Vision in Silver – Anne Bishop

About the Book

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…

400 pages (hardcover)
Published by Penguin
Published on March 3
Author’s webpage
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This book was sent for me to review by the publisher.

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The Others is a series that flew onto my radar a few years ago, and each installment seems to only make me a bigger fan. Vision in Silver was a book I couldn’t wait to get my hands on, and I was thrilled when the publisher kindly sent me a copy to read and review early.

Before I continue, I should say that it is absolutely necessary for you to read the previous two books in the series before you read this one. Yes, it’s an investment of your time, but you’ll realize it is completely worth your time.

Vision in Silver takes off a little after Murder of Crows ends. Things seem to be hitting a little bit of an equilibrium at the Courtyard, but in an attempt to control her cutting, Meg decides to make a controlled cut. Of course she has a vision. At first, none of what she sees makes sense, but soon the pieces of the puzzle start falling into place, which is half the thrill.

Vision in Silver has a bit of a different tone from the previous novels. Meg stops being the darling of the courtyard and starts making mistakes. The others that she lives with don’t know how to handle her. There’s a murder, which causes the humans to take a much, much larger role in the novel than they have in previous books, and the politics are intense, and almost overwhelming.

Furthermore, readers will learn a lot more about the cassandra sangue, as Meg starts to really explore what makes her tick. The pressure that the others, and the Intuits feel from taking in these women who have been lost, kicked out, and confused, adds another layer of pressure and heartbreak to an already tense situation.

If you haven’t picked it up yet, Vision in Silver is incredibly atmospheric, and absolutely packed with tension and layers for readers to explore. There are very few authors who can make me feel happy, and heartbroken in the same sentence, and Bishop is one of them. She pulls out all the tricks, and absolutely infuses her book with all of the emotions that she can possibly muster.

This book is a bit more political and personal than the previous books. Meg really has to explore who she is and how she works in an effort to help all of the other women who have been basically abandoned from their very sheltered (and abusive) lives. It’s heartbreaking to see the struggle that these women go through, and it’s incredibly humanizing, empowering, and heartbreaking to see Meg push herself so far, and so hard, to help women that she doesn’t even really know.

The struggle between the others and the humans is getting kicked up another notch. It’s obvious that Bishop is working toward something quite incredible in future books in the series. She’s spent the past two books really moving her players around, and ramping up the tension. The ending of Vision of Silver left me incredibly anxious to see what, exactly, she’s working toward. While I have my ideas, Bishop has quickly proven to me that she has a tendency to turn left when I expect her to turn right. Anything can happen, and with her ability to fill her books with so many layers, plots, and character intricacies really causes future happenings to be anyone’s guess.

But oh, will I love the surprise.

The character development works perfectly along with the political developments. Both seem to fuel the other, and push characters in some uncomfortable situations that forces them to grow and develop in unexpected ways. Meg was a powerful character before, but Vision in Silver humanizes her. Now she’s not just powerful, but she’s also fallible.

The mystery at the core of the novel is well done, and has a result that managed to surprise me despite myself. Though, to be honest, the mystery wasn’t the most compelling part of the book. It did, however, give humans a much bigger role than they have previously had, and gives the political conflicts between humans and others a more personal, and emotional ground.

Vision in Silver was quite a surprise. I loved the first two books in the series, but this one really shows just what a powerful author Bishop is. She flawlessly weaves together more plot threads than I thought possible, manages to keep readers guessing and on the edge of their seats, and moves the plot toward…. something incredible, I’m sure.

5/5 stars