to use, particularly those who live closer to humans, like the Sanguinati (read vampires) and the various animal shifters, like the Crowgard, Beargard and Panthergard who live near Lake Silence.

So when Vicki’s ex starts trying to dislodge her from her place on Lake Silence, the Others gather their forces, first to figure out what is really going on under the surface, and second to protect their friend and eliminate their enemies. By any means necessary.

There’s just enough humor to get the reader over the serious dark patches in the story, and there are plenty of both. That so many of the Sanguinati have become either lawyers or accountants, and just how good they are at professional bloodletting as well as the other kind provides no end of delight.

There’s something about the world of The Others that draws the reader in at the very beginning, and just doesn’t let go. Part of the appeal in this particular book is the character of Vicki DeVine, who has been wounded so badly and yet is still doing her best to get back on her feet and live her life. She is a character who starts out the story very small, but begins to grow into her place as the story progresses. It’s going to be fun watching her journey as the series continues.

! have been eagerly awaiting this latest installment in The Others series and I'm happy to say that it did not disappoint!

In Lake Silence, Bishop leaves the Lakeside Courtyard and the residents I've come to know and love and sets this latest tale in the small village of Sproing. Human inhabited... but not human controlled. Surrounded by the Wild Country, where The Others have free rein, Sproing is now home to Vicki DeVine. Hoping to turn the property she received in her divorce settlement into a successful business, things take a turn when her lodger finds a dead body. And things certainly take off from there.

There's all new cast of characters in Lake Silence and Bishop spun her magic and made each one unique, quirky and full of personality. From Vicki, still struggling after years in an emotionally abusive marriage, to Wayne Grimshaw, the cop called in from a neighboring town who is quickly embroiled in the apparent murder, to Julian Farrow, a former cop now running a small bookshop and who has an uncanny sense about the area around him. There's the charming and almost childlike Aggie Crowgard, Vicki's lodger who quickly becomes an important part of the story and whose constant search for "shiny" was always amusing.

And let's not forget The Others. Those seen - like Aggie, and like Ilya Sanguinati, Vicki's vampire attorney - and those unseen. Those that live in the wild, those that are heard or felt or even sensed. Bishop has a way of imparting just how lethal The Others truly are without ever making them the "bad guys." In fact, with their strong sense of right and wrong, their swift justice, and their loyalty to those who deserve it, it is most often the humans who show a lack of humanity and are doing the most harm.

I was thoroughly invested in Lake Silence. From the characters, to the mystery, to the world building, Bishop totally captured my imagination and kept me glued to my Kindle as the story unfolded. While Lake Silence can easily be read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend grabbing the previous books and immersing yourself fully in the world of The Others. Meanwhile, I'll be ready and waiting for the next book in this addictive series!

I enjoyed this book. After reading the earlier books in the series last year, I was really curious about this newest installment. I knew going into this book that it was set in the same world as the previous books but it would feature different characters. I was relieved to find that I liked this new group of characters right away. I had a really nice time with this story.

Vicki is a rather new resident in the area. She recently acquired a resort property, The Jumble, on Lake Silence as part of her divorce agreement. The resort is just starting to conduct business with its first renter. When a body is discovered near the resort, a chain of events begin that will put everything in jeopardy.

This book had a colorful cast of characters. Vicki was easy to like. She was such an honest and dependable person that hasn't always been treated well by others. Grimshaw was the calm authoritative voice of reason that everyone needed. He really seemed to care about Vicki and the residents in town. Julian is a good friend to Vicki and Grimshaw and steps into help and give advice when it is needed. I really liked how the wider group of characters quickly felt like a community working together.

There was a lot of action to keep everyone busy in this book. Vicki's right to The Jumble ends up being called into question by a group that has their own agenda. The property has a very detailed list of rules that must be followed since it is in the territory of the Others that Vicki has worked to follow while those who want to take the property plan to ignore. I really liked seeing how scary some of the Others could be when agreements were not followed. I was never quite sure how things would work out and was a bit nervous for the characters at times.

I would recommend this book to others. I think that anyone new to the series would be okay jumping in with this book but the background information from the earlier books was very helpful. I thought that this book came to a very satisfactory ending. I am really not sure whether their will be future books with this group of characters or not since the story felt very complete but I would certainly welcome any future installments.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Berkley Publishing Group - Ace via NetGalley

Anne Bishop brings us another tale from the World of the Others in Lake Silence, Vicki DeVine is struggling to find her place in the community near Lake Silence where the Others, the paranormal rulers of the world dominate. Her rustic resort on the shores of the lake is part of her divorce settlement and she is struggling to preserve the environment around it as set by the charter with the Others. Suddenly her ex husband is trying to reclaim the property. Who will win? Exciting adventure with complex characters.

I received this as an advanced copy from Netgalley.com for an honest review.

First I have to start out by saying that I absolutely adore the "The Others" series. I am a pretty big fan. Like, "go out at midnight and purchase the new novel" type fan; I am a fan of this novel too. That being said, it was tough to get used to the new characters in this expansion. I enjoyed the characters in the first five novels so much that it isn't fair to call this "The Others #6", but maybe "The Jumble #1." The same overall world, but very different tonality, plotting, and characters.  If you go into #6 thinking that you are going to see Meg and that sort of plot, you are in for some sadness. It doesn't flow quite as smoothly as the first five books did but I think the issue for me is that it is missing the depth of personality the original characters had. Simon, Meg, Vlad, and Tessa all were very original ideas with particular character traits. We haven't got there quite yet with #6.  That might be because we had a much longer time to get to know the other characters in the first five books or maybe Anne Bishop is trying out a different writing style. They are both excellent, but I don't think this novel resonates as well as the others did. Plotting is a bit slow to get going. Anne Bishop is introducing a new area, new characters and introductions take a bit of time. In the end, It was a fun book. Not really a rampant page-turner, but I enjoyed the time we spent together, and I look forward to more installations. It is worth the read just to get to live in the world Anne Bishop created some more.

Lake Silence marks the next story arc in Anne Bishop's The Others series. This time around we follow human Vicki DeVine, living in a little town called Sproing, who received in her divorce settlement an old run-down resort known as The Jumble - which straddles the line between what can be considered "human run" and "wild country" but more closely associated with the wild country. Basically, it was a place initially set up so the terre indigene could closely study and learn about humans. Vicki works really hard to get The Jumble habitable again, but soon after she's completed renovations, a dead body is discovered on the property. Being a law abiding citizen Vicki immediately calls the police, but when some out-of-town detectives start investigating, they want to blame Vicki for the murder. As Vicki and her friends start their own investigation, that someone is interested in The Jumble and wants to push Vicki out no matter the cost. But what they don't understand is that just because you can't see some of the terre indigene doesn't mean they're not watching.

When I learned that Anne Bishop was ending story arc one with Meg and Simon and continuing the series with new characters, I was a little unsure. I mean over the course of five books I had really grown to love Meg, Simon, and all the other characters in Lakeside. I should have known Anne Bishop wouldn't let me down.

Lake Silence deals more with the human side of Thaisia and specifically it's a chance for us to really see the consequences from The Great Predation - when a group of humans got together to try and attack the terre indigene and subsequently failed - what that did to the smaller settlements in Thaisia. But in addition to focusing more in the human side, we also get a lot more focus placed on the Elders and Elemental terre indigene which were more on the periphery in the first arc with that focus being more on the vampires and shifters.

I liked Vicki, she's a woman who has been through a brutal marriage and still struggles daily to get past the poison her husband spewed to her throughout the years of their marriage. I loved the glimpses we get of her unguarded thoughts that show us this spunky woman. It makes the brutality of what her husband did her stand out more because she's so unsure of herself and she censors or hides herself because she has been told repeatedly that is where her place is, hidden. I look forward to the series continuing and seeing Vicki break out of that shell she's formed around herself.

Vicki's only paying lodger Aggie, a Crowgard, is also a wonderful addition to this series. She's inquisitive, like the Crow we've seen from the first story arc, but I think we see her really begin to understand the humans a bit more than other terre indigene from this series to the point where she really lets her investigative skills shine a couple of times. She's able to put herself into the mindset of the humans in certain cases. I'm interested to see where her character goes from here.

Lake Silence drew me in like all the others in this series, Anne Bishop has a pretty good formula worked out, but even though it does feel a bit formulaic at times, I still enjoyed the read.

Bishop returns to the broader world of her Others series with a self-contained story set in a small community deep in Wild Country on the edge of the Finger Lakes.

In her divorce settlement with her gaslighting and emotionally abusive husband Vicky DeVine was granted ownership of run-down rambling inn on the edge of Lake Silence. She has spent the last six month working on restoring it and slowly regaining a healthier sense of self. The peacefulness of her lakeside retreat is shattered when her sole lodger who she didn't realize is a Crow, attempts to microwave a human eye in the Inn's kitchen.

The story is one-part police procedural & one-part women's fiction in a dark fantasy package. For readers of Bishop's previous Others novels the story will feel very familiar. A wounded woman finding sanctuary and protectors in a community run by supernatural beings, a honest and determined law-enforcement official seeks to solve crimes and protect humans from their own foolishness while walking a tight rope between human laws and powerful beings with their own rules and expectations. There is even another strong, wounded bookseller with a deep interest in the heroine, although this time that role is filled by Intuit,humans who have a uncanny ability to sense the future.

I very much enjoyed getting to know the new characters and community of Lake Silence, and I appreciated the faster, self-contained pacing. I didn't expect the story to wrap up in such a satisfying manner after the leisurely pace of Bishop's previous books in this series. I loved Julian Farrow's character, and the particular ways being an Intuit affected his relationships with non-Intuit humans. The scene in which Julian ends up playing game of Murder (very similar to Clue) with several Others was particularly fantastic, both darkly humorous and suspenseful and I loved how those scenes had ramifications that played out later in the of the story.

I'm now deeply curious where else in the World of the Others Bishops plans to write about next.





(An ARC of Lake Silence was provided by the Publisher for review consideration. Lake Silence is available through all the usual outlets, with a publication date of March 6th, 2018.)

Quick Take: With next-level world-building, subtle social commentary, and addictive storytelling Bishop coaxes fans to become entangled with new characters. Lake Silence is a tense journey that reveals exactly how deadly it can be messing with someone under the protection of the terra indigene.

Anne Bishop skillfully expands the world of The Others in Lake Silence with a tale about a town where “not human controlled” takes on real meaning. Vicki DeVine accepted The Jumble in her divorce as a way to start over. But when she finds lodger, Aggie Crowe, heating up an eyeball for lunch, Vicki discovers the girl’s one of those Crows and her new home is smack in the middle of a terra indigene settlement. The local Others take an interest in Vicki. It’s quickly apparent that they’re all that stands between her and death when her past comes stalking.

Lake Silence beings to weave the loose threads from the first five books into an even more vivid tapestry. The world isn’t the same since human arrogance and foolishness cost so many lives. Smartly so, Lake Silence moves the story away from the well known and into a whole new danger zone.

Seeing the world attempt to settle into a new shape is better served away from human-controlled areas. It allows for new and important actors to step forward to add dimension to the whisperings about what lives in the wild country and give a better understanding of what that phrase truly means.

Watching a damaged and browbeaten woman come into her own and face not only her fears but a dangerous new environment was the perfect lens through which to experience this world. The plot kept me on my toes and unable to put the book down. There’s unexpected humor, viciousness, and more than one reference that will remind you that humans are sometimes just too stupid for their own good. The story unfolds at a pace that leaves time for subtly and humor.

Anne Bishop’s unpredictable plots are not to be missed. Her ability to use Lake Silence to keep this world expanding and in dynamic is addictive. At first, I was sad not to return to the Courtyard. I found the story arc built around Meg and Simon intriguing right through to the epic climax. But Bishop’s ability to build an alternate world is unlike any other. I can’t wait to see who else steps forward to share their secrets in the next book.

Anne Bishop Can Tell Me Any Story She Pleases.
5 out of 5

Favorite Quote: Human laws do not apply in the territory controlled by the Others–vampires, shape-shifters, and even deadlier paranormal beings. And this is a fact that humans should never, ever forget….

Vicki DeVine has decided to reopen a rustic resort on Lake Silence, having been awarded it in her divorce from her abusive husband. Vicki is ill-prepared when one of her lodgers, Aggie Crowe, discovers a dead body on the property and the detective in charge of the case seems determined to pin the murder on Vicki. As Vicki attempts to stay out of jail while getting her resort ready for guests, the primal forces in the area begin to respond to the disturbances. When the rules set in place between the humans and the Elders centuries ago are broken one by one, the Elders set out to remind everyone what happens in the wild country when the rules are broken.

Lake Silence is the first installment of her Others World-a spin-off of her well known and much-beloved Others series. Set in the same world, Bishops introduces us to a new community and heroine in need of saving while bringing in some familiar faces to help ease the transition. Set in the terra indigene controlled community of Sproinger in upstate New York, we meet a seemingly meek and mild woman who found the courage to leave her abusive husband and strike out on her own. Now, with the help of some powerful and scary allies, she must fight to keep what she has built.

I’m a huge fan of Anne Bishop and her awe inspiring talent. From the first story of hers I ever picked up, I have been in enthralled with Bishop’s flowing narrative, epic characters, and painstaking world building. Her ability to effortlessly create spellbinding stories that are imprinted with the realism from such long-standing social issues of racism, abuse and cultural appropriation continues to entertain. The strong plotlines are heavily flavored with intrigue, suspense, and humor with multiple subplots branching off, promising us there is much more to come in the future.

Victoria ‘Vicki’ Devine is your typical Bishop heroine. Somewhat plain looking with a violent laced past and a vulnerability that invokes everyone’s- human and not so human-protective instincts. Looking to escape her past, she is now the new owner of The Jumble and is bringing it back to working order. Formerly owned by her husband’s family, the original builder signed a pact with the others when it was built, promising certain nonnegotiable concessions in exchange for the right to operate the resort. Vicki’s permission to continue running the resort has been approved because the others want to use it to study and learn from the humans.

While I enjoyed meeting this new crowd and reacquainting myself with some familiar faces, I couldn’t help but notice just how familiar this story sounded. A majority of Bishop’s stories tend to all follow a familiar path. Someone has what someone else wants and it takes someone(stronger and more deadly to help hold it. There is usually violence involved and a moral or two tossed in for good measure. As Bishop introduces the conflict, it’s pretty easy to figure what is going to happen. It works though because Bishop is a consummate storyteller whose heroes and heroines are cheer-worthy and easy to relate to while the villains are so deliciously awful and deserving of whatever Bishops deems their punishment.

As I got to know Vicki, I found my appreciation of her increased. Smart and hardworking, she has an extremely dry wit that comes out at the most inopportune moments, making it even more humorous. Her interactions with various others and some of the town’s human residents shows remarkable insight and it shows Vicki will eventually grow into her own and sooner then we think. I was surprised by the emergence of three heroes rather than the usual one. And the fact that none really seem to be a romantic interest. All are well-formed individuals whose very different personalities and motives that blend together once the main objective is made clear.

Ilya Sanginati is a vampire whom we met in the previous books. Cousin to Vlad (Lakeside Courtyard) and a lawyer, he opted to help oversee the small human town after the battle and purging of the Human First group and their followers. His potential mate, Natasha, is a CPA, (which I find ridiculously amusing) whom we’ve also met. Julian Farrow is a former police officer and Intuit. A horrific attack by his own brothers in blue led him to quit the force. He now resides in Sproinger and runs the local bookstore-Lettuce Read. Wayne Grimshaw is a police officer who went to the academy with Julian and whose inability to play nice with anyone makes him perfect for a town with no law enforcement presence.

Various others make their presence known throughout the story, coming in when needed. We meet more shapeshifters, vampires, elementals, and even some fiercer terra indigene. Once again, we see integration attempts with the humans though, after the events of the last book, these terra indigene are more likely to strike first and ask questions later. Vicki is all that stands between the humans and death. Something that she comes to eventually realize. Bishop strives hard to individualize all her characters with informative dialogue, rich emotions, and expressive description, trying to make sure they don’t fall into the trap of becoming rote. And she succeeds to a certain extent though some similarities are unavoidable.

Those looking for a viable romance are going to be disappointed. Bishop is the queen of slow, VERY SLOW, burning romances and I’m sure that will be the case here. While Vicki certainly waxes poetic about Ilya’s yummy chocolate brown eyes, Wayne’s commanding alpha-ness, and the lack of fear she feels around Julian, she just got out of an abusive marriage that damaged her emotionally and mentally. She has a long way to go before she truly trusts a man well enough to pursue a physical relationship with him.

The ending is a drama laced series of events that handle the villains with aplomb and leaves readers secure in Vicki’s triumph though honestly, the only real surprise was how it all went down. Regardless of the feelings of repetition, I still enjoyed Bishop’s latest others adventure and am looking forward to what she has in store for us next.

RATING: B-