I always enjoy Anne Bishop's books so I don't know why it took me so long to read this series. The Others series is probably my favorite series by Anne Bishop and while I like this book in the series I miss Simon and Meg. As a whole though the characters are great and the world is fascinating. This series reminds me a bit of her Ephemera series mixed with Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series and Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series. I am reviewing this book based on an ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

The town of Sproing sits on the shores of Lake Silence in the Wild Country, land controlled by the terra indigne, or the Others, the shifters, vampires, and much larger, fiercer predators that were the planet’s first inhabitants. Generations ago, they made an agreement that allowed humans to use the land and its resources as long as they followed certain rules. A year ago, a group of humans attacked the Others, breaking the agreement and resulting in “The Great Predation,” which left Sproing (and many other towns like it) largely abandoned.

Vicki DeVine is among the first humans to resettle in Sproing, having received a run-down lakeside resort property called The Jumble in her divorce settlement. Vicki’s spent months rehabbing the property so she can open for guests. Then she finds a body. It might be connected to her ex and a plot to reclaim The Jumble, but most of the police seem more interested in blaming Vicki. When her neighbors rally to her defense, she realizes that she’s been surrounded by Others the whole time, and by claiming The Jumble she’s become part of their world.

Unlike in earlier books, the primary POV characters in Lake Silence are all human. Vicki is sometimes cheeky, often referring to her vampire attorney as yummy, but she’s also insecure. She suffers from anxiety, and possibly PTSD though she doesn’t use that term, due to years of emotional abuse from her ex-husband. I love the way the Others deal with her condition though. We also follow Officer Grimshaw, the one cop who’s on her side. He has a great bromance with Julian, Vicki’s friend and former cop. And we follow “Them,” the villains. Vicki’s first renter, Aggie Crowe, who turns out to be a shifter also has a few short POV chapters, as does her lawyer Ilya Sanguinati.

Other than those two, I didn’t feel like I got to know the Others very well. However, the Elders and Elementals play a much bigger role than in previous books. Since The Great Predation they’re taking a more active role in the world, which definitely makes things interesting. Still, I hope that some of the shifters will be developed more in the next book.

Lake Silence begins a new arc in The Others series. It acknowledges that the world has changed, but doesn’t refer to events in the previous books much. Characters from the Lakeside Courtyard are mentioned, but mostly in the “I know a guy who knows a guy” sense. I think you could easily start the series here without getting lost. (Though the rest of the books are awesome and we highly recommend you read them.) In fact, I wonder if the story would have been more suspenseful if I hadn’t read the previous books. I felt like I knew exactly what would happen to the bad guys, just not when.

The series’ first arc did such a great job of revealing the world one small piece at a time. And it had the slowest burning romance ever! I’m pretty excited to get to know a whole new cast as this arc progresses.

Another solid entry into the world of the Others by Anne Bishop. Bishop introduces us to new characters and a change of setting focusing on the interactions between, Others, Elders, and the resident humans of Sproing and how they band together to protect Vickie DeVine as she renovates the Jumble, discovering what it was originally meant for as well as what some ne'er-do-wells intend for it.
This book leans harder on mystery than romance for those who care - personally I just enjoy the interactions between all the different characters Bishop brings to life on the page :)

I was so excited to start Lake Silence by Anne Bishop. I loved the first part of The Others, and I was curious to see where the author would take us next. I wasn’t disappointed 😀

Welcome to a small town in the middle of Wild Country off the coast of one of the Finger Lakes, Lake Silence. Vicki DeVine is a recently divorced woman trying to make a go of the property she inherited in the divorce, The Jumble. What Vicki doesn’t realize is that the Jumble is actually a terra indigene community. This makes for quite the surprise when the book opens with one of her residents warming up an eyeball in the microwave.

Vicki is not all that different from Meg. She isn’t a “sweet blood,” but she is damaged mentally and emotionally thanks to her ex. However she is trying to make a life for herself and I have to give her props for that. Vicki is a fairly independent woman and is embarrassed that she allowed her ex to control her like he did. I think fans of the series will enjoy Vicki and her interactions with the terra indigene.

Like the previous books, this one is told from multiple POVs with Vicki being the main focus. Grimshaw works highway patrol and is sent to investigate the eyeball and dead body found near the Jumble’s property. I like Grimshaw, he reminds me a little of Lieutenant Montgomery in that he is very aware of the terra indigene, enough so that he knows when to fear them and when to back down. What I didn’t care for with Grimshaw is that he was standoffish at times and didn’t seem to want to develop a working relationship with the terra indigene beyond keeping humans (even bad ones) safe. The other two main POVs (there are more but I’ll only touch on these) were Ilya Sanguinati and Aggie Crowgard. Aggie is young, even for a Crow, and I like her devotion to Vicki. She is the resident that warms up the eyeball but she is also a kind, inquisitive teen in her mannerisms and interactions with humans.

Personally I was excited to have a Sanguinati as the lead terra indigene in this book. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Simon and the Wolfgard. BUT there is something mysterious about this race of terra indigene that intrigues me. Maybe it’s because of how relatable they are to humans. Maybe it is Vicki’s reaction to this particular Sanguinati and his reaction to her. Who knows! I really enjoyed this character!

The plot unfortunately was very predictable and very slow. I had a really hard time completing the book. Not that I didn’t enjoy it, because I did. It was just really long. I think some of that is due to the fact that the author is introducing new characters and new setting. Also if you are someone who hasn’t read the previous books of the series, you can read this one without going back to the previous books. I think that is a plus, though I did get excited when a character from the previous books was mentioned.

Overall I enjoyed Lake Silence. I didn’t love it, because it was just so slow and I missed Meg, Simon, and the rest of the gang. I do like Vicki and the Jumble. I’m curious to see what is in store as the terra indigene return to the community. If you enjoy dry humor, a little horror, paranormal urban fantasy, I highly recommend this one.

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

What a treat to be back in Anne Bishop’s The Others fascinating world. In LAKE SILENCE, a new story arc begins with different characters in another place as book five was the culmination of the Lakeside Courtyard storyline including Meg and Simon’s relationship. While the people are different, the world of the terra indigene or earth natives known as the Others and their relationship with humans is not. After the Great Predation of the previous summer when much of the population of Thaisia was taken out by the Elders, the survivors are still figuring out how to live in this radically changed world. Because of the Lakeside Courtyard’s newly evolved relationship with humans including the blood prophets and Intuits, more of the terra indigene are redefining how they interact with those previously only considered prey. Lake Silence features a small community named Sproing; it is completely surrounded by the wild country. Vicki DeVine moved there after a divorce settlement ceding her a rustic resort which needed much renovation. After ten years of an unhealthy marriage, she has begun to find her albeit shaky footing. Her only lodger who becomes a close friend, Aggie Crowe, turns out to be one of the Others called the Crowgard. Aggie introduces Vicki to the terra indigene world in an intense way when a body is found on her rural property, The Jumble. The Sanguinati are the terra indigene in charge of this village led by Vicki’s “yummy” attorney, Ilya. As always, the Elders and Elementals are about watching the humans who when they get out of bounds, sometimes become lunch. Denial is not just a river in Egypt; the humans still like to pretend the Others are “out there” instead of RIGHT HERE.

Vicki’s life once again takes a turn to a major upheaval when it seems someone wants to pin the blame on her for this suspicious death. Anyone familiar with The Others series will know what happens when humans fail to follow the rules set by the terra indigene for appropriate behavior on their land. Essentially that territory is all of Sproing in the area known as the Feather and Finger Lakes. Sproing gets its name from the sproingers who are interesting little hoppy creatures with cute smiley faces. They comprise the literal eyes and ears of the terra indigene in town. Cute does not mean safe in the terra indigene world.

Vicki’s relationship with her ex-husband, Yorick, and his cronies is the backdrop for this story. Her philandering ex is described as having a wondering “vigorous appendage.” Ms. Bishop has a talent for blending wicked humor into potentially grim situations where people can easily end up a meal for the Others and have readers rooting for the them against bad humans. For those wondering about what is happening back in Lakeside, references to some folks are made from the Lakeside Courtyard, but no characters appear in this story. I thoroughly enjoyed being back in this creative and very entertaining world and look forward to the next book featuring the community of Bennett that featured in the previous books.

Lake Silence starts of the spin-off to The Others series with a bang! I loved The Others series, and Meg and Simon and the rest of the cast are some of my top characters of all-time, so there was a bit nervousness on my part going into Lake Silence. I had nothing to worry about though because Anne Bishop knocked it out of the park. 

Lake Silence centers around Vicki DeVine, a human woman with a heartbreaking human past. She's just won her ex-husband's property in a divorce settlement and is in the process of renovating it when she discovers the actual worth of the property to the Others. Vicki had the perfect balance of vulnerability and strength. Life had not been pretty for her, but she's working through her issues, and rising up to become the best version of herself. Vicki goes through hell and more, but throughout Lake Silence she remains this resilient woman, who you want to root for. Her only lodger at her resort is Aggie Crowgard - who can turn into a crow. I loved Aggie. She was so funny, and had me cracking up with her love for all thing "shiny". I also loved watching her bond with Vicki and become incredibly loyal to her. We also get to see the Sanguinatis, vampires, and other paranormal creatures. They were all great additions to Lake Silence, and so entertaining in their cluelessness when it comes to all things human behaviors. These might be wild creatures, but they possessed a certain curiosity and sense of right that made them better than most human beings.

As always, Anne Bishop is stellar when it comes to world building and story-telling. I was already familiar the world in The Others since I had previously read the other books, but Bishop does a great job at making sure that new readers won't feel lost. It was interesting seeing this new town, and the new creatures - the Sproingers! What I liked the best about Lake Silence was seeing the dynamics between the humans and the Others. I was fascinated by it in the previous books, and yet again, it was another element that I thoroughly enjoyed. I especially love despite how The Others are considered to be the primitive race, they show far more humanity, kindness and loyalty than some of the humans. It's a stunning contrast, and I like how Bishop weaved that into the story - the villains are the absolute WORST, and you'll love hating on them. The plot was also great. It's not the most fast-paced, but I was still left on the edge of my seat from the minute Aggie discovers a dead body and is attempting to feast on said dead body's eyeballs - now, isn't that a great image? :D The plot definitely has a slow-burn feel to it, but it's really entertaining. 

I'm so glad that Anne Bishop has decided to return to the world of the Others, especially because she did it so well! If you're already a fan of The Others, you won't want to miss Lake Silence. It's got that perfect balance of dark fantasy with elements of humor. I hope we'll see more of these characters because I need to know more and I already miss them!

Although I miss Meg and Simon and he Lakeside Courtyard, I am so totally invested in this world and this book was just as addicting as all the rest. I enjoyed getting to know a new part of the country and following Vicky, Aggie, Grimshaw, Ilya, Julian and all the rest of the cast of humans and Others. I especially loved the new addition of the Sproingers. I will read anything set in this world.

Love Triangle Factor: None - <spoiler> A very small romance is hinted at here, but it's a tiny side element</spoiler>
Cliffhanger Scale: This is a fully complete story/companion in The Others' world.

*NOTE: I will release a longer review on my blog http://www.loveisnotatriangle.com, closer to release date. I will also post on major retail sites like Amazon*

I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book, having loved the other characters/books in this world. But it was fantastic! I'm looking forward to more in this series and will recommend it as I recommend Written in Red.

I have read everything from Bishop and while there are some titles I have liked better than others, I have always been absorbed in her writing and world building. I wasn't thrilled with leaving the Others from Lakeside. Meg and Simon's story still doesn't feel finished to me which is disappointing. So I was not sure how a new group of characters would work in the Others world. However, I do like Vicki. She seemed to quickly accept the Others hanging around and spying on her when the vast majority of the humans are terrified of them. I don't suppose she has a choice but it was an almost too easy acceptance to show how "different" Vicki is from the rest of the herd. The new cast of characters Vicki meets are interesting and I liked how each chapter changes from character to character to see their viewpoints. I also like that Vicki thinks of the things, we as readers, actually think. Like what would it feel like for a vampire to take your blood? How big do the Elders actually get? What exactly are the Sproingers and does anyone really want to be around them when they take their Other form? Yet I wish that all the human women in the series didn't have to escape a horrific situation, and need the new men they meet, in whatever forms, to save them.

After finishing the story of Meg and Simon, I was really curious to discover this first spin off. How not to be? I loved all the novels and was really excited to see what the author was going to present us.

Vicki has managed to rebuild her life since her divorce. This is not easy because she keeps the consequences of moral harassment that her husband has made her suffer and she is not very comfortable with men. But she has rebuilt herself and she is trying to create a kind of little inn for everyone. Yet nothing is simple and when she discovers a body not far from home, it’s the beginning of trouble. It seems that her ex-husband is related to this story and that he is part of a group that wants to acquire her land. They seem to have forgotten the rules that govern this place or the fact that Vicki is helped by Others who have attached themselves to her.

I had a great time with this story but I must say that I found it a little below regarding the previous ones. Vicki is finally, when you think about it, pretty close to Meg on several points, but it’s true that no one in this style can surpass the original heroine for me. I really liked following the investigation and seeing what the characters were going to do next. It was also very nice to see some links with the first volumes even if it’s really very light. This novel is finally quite a standalone and the story is self-sufficient.

I wonder if the author will propose anything else, but in any case I was delighted to immerse myself in the universe and to discover new characters that make us travel!

Lake Silence by Anne Bishop is the first book in her new arc within her wonderful The Others series, which continues in the same world as the first arc. This arc is in the terra indigene controlled Finger Lakes region of Northeast Thaisia. Those of you have read my reviews; know that I am a huge fan of Anne Bishop. I have read every series & books she has written, and loved them all.

Vicki DeVine, our heroine, is the owner of The Jumble, a rustic resort in Lake Silence. Vicki, was given the rights to The Jumble, as a divorce settlement and has worked hard to try to bring the resort, with its cabins near a private beach next to the lake, up to par. The town (Spriong) surrounding Lake Silence has human residents, but is controlled by The Others. Vicki’s lone lodger is Aggie Crowe (a crowguard shape shifter), and one day Vicki catches her ready to eat an eyeball. Who does that eyeball belong to? Aggie takes Vicki on the trail where a dead body is found, and from that point on, everything in Vicki life will change.

The police from a distant town come and take Vicki to be questioned, and those nasty men threaten her. But Aggie will alert the Others and Ilya Sanguinati, a vampire and the main overseer in Lake Silence, will come to her rescue, as he is a lawyer. We will also meet Wayne Grimshaw, a good cop who will be assigned to be chief in Sproing and surrounding territory of Lake Silence. Julian is another ally for Vicki, as he is an intuit (they have the sight to sense something happening), as well as running a book store. All of them, as well as the Others, will become very protective of Vicki. But the men, including those policeman are determined to force her out of The Jumble, and her ex is part of the ruse. To keep her safe, she is told to leave, and let them move in. Of course, these evil men do not know what they are in for, as no one will ever survive The Others & Elementals, unless they feel you are good humans. Along the way we are introduced to other shapeshifters that will befriend and protect Vicki, such as Aggie, Ineke, Cougar, Conan, Ilya, Natasha, Lady of the Lake, Aiden, just to name a few. I got a kick out of the Sproingers, with their happy smile (unless you were the enemy).
What follows is an exciting enthralling story that will also be deep in a mystery as to who and why these people are threatening Vicki. Almost from the start, we become invested in Vicki, who was used to being pushed around by her ex, and lacks self confidence. The Others will sense her vulnerability, making them more conscious of protecting her. Vicki becomes a bit more comfortable to deal with the strange people who are not human, but who she has befriended, and they in turn will be her protectors. It was cute to watch Vicki become “the reader” for those she would read three evenings a week, murder mysteries outside her house, with many from hidden spots and from afar listening.

The last half of the book, was very intense, pulse pounding, especially when the evil people were determined to bring harm to Vicki. As the unseen Elders come out at night, those threatening Vicki will pay the consequences. It is just amazing how Bishop brings us in to this amazing world, and you are so deeply engrossed into the story, that you cannot put the book down. No one does Fantasy in so many different types of worlds then Anne Bishop, and I look forward to anything she gives us. She is a master at her world building and great characters. Lake Silence is a fantastic start to this new arc, and I for one cannot wait for the next one.

Lake Silence is book six in the Others series, but the first book that features characters other than Meg, Simon, and the residents of Lakeside Courtyard. When it was announced that the series would continue, but would focus on different characters and settings I was kind of thinking that meant characters we already knew and towns and settlements that were already familiar, but once I opened Lake Silence I realized I wasn’t familiar with any of the names or places mentioned. Which I have to admit was kind of exciting.

Sproing is a small community located on the Finger, or Feather, Lakes. Specifically Lake Silence. When Lake Silence opens readers are introduced to Vicki Devine, nee Dane, who is the owner of The Jumble, a resort like facility with a main house and cabins right off a private beach on Lake Silence. Vicki received The Jumble as part of a divorce settlement and has worked to upgrade and improve the facility since taking over its care. She is hoping it will soon become a money-making venture and a way for her to support herself. She isn’t aware that it is a terra indingene settlement until she happens upon her one guest… doing something a human would never do. That is when she discovers there is a dead body on her land and that the Others are closer and more involved in the town of Sproing and The Jumble than she, or any other human, knew.

It’s easy to like Vicki. In the very first chapter, while introducing herself and The Jumble, she gives the impression that the main reason she left her husband is because of his philandering ways, But as the book progresses readers soon learn there is a lot more to it than that. Her ex used words to abuse her in the worst ways and she still suffers from panic attacks as a result. She also has an extremely low self-esteem and tends to blame herself for things that happen, even if she had no control over the outcome. She has made friends with a few people around town. Julian is an Intuit and the owner of the local bookstore, and Ineke runs the boardinghouse, which happens to also be the only other place for visitors to stay overnight. Little does she know that her caretaking of The Jumble has been closely monitored by the Others in the community, specifically the Sanguinati across the lake, and they approve. When trouble comes to Sproing and The Jumble Vicki has more allies than she realizes.

The discovery of a dead body leads to a mystery where Vicki and her ownership of The Jumble are at the center. Several new characters round out the new cast, Grimshaw is a highway patrolman who finds himself leading the local investigation, Captain Hargreaves is his captain and offers support from afar, and Officer Osgood starts out with the bad guys, through no fault of his own, but quickly becomes one of the good guys and settles down in with Grimshaw in Sproing. There are new Crowgard, Beargard, Elementals, and Sanguinati introduced. The villians are all members of a new human alliance named The Tie Clip Club. You would think after the events in the previous five books in the series, which ended in the terra indigene sweeping across the world wiping out certain human settlements, and enacting new rules on just what they would accept and expect from humans would have taught humans a thing or two, but apparently not everyone learned the lesson.

Because I was already familiar with the world and world-building I was able to jump right in to this story with no problems. I did miss Meg and Simon and all the characters I’ve grown to love over the course of this series, but was excited to get to know all the new ones. I will say that if you haven’t read the previous books in the series I wouldn’t start here. Trust me, go back to the first book and start there. Get to know the Others and learn about the Blood Prophets and the terra indigene. See why the Elementals and the Elders had to get involved with the world of man.

Lake Silence was a wonderful addition to the Others series. I’m already looking forward to whatever comes next. Highly recommended to fans of Urban Fantasy. Final Grade- B+

Favorite Quote:

And yet this was the world they lived in. Until the Humans First and Last movement started a war with the Others, most of the terra indigene had paid no attention to the humans who crowded together on the land they were allowed to use. Now all the terra indigene paid attention, even in an unremarkable place like Sproing.

Lake Silence is a new book in the world of the series The Others. I was sad to not have the focus still be on the Lakeside Courtyard but the new characters in the Lake Silence region quickly changed my mood. I would recommend reading all the previous books because of all the mentions of previous events and the series is quite enjoyable. The interactions between the humans and the Others always range between humorous and horrific. If you find yourself reading this all in one sitting, you wouldn't be the only one.

OK, so technically Lake Silence by Anne Bishop isn’t really a romance and, technically, it doesn’t come out until March, but this book is just too good to be passed up on technicalities. In this alternate Earth where terra indigene can shift into animals at will, elementals control the weather and predators come in every shape and size, it ain’t easy being human. And Vicki DeVine is very human … and very scared after a dead body is found on her property. Throughout the investigation, Vicki fights her insecurities from a past abusive relationship while fighting actual bad guys that won’t stop dumping dead bodies on her land.

Readers will want to preorder this book now so they won’t miss this story, which features a totally unlikely heroine in a totally unlikely place surrounded by totally likable shifters … and Intuits, and a sexy vampire (you know, just to make things interesting).

This book is loosely tied to my BELOVED (and I think widely beloved) The Others series by Anne Bishop. It's in the same world so I absolutely jumped at the chance to read it - and I mean squealed out loud when I saw 'The World of The Others' on the cover. Which BTW is smart marketing and a super easy way to convey to readers that it's not in the series but it's in that same world. Which I totally appreciated and for me I got right away what that meant.

This book picks up after the last The Others book left off. The world has always been controlled by terra indigene but now humans are just aware of it - or at least they should be since the Others destroyed the humans that were overtly pretty evil.  When Vicki DeVine takes over a resort in Lake Silence it sets off a chain of events that make the dominant predators pay attention to the behavior in the town; both positive and negative.

What I thoroughly enjoyed about this book right away is what I think some readers might have issues with - how it both sets itself apart from previous The Others books as well as tying itself to it. Like I mentioned above I carefully read the synopsis after seeing the "world of The Others' on the cover so that I knew what I was getting into. I loved being aware of that world building that had previously taken place. I fully expected to see the Crowgard, Sanguinati, Elementals, and maybe some other form of paranormal beings we hadn't seen yet and I was not disappointed in the slightest. I saw some initial comments - way before ARCs were going out - about being super disappointed with the book. Now come on people! Give it a chance! There were slight, albeit very slight, glimpses of Lakeside and every single time I got a thrill. I didn't need any more than what the author gave us - and that's coming from a huge fan of The Others here.

There are even new terra indigene to be intrigued by here. And I really am. I want more of this new paranormal being so I'm hoping there's more to be had of Lake Silence. I really enjoyed this new area of this world. There is so much to explore here. Vicki is an unusual main character because she's so wounded and fragile...almost like Meg from the previous Others books. She has an intense vulnerability but a strength she's discovering as the book develops - and those lead heroines always are ones that I love. The Others here are just as wonderful as previous books - but I'm particularly intrigued by Julian, with his intuition.

All I have to say is give this a chance. It has amazing world-building, familiar creatures, villains to hate, and heroes to root for. What's not to love?

Lake Silence by Anne Bishop the sixth book in the Others series was one of my most anticipated books for 2018. I was nervous leaving beloved characters behind, but I was in good hands as Bishop transported me to the small rustic resort near Lake Silence and introduced me to a new heroine, humans, and others. Lake Silence was brilliant from beginning to end. I cannot wait for more.

Further explorations of the world of shapeshifters know as the Others. The Others juggle obliviousness, horror elements, and cunning to produce simple but decently engaging characters, playing as a foil to the humans who also teeter on the brink of overly stupid - seriously, how have the villains lasted this long with their entrenched attitudes, when the Others can and will literally eat them? - while being just clever enough to get into trouble.
I enjoy the world shaping and it's fun to see how people who live much closer to the Others take their circumstances in stride, away from the Lakeside enclave.
I liked the quokka (excuse me, "Sproingers") and the owner of the B&B; I also enjoyed the first small revenge the owner of the Jumble takes on her ex-husband's nasty, entitled crew, when the manage to evict her. Keep your receipts! ;)

I really, really like the world of The Others, so naturally when this popped up on NetGalley, I was more than happy to send in a request for it. This one is a spin-off of the first five books in the series. It takes place in the same world but a different part of it with different characters.

We start out meeting Vicki, a woman who recently went through a very nasty divorce after 10 years of terrible marriage. She has taken over control of a camping resort in the Finger Lakes, specifically on Lake Silence, called the Jumble which used to belong to her ex-husband’s family and was left to her in the divorce. When her one lodger, a woman named Aggie Crowe, finds a dead body, all kinds of shenanigans start.

Now, just to warn you… This might be mildly spoilery. I’m not usually spoilery, but to really illustrate why this is a 2 star book for me, I’m going to explain a bit.

I’m not sure if I can put my thoughts together adequately about this one, but there was a lot of stuff about this book that disappointed me. It certainly kept me reading, and I continue to love the world of the Others, but I didn’t really latch on to this one like I was hoping I would. The terra indigine are a really interesting part of this world, and that hasn’t changed, with them being both the ‘good guys’ (usually, in some fashion) and also terrifying. I am especially a fan of the Sanguinati, this world’s version of vampires. They’re very old world, but often the most relatable of the Others, and Ilya Sanguinati, this novel’s best example, was fun to read about.

Vicki DeVine, a woman with an eye-rollingly terrible name who comments more than once about how she is nothing like what her name implies she would be, wasn’t my favorite character. Not least favorite, but just sort of meh. I kind of wanted her to succeed after learning about how she was treated by her husband for ten years, but at the same time, I think I expected her to be something she really wasn’t. She very much comes across as being a fairly standard archetype of the ‘dark and troubled past’ trope.

Vicki’s past has left her pretty broken, and she suffers from some legit anxieties because of it (which I can relate to – in fact it was rather difficult for me to get through some of the anxiety-laden parts because the symptoms were described in a way that I can really relate to). Even despite that, humans are prey in this world, and despite being very, very vulnerable at times, Vicki is an exception to that, and for nearly half this book, the reason why (and at least there is a reason for it) isn’t really apparent. So, all you know from the beginning is that Vicki isn’t cassandra sangue, but regardless, the Others don’t consider her prey, and they just take a shine to her from the very beginning, despite not really knowing who she is. Suddenly, she’s got vampire lawyers and accountants, Bear and Cougar bodyguards, a host of Others who want her to read them stories, and watery ponies eating from her refrigerator. In this respect, she very much seemed like ‘Not-Meg-but-actually-really-Meg’ to me.

Vicki seemed off the get-go to be very ‘vulnerable female main character with sobby backstory full of physical and emotional abuse from male character who is obviously the bad guy here blahdiblah’, and as a character, she seemed rather… like Meg but with a different name and slightly different backstory. I had a hard time staying engaged with her parts of the story because of it. Especially given the fact that she really only gets her anxiety around men who she considers to have – and I quote – a ‘vigorous appendage.’ Given the history, I understand the fear, and the anxiety, but really? Vigorous appendage? Gods above and below. Past the obvious, whatever that is supposed to really mean was inconsequential, as it made me roll my eyes every time, which was counterproductive to feeling for the character I was supposed to feel for in the way I was probably expected to feel for her.

Every antagonist in this book is so over-the-top sleazy that it’s comical at times. The Tie Clip Club. A secret society so ridiculous that the people investigating them named them the Tie Clip Club in lieu of whatever they’re actually named, only to have us find out that they’re actually named the Tie Clip Club. Really? Sigh… okay, I’ll roll with it, I guess. >.> So, we have a group of shady businessmen who either verbally abuse, grope, or fat-shame every protagonist at every opportunity… who then they start trying to undermine the rules placed by the terra indigine. Despite being warned. Repeatedly. And then are totally taken aback when things starts going crazy. Okay, I’m reaching my level of believing motivations here. You guys lived through the events of the first five books. You know what happened. You’re supposed to be clever, and this is just idiocy at this point. These guys are clearly just bad for the sake of badness and do only bad things because they’re bad. Ugh. The antagonist of Etched in Bone was bad for the sake of bad in this same way, and it was annoying and ruined much that book for me, but even despite that happening again, can I please just have Meg and Simon back? PLEASE?!

It also didn’t help all of this that out of multiple POVs, only Vicki’s POV is told in first person, while everyone else’s is third person. Not a huge deal, but still, something I noticed as kind of weird and out of place.

So, with all that said, the background characters are what kept me reading this one. Other characters in this book are, at times, pretty interesting. Ilya Sanguinati and his suave vampiric attorney Otherness being just a part of it. He’s obviously a bit over the top himself (and Vicki makes sure we know it by mentally swooning over her ‘yummy attorney’ at every opportunity), but is awfully endearing, just like Vlad was. I have a soft spot in my heart for the Sanguinati, I guess.

Aggie Crowe, the lodger of the Jumble, is a pretty fun character. I have always quite liked the idea of the Crowgard. Jenni Crowgard was one of my favorite background characters from the first five books. We start out the book with Vicki finding out Aggie’s true nature as one of the Others because Aggie is attempting to microwave an eyeball (they get squooshy when they’re cold, apparently). Vicki is quite surprised at at the revelation, which (again) made my eyes roll slightly because… well, she lives in a world where people have been known to change into Crows. The Crowgard seem pretty common, actually. Are you that surprised that someone with the word Crow in their name is Crowgard? Really? I’d be suspicious AF of anyone with any animal in their name, just on principle. Perhaps that’s just me? But, anyway, Aggie herself was a fun character to read about. I think having a Crowgard as a friend would be awesome. Well, any terra indigine friend would probably be pretty badass if we’re honest here.

There’s also Julian Farrow, who is a former cop, owner of the local book store (there has to be one, obviously, and I’m okay with it) and an Intuit (people in this world who have sort of a sixth sense.). He was pretty interesting, as was Wayne Grimshaw, the local cop who gets called into the dead body situation and sticks around after that to serve as the village’s police chief. Grimshaw and Julian knew each other while they were in police academy, so there’s a bit of history there too, and their relationship was actually one of my favorite things about this book.

So, to sum this all up, while I thought it was a decent enough read to finish it, there were a lot of things about the story and its main character that either made my eyes roll or made me stop with a ‘wait, what?’. While it wasn’t a constant feeling, it happened often enough to make me disappointed in the whole thing, if I’m honest. It almost felt like a hastily put together plan to revisit Thaisia that ended up being mostly fluff. A completely fluffy side-story for the fans of the Others, but with little substance. There are references to characters from the first books, but no real cameos (which is fine, because I have moved on). This one doesn’t go into any more detail about Meg and Simon’s relationship either, so, sorry to everyone looking forward to this one just for the hope of that, lol. It honestly just fell flat for me, which is a shame. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t really like it either. I won’t give up on the Others though. Perhaps this was just a one-off. I will not give up on you, terra indigine!

I’d like to thank the author as well as Berkley via NetGalley for the review copy.

FTC DISCLAIMER: I RECEIVED AN E-ARC FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW. RECEIPT OF THIS BOOK IN THIS MANNER DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION OF THE BOOK OR THE CONTENT OF MY REVIEW.**

Vicki DeVine and her shapeshifter lodger, Aggie Crowe, stumble upon a dead body and find themselves tangled up in dangerously dark secrets. After her divorce, Vicki took over a rustic resort near Lake Silence, in a human town that isn’t controlled by humans but by the Others. Human law doesn’t apply in regions controlled by the Others-vampires, shapeshifters, and paranormal beings even more deadly. And, this is something that no human should be foolish enough to forget. Towns like Vicki’s have no distance between them and the Others, The dominant predators that rule most of the land and all of the water. And with no boundaries, there’s no way of knowing just who or what is watching you. All Vicki wanted to do was start over and find a way to support herself. After Aggie finds a dead body, it starts to look like her new life might be over before it really begins because the human detectives seem determined to ignore the evidence that nothing human killed the man and pin the murder on her. It definitely appears that someone wants Vicki out of the way and they may be willing to kill to do it.

This story is still set in the world of Anne Bishop’s Others Series but, this time, in a different part of Thasia. At first, I wondered if I’d miss my favorite characters from the first five books, but it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with the characters in Sproing. I’d still be ok with it if they had certain visitors from the Lakeside Courtyard. I really enjoyed the Crowguard taking a bigger role in this book, as they’ve always been among my favorite of the shifters. I’m also glad that there were ponies in this region, as well, because I adore the ponies! I guess I should have expected that there would be since there were elemental. I also love that the elemental are more present. Let’s just be honest and admit that Anne Bishop has an amazing talent at character development and character creation. For she truly had to put a lot of thought into the Shapeshifters and Elementals, as well as the Elders. Most authors stop with the basic werewolf when it comes to Shapeshifters, but Bishop has incorporated most animals as forms that the Terra Indigene may have chosen when they began shifting shapes. The Sproingers are such an amazing addition! And they were described well enough that I can picture them in my head and I *think* I know what animal they’re based on. Seriously, they have to be well written for me to find myself pulling against my own species... I found myself thinking “stupid humans!” a number of times in this book and the previous books in the series. Like the rest of the series, there’s enough action to keep the storyline moving while expertly blending chances to really get to know the characters. I loved the description of the Elders in the lake and that they have a different form from those on land (I assume as we still haven’t actually seen the ones on land, just their actions). I dearly hope that Bishop continues to write and explore this universe. My only request would be to learn more about Julian’s backstory in subsequent books. A lot was hinted at but just enough to get me intrigued. Now, I just need to figure out how I’ll make it until the next book comes out!! I’m already dying to see what comes next!

I was unsure if I'd like this book as Meg & Simon were not in it, however, it exceeded my expectations. The writing is captivating with a great story-line. While I hope to read more about Meg & Simon, I have no complaints where Ms. Bishop is taking this series.