In this third book in the World of The Others series – after Lake Silence and Wild Country, the remote, mostly human town of Bennett seems to be putting down roots. The Sanguinati – the vampires of this particular not-quite-our-history-alternate-Earth have learned to work with the human somewhat-authority and the humans who are staying for good in Bennett have generally figured out the boundaries of what they can and can’t do in a town that is surrounded by the Elders.

That whole paragraph has so many caveats and so much explanation because this series has established a version of Earth that may physically resemble this one BUT has had a totally different evolution and history.

This is a version of our world where humans are not and have never been the apex predators. A fact that is well-established and periodically reinforced. But a fact that short-lived humans with even shorter memories keep forgetting – with catastrophic results.

For the humans, that is.

In this World of the Others, which began in the Courtyards of The Others in Written in Red, humans are very much as we are now – which is one of those things that honestly makes no sense in a world where we did not evolve as the apex predators. But it does make the shenanigans of the humans in this “Otherworld” a whole lot more relatable.

What makes this particular story even more relatable is that it is set around this world’s version of Halloween, which they call Trickster Night.

Because Bennett is an experiment for the Elders, part of that experiment is seeing if humans other than those who have self-selected for life in Bennett can manage to obey the unwritten rules, provide some much-needed income for the town and give the local “Other” residents more opportunities to interact with more, different humans.

After all, the Elders don’t need us at all, for anything, but some of the “lesser” Others – the vampires and the shapeshifters in particular – have discovered that some of the things we make are useful. Being able to trade peacefully and live side by side is desirable if WE can manage to follow the rules.

But Trickster Night, just like Halloween, is a time when rules get bent if not outright broken. Strangers in masks can get up to all kinds of mischief once the sun goes down. But the myths and legends are real in the World of the Others, so when someone pretends to be the legendary “Crowbones” with the intent to stir up trouble, that same Crowbones might just see fit to come out to get them.

Escape Rating A-: Somehow, in spite of the fact that I read ebooks and not print, there’s reading crack embedded in the pages of this series and it’s still working on me in spite of the technological impossibility. I can’t resist this series AT ALL, I always start the book as soon as I get it, and can’t put it down until I’m done.

No matter how much that whole issue about humans behaving just as badly and in the same ways in the series as we do in real life, when the possibility of that happening in these circumstances is unlikely as hell. My “willing suspension of disbelief” seems to be operated remotely the minute I pick the book up, I’m all in while I’m reading it, and then the thing shuts off as soon as I’m done and I’m all WTF about the evolution of humanity thing again.

That being said, the setup of this version of our world is fascinating and complex and this is not the place to start. Start either at the very beginning with Written in Red, or pick the series up when it moves to Bennett in Lake Silence. We’re way too deep in Crowbones to start here.

But speaking of being in too deep, the story about this particular Trickster Night focuses on a bit of human rot that has burrowed deep into the fabric of this remote village. That rot is a manipulative beast that has plans to see just what it takes to make the Others who share Bennett with humans act out in ways that will get the attention of the Elders. Someone who has been entirely too successful “breaking” humans and wants to move on to bigger and more dangerous prey.

The leadership of the town, which has not yet completely gelled and isn’t fully vested in trusting each other yet, has a limited amount of time – because the Elders have an extremely limited amount of patience where humans are concerned – to figure out what’s gone wrong and FIX IT – before the Elders decide that the Bennett experiment was a failure.

A decision that will be fatal for both the humans and the lesser “Others” who want to call Bennett home.

The Elders may not have much patience, but I’ll be patiently waiting to see if there are more stories in this series. It may drive me bonkers – but I can’t resist this place or it’s people one little bit.

The nitty-gritty: Another strong entry into Anne Bishop’s World of the Others series, Crowbones is full of mystery, terror, lovable characters and fascinating world-building.

Some authors just make you feel cozy, and Anne Bishop is one of those authors for me. I loved being back in her world of The Others, where humans live alongside a variety of very dangerous supernatural creatures. This is book #3 in her World of the Others series, but technically it’s book #8 in the overall series, which started with Written in Red. You should read them in order if possible, since each one references characters and events from previous books. That being said, I have not read the first five books, and I don’t feel lost at all, although I would like to catch up at some point.

In Crowbones, Bishop takes us back to the Jumble, the hotel/resort that Vicki DeVine took over in Lake Silence. Vicki is once again one of the main characters in the story, which opens on a holiday called Trickster Night, which readers will recognize as our Halloween. During the usual festivities of the night—handing out treats to humans and Others in costumes—the appearance of a human dressed as Crowbones sets off a terrifying chain of events. Crowbones is a creature of legend in Crowgard mythology, said to go after children who misbehave. This impersonator has spooked Aggie, Jozi and Eddie, the three Crowgard who work for Vicki at the Jumble, and they are convinced that someone has sent Crowbones to punish them. Soon after, a dead body is found nearby, and Police Chief Wayne Grimshaw decides to lock down the Jumble until the murderer can be found.

But bodies keep turning up and the mystery becomes more and more complicated. How does Crowbones fit into the deaths? And what about the four vampire fosterlings who have suddenly shown up on Vicki’s doorstep? Grimshaw knows these things can’t be a coincidence, but luckily he has the help of Ilya Sanguinati, a powerful vampire who is determined to help him stop the killer.

It’s so easy to fall in love with Anne Bishop’s characters. Even the terra indigene, who are portrayed at times as the “evil overlords,” have their lovable moments. In Crowbones, my favorite characters were Vicki, Grimshaw, Julian and Aggie. I’m quite fond of the Crowgard, probably because they are shifters who can change into crows. Aggie is a sweet girl who is terrified of Crowbones, and I just wanted to give her a hug. Grimshaw has appeared in the other books as well, but I liked him even more in this book. He and Ilya must work together to solve the murders, and you can tell they’ve developed a nice respect for each other, even though they should be enemies.

I absolutely love Bishop’s world, it’s one of my favorite elements of the series. Briefly for those of you new to this world, this is a secondary fantasy world, familiar in some ways yet completely different. The Others, or terra indigene as they are called, are creatures like vampires, shape shifters, and Elemental creatures who set rules for the human inhabitants. Humans are free to live their lives, but they are closely watched by the Others to make sure they don’t get out of line. This creates an interesting dynamic, where the two races live side by side, but humans are always on edge, knowing that the Others could turn on them at any moment. Some humans, like Vicki and Grimshaw, have developed close relationships with various Others, and are therefore protected. Vicki in particular is almost beloved of the Others, as she is also known as the Reader, someone who is willing to tell stories to them. Vicki comes across as vulnerable in this story, yet she has an inner strength and power that keeps her (mostly) safe.

I also love the way the author balances humor and horror. There are some very dark moments in the book, especially when Bishop describes the gruesome state of the murder victims, yet this darkness is cut with a lighthearted sweetness, like the friendships among the characters and the protective way they help each other. There’s also quite a bit of humor, mostly in the day to day interactions between Vicki and her friends. Bishop adds fun elements, like the little rabbit-like creatures called sproings, after which the town of Sproing is named, and Lettuce Reed, Julian’s bookstore. I’ve always loved horror and humor when they work well together, and Bishop makes it work.

A couple of things stopped me from rating this higher, however. The action gets a little confusing near the end, probably due to the huge cast of characters that the reader has to keep track of. The story shifts among multiple points of view and is spread out over a wide area—a lot of the action is at the Jumble, but we also visit Lake Silence and Sproing—so keeping all the different events and characters straight is challenging at times. And as I mentioned, there are a lot of characters in this series. Not only does Bishop focus on a few main characters, but she brings in lots of side characters as well, some who only show up briefly and then disappear. Luckily, there is a “Cast of Characters” listed at the end of the book that came in very handy.

The final climax was thrilling as the pieces of the puzzle finally come together. I’m already thinking ahead to the next book in the series (which hasn’t been announced yet) and wondering which characters Bishop will be focusing on. There is so much more I need to know about this fascinating world and the characters who make it so special.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

What could be spookier than the version of Halloween depicted in The Others universe when a real killer arrives among the group? I was excited for this chilling latest installment in the series that returns us to the Lake Silence setting and cast of characters. Anticipation was high and I was not disappointed.



Crowbones is the third of The World of the Others series that follows the original The Others stories. It works best read in order as there are references back to characters and situations from the previous books, particularly Lake Silence.



Several months have gone by of relative peace since the momentous events of the summer and now it is time for a fun holiday, Trickster Night. Crowbones had a fabulous blend of murder mystery, urban fantasy intrigue, and a cast of characters that were colorful and exciting. There are several main characters getting their point of view including those who stirred up the trouble, but I confess to being extremely eager because familiar characters were back and telling the story. I loved revisiting favorites and seeing how things have advanced in their lives and some of the more discreet characters had their backstories painted in better. While, the setting is familiar from Lake Silence and the characters development is ongoing, this is something of a standalone plot as it doesn’t carry over the plot from before or after.



This felt like an old-style country house mystery the way the investigators and the perpetrators were all closed in together in an isolated, rustic setting until the case is solved. It was atmospheric and gave some great thrills and chills vibes when even those that are scary to humans are scared to go out in the dark. The mystery isn’t too twisty for the reader and the excitement and tension comes from keeping the good and innocent safe and seeing how they get at the truth and figure out what to do about the situation. Not to say, there weren’t plenty of surprises along the way. I loved the reveals about Ilya, Julian, and some others and was thrilled to be right back in this world.



All in all, it was a captivating read with tone, suspense, and development going strong. It made me love the series even more and feel the loss when the book was over. I can’t wait to see what comes next for this series. Those who want an alternative earth history setting for an urban fantasy that has a rich and complex development of plot, characters, and world, this series is a must.

I couldn’t wait to get into a new Anne Bishop novel. The world she has created is incredible and I was curious to discover another story.

We meet up with the characters from the previous volumes for a new adventure. Trickster Night is coming up, an equivalent of Halloween, the town is abuzz with excitement. But when someone arrives disguised as Crowbones, an Elder who terrorizes everyone, everything is turned upside down. And when dead bodies are discovered, the town tries to figure out what the hell happened.

We follow our heroes in a new adventure. They will try to figure out what is going on in town, but it won’t be that easy. It was a bit more difficult for me to hang on to the novel than for the previous ones, but I still had a good time with the characters.

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2022/03/08/crowbones-by-anne-bishop/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

I completely love <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/99557-the-others" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>The Others</strong></em></a> series and the continuation in the World of the Others books, telling us about various outlying communities has the same setup. Vicki is an odd woman and doesn't handle things the way most people would but it seems to make her uniquely suited to dealing with humans and the Others. This is the second book about this community following <strong>Lake Silence.</strong>  In<strong> Crowbones</strong>, she has professors from local colleges staying at The Jumble and cabins.  One of them is interested in a legend Crowbones along with other legends in the Others' world.

Trickster Night becomes the kickoff to both Others and humans dying.  Vicki, along with the police, and some Intuits, and Ilya Sanguinati work hard to figure out who is causing the trouble and deaths.  Between learning about the legend and more about the Others and Intuits, plus the investigation and trying to keep people safe, there is much happening.

Evil comes in many forms in this series.  I enjoyed the complex case and learning more about the world. I do recommend reading this series in order.   There was also a nice moment with Meg.  I still want to learn much, much more about the blood prophets and hope it is a focus in a future story.

I’ll admit that when Anne Bishop released Lake Silence, the spin-off novel from her fantabulous Others series, I had a hard time connecting with these characters. Since that initial first read, I’ve listened to Lake Silence as well, and didn’t have any trouble at all diving deep into the horror-fantasy of Crowbones. Vicki as a main character, has gained strength, or “sand” as she calls it. Choosing to believe that her previous blood transfusion from the sheriff garnered her some of his stoicism and calm regard. She draws on this strength to stay calm for her guests, knowing that her position in The Jumble lends her some importance because she has the most friendships and the Elders are fascinated with her. Don’t get me wrong, she doesn’t go all Nancy Drew, leaving the investigation to the professionals, but she did seem to have more of a back bone, not being led by her fear as much as she did in Lake Silence.

The Crowbones story had many intricacies. As noted above, there is the relationship between the Others and their human townspeople, a town that has grown by 100 people since the last book. So there were many strangers to get to know. Our favorite characters were still around and it was nice to get to know them again and gel my feelings towards this ragtag group of hero’s be them Others or human.

Anne Bishop deftly wrote the mystery in this novel, but it really wasn’t that hard to figure out, with one small red herring. I didn’t mind though because the characterizations were so fun, albeit grisly. I really enjoyed how Sheriff Grimshaw and Ilya Sanguinati, one human the other vampire, now worked together as a team. They both need this outpost of intermingling folks to work, neither wanting another human culling.

I think despite this being titled #3 in the World of the Others that this novel could be read as a stand alone. You don’t need to have read Wild Country at all, but you may want to read Lake Silence because it will give you some background on the main characters that will make your reading experience more enjoyable. If you didn’t and don’t want to backtrack to the first book, feel free. My guess is that you’ll pick it up anyway because this one is so good. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

I had a great time with this book! I am a fan of this series and was excited to get the chance to revisit one of the communities I have enjoyed in previous books. This book takes to back to the characters we met in Lake Silence and they are facing another dilemma that is going to keep the town busy for a while. It was so easy to slip back into this world and the mystery kept me entertained until I turned the last page.

Vicki decides to hold an event at The Jumble for Trickster Night but when an uninvited guest shows up in an unusual costume shows up things go incredibly wrong. The Crows recognize him right away as Crowbones, the Crowguard boogeyman, and they are scared. Before long, bodies are being found and the local authorities have their work cut out for them. Not only do they need to figure out what is going on but they need to do so in a way that makes the Elders comfortable.

I really enjoyed getting the chance to see Vicki, Grimshaw, Julian, Ilya, and the rest of the gang working together again. The mystery was rather complex and kept me guessing until the very end. There were times that I was really worried about how things might work out for these characters that I have grown to care about. I liked that this book introduced us to a few new Terra Indigene and I really enjoyed getting the chance to see some favorite characters show up for a cameo appearance.

I would recommend this book to others. I would recommend reading this series in order if at all possible so you have some knowledge of the world the story is set in. I found this to be a very entertaining and exciting story and I hope to read more books set in this world in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley.

I couldn’t help being somewhat uncertain about Crowbones after having some minor issues with Lake Silence, the first of the series dealing with the residents of Sproing. However, this story ended up dispelling every one of those doubts and I enjoyed reading it a great deal. With all the introductions and worldbuilding out of the way, Crowbones could simply shine as the well-written mystery/whodunit that it actually is.

As was the case in Lake Silence, every chapter in Crowbones— and there are a lot of them!—is told from the revolving POV of not one, but all the various characters, both known and unknown. If not done just right, I think this method of storytelling could easily get out hand, yet the author manages to use the momentum it generates to steer the narrative towards a satisfying crescendo at the very end. The result was a story that progressed quickly and was fun to read.

Having ever been unable to resist a good mystery, I liked Crowbones much more than I thought I would. A challenging and clever whodunit, especially since we see some of the happenings through the eyes of the villains, I was invested in the narrative from start to finish. Of course, I’ve always found it easy to cheer on the Others without remorse, so whatever retribution they meted out in Crowbones was satisfying, as well.

Though all of the surviving characters we were introduced to in Lake Silence are back, I felt much more invested in each of them than I previously did. The sense of community that can only be solidified through proximity and experience was certainly in evidence in Crowbones, allowing the characters’ personalities to obliterate any social uncertainty that kept most of them on their best behavior with one another before. The gloves have been gleefully cast aside for the residents of Sproing this time around, and I enjoyed watching the fireworks tremendously.

As has always been the case with The Others series, I strongly recommend starting at the beginning. There is simply too much that is specific to this universe to know what’s going on without that background. Though I did stumble over a couple of small things, I didn’t feel any of my previous frustration while reading Crowbones. The inclusion of some of my favorite characters from the earlier stories was likewise extremely pleasurable and welcome. Overall, this is a fun, sometimes dark, yet entertainingly morbid tale with a lot to offer readers familiar with the original series.

It is time for me to walk away from Anne Bishop. I have been a longtime fan, but the last several novels were misses for me. The start of Crowbones drags on for too many chapters before getting into the story. It is a pet peeve of mine when authors give tedious recaps. The women characters are written unbelievably childlike, and the men are overbearing and condescending. Everyone else is exceptionally stupid. The characters are what makes it unbearable to read. The world Bishop has built would be more interesting if people weren’t stripped of complexity. The writing overall feels stagnant. Most Bishop fans will likely enjoy the book if they’ve enjoyed anything she has put out in the last four years.

Once again, we're back in Lake Silence and the town of Sproing as humans pit themselves against the Terra Indigene once more seeking to get the upper hand by fair means or foul. Vicky DeVine and the guest house she runs are at the center of the action as a simple night of trick or treat turns into a truly scary night of blood and gore. It's up to the team of the Sanguinati, police chief Grimshaw and Intuit Julian to get answers and stop disaster.  The others take a hand by closing all roads in and out of the town until the mystery is solved.  There is a sense of familiarity as the story takes off and yet it's new and different as you get deep into the unfolding events. 
Vicky has several guests who have come to participate in Trickster night and more closely observe the interaction between the humans and the Terra Indigene. Not all the visitors are benign however and it's clear very early on that one or more of them are stirring the pot to see what might ensue.  When Crowbones, a bogey person of the crows shows up it throws the crows who are a part of Vickie's staff into a scared frenzy.
However Chief Grimshaw quickly discovers that there might actually have been a costumed trickster though signs point to the fact that the real deal might also be around. A prophecy from Meg of the Lakeside Courtyard definitely lends a lot of credibility to the danger that might cause the elders to wipe out another town from the map. The bodies are real however and both Grimshaw and Julian know that they have to act quickly and decisively to identify the true culprits and keep the town safe.
Ms. Bishop does a fantastic job of word building and fleshing out the characters such that what might appear simple on the surface is very complex as the story unfolds. Some of the twists and turns are simple and unsurprising until the reader is suddenly caught by the treacherous rip tide that will catch a person unaware and sweep them out to sea before they can find safe haven.
It is definitely recommended that you have read the earlier books in the series to get the full impact of this story. I really appreciate the power of the author's imagination and can't to see where she'll take her readers next.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Berkley/ ACE and Ms. Bishop for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I’m a Bishop reader since forever ago, having started with the Jewels series. I’ve completely switched over to the Others series now, which are like comfort reads for me: an Others book and a hot tea and a blanket and I’ve got my afternoon all settled.

This is a good autumn-y read; the months and even days have been renamed but it’s clear that this is an alternate-world version of Halloween night and the days immediately following in November. The Others (and the Elders especially) seem more appropriate to the Halloween setting than any other time of year. Despite my pull towards Vicki (who doesn’t like a spunky, independent business-owning woman doing it for herself?) I felt that Grimshaw, Julian and Ilya were the best-fleshed-out characters. The Others are the real draw; most of the humans are either complete morons with evil agendas, or are adjusting to working with restrictions and leading peaceful, compliant lives. Or trying to. I do enjoy the Crowgard and their slightly flighty (pun intended!) personalities so the Lake Silence subseries has been enjoyable.

Of course, if you don’t enjoy these books/Bishop’s writing, you’re not likely to like this either. And you absolutely need to have read the books in order, or this installment will be confusing at best. But as others have noted, quite a bit of effort and significant detail has been put into building the world and it shows. I also thought this particular story had a twist at the end that really opened things up, which was much appreciated. Is it wrong that I felt irritated at the “fade to black” on the punishment of the wrongdoer(s)? After all the gory details earlier I was expecting more (and was doomed to disappointment, lol). I’m looking forward to seeing what trouble Vicki and the Sproingers attract next.

Crowbones is Anne Bishop's latest paranormal fantasy filled with all things that go bump in the night and starts off with a murder and a mystery. Back to the town of Spronger we go when the town's resort owner and her friends finds themselves playing detective when the Crows very own bogeyman appears on a mission to root out a spreading evil. A mission that could very well end them all. Fans will love catching up with the residents of this town and other towns (Bennett and Lakeside) as Bishop takes us down a dark path filled with adventure, fear, humor, and horror.

Anne Bishop immerses us in another Vicki DeVine tale of the Others in Crowbones. Vicki runs the Jumble, a rustic resort in the middle of Others territory. A series of murders and murky activities from the locals and visitors brings isolation from the Elders and Elementals until the crimes are resolved. Serious high fantasy.

What a thrill to return to the world of Lake Silence! The melancholy and mysterious Crowbones and events of the book are appropriately set in this eerie, remote area as Vicki works to connect Others and humans. Everyone is weary to trust as more deaths occur. Being closed in to the town gives it a bit of a stuck in a mansion with a murderer feel.
I liked the additions of the new characters and how the original Lake Silence group interacted with them. Anne Bishop writes such engaging stories and I enjoy the little bites of humour along the way.
I reread Crowbones immediately after finishing because I wanted to see what I had missed and because I was not yet ready to say goodbye to the world of the Others. Readers will be thrilled with this addition to the series.

Vicki DeVine, the innkeeper at The Jumble, wonders if she made a mistake telling the Crowgard about Trickster Night. After all, explaining to the terra indigene about a human celebration featuring scary costumes and asking whether someone wants a treat or a trick has become, well, tricky. Unfortunately, things go terribly awry when someone shows up dressed as a monster known to the Crowgard as CROWBONES. Worse yet, now there are two dead bodies, including a member of the Crowgard and the imposter dressed as Crowbones. The Elders and the Elementals react by trapping all the current residents, as well as all the visitors at the Jumble, within the town by shutting down the roads. Now it’s up to Vicki and her friends, along with Chief Grimshaw and Ilya Sanguinati, to uncover just what is going on while preventing a catastrophic conflict between the Others and the humans.

CROWBONES is the third book in the World of the Others series and the eighth book in The Others series. While the story does stand on its own merits, I highly suggest you read the other books, particularly the ones in the World of the Others series, in order to fully appreciate the depth of Anne Bishop’s world building. The two series do intersect, as the timeline of CROWBONES is after the events of the original Others series and we get brief glimpses as to what is happening at the Lakeside Courtyard during this time period.

I have to admit I squealed just a tiny bit when I saw Anne Bishop had another book coming out featuring the Others. Anne Bishop has crafted a richly detailed dark fantasy world where peril and complete devastation lurk behind every move, whether it’s a word or deed taken offensively by the various nonhuman residents of the world. And yet within all the darkness and fear, there is camaraderie and relationships building as humans and various terra indigene learn how to form bonds despite their vast differences. I particularly love how protective ALL the residents, both human and nonhuman, are of Vicki and how they work to not frighten her as they are aware of her panic attacks.

CROWBONES is yet another fascinating foray into Anne Bishop’s darkly beautiful world featuring the Others. Anne Bishop’s tales haunt me long after the last page is turned, as her exquisite use of language evokes such powerful emotions and imagery. I love that CROWBONES digs into some of the mythology and fears of the Crowgard and I eagerly look forward to the next installment in the series!

*review is in the editing queue at Fresh Fiction*

The Others is one of my favorite fantasy series ever!

The idea that beings that can appear human but are more like animals and that they are in control of the world and that humans need to learn how to survive in their world is just different. Meg and Simon's love story, if you can say that, was the best.

Crowbones is a continuation of this world but it could be considered book 2 of the Lake Silence storyline.

I absolutely believe that you have to read Lake Silence to enjoy Crowbones as much as I did.

Vicki DeVine (human) is the owner of the Jumble, a resort that is as good as it can be after the Great Predation. Vickie is still dealing with being afraid of men since her ex-husband did a number on her self-confidence. She is working on getting better about it.

Vicki is excited about throwing a party during Trickster Night. She has guests and friends coming over. Of course, everything goes wrong when someone comes by the door dressed as Crowbones and scares the Crowgard. A second later that person is dead and a shape-shifting crow is found murdered too.

Officer Wayne Grimshaw (human) starts an investigation with the help of Julian Farrow (Intuit) and Ilya Sanguinati (vampire).

They know someone is manipulating people to do harmful things but can they be manipulating Others too?

I gotta say, I was much more invested in this one because now I'm familiar with the main characters and their environment.

Vickie and Julian's love story is moving -not fast- but moving along. Ilya and Natasha are now a couple.
The Elders make quite an appearance and the addition of Crowbones made this novel quite satisfying.

Does Megan or Simon make a cameo in any way?

I can't tell. My lips are sealed.


Cliffhanger: No

4.5/5 Fangs

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

It's Trickster Night in Crowbones, the latest book in Anne Bishop's The Others series. Vicki DeVine has introduced the non-human residents of Sproing to that world's equivalent of Halloween. But the tricks turn to terror when a mutilated corpse is found and the Indigene block the roads so that no one can leave.

My recommendation is that you read the other books in this series before attempting this one. While there's a reasonable amount of recap, the interpersonal relationships and the fear the residents feel will make a lot more sense with the backstory you'll find in previous books.

I'm not a fan of Bishop's other series, and this one felt a bit like some of her character quirks from those other novels made their way into this one. The human men are much better-defined and have less trauma than the human women. Overall, human women do not fare well in this series. They've typically survived all forms of abuse and violence, and can't sustain healthy relationships.

However, the writing and worldbuilding is strong enough to compensate for a few flaws. There are many parallels with our world, but just enough differences to feel 'alien.' The idea that humans have somehow managed to coexist with stronger, faster, and quite frankly, usually smarter beings is fascinating. When contrasted against the Indigene, who are comprised of vampires, shifters, and other non-human species, you have to wonder how the humans managed to survive long enough to develop technology. But, humans being humans, they often find ways to alienate the Indigene, which leads to the deaths of those humans.

Come for the glimpse into a world where we aren't top of the food chain and stay for the wonderful non-human characters.

4/5 stars

I received an advance copy from Ace and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Crowbones by Anne Bishop is another fascinating story in her The World of the Others (Book Three)/The Others (Book Eight) series. 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.

Crowbones returns us to the town of Sproing in Lake Silence (terra indigene-controlled Finger Lakes region of Northeast Thaisia); where we get to see Vicki Devine, who runs the Jumble lakeside resort, and is once again in the forefront with her life in danger. Vickie is human, in a town filled with vampires, shifters (bears, coyote, crows, other humans, etc), elementals. It was great to spend time with those who protect Vicki, such as Ilya Sanguinati (Vampire), Wayne Grimshaw (human police chief), Julian (intuit), Elementals and the Elders (who will do anything to protect Vickie). I also got to like Natasha much more.

It all starts when Vicki arranges to have a Trickster Night at the Jumble during Halloween; as the resort, local cabins are now full. Aggie, Jozi and Eddie (crow shifters) who now work for Vicki, help her set everything up; some strange boys play a prank, and things go bad right after, with a dead body found, causing the town to be closed off from anyone leaving. The mysterious deaths that will follow will include humans, shifters, and even vampires. Ilya, Grimshaw and Julian suspect that someone is manipulating others to force people to do bad things. Besides everyone working together, word is out that the mythical predator Crowbones is soon to arrive to find the culprits.

What follows is an exciting enthralling story that will also be deep in a mystery as to who is behind what is happening, as well as why they are threatening Vicki. The terra indigene, Elementals and Elders are always watching over Vicki. Vicki has become a bit more comfortable to deal with the scary people who are not human, but who she has befriended, and they in turn are her protectors. Vicki is also called “the reader”, as she reads books three evenings a week, not only for locals, but in the darkness are the Elders who also listen.

The entire book was exciting, intense, pulse pounding, action filled; especially with many deaths, some horrific. To say too much more would ruin it for you, as you need to read this book from start to finish. I loved returning to Lake Silence, and the people who watch over Vicki. 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 better then Anne Bishop, and I look forward to anything she gives us. She is a master at her world building and great characters. If you have not read Anne Bishop, what are you waiting for?

This is a solid addition to the World of the Others series, building on the engaging rural setting established in Lake Silence, developing the characters, and offering some intriguing glimpses into history and intra-Other relationships.

I cannot get enough of this world. The interaction between the others and the human community was intriguing. After reading the ARC, I am listening to the audiobook and will review it on the blog March 8th.

This is a series in which buy the hardcover and audiobook. I also grab the eBooks when they go on sale, so I can carry them with me)

Totally re-readable!