Monday, February 8, 2016

Review: Written In Red

WRITTEN IN RED
The Others #1
Anne Bishop
Urban Fantasy
433 pages
ROC
Available Now
Source: Bought

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.


MY THOUGHTS
This review is going to be a little less formal than my standard reviews (I can't help the formality usually, writing reviews brings me back to all my essay-writing classes in school!), mostly because I'm enormously late to The Others party and I kind of want to punch myself in the face a little for it.

For the past year I've been in a pretty impressive reading slump. I've picked up a few winners here and there, but by and large the desire to stay up late and give myself a book hangover has been missing. Written in Red broke me out of my slump in spectacular fashion, reminding me what it's like to invent reasons for taking a break from work throughout the day so I can sneak a chapter or two in, and keeping me up all hours of night just so I can find out what happens next.

While plot-wise this first book is largely Meg's day to day life in the Courtyard as she finds a place for herself among the others, there's absolutely nothing slow or boring about it thanks to a brilliant cast of characters from Ms. Bishop. The Others themselves fit their label to a T, their human skin exactly that – a thin veneer hiding something else entirely underneath. From the Crows obsessed with all things shiny to the sugar-obsessed Ponies to the Elementals with city-annihilating tempers, the inhabitants of this utterly refreshing paranormal world are a joy with whom to spend time.

Meg's relationship with Wolf and Courtyard leader Simon is just one of the many fascinating friendships established in this first installment, the potential for romance between them there but buried beneath layers and layers of things they both need to learn about one another as well as themselves. Watching as they attempt to figure one another is out is surely going to be a highlight of this series overall, and I can't wait to start book two (already loaded on my Kindle) and see how Meg's connections to all the extraordinary Others in the Courtyard continue to strengthen and grow.

Rating: 5/5

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28 comments:

  1. FINALLY! I knew you'd love this one, Jenny, so I'm so happy you finally picked it up! I can't wait for you to read the other books which have been released and catch up on the series so we can all wait in torment for the new novels together! ;) Lovely review, dear!

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  2. YESSSSSSSSS!!! I knew you'd love this series!! I'm planning a re-read of all 3 books before book 4 comes out!! =D

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  3. I haven't started this series but I know many bloggers who loved this one. The characters and relationships in this one sound very well written.

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  4. Wow- fantastic review! I have never heard of this book, but your review definitely has me interested. I will have to add this to my TBR list, especially when I am in the mood for a good urban fantasy.

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  5. Oh yes I love love love love this series! it's just so awesome and it's always so good to read each book. I loved book 4!

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  6. So glad you finally read them and love them! We can read the next one together :)

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  7. YESSS Jenny!! I'm so glad we decided to buddy read this one. I'll have to admit that it made reading the book so much more enjoyable for me reading and discussing it with you. :)
    You already know how I feel about everything about this book, but I'm so happy this one got you out of your slump.
    I just want more SIMON & MEG!! ASAP! :D
    Lovely review, Jenny!

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  8. Oh man, now I guess I'm the only one late to The Others party - and I just know I'm going to want to punch myself in the face for waiting so long too LOL! It's currently on my wishlist so I'm likely to get my hands on it sooner rather than later. If it cured your book slump and kept you constantly wanting to pick it up and keep reading, that's praise enough for me. If it wasn't already on my tbr shelf, I'd be adding it right now :D Fantastic review Jenny^^ glad you loved this one so much! xx

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  9. I am giddy with excitement that you and Nick have been reading the series!! I saw Nick's updates this weekend and did a happy dance! I LOVE this series so hard, and I pick apart every interaction between Simon and Meg. My heart swelled over Meg's relationship with little Sam, too! Wonderful review, Jenny! Can't wait to hear what you think of the next installments. I got a copy of Marked in Flesh and read it quick as a flash I was so excited. :)

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  10. I am late to The Others party as well. I read written in red in December and plan on reading book 2 in a book or two.

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  11. I am late to The Others party as well. I read written in red in December and plan on reading book 2 in a book or two.

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  12. I'm so excited to see this review Jenny and so happy you (and Nick both!) loved it! There really is just something about this series and it is so many things that it is hard to pin point to just one thing other than it is just so well written ad fabulous!

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  13. DANG!! 5/5!! I was hoping to catch up to you and Nick with this series b/c I'm late to the game also. Plz don't punch yourself b/c then I've got to punch myself and then it's a whole brawl and...

    Thanks for the heads up on the world building in the first book! It's kind of awesome if Anne can make world building so interesting! Now, Red Rising or this book??? I'm gonna get beat up either way, huh???? :)

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  14. YES, girl. Yes. And the rest of the series is killer, too. It just doesn't let up! I adore Meg and Simon and all the Others and the humans who are trying to do right by their species and the ponies...all of it.

    Thank GOD for breaking out of that terrible reading slump. I've been in one for a year, too, and seem to finally be working my way out of it. It's truly terrible, especially for readers like us.

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  15. Wow, I'm thrilled you loved this Jenny! I've heard so many amazing things about this story/series and I hope to try it myself. There's nothing like a great book to pull you out of a reading slump :)

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  16. Yeah! So glad you loved this book. I am a huge fan of this series as you know, and the audiobooks are fantastic. I hear ya about the reading slump that is why this year I am reading more old series that I have long wanted to read. I hope you enjoy Murder of Crows just as much.

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  17. I JUST got this on audiobook so I'm pretty late to the party as well!I haven't read too many spectacular books this year so I'm excited to see what this one is all about!

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  18. Punch me in the face then. I have yet to start these and so many (now including you) say this book is fantabulous! I am going to try to do this series this year.

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  19. I've yet to read this one either, even though it's been on my TBR for months and months. I'm going to try and get to it this year. I'm so glad you liked it! Great review, Jenny!

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  20. Oh gosh. You know my reads do not usually have a lot of Paranormal novels, but I made an exception with this one because of the many outstanding reviews that I kept on reading. As soon as I started reading, I was done for! I love seeing Meg find her place with the Others as well, and how she interacted with the creatures of the Courtyard. So happy you enjoyed this one, Jenny!

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  21. I just bought this book last night! The audio, I felt left out with the fangirling you and Nick had going on so you guys win. I'm reading this and I can't wait for the awesome :)

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  22. SQUEE!!! Jenny I love this series so much it hurts. I listen first, then read the hardcover and finally pull it up on my e-reader from time to time just to read a chapter!

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  23. Et tu, Jenny?! I need to read this series. I feel like I'm really missing out. Looks like I need to bump this one up higher on my reading list.

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  24. Great review! I just recently heard of this one and it sounds really good.

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  25. I'm glad you finally started this series! I hope to listen to the third book on audio soon. It's nice to finally get a book that WOW's you after so many that really just didn't quite get there.

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  26. Woohoo! Glad you're on board. I agree, even when it seems like it's going over mundane things, it isn't boring. All the characters and their interactions are just too interesting and entertaining for boring.

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