That's What I'm Talking About

Vision in Silver is the third book in and continuation of the Others series by Anne Bishop. The books outline with great detail an alternate world populated by the terra indigene, or Others, top predators with the ability to shape shift into forms such as wolves, crows, bears, and even vampires. After befriending Meg Corbyn, a special human known as a cassandra sangue, the Others in the Lakeside Courtyard are learning to adjust to having a “human pack” within their own, and even learning to trust and care about these humans. The books are all interrelated and build upon one other, making it important to start with the first book in the series, Written in Red. Due to the nature of the series, this review will have spoilers from the previous books.

As with the previous books, Vision in Silver showcases several plotlines, all occurring simultaneously, most of which are tied together before the end of the book. Of key interest this time around are stories focusing on Lakeside Police Officer Montgomery and his concerns over his daughter Lizzie, the outfall from the attack on and subsequent closing of the institutions that house the cassandra sangue, the relationship between the Lakeside humans and Others, and the growing power of the HFL (Humans First and Last) movement. And while not covering as much of the page time as it did in the second book, we witness Simon Wolfgard and Meg continue to explore and stretch the boundaries of their unique friendship.

While one strength of the series is the intricate world-building and well-developed characters, at times this is also part of its weakness. I enjoy how the author takes the time to share some of the everyday details and going-ons of the courtyard and its denizens; however at times, I felt like the book took too much time meandering though insignificant minutia when I wanted more meat and to move forward with the overall storyline.

I did enjoy the deepening look at the cassandra sangue, especially finding another girl who is learning how to live outside the specialized compounds. I also liked that while Meg has made a successful transition without much difficulty, she isn’t perfect and will make mistakes. Luckily she learns from them, which gives the reader more insight into Meg’s character, as well as those around her.

There is much to appreciate in Vision in Silver, although sometimes it took a bit too long to get to the point, and I had to wade through repetitive and/or unnecessary scenes. As with the prior books, I am unsure if I felt this way because of or despite the narration. While I’ve come to accept Alexandra Harris’s performance, and the voices become comfortable and familiar as the story progresses, I still feel like it’s too slow and almost simplistic in tone. I enjoy her performance of the female voices much more than those of the male characters.

In the end, I enjoyed Vision in Silver and recommend the series to fans of fantasy. The world and characters are unique and utterly interesting. Ms. Bishop’s storylines are exciting, filled with a wide spectrum of emotional impact. However, between the slow narration and the abundant side-story distractions, I found myself disinterested from time-to-time. I wonder if I would enjoy the books more in written rather than audio format, but either way, I will continue to devour the new titles when they arrive.

Story: B, liked it
Narration: B-, liked it, but had a few issues

Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About

Review copy provided by audiobook publisher