ilishii's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I've finally finished the series and I don't think I would recommend it to anybody. The odd focus on the day-to-day tasks of running a courtyard was off-putting, but there were some racial stereotypes that I was uncomfortable with. It was especially apparent when listening to the audiobook when mayor Chen was given a slight accent when it's my understanding that everyone was born in the country and are not immigrants.
Not to mention that it makes absolutely no sense that the Other's tolerated such a blatantly disrespectful human after they just killed off a good chunk of the population for possibly being associated with the humans first movement. This is not something I would read again or regard as time well spent.
Not to mention that it makes absolutely no sense that the Other's tolerated such a blatantly disrespectful human after they just killed off a good chunk of the population for possibly being associated with the humans first movement. This is not something I would read again or regard as time well spent.
momwithareadingproblem's review against another edition
3.0
Well….I don’t even know where to begin.
I was so excited to read Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop. I mean seriously guys, I was super excited. I devoured the first part of the series. I loved the off-beat humor, Simon and Meg, the Courtyard….all of it. I had extremely high hopes for the ending of the series, but y’all….it was SO boring! Almost 500 pages and really I can’t tell you what the plot was, it moved so slowly.
The premise of Etched in Bone is that the Elders, the big scary Others who even the scary ones living in the Courtyard are scared of, come to observe the humans’ interaction with the Others of the Lakeside Courtyard. They’ve come to see how much human to keep and which ones to exterminate. When I realized that’s what they were coming to do, to determine if humans were worth saving or if they should keep them on the bottom of the food chain, I was thinking that I was going to be reading an exciting, unputdownable read. I was wrong. Instead it caused all kinds of problems and the plot dragged.
The biggest issue with the book though came in the form of its villain, Monty’s brother Take everything cliché about bad men and you have Monty’s brother. He’s a thug, honestly I don’t see how he and Monty can even be related. He takes everything in life for granted and has his hand stuck out for more. He thinks everything bad that’s happened to him isn’t his fault but someone else’s. He thinks he deserves a free ride. And don’t get me started on the things he says about and TO the Others. I’m surprised they didn’t rip his head off, but alas the Elders wanted to observe how this human was bad and the other humans were good and how this bad human could cause such destruction.
And then there is Meg and Simon. I have loved these two from book one, but their romance isn’t what I expected it to be. Meg is this fragile, delicate girl and Simon is the alpha male. The dynamic between these two was something I enjoyed at the beginning of the series, but there’s been little to no growth in their relationship. Five books and I thought….no I hoped, there would be progress, but instead it’s more of the same.
To say I was disappointed in the ending of this series is probably an understatement. Etched in Bone was long, drawn out and not at all what I wanted after investing so much time in the series. Regardless, the off beat humor, the naive Meg, and the over-bearing protective Simon still hold a place in my heart. The spinoff series that comes out next year though….I’m on the fence about reading it now. I feel like the first part of this book was setting that series up rather than concluding the story for these characters which left a bad taste in my mouth for the next part of The Others. If you are a fan of the series, I highly recommend you read and judge this book for yourself. If you enjoy paranormal, urban fantasy with a touch of romance, I suggest you read the series from the start!
I was so excited to read Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop. I mean seriously guys, I was super excited. I devoured the first part of the series. I loved the off-beat humor, Simon and Meg, the Courtyard….all of it. I had extremely high hopes for the ending of the series, but y’all….it was SO boring! Almost 500 pages and really I can’t tell you what the plot was, it moved so slowly.
The premise of Etched in Bone is that the Elders, the big scary Others who even the scary ones living in the Courtyard are scared of, come to observe the humans’ interaction with the Others of the Lakeside Courtyard. They’ve come to see how much human to keep and which ones to exterminate. When I realized that’s what they were coming to do, to determine if humans were worth saving or if they should keep them on the bottom of the food chain, I was thinking that I was going to be reading an exciting, unputdownable read. I was wrong. Instead it caused all kinds of problems and the plot dragged.
The biggest issue with the book though came in the form of its villain, Monty’s brother Take everything cliché about bad men and you have Monty’s brother. He’s a thug, honestly I don’t see how he and Monty can even be related. He takes everything in life for granted and has his hand stuck out for more. He thinks everything bad that’s happened to him isn’t his fault but someone else’s. He thinks he deserves a free ride. And don’t get me started on the things he says about and TO the Others. I’m surprised they didn’t rip his head off, but alas the Elders wanted to observe how this human was bad and the other humans were good and how this bad human could cause such destruction.
And then there is Meg and Simon. I have loved these two from book one, but their romance isn’t what I expected it to be. Meg is this fragile, delicate girl and Simon is the alpha male. The dynamic between these two was something I enjoyed at the beginning of the series, but there’s been little to no growth in their relationship. Five books and I thought….no I hoped, there would be progress, but instead it’s more of the same.
To say I was disappointed in the ending of this series is probably an understatement. Etched in Bone was long, drawn out and not at all what I wanted after investing so much time in the series. Regardless, the off beat humor, the naive Meg, and the over-bearing protective Simon still hold a place in my heart. The spinoff series that comes out next year though….I’m on the fence about reading it now. I feel like the first part of this book was setting that series up rather than concluding the story for these characters which left a bad taste in my mouth for the next part of The Others. If you are a fan of the series, I highly recommend you read and judge this book for yourself. If you enjoy paranormal, urban fantasy with a touch of romance, I suggest you read the series from the start!
nyxmcavalier's review against another edition
5.0
I loved it so much and I didn't want it to be over. I still don't. This volume, the last one about Meg and Simon (I almost could cry over it), is honestly slower than the previous ones, but I didn't mind. The slow, quiet start was a perfect setting for the apotheosis of the plot. Said plot was more character-oriented than te others, something I really appreciated. I loved discovering the world of this story, but the characters are the thing that really marked me.
sanaastoria's review against another edition
3.0
[3 Stars] I have mixed feelings. On one had I read this super quickly and was quite invested the entire way through, but it didn’t offer anything new to this series. For the most part there were no new developments and everything was rather predictable. I wanted more from this final installment, especially when the books prior to this were so brilliant.
samantha_winkel13's review against another edition
5.0
Oh God... I've finished. Now I'm heartbroken. If you haven't picked this series up yet, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
I tried years ago to pick this up and it didn't interest me, so when I was browsing at my local library, I figured I'd try again and WOW. What a fucking ride. Thank you, Anne Bishop, for these awesome books.
I tried years ago to pick this up and it didn't interest me, so when I was browsing at my local library, I figured I'd try again and WOW. What a fucking ride. Thank you, Anne Bishop, for these awesome books.
nixwhittaker's review against another edition
5.0
Yay and me clapping my hands in excitement and satisfaction. Saying any more would be spoiler but if you have been reading the series then be ready for these two emotions.
ezichinny's review against another edition
5.0
Anne Bishop just astonishes me with her narrative. By far the best installment in the series. In fact, this is one of the best series I ever read. The world building, the cohesiveness of the plot, the characters, the intrigue…Amazing!
The humans are attempting to relocate and find new communities after they lost the battle in the last book. The Elders are still deciding on whether to keep the humans or to get rid of them form the world. So, by placing them in various communities, the Elder observe them and what makes the tick. The Lakeside Courtyard becomes home to a bunch of different beings and they weren’t all blending that well.
I won’t give anything about conflict away because I want to avoid any spoilers. But the author created a steady journey to blend the newcomers with those already living in Lakeside. I like that this book didn’t focus on Simon and Meg’s growing affection but on the Lakeside community’s attempt to create a lasting bond. The message of people of various backgrounds working together really resonated with me especially given our current political climate. Anne Bishop didn’t pull her punches in pointing out that sometimes just one purely selfish person can have a huge effect on a family and community in general.
I love the way the Simon, Vlad, Montgomery etc work together. One of the things that I love is that Simon has grown from this authoritarian wolf to a leader who thinks of how his decisions will affect Meg’s welfare and peace of mind. Meg was learning to tell prophecy without resorting to cutting herself. Meg is also growing by being more vocal, less timid and more resourceful. It is as though her and Simon are moving from their extremes to a more comfortable middle ground. They finally acknowledged their feelings and claimed each other.
What a fitting end to an awesome series. I am sad and wish the author will continue in this universe so we can stay updated on life in Lakeside. What an awesome ride from book one to this final book. I love when authors end on a high note instead of exhausting the plot until it is barely entertaining, I only wish I got to spend more time with Meg, Simon and Sam as a confirmed family unit. Either way, Anne Bishop has set a really high bar for fantasy novels. Bravo!
The humans are attempting to relocate and find new communities after they lost the battle in the last book. The Elders are still deciding on whether to keep the humans or to get rid of them form the world. So, by placing them in various communities, the Elder observe them and what makes the tick. The Lakeside Courtyard becomes home to a bunch of different beings and they weren’t all blending that well.
I won’t give anything about conflict away because I want to avoid any spoilers. But the author created a steady journey to blend the newcomers with those already living in Lakeside. I like that this book didn’t focus on Simon and Meg’s growing affection but on the Lakeside community’s attempt to create a lasting bond. The message of people of various backgrounds working together really resonated with me especially given our current political climate. Anne Bishop didn’t pull her punches in pointing out that sometimes just one purely selfish person can have a huge effect on a family and community in general.
I love the way the Simon, Vlad, Montgomery etc work together. One of the things that I love is that Simon has grown from this authoritarian wolf to a leader who thinks of how his decisions will affect Meg’s welfare and peace of mind. Meg was learning to tell prophecy without resorting to cutting herself. Meg is also growing by being more vocal, less timid and more resourceful. It is as though her and Simon are moving from their extremes to a more comfortable middle ground. They finally acknowledged their feelings and claimed each other.
What a fitting end to an awesome series. I am sad and wish the author will continue in this universe so we can stay updated on life in Lakeside. What an awesome ride from book one to this final book. I love when authors end on a high note instead of exhausting the plot until it is barely entertaining, I only wish I got to spend more time with Meg, Simon and Sam as a confirmed family unit. Either way, Anne Bishop has set a really high bar for fantasy novels. Bravo!