Vision in Silver by Anne BishopVision in Silver by Anne Bishop (The Others #3)

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Roc on March 3, 2015

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

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My thanks to Roc and NetGalley for providing me with a digital review copy. No compensation was provided for this review, and all opinions are my own.

The Others freed the  cassandra sangue  to protect the blood prophets from exploitation, not realizing their actions would have dire consequences.View Spoiler »

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Now that I’ve read Vision in Silver and reviewed it, my marathon of The Others series is complete. I must wait until publication dates like everyone else…which means another year until my new favourites are back. Heartbroken!

Although she’s still as sweet and kind as ever, Meg Corbyn is a completely different person than she first arrived in Lakeside. She still struggles with how overwhelming the world outside the compound can be, but considering she’s only been out for six months I think she’s doing pretty damn well. She’s the glue that holds the Others and a small portion of the human population together. Her friendship, free from judgement and (for the most part) fear, has helped bridge the gaps between these groups. But something strange is happening to Meg, and if the glue falls apart…then so will Lakeside.

We see the cassandra sangue become the focal point of the action in Vision in Silver, with Meg leading the blood prophets toward a better life. But it’s not an easy task for the young woman – she may be the Pathfinder, but she’s barely holding on herself. Of all the instalments in the series, I feel that this is the only one that truly showcases how conflicted Meg feels about her abilities. She needs to cut, both from addiction and biology, and when she speaks prophecy she helps her friends and feels like she has some power. Without the visions, without the cutting, who is she? Can a cassandra sangue survive without her razor? Should she even want to?

The blood prophets may be free from the compounds where they were held, but they are still held fast by the trauma they’ve suffered. We see these girls and women struggle to break free from the dependence they’ve been conditioned into, and we see just how few of them will survive the transition into a “normal” life.

Of all the cassandra sangue introduced in Vision of Silver, my favourite was blood prophet cs821. Since she was considered property and not a human being, she was given a designation rather than a name. But living among the Others – along with some tips from Meg – has helped her come into her own, and she ultimately chooses the perfect name: Hope. Her gift for expressing visions by drawing rather than cutting gives hope to the cassandra sangue, potentially providing a way to speak prophecy without death. Somehow I don’t think it’s going to be that easy…

The cassandra sangue aren’t the only characters who get their chance to shine in Vision in Silver: human police lieutenant Crispin James Montgomery, one of my favourite supporting characters, finally has his moment. Monty has had a rough go of it in this series, especially since his move to Lakeside meant that he was separated from his beloved daughter Lizzy. But he’s made the most of it, forming close friendships with his fellow officers and helping the Lakeside Police Force become the first in Thasia to have a cordial relationship with the local Others. As impressive as they may be, his professional accomplishments are not the focus – his personal life is. We get more background information on Monty’s former partner Elayne, and Lizzy is finally introduced. While some might feel that the cast of characters is getting a bit unwieldy, I think it’s the best part of the series. Besides, who can say no to more adorable children?

Above it all, the continued machinations of the Humans First and Last movement have rocked Lakeside society to its core. Violence is erupting in the streets, and the wild ones in the wilderness of Thasia are whispering words like “human extinction.” Anne Bishop asks the question: will Thasia choose hate or hope? Only time will tell, but I for one am hopeful.

Not quite in the same league as Murder of Crows, but definitely still a five-star read. Three five-star instalments back to back tells me that anyone who feels comfortable reading about the somewhat gruesome abilities of the cassandra sangue should be. If you’re not reading this series, you need to sort out your priorities!

 The marathon is over! What series should I be chowing down on next? For those of you who’ve read Vision in Silver, what did you think of the new additions to the cast? How did you feel about Meg’s attempts to help the cassandra sangue?