MURDER OF CROWS fulfills the promise of the world Anne
Bishop introduced with Written in Red, giving readers an
immersive journey into an alternate history of Earth where
humans are the minority, useful yet a nuisance to those who
came before.
More often than I'd like, the second book in a series has a
bit of a soft feel to it, tying up a few storylines from
book one while setting us up for book three. This is not the
case with MURDER OF CROWS, the second book in Bishop's
enthralling Others series.
Although more time is spent on Meg Corbyn's relationship
with Simon, the action and suspense keeps tension high as
the source of the enslavement of Cassandra Sangues is
tracked down and the drug so dangerous to the terra
indigene threatens lives close to the Lakeside
Courtyard.
Although it would not be impossible to follow the story if
you plunge in with book two, I highly recommend reading
Written in Red first. Why deny yourself the best possible
experience?
Deep, rich and even more intricately shaped, MURDER OF CROWS
satisfyingly solves some of the mysteries planted in Written
in Red while leaving a few enticing threads to dangle for
the next book in the series. Anne Bishop just keeps getting
better.
After winning the trust of the terra indigene residing in
the Lakeside Courtyard, Meg Corbyn has had trouble figuring
out what it means to live among them. As a human, Meg should
be barely tolerated prey, but her abilities as a cassandra
sangue make her something more.
The appearance of two addictive drugs has sparked violence
between the humans and the Others, resulting in the murder
of both species in nearby cities. So when Meg has a dream
about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon
Wolfgard—Lakeside’s shape-shifting leader—wonders if their
blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or a future threat.
As the urge to speak prophecies strikes Meg more frequently,
trouble finds its way inside the Courtyard. Now, the Others
and the handful of humans residing there must work together
to stop the man bent on reclaiming their blood prophet—and
stop the danger that threatens to destroy them all.