Early Review of Vision in Silver (The Others #3) by Anne Bishop

Title: Vision In Silver: A Novel of the Others
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal
Series: A Novel of the Others (Book 3)
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Roc (March 3, 2015)
ISBN-10: 045146527X
ISBN-13: 978-0451465276
Author's Website: http://www.annebishop.com/
Notes: Received an eARC loan from the publisher. Contains some gruesome and disturbing moments.

Warning: This review contains spoilers for 'Written in Red' and 'Murder of Crows' so if you haven't read the first books, you may wish to look at my review of 'Written in Red' instead: http://www.seducedbyabook.com/2014/04/written-in-red-others-1-by-anne-bishop_30.html

Can one person make a difference?

Meg Corbyn is shaking things up in Thaisia. When she first appeared in the Lakeside Courtyard no one, not even her, could have predicted the impact she'd have on the Others. Attempting to escape her captors, she sought sanctuary in the most unlikely of places--one of the Other's Courtyards. Being a blood prophet she is considered a hot commodity. The abuse these women with visions of the future have suffered at the hands of the people who were supposed to help and protect them is unconscionable. For her to seek out the help of the Others testifies to just how desperate she was. For the Others are a dangerous species who can shift into human form, but are far from human. She and her fellow blood prophets were trained by their captors to be frightened of them. Yet they have a very clear sense of right and wrong and they see what was done to the blood prophets as wrong. With various powers and abilities, they are not a group to be messed with. Only a select group of humans who hold special skills of their own have ever been asked to live among the Others, but things are about to change.

As the fanatical group Human's First and Last (HFL) begins to spread their influence and venomous talk throughout the continent, tensions between the Others and humans begin to rise. Hatred is growing and violence is erupting between the two species. When Meg's latest vision reveals dark events, it becomes clear a war is about to be waged. Will this mark the end of the coexistence of humans and Others in Thaisia? For even if humans have forgotten, the Others are the true owners of all the land in Thaisia, and they protect what's theirs. They will show no mercy.

This was another great installment of The Others series. I love the world building Ms. Bishop incorporated into this one which is easy to relate to yet very different from our own world. If you haven't read the previous books, I recommend you do. You won't want to miss the progression of the relationship between Meg and Simon. Plus, I love how Meg quickly wins everyone over in the first book and stimulates relationships between the Others and a small group of humans who respect and understand the power the Others hold over them.

Meg is a Blood Prophet, aka cassandra sangue. When her blood is exposed to the elements, whether accidentally through wounds or scrapes or via controlled cuts, she predicts the future. If she speaks a prophecy out loud, she experiences a feeling of euphoria which blocks out all memories of the prediction. If she keeps a prophecy to herself, she'll remember but experience excruciating pain. It is through these blood prophecies that she, and other cassandra sangue, can make predictions of all kinds which can be used to protect those they care for or create a profit for those who wish to exploit their gift. While the prophecies can be vague, they are always reliable.

Cassandra sangue are not like most humans in that they never truly lose their childlike nature. This quality appeals to the Others because they hold no malice. Blood prophets hate big changes and too much stimuli can upset them and cause them an unbearable amount of stress. For some reason Meg seems to deal with change better than most. It is the hope of the Others that she can help the other cassandra sangue transition into the real world now that the Others have started freeing them. Besides cassandra sangue's blood being a significant element in their predictions, it has a narcotic like affect on the Others when ingested which can cause them to become violent. So the Others need to be careful around their blood.

What I love about this series is seeing the cautious steps being taken towards forging new friendships and relationships and coming to understand someone who isn't exactly like you. It's a concept that has been used in many stories, but I never seem to tire of it. I also love, as I mentioned before, the relationship between Simon and Meg. I am patiently waiting to see these two become a couple and while we see the writing on the wall, and things are definitely heading that way, Meg and Simon have yet to. I kind of like this slow approach to the romance. If they do become a couple, they'll have a lot to overcome. It somehow seems right that they should proceed slowly and with caution, but I admit to wanting something to happen between these two soon.

I couldn't help but give this one 5 out of 5 roses. If you loved the first two books, you'll definitely love this one as well. I was practically glued to my kindle as I consumed the story. I love how we're starting to get a better look, although not a complete one, at both the HFL and Thaisia. I wonder who the HFL leader really is and what this group has up their sleeve? I can't wait to find out, and I'm hoping the next book will expand beyond Thaisia. So much happened in this one and yet we still have so much to learn. I'm definitely hooked and enjoying the wild ride. I HIGHLY recommend this series. Just be warned, there are some gruesome and disturbing moments in these books and they are not for the faint of heart. 

Order of The Others series: