I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.



Anne Bishop makes is back in the world of The Others with her latest release Crowbones! After a two year hiatus we get to see what's happening once more with Vicki DeVine in one of the other neighborhoods. What starts as a nice busy holiday quickly turns into a murder mystery and the Elders are not pleased and no one will be leaving The Jumble until the killer is caught.

I'll admit that diving back into this world was a little rough, especially since I recalled the second book focused on other characters besides Vicki, so getting back to her portion of the story was even rougher. But luckily, there were enough momentary recaps that made getting settled into the here and now a bit easier.

Vicki has a nice crowd at The Jumble when people come in to celebrate what once was Halloween. The Others were still intrigued with the idea of "trick-or-treating" so it's much the same holiday as we all know. Until a human guest dressed as Crowbones--the equivalent of the Crowgard bogeyman--and shakes things up. If that wasn't enough, said human is soon found murdered. This wouldn't really mean anything to the Others until not soon after, a Crowgard is found dead. It is then that the Elders get involved and put up a block of sorts that forbids humans from leaving, and should they try...well, they won't like what happens next.

Now Vicki and her guests are forced to stay in The Jumble until the murderer is caught. But since basically no one is allowed to leave or come into town without in turn becoming a "prisoner" as well, they are pretty much isolated. You can tell when Bishop was writing this since we've all been in our own versions of isolation and not being able to leave home. You go to the store for a few supplies, but even those become in short supply, like toilet paper. It's amazing really, how quickly real life events cane be put into books these days!

We soon turn the story into your basic whodunit murder mystery. We once again get multiple points of view from Vicki, Julian, Ilya, and Grimshaw, plus a few other mystery people, an occasional Them, and some that aren't labeled at all which are quickly revealed to be the murder. It definitely presents quite the puzzle as there are so many suspects in town what with the influx of guests at The Jumble.

I belatedly discovered that a list of characters and places and other such terms were located at the back of the story. Which might have been more helpful to me in my reading as the week I read this was quite busy and getting back into the story after a few hours away was always a bit difficult. The glossary would've been very helpful had I known it was there. Sadly since it had been over two years since I read from this series, I forgot that these were usually included as well.

The pacing to this one was right on the line of decent! It's not overly fast, but it's not terribly slow either. What with the change in point of view every chapter, you were able to stay on top of things around town. There was always a date given too, so we pretty much go through about a week in all and so much happens in that week with the murder and investigating.

I think because I was unable to binge read the book, the going back and forth made the whodunit a complete and total surprise to me! The woes of having to work full-time instead of reading full-time, lol! Despite that, I did still enjoy the story and was always eager to get back into things. I loved how Vicki has become such a part of the shifters she now lives with. Much like Meg did in her own series. I was also just thrilled that Meg makes a small appearance via phone call in this one! It's always fun to see past favorite characters make an appearance in the new series!

All in all, Crowbones was quite the mystery! I found it to be quite engaging and the mystery elements were spot on! The whodunit took me completely by surprise, but I feel like the groundwork leading to the reveal was there. I just missed it due to my reading span! I hope Bishop continues to write in this world as it is one I enjoy seeing the paranormal entities engaging with the humans in a very different kind of society. This is a series fans of paranormal books will enjoy what with the wide cast of characters and enticing storylines!



Overall Rating 4/5 stars



Crowbones releases March 8, 2022

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

In this book, we return to the Jumble and Vicki DeVine, first introduced in 2018's Lake Silence, which also happened to be the beginning of our visits to places other than Lakeside and people other than Meg Corbyn and her new family. We took a little detour in the next book, Wild Country, to witness some monumental events that had far-reaching effects for all humans. And now, we're back at the Jumble.

It's Trickster Night (their version of Halloween), and who should make a terrifying appearance? Crowbones, the ancient spirit Crowgard parents used to keep their kids behaving properly! In Crowbones' wake, bodies start piling up.

Vicki and her fellow humans and the Others who live in Sproing must work together to figure out who is causing the stir, as even bigger Elders and Hunters cut off the town from the outside world and begin Hunting themselves.

It was a great book, but I had a little trouble getting into it at the beginning, so I gave it 4.5 stars. I rounded down because the culprit(s) were a little obvious, but it was still a fantastic story.

I adore this world, and some cameos we got! I can't wait for the next Others-verse story!!!

Set in the world of the Others, Anne Bishop presents readers with CROWBONES. This dark story explores shapeshifters, vampires and other paranormal beings, so if you’re a Paranormal fan, then this is a must-read!

This story follows Vicki and the Jumble, a vacation getaway. Although she is human, she is faced with a lot of paranormal issues, including mysterious murders. To be honest, I was a little let down by this one a little as it didn’t hold my interest as some of the other books in the series. The writing is upbeat but not compelling.

However, the worldbuilding is absolutely amazing. You can tell that a lot of effort and detail is included so you can’t deny Bishop’s writing skill and imagination. So although this wasn’t my favorite book in the series, I always find myself coming back for more!

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

A solid addition to the Otherworld that will be loved by fans. I’m always interested in the expanding worldbuilding of the terra indigene.

That said, I am personally getting tired of some of this series’ tropes. Characterizations that worked really well for Meg and the Courtyard crew in the original series feel stagnant and copy-pasted in the Crowbones cast.

I wasn’t a fan of the first two Tales of the Otherworld offshoots either, so I guess that’s on me for hoping Crowbones would better hold my interest.

5 Heart, Recommended Read!!!!!
SJ, Romance Junkies

Welcome back to the Others series by Anne Bishop, in which humans are not the top of the predatory chain in this gripping fantasy world. Innkeeper Vicki DeVine is back with her Other friends trying to solve a murder... This book is best read after the first two in the series, LAKE SILENCE and WILD COUNTRY. (Note: this is an urban fantasy with a tiny hint of romance. This is not a romance book.)

In CROWBONES, the Others (shape-shifters, vampires, elementals, etc.) rule the area around The Jumble--the resort Vicki runs. She caters to a few select humans and the shape-shifters and other paranormal creatures who want to understand humans better. But during Trickster Night, Crowbones arrives and scares the Crows (crow shape-shifters) staying at the inn before running off.

Crowbones isn't real... is it? The fabled Crow boogeyman supposedly only comes to visit and punish naughty crows.

But the body found nearby isn't a Crow, he's a human dressed in a costume. Then a Crow is killed. Suddenly, the fragile peace that exists between humans and Others is stressed. It'll take the human law enforcement, the Sanguinati (vampire) leader of the Others, and Vicki and her friends to locate the guilty and figure out the intricate plot of some very evil villains.

I don't know how Anne Bishop does it, but she just keeps getting better! I loved the original Others series, (which begins with WRITTEN IN RED and centers around the Lakeside Courtyard.) This story is a continuation of The World of the Others and takes place around Lake Silence, another Others-controlled area in Bishop's marvelously-crafted world.

The characters continue to grow and change, the relationships between Others, Elders, Elementals, and humans is fascinating and very telling, mirroring a lot of the prejudice and problems humans regularly face in the real world. But it's the conflicting danger and innocence found in the Others that makes for such wonderful reading. That juxtaposition of good and bad in reaction to what humans bring on themselves. I can't wait for Anne Bishop's next book!

Recommended Read!

Don't be a dead donkey; tread lightly among the Elders. This one sentence sums up the book for me. I enjoyed this latest in the Others worlds so much that I have already read it 3 times and some parts multiple times. Ms. Bishop returns to Lake Silence, a place ruled by the Others. This can be read as a standalone. It is more enjoyable if the related book Lake Silence is read first. The main character in that book, Vicki DeVine plays a big part in this book. The supporting characters all make an appearance in this book, including ones from the Lakeside Courtyard (Written in Red).

In this tale, Ms. Bishop focuses once again on the humans who want to cause trouble. What I liked about this story is that there is more than one force causing issues and it isn't just limited to humans. Ms. Bishop shows an experiment of how those of a certain age can be manipulated, subverted, and their potential turned sour. It brings up back to the nature versus nurture philosophical question. Which is stronger? How does one determine the winner? I liked the hypothesis posed and the unethical experiment carried out.

Ms. Bishop pens a wonderfully grim tale of what-if scenarios. Mixing humans with Others produces results that the humans in this book can't quite comprehend. I am not sure if that makes me more Other or human. Because in each case where humans are a bit appalled, I'm feeling satisfied and that justice is carried out. I loved how some of the secondary characters carry a crucial if a small part in this story. Some of them from other books in the series and other communities come into this one. I enjoy crossover stories.

What surprised me most is Ilya's relationship with Vicki. It is almost an afterthought and I kind of liked it. I also like learning more about the mythology of this world. Finding out more details regarding the 5 special visitors to Julian's book store is also lovely. I especially liked seeing Grimshaw being all put upon again. The humour in this book is a bit dark and I enjoyed it. It tickles my fancy. After reading this book, I cannot help but think that if there were truly Others in the world and our world lived like this, we might be in a better off place. I certainly would enjoy living in an Others run town. This fantasy book is highly recommended to readers who want to see how the world could be.

I love visiting the Jumble and the world of the terra indigene. This was an intriguing murder mystery and I enjoyed watching the characters develop and grow. My only complaint is that Vicki herself doesn't seem to be growing much or working through her issues. Hopefully her character will get a little more experience and become stronger in future books.

I love the world of the Others. I think Anne Bishop is a master of world building. The Others POV is where my heart lies, and I would love to see more of that.

Well, I suggest blocking off a Saturday to read this book. I read it all in one day and I have a feeling others will want to do the same!

Crowbones takes place in this world's celebration of Halloween and I was absolutely transported to fall. Being wrapped in a warm blanket with a fire on the tv did help and I 100 percent suggest it!

In Crowbones, it is not Vicki's fault. All she did was tell the Others about Trickster Night. But as the visitors of the Jumble and the Others celebrate Trickster Night, someone plays a prank that ends badly for all involved. Now people are dying, both human and Others, and the Crow boogeyman- Crowbones themself- might be in Sproing to end something once and for all. As always, it comes to end in The Jumble.

Getting to revisit the characters of The Jumble was very enjoyable. They are well-developed characters and it is great being able to see more of their adventures. I do wish the Xavier’s had a bigger role in this novel but every character present had a role to play and it worked out well.

I give this book a solid 4 stars. I would give it a 5 but honestly, I figured out the end before the characters did. Unlike before where the action made up for it, Crowbones was more mystery-driven than Lake Silence. I don’t like when I’m 100 percent certain as it tends to lead to frustration for me when the characters can’t see it…but despite that, I still loved the book. I hope Anne Bishop continues to write more about the Jumble because I am invested!

It seems like forever since the release of the last Others book by this author, but it was really only 2019. When I tell you I was excited to jump back into his world, that would be an understatement. Crowbones was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022.

Once again readers find themselves in Lake Silence and Sproing with Vicki, Julian, and the people who live and around The Jumble. Since the events of Lake Silence, where these characters were first introduced, Vicki has settled into The Jumble and in her role as The Reader. The Crowguard who work for her are eager to participate in human traditions and are looking forward to Trickster Night. The other leaders of the community, not so much. They know that when humans and terra indigene mix, bad things usually happen. When a mysterious Crow bogeyman, Crowbones, shows up at Vicki’s door that sets off a series of events that ultimately leave Lakeside and the village of Sproing cut off from the rest of the world. As bodies of both a human and Crow are found slain in a ritualistic manner and seem to be connected, it’s a race against time to find out the identity of the killer.

The Elementals and Elders have called in their Hunter and they want the contamination in the area rooted out and terminated.

The police chief, Wayne Grimshaw, intuit bookseller Julian Farrow, and the leader of the local shadow Ilya Sanquinati have to work together to protect Vicki Devine and discover which new resident has brought this trouble on all of their heads. They have plenty of suspects and not a whole lot of time.

Crowbones will be a familiar read to fans of this series. The back and forth POV switches from chapter to chapter are comfortable and move the story along at an even pace. The mystery itself was well done, the human bad guys in these stories are always quite stupid, (evil, but stupid), so as a reader you know the terra indigene will ultimately mete out justice and all will be well in the end. This book however had its own otherworldly bogeyman and the villains weren’t always who you would expect. I would have liked a bit more character development with Vicki, and maybe some movement with her relationship with Julian, but I do know that this author likes to take their time with these things, so I’m willing to wait a bit longer.

If you are jumping into this book without having read the previous installment in the series, I would caution against it and urge you to start from the beginning. The world of the Others is complex and is made up of a variety of unique supernatural beings, all of which can be confusing if you have no backstory. But if you are like me and have gobbled up each and every new book on release, I believe you will be satisfied with this latest adventure.

I loved reading these books! I put off on reading Lake Silence last year while I was rereading the series, because it focuses on Vicki and the gang and The Jumble and Sproing, and I knew Crowbones would have us with them again. So when I got approved for the ARC of Crowbones I dropped everything to devour both of these books!

I read Lake Silence twice in the space of about 4 months. I just love this world so much, and getting to know this new area with these new characters was so great. And I loved spending this time with them again, dealing with the clip tie group, and their machinations towards Vicki's property from the divorce. It's such a great read!

Crowbones was utterly fantastic! This mystery isn't personal for Vicki, though there are quite a few dead bodies around her, which is not fun. But she's the Reader for the community, she's important. And I loved seeing that!

We know more about what's going on because of the Them perspectives, but boy, was it still so confusing as to what the heck was going on. As things progressed, it made sense, but there were a lot of moving pieces. So it was an excellent mystery!

I absolutely loved reading these books, and I can't wait for whatever is next from Anne Bishop!

This one is completely one me: Lake Silence is the only Anne Bishop book I've ever actively disliked, and I should have known better to think my feelings would have changed towards these characters and this setting. Much as I love the rest of the Others series, and the Black Jewel books, I just don't enjoy the off-shoot stories revolving around The Jumble.

Which is not to say that the book is not incredibly readable, because it is - Bishop's writing ALWAYS has that indescribable quality that can keep you up reading until 3am. I'm the odd one out here, and I'm okay with that - most fans of the series will be happy with this new installment. I can't even point to anything objectively *bad* in the book; it's just an issue of me and Vicki not clicking. C'est la vie! And I'm not going to give it a poor rating when it's not the book's fault!

If you enjoyed Lake Silence, I strongly encourage you to pick this one up; if you didn't, be smarter than I was and leave it alone!

Absolutely adored this latest foray into the world of the Others. Vicky is the best and I cannot get enough of those sproingers! Will ready literally anything she writes, from the next in series to scribbles on receipt paper. She is that good!

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC copy of this book available to me.

A greatly enjoyable read, this as a continuation of "The Others" fantasy series, and the second to feature Vicki, Grimshaw, Ilya, Julian, and more. The story is told from multiple points of view, including the villains (although the villains' identities are not revealed until late in the book). There are deaths of both humans and Others to be investigated, and further development of the relationships between the various factions involved. Vicki makes for a wonderful underdog hero, a shy and somewhat mousy woman who has managed to develop friendships with a large variety of people and creatures. And now we eagerly wait for the next book to come out.

I am a huge (HUGE) fan of The World of the Others - I look forward to re-reading the series every year leading up to the newest release. This book did not disappoint by any means. Ms. Bishop has the ability to create and continue to develop a believable world with issues that resonate with the world we are currently living in.

This book returns us to Vicki and her friends that we met in Lake Silence. In this adventure, many other characters (including some old friends) come to Lake SIlence as well and bring some trouble with them. The storyline moves along quickly and left me satisfied but of course wanting more.

I would highly recommend this series to anyone who loves cozies with a side of "other". While we met the main characters in a previous book, enough of the back story is provided that you won't be lost.

My only regret at this time is that I read this book so early (wouldn't change it though!) - I can't wait for March to purchase my hard copy to add to my bookshelf and re-read....over and over again.

Crowbones, the eighth book in The Others series by Anne Bishop, returns to the wilds of Lake Silence and the residents of Sproing. Lake Silence and The Jumble are based upon the world created by Bishop that encompasses the terra indigene: vampires, werewolves and the Elders and even older earthly Elementals. This story takes place a few months after the Summer events in Lake Silence. It's Fall and the upcoming Trickster Night has terra indigene employees excited. When the Crowgard boogie-man, Crowbones appears, and a murder takes place on Trickster Night, Elementals block all entrances in and out of the area so that local law enforcement and the real Crowbones can solve the case. Sheriff Wayne Grimshaw, bookstore owner Julian Farrow, and vampire lawyer, Ilya Sanguinati are there to protect The Jumble proprietress and Reader, Vicki DeVine.

As in all of the books in the series the human perpetrators are ridiculously stupid. These characters are flat, underdeveloped, and a minor part of each story. They always end up dying in some gruesome way when terra indigene justice takes over. Like the sign at Vicki DeVine's reception desk says: "If your behavior attracts attention, you have to explain that behavior to someone who might eat you. Good Luck."

In this series character growth is slow. The men in the series get more attention to development than the lead female character. Several times it’s hinted that Vicki DeVine is more than she appears to be. She fascinates the terra indigene, not unlike the lead character Meg, from the first five book series. I had hoped that Vicki would have begun to develop strength in the knowledge that she is special to the terra indigene population and protected by them, rather than the fearful woman she continues to be. In this case, Vicki seems to have lost some of the spunk she had in Lake Silence.

I enjoy this world. It’s unique take on an alternative history is similar to worlds created by Patricia Briggs, and Ilona Andrews, and I want to see that kind of character growth happening in it. This book feels a bit stagnant. Nothing new really happens while possible changes are hinted at in the ending chapters it ultimately feels rushed. Even Vicki’s first-person voice doesn't feel intimate. She isn’t telling us any secrets even when she is sharing a phone call. This book is for the fans of the series, but it is not breaking new ground. Although this book is a stand-alone, I would recommend reading Lake Silence and learning about The Jumble before reading this title.
Many thanks to Netgalley for providing this book for review. #netgalley #crowbones

Vicki has guests at the Jumble for Trickster's Night and when Crowbones is seen it sets off a series of events that is going to get humans killed. I love the world of the Others. The fact that humans are on the bottom of the food chain makes it such an interesting read. We get a nice easter egg from some of our original characters from the world of The Others.

Vicki is one of my favorite characters in Anne Bishop's books set in the world of The Others, so I was excited to return to Lake Silence (thanks to NetGalley for this book in exchange for an honest review).

Lake Silence (the first novel in this series, and probably my favorite of both series) was a tightly plotted story with a core group of well-fleshed out characters and a well-defined supporting cast. Crowbones, while it includes many of those same people, adds enough additional characters that I sometimes had trouble remembering who was who. The mysteries that made up the plot were confusing and meandering, and I didn't feel the reader had enough information to try to solve them in tandem with the characters. The book was also more graphically violent than previous installments.

I mostly blame the pandemic for how long it took me to read this, but the plodding pace didn't help. Like Wild Country, this story is told from a variety of perspectives, which provides more insight into the minds of the major players in and around Sproing. That said, there were a lot of opportunities for exploring emotions and relationships among the core characters which I felt were squandered.

Overall, I'm happy the author is still telling these stories, and that I got to see Vicki and her friends again, but I'm a little disappointed.

Another awesome entry into the world of the Others. This takes us back to The Jumble and Vicky's neighborhood. Crowbones is a monster tale told to scare young Crows, but it seems to have come to life. Namid's teeth and Claws are back to remind humans that Wolves and Bears aren't the scariest things out there.