{Mini Reviews} THE WINNER'S KISS and MARKED IN FLESH

Title: The Winner's Kiss
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Narrator(s): Justine Eyre
Series: The Winner's Curse, book #3
Length: 12 hrs 13 mins
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux BYR
Publication Date: March 29, 2016
Source: purchased audiobook
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn’t forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him.

At least, that’s what he thinks.

In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they’ve done to her.

But no one gets what they want just by wishing.

As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?

This finale was brutal and sublime and just everything I could have wanted for these beloved characters. I don't feel like I can thoroughly review this final novel in The Winner's Curse trilogy without fear of spoilers, so I'm just gonna lay out my feelings in this mini review and call it a day.

Basically, what I loved most about The Winner's Kiss is the strides it makes in rebuilding the severed relationship between Kestrel and Arin. They are both so broken by what they've seen and done, by the horrors of war and the sacrifices it requires. While they work through all of that, the story becomes one of redemption, regret, and remembering.

And it is a thing of exquisite beauty, thanks to the lovely words of Marie Rutkoski. I bet she could take even a mundane thing like a grocery list and make it sound absolutely heartbreaking, so evocative are her words. But try as I might, I will just never love Justine Eyre as the narrator for this series. I can see why some do because she is able to convey such raw emotion in her narration. It's just not for me, though. Why, then, did I listen to The Winner's Kiss, you ask? Because I wanted to "read" the full book before someone spoiled me, of course! And she's not terrible.

Oh, oh! I can't forget the bromance because, my god, it is perfection. The book heavily featured Arin and Kestrel and the coming war, but the side characters were still brilliant. Most especially Roshar and his pet tiger Little Arin. For a boy whose last friend utterly betrayed him, Arin has made a strong ally in Roshar, despite owing his life to him...or maybe in spite of that. Roshar and Arin have this fantastic back-and-forth, give-and-take in their relationship, and I loved that for them because both desperately needed that in their lives.

As I said in my pre-review on Goodreads, it makes me feel all melty and warm when a series finale ends on just the right note. (Pun intended.) And The Winner's Kiss was the perfect ending to Kestrel and Arin's story. I'll be re-reading this series again...and again...and again.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Marie Rutkoski is the author of several novels for children and young adults, including The Winner’s Curse (March 2014). She grew up in Bolingbrook, Illinois as the oldest of four children and decided early on that she was Someone Who Loved Books.

After attending the University of Iowa and living in Moscow and Prague, she studied Shakespeare at Harvard University, where she honed her skill in referring to herself in the third person.

Marie is now a professor of English literature at Brooklyn College, where she teaches Renaissance drama, children’s literature, and fiction writing. New York City is her home, and she thinks there must be birds of prey living in Washington Square Park; she can see large, wheeling wings from the window where she sits and writes. Marie has two small sons who try very hard to make friends with the family cat, only to be snubbed for the dark quiet of a closet. Marie can tie a double figure-eight knot with her eyes closed. She’s learning how to play the violin. She’s a sucker for fancy tea, and her favorite dessert is crème brulée. Or maybe sticky toffee pudding. Tough call.

Find Marie:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest | Tumblr

Title: Marked in Flesh
Author: Anne Bishop
Narrator(s): Alexandra Harris
Series: The Others, book #4
Length: 15 hrs 21 mins
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: March 8, 2016
Source: purchased audiobook
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

For centuries, the Others and humans have lived side by side in uneasy peace. But when humankind oversteps its bounds, the Others will have to decide how much humanity they’re willing to tolerate—both within themselves and within their community...

Since the Others allied themselves with the cassandra sangue, the fragile yet powerful human blood prophets who were being exploited by their own kind, the delicate dynamic between humans and Others changed. Some, like Simon Wolfgard, wolf shifter and leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn, see the new, closer companionship as beneficial—both personally and practically.

But not everyone is convinced. A group of radical humans is seeking to usurp land through a series of violent attacks on the Others. What they don’t realize is that there are older and more dangerous forces than shifters and vampires protecting the land that belongs to the Others—and those forces are willing to do whatever is necessary to protect what is theirs…

This series is slowly killing me. The more entrenched I become in the world of the Others, the more I fear for them...and for the humans they've made allies of. And though the main characters are all supernatural, I still feel that this story echoes the discrimination and bigotry we see in the world to this day. A war is on the horizon and though I'm fairly certain the terra indigene would come out on top, it's still worrisome.

These books are fairly long but not a lot happens. But it never feels slow or bogged down in world-building. You can just tell that every bit of information is leading up to something big...something that will make all of this wait and anticipation worth it. Especially with certain events and individuals now seeming to be linked.

I mentioned in my review of the last book how slow-burning the romance is in this series, and that honestly still hasn't changed, though the characters have. Meg and Simon are more attuned to each other than ever, and it's made some of their encounters downright awkward. I want to see more of that. See them learning who they are to each other. Besides, you know, kissing. Even when they're not on the page, I'm still screaming internally to JUST KISS ALREADY DAMMIT. I'm not proud of it, but it is what it is.

If you haven't started this series yet, I highly recommend going the audio route. It took a bit to get used to Alexandra Harris' narration, but I can't imagine these characters without her voices in my head now.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Anne Bishop lives in upstate New York where she enjoys gardening, music, and writing dark, romantic stories. She is the author of fourteen novels, including the award-winning Black Jewels Trilogy. Her most recent novel, Twilight’s Dawn, made the New York Times bestsellers list. She is currently working on a new series, which is an urban dark fantasy with a bit of a twist.

Find Anne:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: adult, anne bishop, audiobooks, fantasy, favorite authors, favorites, macmillan, marie rutkoski, mini reviews, mythology, paranormal, penguin, reviews, shifters, the winner's trilogy, vampires, werewolves

Waiting on Wednesday: Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...








's Pick:



Title: Marked in Flesh
Author: Anne Bishop
Series: The Others, book #4
Publisher: Roc/Penguin
Publication Date: March 1, 2016

Fourth in the “flawless” (The Reading Café) New York Times bestselling series from the author of Vision in Silver.

For centuries, the Others and humans have lived side by side in uneasy peace. But when humankind oversteps its bounds, the Others will have to decide how much humanity they’re willing to tolerate—both within themselves and within their community...

Since the Others allied themselves with the cassandra sangue, the fragile yet powerful human blood prophets who were being exploited by their own kind, the delicate dynamic between humans and Others changed. Some, like Simon Wolfgard, wolf shifter and leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn, see the new, closer companionship as beneficial—both personally and practically.

But not everyone is convinced. A group of radical humans is seeking to usurp land through a series of violent attacks on the Others. What they don’t realize is that there are older and more dangerous forces than shifters and vampires protecting the land that belongs to the Others—and those forces are willing to do whatever is necessary to protect what is theirs…

I absolutely adore this series. I've been listening to these books from the beginning and I'll probably grab the audio for this fourth book just as soon as it's available. Alexandra Harris does a fabulous job with the narration. Now...if only we could just get Simon and Meg to KISS ALREADY!


What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: adult, anne bishop, favorites, grabby hands, penguin, the others, urban fantasy, waiting on wednesday (wow)

{Audiobook} Review: Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop

Title: Vision in Silver
Author: Anne Bishop
Narrator(s): Alexandra Harris
Series: The Others, book #3
Length: 16 hrs 9 mins
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: March 3, 2015
Source: received from publisher via Edelweiss, purchased audiobook
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

The Others freed the cassandra sangue to protect the blood prophets from exploitation, not realizing their actions would have dire consequences. Now the fragile seers are in greater danger than ever before—both from their own weaknesses and from those who seek to control their divinations for wicked purposes. In desperate need of answers, Simon Wolfgard, a shape-shifter leader among the Others, has no choice but to enlist blood prophet Meg Corbyn’s help, regardless of the risks she faces by aiding him.

Meg is still deep in the throes of her addiction to the euphoria she feels when she cuts and speaks prophecy. She knows each slice of her blade tempts death. But Others and humans alike need answers, and her visions may be Simon’s only hope of ending the conflict.

For the shadows of war are deepening across the Atlantik, and the prejudice of a fanatic faction is threatening to bring the battle right to Meg and Simon’s doorstep…

I had a review copy of this novel, but I just love the narrator for this series so much, that I decided to wait until the audiobook was released. And it was worth the wait! I just love where Bishop is taking this story and how slow she is to introduce the swoons -- though I wouldn't mind those coming sooner rather than later as the series progresses -- but it feels genuine to the story and makes my reader heart happy.

I mean, seriously...this is probably the sloooowest burning romance I think I've ever read. And most of the time that doesn't bother me, except when I want to smoosh Meg and Simon together and make them kiss already. They are sooo close now, too...I can feel it. I think every other terra indigene -- and some of the humans, too -- can see it. Simon and Meg seem to be the only ones who haven't clued in yet. But even if they were aware of what's building between them, they'd still take their time because Simon would never push his Meg and Meg is still fragile and child-like right now.

Though, she is growing out of that a bit. Meg is more direct, and maybe a little more confrontational, when it comes to the terra indigene, and it's served her well. She's also more attuned to her gift as a cassandra sangue, though it scares her counterparts at the Courtyard because she's taken to handling the prophecies herself at times.

The large cast of characters in this series continues to impress, especially in the manner that they treat Meg and in their attempts to be civil -- and sometimes helpful -- when it comes to humans outside of the Courtyard. Some new faces are making an impact in this installment, too, when war seems imminent between humans and the Others.

If the narrator for this series weren't so fabulous, I might need a chart of characters to keep them all straight. As it is, Alexandra Harris performs each character deftly, lending an accent for Vlad, gruffness for Henry Beargard and Simon Wolfgard, and a gentle sweetness for Meg. The audio was sixteen hours long, but even at that length, I wasn't ready for the story or the audio to be over. It seems I never am, though, when it comes to this series.

I can't believe I was ever hesitant to start reading these books. I read very little in the way of adult novels these days, but with series like this, I see that changing in the future. I am utterly in love with these books and how the story has progressed over the first three installments, and I can't wait to see where Bishop takes the story next. (But please let there be a kiss in the very near future for Meg and Simon! Pretty please?!?)

GIF it to me straight:

A howling good read!

(Ha, see what I did there?!? :D)

About the author:

Anne Bishop lives in upstate New York where she enjoys gardening, music, and writing dark, romantic stories. She is the author of fourteen novels, including the award-winning Black Jewels Trilogy. Her most recent novel, Twilight’s Dawn, made the New York Times bestsellers list. She is currently working on a new series, which is an urban dark fantasy with a bit of a twist.

Find Anne:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: adult, anne bishop, audiobooks, fantasy, mythology, paranormal, penguin, reviews, shifters, vampires, werewolves

{Audiobook} {Adult} Review: Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop

Title: Murder of Crows
Author: Anne Bishop
Series: The Others, book #2
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: March 4, 2014
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

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 murders 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 whether their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or of 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.

I don't read and/or listen to very many adult novels. They tend to have a proclivity towards romance and sex, and I'm looking for more from a story. But as I branch out and discover there's more out there than what I found on my mother's bookshelf growing up - ha! - I've discovered some real gems...this series included. I read Written in Red last year because I'd read so many glowing reviews for the urban fantasy story, and I mean to continue with the rest of the series because I was completely gobstruck by that first book.

And Murder of Crows did not disappoint. It fabulously builds upon the world presented in the first book, effortlessly elaborating on the unstable state of the alliance between Others and humans, and it does so in a way that almost makes you fall on the side of the Others. In this world, humans are the lesser creatures, but after this book, I'd say most of them get what they deserve. The terra idigene are being preyed upon by humans who want control, who want to see them fall. And the cassandra sangue, or blood prophets, are treated no better.

In this second installment, we learn even more of what Meg has suffered at the hands of humans, how it has affected her and warped her sensibilities. But intriguingly enough, we get to see a lot of it through another cassandra sangue's eyes. I'm usually wary of books with so many perspectives, but it works well in this story because there is so much story to tell, so much at play, that without the multiple points of view, some things would come right out of left field and the story would suffer for it. Bishop's succinct prose pulls the story together, keeping all of those character arcs from going off the deep end. Her writing style is very different from what I normally read, but favorably so.

It's in those character arcs that the prose really shines, further developing characters we met in the first book and introducing us to many new characters in this sequel. But if I'm being completely honest, the story shines most when Meg and Simon have page time. The romance between these two, as odd a pairing -- in their world, at least -- as the two characters themselves, is still almost comically slow to come to fruition. It's there. Everyone else sees it, but Meg and Simon are new to these feelings and slow to recognize them for what they are. And that just might be my favorite aspect of the series yet. Well, besides how territorial Simon can get over "his" Meg, in both wolf form and his human form.

Aside from not reading many adult novels, and not usually enjoying so many third-person points of view in one story, I also don't real all that much urban fantasy. This series has really made me reconsider everything I thought I knew about myself as a reader. It's the perfect blend of all of those things and still I want more from this world. Written in Red was a great introduction to the world of the terra indigene, and Murder of Crows was an equally strong sequel. I'd highly recommend this to anyone and everyone, and that recommendation doesn't come lightly.

GIF it to me straight:

Brilliantly done...I have so much love for this series.

About the author:

Anne Bishop lives in upstate New York where she enjoys gardening, music, and writing dark, romantic stories. She is the author of fourteen novels, including the award-winning Black Jewels Trilogy. Her most recent novel, Twilight’s Dawn, made the New York Times bestsellers list. She is currently working on a new series, which is an urban dark fantasy with a bit of a twist.

Find Anne:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: adult, anne bishop, audiobooks, fantasy, mythology, paranormal, penguin, reviews, shifters, vampires, werewolves

Waiting on Wednesday: Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...

Title: Murder of Crows
Author: Anne Bishop
Series: The Others, book #2
Publisher: Roc/Penguin
Publication Date: March 4, 2014

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.

Love that cover.  Love the term "murder" of crows.  Loved the previous book.  So, obviously this was a "no question about it" add to the TBR, but after seeing Written in Red in one of the Goodreads Awards "best of" categories, I started getting a little antsy for the second book.  I need this book yesterday!

Now that you know what I'm dying to read, what are you waiting on this week?  Feel free to share it in the comments or leave a link so I can stop by!

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Labels: adult, anne bishop, fantasy, mythology, paranormal, penguin, shifters, the others, vampires, waiting on wednesday (wow), werewolves

{Audiobook} {Adult} Review: Written in Red by Anne Bishop

Title: Written in Red
Author: Anne Bishop
Narrator: Alexandra Harris
Series: The Others, book #1
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: March 5, 2013
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

No one creates realms like New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop. Now in a thrilling new fantasy series, enter a world inhabited by the Others, unearthly entities—vampires and shape-shifters among them—who rule the Earth and whose prey are humans.

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.

If I hadn't seen so many other bloggers loving on this book, I probably would have passed it up, simply for
the fact that I've been avoiding stories containing werewolves and the like.  But the whole blood prophet thing should have been an indication to me that this paranormal story was anything but a typical werewolf story.

First, let me get this out of the way:  if you're looking for a paranormal romance, this is probably not the book for you. There is the possibility of a romance, a very slow-burning kind of love story, but it is in its infancy in this first installment, and so it's not likely to satisfy any craving you might have for a hot werewolf love-fest.  This is an adult book, however, and there is mention of adult activities, though not graphically or in any detail, really.

But, if you are looking for an imaginative world, mirroring ours in some ways but completely different in the ways that matter most, and full of fascinating creatures, you should definitely give Written in Red a try.  It's slow-going at first, with the author expanding on our world to include the terra indigene, the shape-shifting creatures who almost serve as overlords to their human counterparts.  Make no mistake, though the creatures of the Courtyard live among humans, they are still dangerous monsters whose first instinct is most definitely not protecting the humans.

Though the story mainly focuses on Meg and her interactions with the terra indigene and garnering acceptance among them, it's told in third person omniscient, providing further details of how the various Others live and coexist.  And they do coexist, which I find highly entertaining:  vampires and werewolves and werebears and element-wielding horses, all living together...for the most part.  I loved the characterizations given to each species of Other, from the gruff man-bear to the crows that liked shiny things, as humans and as the birds themselves.  And it was fun seeing Meg interact with each group.

When Meg comes to the Courtyard, she is a young woman, but she has the social ineptitude of a child because of how, or rather where, she has grown up.  Seeing how she was brought up and for what purposes brings new insight into why the Others are much more willing to trust her than other humans and vice versa. The relationship between Meg and the Others is tentative at first, but as she proves to be a hard-worker and shows that her kindness is genuine, the Others warm up to her, even the unflappable Grandfather Erebus. Once your under his protection, you're golden.  And so it is with Meg, who even won the heart of young wolf pup Sam.  That relationship was the one to melt my heart because the two have suffered so much at the hands of other humans, and despite their hesitance and fears, they bonded...something no one saw coming. Well, except maybe Meg...but she is a blood prophet, after all.

At first, I thought the narration of this novel was going to hinder my enjoyment, as it appeared that the narrator was going to use a gruff voice for every male character.  But as it turned out, that was intentional on the parts of the werewolf Simon and the werebear because their manners were, well, gruff.  Ms. Harris delivered a perfect Meg and even Tess's brusque manner grew on me.  If it hadn't been for such a great performance on the narrator's part, I might have had to keep reminding myself that the terra indigene were monsters and not the humans they appeared to be most of the time.

Written in Red ends on a great note, one that left me grinning.  There's no cliffhanger, but there's still so much of Meg and the Others' story to tell.  And knowing that the Controller will stop at nothing to get back his property means the action should spike ten-fold in the next installment.  The sequel Murder of Crows is due out in March 2014.

Rating:   1/2

About the author:

Anne Bishop lives in upstate New York where she enjoys gardening, music, and writing dark, romantic stories. She is the author of fourteen novels, including the award-winning Black Jewels Trilogy. Her most recent novel, Twilight’s Dawn, made the New York Times bestsellers list. She is currently working on a new series, which is an urban dark fantasy with a bit of a twist.

Find Anne:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

Read More

Labels: adult, anne bishop, audiobooks, fantasy, mythology, paranormal, penguin, reviews, shifters, vampires, werewolves