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.