The Courtyard Arc of the Others Series ends

ETCHED IN BONE (The Others #5)
Anne Bishop
Penguin Audio
March 7, 2017


I am very sad to see the ending of the story of the Courtyard, the blood prophet Meg Corbyn, and the wolf shifter leader Simon Wolfgard come to an end. On the other hand, it was an entirely satisfactory end. The world that Anne Bishop has built bears so many resemblances to our world, but has important differences. The humans of Bishop's world are definitely in the underdog position at least in terms of power and need a reminder occasionally. The retribution of the Others made up of shifters, Elemental beings, and all-powerful Elders in the previous book, Marked in Flesh, was terrible, leaving wide destruction, loss of life, and very few human controlled cities. The city of Lakeside and The Courtyard are notable exceptions, mainly due to the bridges built between Wolfgard and Lakeside humans.

But what happens when a seemingly unimportant predator invades The Courtyard? Lakeside policeman, Crispin Montgomery, has a ne'er-do-well, criminal brother named Jimmy who brings his wife and children looking for shelter. Lt. Montgomery fears that Jimmy brings nothing but trouble with him, as he has always done. However, the Elders, who are lurking around The Courtyard want to observe the effects a single bad apple can have. This leads to the predictable bad results, putting The Courtyard and Meg Corbyn in grave danger and possibly tipping the delicate balance.

The Others Series is one of the best Urban Fantasy series out there.The world building, characterization, and plotting are meticulous, keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout. I particularly enjoy the humor sprinkled into all the danger and drama. I have listened to all the books in audio format and Alexandra Harris does a wonderful job with voices. It's a satisfying ending, but I am very sorry to say goodbye to all the characters. I am looking forward to a new story arc set in the same world with new characters in 2018.

Anyone who has read The Others will know what I mean when I say.....Arooo!

RATING- 5 STARS